Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491371
STiR tea & coffee industry international 45 Batdorf & Bronson's tasting notes: The pre-sort blend was described as toasty, malty, silky with a nutty finish, cracker, bakey, cocoa, and black pepper. Descriptors for the light hue included: sweet apricot, nutty finish, cherry, almond, orange peel with a mild body." The medium hue brought these comments: "molasses, caramel, maple, almond, gritty, and dry. The darkest green was described as "caramel with lingering orange, floral, spicy" but tasters noted inconsistencies cup to cup." Recommendations "I think that a roaster should still separate out the cup profile by roast hue, then find out which mix of hues and which ratio brings out the best of those specific beans to use in production," said Hartford. The additional cost for sorts is a modest $35 per hour. Nei- ther roaster recommends the additional expense for coffee that does not already cup near the specialty threshold of 80. Roasters replicating this experiment should consider evaluat- ing the three hues independently instead of subjecting them to the identical roast. Doing so may further improve cupping scores. The most practical application is to treat the least desirable hue as a defect. The beans would not go to waste and scores for the remaining hues would rise if the roaster succeeds at his task. Successfully roasting a container sorted by hue could literally make the sum of its parts greater in value than the whole. Post script The fact that cuppers disagree on the individual scores is not as significant as the fact that cupping scores improved after sorting the coffee by color and that different roasters coaxed different characteristics out of the same colored samples. "For me the biggest question is what causes the variation in color in the first place," writes Benck. In reply grower Erwin Mierisch explains that "The slower the drying time the greener the bean. It all has to do with water activity. If we dry fast, the moisture in the nucleus of the bean is still very active. When the coffee rests and stabilizes that water migrates outward and raises the humidity and fades the color of the bean." Credits: Special thanks to cuppers Bob Benck, Brian Meyers, Arturo Villalobos, Aaron Shively at Batdorf & Bronson; Rob Hoos at Nossa Familia Roasters; Dane Loraas, and Midori Hartford at Sustainable Harvest; and independent Q Grader Michael McIntyre. Acceptable Green Coffee Colors Arabica colors used in international standard classification descriptions. Grayish-blue The most desirable color, found in high quality beans. The color is obtained by sun drying after washing. Beans are dried flat, turned often. Roasts reflect well-balanced acidity, full body, rich flavor. Grayish-green Usually well dried and free from open parchment. Common to South and Central America, Papua New Guinea, and Hawaii. Roasts to a brilliant chocolate, heavy body, mellow flavor. smooth acidity. Brownish-gray-green, brownish-green or brown Brownish beans are typically over or under ripe, over fermented, scorched by a mechanical drying or warehoused for too long. Displays light body and acidity, earthy, woody, or nutty flavor. Blue or Yellow Rejected as too high in moisture due to under-drying. Source: Indellidon Origin Direct. Why the selection of Green Coffee Beans Can Make or Break the Outcome of Your Roast!, by Steve Josephs & Jackson Kanampiu 2008 Batdorf & Bronson Cuppers Sample Bob Brian Arturo Aaron SUM AVG. DIFF Pre-sort 78.50 78.00 77.50 81.50 315.50 78.88 — LG 81.50 82.50 78.50 86.00 328.50 82.13 3.25 MG 82.50 81.50 78.50 77.00 319.50 79.88 1.00 DG 82.50 76.50 78.00 78.00 315.00 78.75 -0.13 Sustainable Harvest Cuppers Sample Rob Dane Midori Michael SUM AVG. DIFF Pre-sort 85.50 82.75 83.00 84.50 335.75 83.94 — LG 84.50 81.50 84.00 84.25 334.25 83.56 -0.38 MG 84.50 82.25 84.00 84.75 335.50 83.88 -0.06 DG 86.50 83.50 84.25 86.25 340.50 85.13 1.19