Culling All Coffee
PreparationPreparation refers to the dry-milling steps of preparing coffee for export: hulling, grading, classifying, sorting.: Preparation refers to the dry-milling steps of preparing coffee for export: hulling, grading,... ...more of coffee is very important in determining the character of the cup. When we talk about preparation, we mean the steps that a coffee millA coffee mill might mean a coffee grinder, but we usually use the term to refer to a coffee processing facility, either a Wet-Mill or a Dry Mill.... ...more (in Latin countries it is called a beneficioIn Kenya, a "Factory" is actually a coffee wet mill (called a washing station in other parts of Africa) where the fresh cherry is brought for wet-processing. It... ...more) goes through to screen, sort, and separate green coffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... ...more. These steps are done by a varietyA botanical variety is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy below the rank of species and subspecies and above the rank of form (form / variety / subspecies... ...more of machines and by hand at the mill, representing a continuation of the elaborate hand-picking process that happens on the farm … the selection of only red, ripe coffee cherryOriginally coffee literature referred to the fruit of the tree as a "berry" but in time it became a cherry. It is of course neither. Nor is the... ...more from the tree. You might find an exquisite small-farm coffee, grown from the best old-world arabicaArabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the taxonomic species name of the genus responsible for around 75% of the worlds commercial coffee crop.: Arabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the... ...more cultivars (typica or bourbonA coffee cultivar; a cross between Typica and Bourbon, originally grown in Brazil: Mundo Novo is a commercial coffee cultivar; a natural hybrid between "Sumatra" and Red Bourbon,... ...more for example), grown in volcanic soils at high altitude, carefully hand-picked, taken down to the wet-mill each evening after the harvest, wet-milled with the utmost care, patio dried in the sun –resulting in a cup of foul, unpalatable blech due to bad preparation. Preparation of coffee begins with the pergamino, the coffee seed nestled in in a brittle parchmentGreen coffee still in its outer shell, before dry-milling, is called Parchment coffee (pergamino). In the wet process, coffee is peeled, fermented, washed and then ready for drying... ...more layer. This coffee was either sun dried or mechanically dried, then rested (the reposoEither the resting of parchment coffee after drying, or for the home roaster, post-roast resting.: Resting might refer to "reposo", the time after drying the parchment coffee, when... ...more stage) for 30- 60 days. The first stage is to hull the coffee out of the parchment as well as much of the very thin silverskinOn dried green bean coffee, the thin inner-parchment layer that clings to the bean and lines the crease on the flat side. Silverskin becomes chaff and falls off... ...more clinging to the seed. (The removed parchment is used as a fuel for the coffee driers) Ideally, the new friction hullers are used, but careful attention must be given to the amount of friction applied. Heating up the coffee in the step is a major problem, having a profound affect on cup quality. The older metal-burr hullers damage green coffee, but I have seen them used with care and good results. In the next stage, a primary densityThe density of a coffee bean is often taken as a sign of quality, as a more dense bean will roast more with a better dynamic. The density... ...more separator called a catadora is then used to separate the coffee. Lowdensity coffee seeds are from unripe coffee cherryEither a flavor in the coffee, or referring to the fruit of the coffee tree, which somewhat resembles a red cherry.: Either a flavor in the coffee, or... ...more, and will spoil the cup. The catadora works by using a flow of air to draw the coffee up a chute with various gates. The green coffee then moves through a screener to separate by seed size. One of the best screeningRunning coffee through a screen with holes of a fixed size to sort beans for size.: Running coffee through a screen with holes of a fixed size to... ...more machines for this step in the process is a modified grain separator made in Scotland. These machines are extremely accurate (operating using a series of precisely measured holes), and more importantly, very gentle on the coffee. Coffee sizes are measured in 64ths of an inch, so “17 screen” coffee would pass through an 18/64ths screen. Further sortingCoffee is sorted by size, density, and color in its preparation for export.: Sorting refers to several steps performed in the preparation of coffee for export. Coffee is... ...more occurs with the winnower, often called an Oliver Table after the most popular manufacturer. The winnower is a slanted table that vibrates, shaking the coffee and separating lesser density seeds from higher densities. Now the coffee is sent to the color sorters. These machines are highly accurate, modern inventions that scan each coffee seed individually to compare it to a pre-set color range. The coffee passes individually through a tube at fairly high speeds. If a seed
is determined to be off-color, an air jet knocks that one bean out of the tube, into a reject receptacle. It’s really amazing to see a color-sorter in operation, and a large mill will have a sizable bank of them, with perhaps 40-60 of these individual streams of coffee being color-sorted at any time. But truly good coffee must go through one last, and all-important step. This is the final hand-culling, where the coffee is sent as a single layer down a conveyor, and as many as 30 people inspect coffee visually, removing what the machines did not catch. This is a job that requires stamina, a lot of training, and is often a highly desirable job. In the absolute best mills, like La Minita’s Rio de Tarrazu, the sorting is not done on a conveyor, but at individual tables. In this case, a top sorter cleans no more than 50 pounds of coffee in one day. What I have described here is the dry-milling that occurs after wet-processing, the method that involves fermentationFermentation in coffee processing traditionally referred to the stage in wet-processing of the coffee. We now understand that fermentation happens more broadly in nearly all processes, including honey... ...more to remove the fleshy coffee fruit mucilageMucilage indicates the fruity layer of the coffee cherry, between the outer skin and the parchment layer that surrounds the seed. It readily clings to the inner parchment... ...more from the parchment layer. Wet processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural... ...more has another advantage in removing defects: in the cribas, the washing channels that move the coffee out of the fermentation tanks, unripe seeds will float as they move along and are skimmed off the surface, while ripe cherry will hug the bottom of the canal. But many of the exotic coffees of the world are dry-processed, while a few involve a mixture of the two methods. What is dry processing and how does it affect the culling of coffee in the drymill? Dry-processed coffees are not fermentedAs a defect flavor, a fruit quality in a coffee that is excessively ripe, toward rotten. Fermented flavor can be the result of poor wet-processing, over-ripe cherry, or... ...more, nor is the coffee skin or pulp separated from the parchment-covered seed. In dry processing, the entire cherry is laid out on patios to dry. After the fruityIn some coffee taster’s lexicon, “fruity” means the coffee is tainted with fruit, and “fruited” means a coffee is graced by positive fruit notes. We don't exactly see... ...more skin has lost enough moisture to attach itself to the parchment, and the inner seed has shrunk, the coffee is hulled, and the skin, mucilage and parchment are torn away from the seed in a single step. In most cultures, the coffee is then subjected to careful hand-sorting to remove the paler under-ripe seeds, broken seeds, black beans (overripe or dead seeds) or other defects. Clearly, this is a less technified method, but while less equipment is involved, it is in fact no less laborious. It is used in areas where access to water is limited (wet-processing involves serious amounts of water to move the pulped cherry through the mill). And it involves a completely visual sorting method to grade, size and cull the coffee, with a much slower output from each individual since there is no machine to assist them. But you can see that dry-processed coffees have a much greater risk of allowing defects, especially low-density coffee seeds and under-ripe seeds, to slip through into the final product. In a generous analysis, this greater range of seeds, and the fact the coffee seed had longer contact with the fruity mucilage layer, give dry-processed coffees their somewhat outrageous character. It is what makes an Ethiopian Harar a wineyA taste term to describe a wine-like flavor with a similar perceived acidity and fruit, and some level of acetic acid. It is found most commonly in East... ...more, apricot-laced experience, or a SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body... ...more MandhelingA trade name used for wet-hulled Sumatra coffees. It is an area and a culture group as well (spelled Mandailing often) but there is not as much coffee... ...more a deep, full-bodied, lush
cup. At it’s worse, each pound of coffee, even pot of brewed coffeeBrewed Coffee refers to all coffee preparations produced by adding non-pressurized water to coffee grounds. Contrasted with espresso coffee, which is produced under pressure, brewed coffee is primarily... ...more, are an inconsistent experience, and a few may have too much earth, too much mustiness, so much leatheryAromas or flavors reminiscent of leather, a very rustic quality and not necessarily a defect.: This descriptor is somewhat reminiscent of the leather, and is sometimes distinguished as... ...more flavor, to be enjoyable. You risk more with dry-processed coffees, but the rewards can be great too.
What you can do:find out early in your home-roasting journey exactly what your tolerance level is for the dry-processed coffees. I choose these coffees very carefully, and will give strong hints in the language of the Coffee Review if it is a really “edgy” cup profile. Some people have no patience for a really good Mandheling, and every cup tastes moldy to them. I cup a lot of Mandhelings that are truly moldy-tasting! But I stock only the
best lot I find that is deeply complexThe co-presence of many aroma and flavor attributes, with multiple layers. A general impression of a coffee, similar to judgments such as "balanced" or "structured" ...more, with perhaps mild earthiness, but not excessively “dirty”. With the dry-processed Ethiopian coffees, there may be a winey, dried-fruit character in the cup. I have the perfect analogy: ever eat unsulphered dry fruit? I grew up with it (hey, my mother worked in a health food store) and each one is a new experience. The best pieces are sweet and complex like no fruit you have ever tasted, others are going too much toward fermentAs an aroma or flavor in coffee, ferment is a defect taste, resulting from bad processing or other factors. Ferment is the sour, often vinegar-like, that results from... ...more. For me, that can be the experience with Ghimbi, Sidamo, and even Harar dryprocess. You might improve the cup by removing the very, very light beans after roasting. You can also ruin the cup this way, removing the character that gives the coffee its distinct cup profile. If I remove beans, I will either eat them (I call it drycupping) or grind them and use the traditional cuppingCupping is a method of tasting coffee by steeping grounds in separate cups for discrete amounts of ground coffee, to reveal good flavors and defects to their fullest.... ...more method to see what they have to say to me. The folks who really “get” the home roasting experience are explorers, who want to taste the whole bag of fruit to find out what they like. I don’t mean this as an insult … but there are others who should stick to the stuff in the cans. –Tom
Sweet Maria’s Coffee
1455 64th Street, Emeryville CA 94608
web: www.sweetmarias.com
email: [email protected]
Sweet Maria’s Green Coffee Offering List on May 6 2004.
Central American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Costa RicaCosta Rican coffee is typically very clean, sweet, with lots of floral accents. hey are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity,... ...more Tres Rios -La Magnolia $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Costa Rican La Minita Tarrazu $6.80 $12.92 $30.26 $108.80
GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to... ...more Antigua -Los Pastores $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Guatemala Fraijanes -Palo Alto Azul $4.55 $8.65 $19.79 $70.07
MexicoMexican coffee originates from South-central to Southern regions of the country. For that reason, coffees from Coatepec and Veracruz are much different from Oaxacan Plumas, which are in... ...more Org/FT Oaxaca Pluma $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
NicaraguaNicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other... ...more OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms... ...more/FT Segovia $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
PanamaPanama coffee ranges from medium quality lower altitude farms to those at 1600 - 1800 meters centered in the area of Boquete in the Chirqui district near the... ...more -Hartmann EstateA "coffee estate" is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does... ...more “Songbird” $4.75 $9.03 $20.66 $73.15
South American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
BoliviaBolivia has always been a coffee origin with great potential, the potential to have a unique Specialty coffee offering with unique cup character.: There's no better way to... ...more Organic Cenaproc Co-op $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Bolivia Fair TradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability.: Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach... ...more “de Montana” $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $72.38
BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... ...more Cup of ExcellenceThe Cup of Excellence is a competition held yearly in many coffee-producing countries, designed to highlight the very best coffees from each origin.: The Cup of Excellence (COE)... ...more Laranja-Cravo $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
Brazil Cup of Excellence Sitio Araucaria $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $87.78
Brazil FazendaFazenda is the Portuguese word for farm, hence it is the term used in Brazil. Fazenda is not a coffee-specific term. ...more Ipanema “Dulce” $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Brazil Matas de Minas -Fazenda Brauna $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Brazil Sul de Minas – Carmo Estate $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
Brazil Organic/FT Poco Fundo $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Colombian Huila “Mercedes Supremo” $4.20 $7.98 $18.27 $64.68
Colombian Organic Mesa de los Santos $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
Colombian Huila – La Florencia $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Colombian Popayan SupremoA Colombian coffee grade referring to screen size of 17-18 screen. In the traditional bulk Arabica business, Supremo was the top grade Colombia, with Excelso one step below... ...more “Caucano” $4.65 $8.84 $20.23 $71.61
EcuadorEcuador has everything it takes to grow great coffee. Positioned between Colombia and Peru, the interior mountain ranges have plenty of altitude, weather patterns, and ideal soil for... ...more EScafe Co-op $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $72.38
PeruPeruvian coffees have Central American brightness but in a South American coffee flavor package overall. The good organic lots do have more of a "rustic" coffee character.: Organic... ...more Organic/Fair Trade Ccochapampa $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $75.46
African- Arabian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Ethiopian Ghimbi Lot 5025 $4.20 $7.98 $18.27 $64.68
Ethiopian Harar -Lot 6979 “Horse” $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $72.38
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Lot 4452 $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... ...more AA Auction Lot 369-Kanake $5.25 $9.98 $22.84 $80.85
Kenya AA Auction Lot 633-Karugwa $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $87.78
Kenya AA Auction Lot 499-Mweiga $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $90.86
RwandaA Bourbon cultivar variant from Rwanda and Burundi. Bourbon coffees are named for the island in the India Ocean where French colonists grew it. Some history from the... ...more Masaka “Seven Lakes” $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
TanzaniaIn terms of the Tanzania coffee character, it belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees, bright (acidy), and mostly aggressively flavorful of which Kenya is... ...more AA Songea Flatbean $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $72.38
UgandaWhile Arabica was introduced at the beginning of the 1900's, Robusta coffee is indigenous to the country, and has been a part of Ugandan life for centuries. The... ...more AA Bugisu $4.30 $8.17 $18.71 $66.22
YemenYemen has a coffee culture like no other place, and perhaps some of what we enjoy in this cup is due to their old style of trade...: Technically,... ...more MokhaThe Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms of the family of cultivars planted there, and the general trade name.: Mokha Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms... ...more Ismaili (Hirazi) $7.80 $14.82 $36.27 $124.80
ZimbabweZimbabwe, formerly known as lower Rhodesia until independence in 1980, has produced great coffee since production was introduced in the 1960s. Like Zambian coffees, these coffees are often... ...more AA Salimba Estate $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Indonesian- Indian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Indian Monsooned Malabar Coehlo’s Gold $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Indian Pearl Mountain PeaberryA peaberry is a green coffee "bean" that has a rounded form: Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree - each fruit having... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia. The two primary areas for... ...more – Arokara AA $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Papua New Guinea – Kimel $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
SulawesiSulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial... ...more Toraja Grade One $4.50 $8.55 $19.58 $69.30
Aged Sumatra Lintong $5.80 $11.02 $25.23 $89.32
Sumatra Iskandar Triple-Pick $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
Sumatra Mandheling ’04 – Lot 6854 $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
TimorTimor-Leste (East Timor) is a tiny island between Australia and Sulawesi, annexed by Indonesia and liberated in a referendum several years ago. Small scale coffee farming was jump-started... ...more Organic/FT Maubesse $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Islands- Blends -Etc. 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
HawaiiThe Kona district on the big island of Hawaii produces the best coffee from this state - clean, sweet and mild. : Ah, Hawaii... what a nice place.... ...more KonaKona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii: Kona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island... ...more -Honaunau PeaberryThe Spanish-language term for Peaberry is the same for "snail". See Peaberry for more information on the single bean fruit of the coffee tree. A peaberry is the... ...more $15.40 $29.57 $71.61 5 lb limit
Hawaii Kona Purple Mountain FANCY $14.40 $27.65 $66.96 5 lb limit
JamaicaJamaica coffee can be excellent mild, lush coffee... sometimes. Like Kona and Puerto Rican coffee, it is soft, mild, clean and well balanced when it is good.: Ah... ...more Blue Mountain – Mavis Bank $19.40 $37.25 $90.21 5 lb limit
Puerto RicoPuerto Rican coffee has the typical"island profile". These coffees, which include Jamaica and Kona, have a soft cup, not acidic, balanced, and mild. : I have tried other... ...more Yauco Selecto AA $9.70 $18.62 $45.11 $161.02
SM’s Moka Kadir Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
SM’s EspressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is... ...more Monkey Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
SM’s Classic Italian Espresso Blend $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
SM’s Decaf Espresso Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $86.24
SM’s Liquid Amber Espresso Blend $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $81.62
SM’s French RoastSugars are heavily caramelized (read as burned) and are degraded; the woody bean structure is carbonizing, the seed continues to expand and loose mass, the body of the... ...more Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
SM’s Roasted French ChicoryChicory was a popular coffee substitute and economizer for 2 centuries, back when coffee was more prized, and pure coffee was a luxury. : Chicory was a popular... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $73.92
Decafs 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Brazil Prima Qualita WP Decaf $4.60 $8.74 $20.01 $70.84
Colombian ExcelsoA Colombian coffee grade referring to screen size of 15-16. In the traditional bulk Arabica business, Excelso is a step below the large bean Supremo grade, which indicates... ...more Medellin WP Decaf $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $72.38
Costa Rican El Sol WP Decaf $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe WP Decaf $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
Kenya AA WP Decaf $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $84.70
Mexican Esmeralda Natural Decaf $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $67.76
Panama WP Decaf -Panamaria Estate $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
Sulawesi Toraja WP Decaf $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $78.54
Sumatra WP Decaf $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $80.08
Timor WP Decaf $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $77.00
Premium Robustas 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 20 lb
Indian Organic Washed RobustaAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely... ...more $4.20 $7.98 $18.27 $64.68
Uganda RobustaRobusta usually refers to Coffea Robusta, responsible for roughly 25% of the world's commercial coffee. Taxonomy of Robusta is debated: some sources use “Robusta” to refer to any... ...more -Esco Farms 18+ $4.00 $7.60 $17.40 $61.60
Ugh! (The Coffee) $0.70 1 lb limit
