Danny recently roasted a washed and a dry processed coffee from the same washing stationIn Rwanda and some other East African countries, a wet mill is called a Washing Station.: In Rwanda and some other East African countries, a wet mill is... ...more in EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... ...more and wrote a a post for the Sweet Maria’s blog. After reading it, I was like, well shoot, I imagine that’d be pretty interesting to some shrub folks as well so here goes:
Here comes two Yirga Cheffe Kochore coffees with two different 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 methods. Both of these coffees come from the same washing station in Kochore. I thought it would be a good taste comparison to roast a coffee from the same area/washing station with two different processing methods. Also, I approached these two coffees differently in the roaster according to their processing method.
Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe Kore Kochore City+City+ roast is an ideal roast level that occurs roughly between 425 and 435 degrees Fahrenheit in many coffee roasters with a responsive bean probe where First Crack... ...more
Juicy, juicy bodyAssociated with and sensed by mouthfeel, body is sense of weight and thickness of the brew, caused by the percentage of soluble solids in the cup, including all... ...more from start to finishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We... ...more. Fresh fruit salad along with sparkling cane sugarA refined sugar, that has a no rustic sweetness. This was called "refined sugar" but has been rebranded as "cane sugar" thanks perhaps to C and H brand.... ...more and amazing aromatics. I brewed this coffee with the Bunn Trifecta (metal filter, no paper) at work, and at home using a Bee House dripper. I enjoyed them both ways, but found that the Bee House brew really blew my socks off…it is outstanding. I typically brew just a little on the heavy side to pronounce the body and intensityWe have a simple scale to rate intensity in our coffee reviews, from Mild to Bold. Low intensity does not mean low quality!: We have a simple scale... ...more the coffee when I brew at home.
Ethiopia Gr 1. Dry ProcessDry process coffee is a method for taking the fruit from the tree to an exportable green bean. The whole intact coffee cherry is dried in the sun... ...more Yirga Cheffee Kochore City+
A very round cup with both mouthfeelHow a coffee feels in the mouth or its apparent texture, a tactile sensation : A major component in the flavor profile of a coffee, it is a... ...more and cleanliness. You won’t find the typical wildness and intense fruit notes that you may have been used to with other dry processed coffees. Up front there’s a silkyA mouthfeel description indicating a delicate, light, elegant softness and smoothness. Usually refers to a lighter body than terms such as velvety, or creamy. ...more smooth body that rolls fruit flavors (juicy ripe red appleAn acid that adds to favorable perceptions of cup quality; malic acid often adds apple-like acidity, and perhaps other taste aspects recalling apples. Malic acid is yet another... ...more, red grapes and tropical fruits) in with every sip. I was able to maintain a nice acidityAcidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem... ...more level that this coffee has to offer that hits nicely in the middle. The aftertasteAftertaste refers to lingering residual sensations in the mouth after coffee has swallowed. It might be distinguished from "finish" which is the final sensations of the coffee while... ...more leaves a raw almond-like flavor and mouthfeel. Delicious.
Recently there have been a few roasters inquiring about how I approach dry processed coffees in the roaster. This is a great question and I will explain it a bit in this blog. There is not a definite answer to how a coffee “should be” roasted. It’s always a preference with how you like or want to express the coffee. Although, I do have some pretty usual starting points with certain origins, altitudes, processes, etc. and then make changes depending on how the specific coffee reacts.
I’m roasting on a Probat L12 when I roast for the Ongoing Sweet Maria’s Subscription. I tried roasting dry processed coffees at home on my HottopA home drum roaster with a 9oz capacity, adjustable heat and airflow profiling, and an external cooling tray.: A home drum roaster with a 9oz capacity, adjustable heat... ...more and have not had very good luck with them. But, I have only roasted a couple on it.
Here are some general notes on how these two coffees were roasted…
Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe Kore Kochore
22 lbs charge weight.
Charge temp between 390° – 410°.
100% air flow all the way through.
Turn around time (when temp bottoms out and starts to come back up) around 1:30 minutes.
Low temperature 1/3 of full heat for the first 3 minutes.
Medium temperature 2/3 of full heat at 3 minutes (cruising up to the yellowing stage!).
High temperature – full heat at 6 minutes.
Cracking starts at 9.5 minutes.
Stay at full heat until coffee is discharged from roaster.
Roast time around 11 minutes. City+ roast.
The Intent: Keeping it at full heat during first crackFirst crack in one of two distinct heat-induced pyrolytic reactions in coffee. It is distinguished by a cracking or popping sound in the coffee, and occurs between 390... ...more until discharging the roast allows the coffee to have a bit of an uneven degree of roastDegree of Roast simply means the roast level of a coffee, how dark it has been roasted.: Degree of Roast simply means the roast level of a coffee,... ...more from the outside to the inside of the coffee. This keeps the acidity level nice and balanced with a City+ to full city roast profiles. Also, the sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly... ...more develops like table sugar or simple syrup. Yirga Cheffe’s have so much fruitiness and sweetness that this style of roasting works well for my taste.
Ethiopia Gr 1. Dry Process Yirga Cheffee Kochore
22 lbs charge weight.
Charge temp between 390° – 410°.
100% air flow all the way through.
Turn around time (when temp bottoms out and starts to come back up) around 1:30 minutes.
Low temperature 1/3 of full heat for the first 3 minutes.
Medium temperature 2/3 of full heat at 3 minutes (again, cruising up to the yellowing stage).
Medium / High heat – at 6 minutes.
First sign of first crackAn audible popping sound heard during roasting. In coffee, one refers to "first crack" and "second crack," which come from two different classes of chemical reactions.: An audible... ...more (almost 11 min), dropped the heat down to low temp, 1/3 of full heat.
Stayed at 1/3 until discharge around 12.5 minutes. City+ roast.
The Intent: Slowing down the roast at first crack for dry process coffees tames the intensity of the fruit and earthiness. Getting the inside and the outside of the coffee at a more even roast degree brings out a chocolaty and caramelCaramel is a desirable form of sweetness found in the flavor and aroma of coffee, and is an extension of roast taste. Extremely light or dark coffees will... ...more sweetness. You can also tame the acidity with doing this method of roasting if you are looking to do so. This coffee actually carried over a nice acidity level even with slowing it down. Also, if you give dry processed coffees too much heat, they tend to go into second crack a lot faster than washed coffees. Sometimes first crack can roll into second crackAfter First Crack, a roast reaction around 440 to 450 degrees that is distinguished by a snapping sound. Second Crack is the second audible clue the roaster-operator receives... ...more without warning.
In conclusion I would like to add that this is one person’s opinion on how to approach these coffees. All coffee roastingThe application of heat to green coffee seeds (beans) to create palatable material for brewing a great cup!: Coffee roasting is a chemical process induced by heat, by... ...more machines roast differently and react with their own personality. My approach has and will continue to evolve as well as my coffee brewing techniques, coffee preferences and record collection. There are many ways to get from point A to point B, and learning along the way is part of the process for everyone. I would love to hear your feedback about these coffees and or your roasting experiences. 🙂
– Danny Goot
