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11/2/2019 1 Comment

Coffee Processing Methods

After the coffee cherry is picked, it needs to be processed before we receive it at our roastery. There are a few different ways of doing this, and they each can impact the flavor of the coffee.

Washed - The most common processing method. Once the coffee is picked at it's peak of ripeness, they are sorted and de-pulped, taking off the majority of the fruit around the coffee seeds (beans). From there, they sit fermenting in large tubs for 24-48 hours. This allows natural bacteria to eat off any remaining fruit on the seeds.  Then, the coffee is soaked in water for 8-10 hours. This allows the unripe seeds to rise to the top, while the good ones sink to the bottom. The farmers are able to skim off the bad ones as a level of quality control. The seeds are then dried, typically on raised beds for a couple weeks until they get to a moisture level of around 11% before they are bagged and shipped. Washed coffee typically leaves the coffee with a clean taste, and is a great representation of the seed’s flavor. This is most common in the Americas.

Natural - Using no water, the coffee cherries are picked and then laid out on raised beds under the sun. There, they shrivel like raisins and the seeds absorb a lot of the fruitiness of the cherry. Unfortunately, since there isn't that level of quality control that the washed process has, some crops can taste almost dirty if not picked carefully. The cherry is then removed, bagged, and shipped. This is the oldest way of processing coffee, and it is more common in Africa. 

Honey - The hybrid process. This method takes the best aspects of washed and natural and combine them to create a delightfully complex coffee. Like the washed processed, the fruit is de-pulped, but there is no fermentation, so there is still a lot of mucilage left on the bean. This way, during the sun-drying process, some fruit is absorbed in the seed, but still is very clean in taste. There are different levels of Honey Processing, including Yellow Honey, Red Honey, and Black Honey; indicating the amount of mucilage left on the bean.

These are other methods, such as Pulped Natural and Semi-Washed, but Washed, Natural, and Honey are the most common. DISCLAIMER: Each farm does it their own way, so these descriptions are general. Don't get caught up in the details.
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8/14/2019 1 Comment

2 Ways to Brew French Press Coffee

The origin of the French Press can be traced back to 1850’s France. However, the design was improved by the Italians in 1929, and then perfected by the Swiss in 1958. There is no doubt that the design and taste of the French Press is iconic, however the way it is brewed is contested. There are two main techniques of brewing; The Classic and The Hoffman. 

What you will need:
  • French Press
  • Digital Scale
  • Timer
  • Spoon(s)
  • Water Kettle (Gooseneck preferred)
  • Coffee grinder
  • Clean, filtered water
The Steps of The Classic method:
  1. Heat your water. Start off by heating up your water. Coffee likes to be brewed between 195-205°F. If you don't have a variable temperature electric kettle, you can heat up your water to boiling, then let it sit for 45s-1 minute to allow it to get down to temperature. If you brew it at boiling  (212°F) you will scorch your coffee.
  2. Grind your coffee. While you wait for your water to heat up, you can grind your coffee. Coffee is always best freshly ground, and can actually stale just 15 min after grinding. We highly recommend you invest in a good burr grinder. For the French Press, use a coarse grind setting, similar to cracked pepper.
  3. Coffee-to-water ratio. It is time for some math! To ensure you get some good coffee, you need to have a good coffee-to-water ratio. For this method, we use a 1/14 ratio, meaning that for every 1 gram of coffee, we will be adding 14 grams of water (This is where the scale comes in). So, let’s start with 28-29g /400g.
  4. Zero out your scale. Now, put your french press with your coffee on your scale, and zero it out. Grab your hot water and your timer, and get ready to pour. Remember, start your timer right when you start pouring.
  5. Pour! Do a heavy pour of 400g of water, fairly quickly. The goal is to saturate all the grounds at the same time. You can achieve this by either pouring in a sporadic manner, or by aiming at the wall right above the coffee, which can help the water fold over the coffee, and start extracting everything right away. Either way, the goal is to make sure there are no dry grounds floating on top when you are done pouring
  6. Agitate. Use your spoon, and stir in the grounds, and then put the lid on top.
  7. Plunge & Enjoy. After 4 minutes, push the plunger down, pour, and drink!
The Steps of the Hoffman method:
  1. Heat your water. Start off by heating up your water. Coffee likes to be brewed between 195-205°F. If you don't have a variable temperature electric kettle, you can heat up your water to boiling, then let it sit for 45s-1 minute to allow it to get down to temperature. If you brew it at boiling  (212°F) you will scorch your coffee.
  2. Grind your coffee. While you wait for your water to heat up, you can grind your coffee. Coffee is always best freshly ground, and can actually stale just 15 min after grinding. We highly recommend you invest in a good burr grinder. For this method, use a medium grind setting, similar to sugar.
  3. Coffee-to-water ratio. It is time for some math! To ensure you get some good coffee, you need to have a good coffee-to-water ratio. For this method, we use a 1/13 ratio, meaning that for every 1 gram of coffee, we will be adding 13 grams of water (This is where the scale comes in). So, let’s start with 30g /400g.
  4. Zero out your scale. Now, put your french press with your coffee on your scale, and zero it out. Grab your hot water and your timer, and get ready to pour. Remember, start your timer right when you start pouring.
  5. Pour! Do a heavy pour of 400g of water, fairly quickly. The goal is to saturate all the grounds at the same time. You can achieve this by either pouring in a sporadic manner, or by aiming at the wall right above the coffee, which can help the water fold over the coffee, and start extracting everything right away. Either way, the goal is to make sure there are no dry grounds floating on top when you are done pouring
  6. Agitate. Wait 4 minutes, then break the crust that has formed with a spoon. This will allow some grounds to settle to the bottom. You can then use a spoon or two to scoop off any foam or floating grounds that remain.
      7.  Cap & Serve. Wait another 5 minutes for the coffee to cool and for any silt to sink to the bottom, put the lid on top,                  but do not plunge, and pour the coffee through the mesh. Enjoy!

The Hoffman method is named after James Hoffman; 2007 World Barista Champion and founder of Square Mile Coffee in London. He popularized this method, which is meant to resemble the professional coffee cupping method.
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