Colombian coffee grading

1. Classification according to defective beans

There are two kinds of defective beans:

-the first one: it's called a first-class flaw.

-the second kind is called secondary defect.

First: major defects (defects that affect the taste characteristics of coffee): black beans, moldy beans or sour beans

Private raw bean exporters: no more than 12 first-class defective beans

National Coffee Committee: no more than 8 first-class defective beans

Second: secondary defects (defects that affect the appearance of raw beans):

Discolored beans (old beans, over-dried beans, soybeans), broken beans, insect bite beans, shell beans, unripe beans, special-shaped beans

Private raw bean exporters: no more than 60 minor defective beans

National Coffee Committee: no more than 35 secondary defective beans

Note: the number of major defective beans can be replaced by the number of secondary defective beans, and one primary defective bean is equivalent to 10 secondary defective beans.

Boutique coffee

The number of primary defective beans in Grade AA per 500g coffee is zero and the number of secondary defective beans is less than 5.

Grade A has less than 3 primary defective beans and less than 8 secondary defective beans per 500g coffee.

There are less than 8 primary defective beans and less than 35 secondary defective beans per 500g coffee in Grade.

Second, according to the size of the bean

Maragogype Marago is a special tree species with large bean body and low total yield.

No more than 5% of the bean bodies less than 17 mesh but more than 14 mesh in Supremo super-grade samples

In the super sample of Supremo screen 18 + 18 +, the bean body is below 18 mesh but not more than 5% above 14 mesh.

In the first-class samples of Excelso Extra, the number of beans with less than 16 mesh but more than 14 mesh does not exceed 5%.

In the top grade samples of Excelso EP, the percentage of beans with less than 15 mesh but more than 12 mesh is not more than 2.5% (this proportion may also be adjusted to 5% or 8% depending on demand)

U.G.Q. General "Usual Good Quality": no more than 1.5% of beans less than 14 mesh but less than 12 mesh in the sample

Three: according to the region

Traditionally, Colombian coffee is often called the Armenian / Medellin Gourmet.

A few years ago, coffee began to be sold under the name of region: Popayan, Bucaramanga, Huila, Tolima, Medellin, Nari ñ o became the main coffee producing areas.

There are two distinct periods of coffee production in Colombia: Main crop (main season), and second season (Mitaca). The time of the two production periods will be different in different regions.

For example, the harvest time of the main season

Bucaramanga from October to December.

Popayan May-June

The quality of coffee produced in the main season is usually better than that in the next season.

Four: according to the law

According to the National Coffee Council, only high-quality coffee beans are allowed to be exported. These are set by the National Coffee Committee.

Commercial classification: Maragogype, Supremo, Excelso and UGQ.

Grade: Grade AA, Grade A, Special Grade.

Each grade has specific regulations on the size and next degree of the bean.

The National Coffee Council and private bean merchants also classify several categories as boutique coffee, such as coffee with organic, sustainable and fair trade certification.