How to bake coffee from different producing areas

How to bake coffee from different producing areas

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Should you use the same baking curve for roasting coffee from Narino in Colombia and coffee from Sidamo in Ethiopia? The answer is likely to be no.

The microclimatic conditions such as climate, soil type and planting altitude of coffee producing countries are different, and the coffee produced by different countries is also different. In the roasting process, different coffee beans have different responses to heat energy. Roasters should highlight some characteristics of coffee beans in the roasting process. The above reasons indicate that different coffee beans need different roasting methods when roasting coffee. This paper briefly introduces some factors related to the origin of coffee that need to be considered in the roasting process.

Altitude coffee bean planting altitude is one of the important points for attention in coffee roasting. Altitude is related to the density of coffee beans. The higher altitude of coffee planting means that the planting environment temperature is lower, and the slower growth of coffee beans results in higher sugar content in coffee berries. High altitude coffee beans have high density and hardness.

Coffee beans of different densities have different reactions to heat energy during roasting. There are more cavitation (air pocket) in the low-density (soft bean) structure, which will slow down / reduce the heat transfer benefit. In order to prevent scorching on the surface of coffee beans, a lower temperature should be used in baking. At the same time, it is suggested to prolong the baking time appropriately.

Which producing areas produce "hard beans"?

Tom Janssen from OR Cofee in Belgium points out that Ethiopian coffee can be grown at an altitude of up to 2200 meters, while some Brazilian coffee beans are grown at an altitude of about 900m, which is less dense than Ethiopian coffee beans.

Lower lower bean temperature is recommended for low-density and low-altitude island coffee beans, and higher lower bean temperature is recommended for Central American coffee grown at higher elevations.

Although most Brazilian coffee is grown at low altitude, some coffee is grown at high altitude, and coffee roasters should learn as much as possible about the origin of the coffee.

The regional flavor of the producing area

When roasting, it is necessary to consider the physical structure of coffee and the flavor of coffee, which varies greatly in different producing areas.

The acidity of Ethiopian coffee is very different from that of Kenyan coffee, and the flavors of Colombian coffee and Yejashafi are also very different. Generally speaking, American coffee (such as Brazil) has more chocolate and nutty flavors and a good sense of balance. Coffee from East Africa is clean and juicy / fruity, some countries have good sweetness / sweetness such as Burundi, and other countries have outstanding acidity / acidity such as Kenya. Indonesian caffeine is thick and has an earthy flavor (earthy tones).

Of course, coffee in the same producing area also has differences in flavor, which are affected by microclimate, soil, coffee varieties, production methods and other factors. Indonesian Sulawesi coffee has spicy characteristics, coffee from Bali has prominent citrus characteristics, Panamanian rose summer coffee flavor is different from Panamanian bourbon coffee. Brazil has a vast territory, and the flavor of coffee varies from region to region.

The roaster's job is to retain the flavor of the coffee's place of origin, let the roasting degree be natural and moderate, and let the coffee tell its own flavor as much as possible, emphasizing the difference in the regional style of coffee.

How to highlight the flavor characteristics of coffee

High-density coffee has outstanding acidity and is generally described as fruit, such as grapefruit, citrus, plum, berry and so on.

If your roasted coffee can bring out these characteristics, it is commendable. Please pay attention to and distinguish the sour (astringent) caused by insufficient baking.

The longer the development time after the explosion, the more the acidity and fruit flavor of the coffee will be lost. The rapid heating rate (RoR) helps roasters highlight the acidity of coffee.

If sweetness needs to be highlighted during roasting (for example, the coffee being baked is a sun-treated bourbon from Burundi), you can choose a lower heating rate (RoR) or appropriately extend the dehydration period during baking. For increasing the alcohol thickness of coffee, Sweet Maria suggests prolonging the baking stage.

Please note that the characteristics you want to highlight during baking should take into account the flavor of the coffee beans themselves. Coffee roasting is a complex process, and there are no simple regulations for all situations. Some of the suggestions in this article are just general guidelines for baking to help bakers create their own baking style.

Roast coffee from different producing areas

Understanding altitude, temperature, and regional microclimate is only the first step in creating a baking curve. The accumulation of baking experience is the key to baking well. The roaster should roast a large number of coffee from different producing areas and different treatment methods, and analyze the differences and the changing rules of roasting flavor.