Effect of roasting degree on flavor of Colombian coffee beans from coffee factory to cup coffee bean production

Coffee production: the timeline from the coffee factory to the cup

Colombian coffee plants grow on steep slopes, usually dotted with banana plants, providing shade and spongy currents. Coffee plants blossom and turn into coffee cherries. These will start green and then mature when they turn red. Coffee cherries are picked twice a year, usually during the rainy season, and can be picked every day or at most every eight days, which will be one of the decisive factors or quality. The closer they are to the best maturity, the better the final cup will taste. Due to the hilly environment where most coffee is produced, coffee is picked by hand in Colombia. Many small family-run farms pick cherries every day during the picking season.

Once cherries are picked, the pulp and inner shell are removed, leaving coffee beans, which is the "pit" (seed) of coffee cherries. Soak beans according to different methods, which also helps to distinguish different grades of beans. This is done to remove "floating matter", which are beans that contain air. Usually, Hypothenemus Hampei is one of the only insects that are resistant to caffeine because they are overripe or eaten by Hypothenemus Hampei.

Raw beans (unbaked) are shipped to bakers, usually overseas. This is to keep the product as fresh as possible. Raw coffee beans are seeds that can be preserved for a long time without affecting the quality of the final product, but once roasted, usually at about 400 °C, they change from seeds to disease. The preferences of the roasting also vary widely, from place to place. For example, France, Italy and Germany prefer dark roasting, which gives coffee a fuller taste and lower caffeine content. On the other hand, Japanese or Colombians tend to prefer lighter baking. For these reasons, producers tend to bake coffee in consuming countries.

When green beans are roasted, they turn dark brown. Shallow baking retains the original taste of different beans, while deeper baking has a fuller, more bitter taste. Interestingly, the longer you roast beans, the less caffeine you retain, so dark roasting such as French or Italian roasting actually contains less caffeine.

The roasted coffee beans are then ground and brewed (soaked in a French kettle, brewed in a coffee machine, or hot water is made into espresso from coffee powder under high pressure), and the coffee is ready to eat.