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Ever wonder why one bean makes it to your local
specialty shop and another doesn't?
Long before you sip a delicious cup of dark ambrosia, coffee graders make hot
and tiring journeys, face insects and hostile governments and endure weeks of
frustration and danger to bring you that favorite brew.
Ok, maybe it's not quite as adventurous as that, but graders do lead interesting
lives.
grading coffee
Coffee is graded long before it makes it to the loading dock. The task is
carried out by someone called a "Green Coffee seller." No, that job has nothing
to do with any environmental movement. It's simply a reflection of the fact that
beans are "green" or fresh, before they're made brown by roasting.
Beans are carefully examined for a number of traits.
They need to be fairly uniform in size and similarly shaped. This is important
to help ensure an even roast. Smaller beans roast differently than larger ones.
When the size of the bean differs the roasting time can't be adjusted properly,
since some will pop and brown before others.
Graders look for similarity of color, as well. Uneven coloring suggests that
beans have dried at different rates. It also indicates that beans may have been
mixed from different cultivars, again leading to inconsistency in roasting and
flavor.
Beans have to be separated by geographic region grown and by cultivar in order
to achieve the appropriate final result. They need to be harvested, processed
and dried separately for the final product to be a fine brew.
Beans are best when they're processed soon after harvesting. Coffee beans
undergo a kind of fermenting process that will initiate after harvesting. The
process isn't like fermenting wine - turning sugars into alcohol, but it
nevertheless produces unwanted compounds. Drying prevents this from beginning.
Many processors will float the beans in water to separate out defective beans,
since different density beans will float at different levels. But finer beans
result from a more time-consuming process called 'dry processing'.
Dry processed beans have a brown "silverskin," called a fox bean in Brazil. If
the silverskin can be removed by simple rubbing, it's not a defect, but evidence
of this dry process. Under ripe beans, though can also have a silverskin, which
can't be removed by rubbing. Such beans will result in a coffee with a sour
taste.
Drying beans is an art all by itself. Estates often boast proudly of the skill
and care taken during the process. As well they might. Improper drying often
shows. Economics sometimes encourages processors to use harsh mechanical drying
techniques. Drying the beans too rapidly or failing to turn them frequently
enough can result in beans with an uneven, mottled appearance.
Beans that have been properly dried will first spend time on a 'patio', to dry
the skin, before they're fed to the mechanical dryer. Truly superior beans will
have spent several short stints in the dryer at around 40°C (104°F), rather than
one long one. The result is an even color and just the right moisture content.
other aspects graders will look for
Beans can have a white edge as the result of inadequate drying or being
stored in too humid conditions. The result will be a bland cup and graders are
on the lookout for it.
Good Arabica coffee beans, the type used in fine coffees, will have an even,
bright appearance.
Lastly, they smell the beans. Good beans will have a fresh aroma, but they also
try to detect what's absent along with what's present. Any improper processing
will add a smoky or musty tinge that you don't want in your cup.
So before you sip that fine brew, take a moment to sense the fine aroma and lift
a cup in thanks to bean graders.
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