Part 1: The Art and Science of Roasting
Five primary things occur during roasting
1) The beans lose weight (about 16-20%) primarily from loss of residual water
2) The beans expand in size
3) The beans darken due to caramelization of the natural sugars
4) Soluble oils are released, and move onto the surface of the bean
5) Flavors and aromas we associate with coffee are created
Two primary styles of roasting coffee
Traditional "drum roasting", where the green coffee beans are tumbled in large machines similar to a clothes dryer. The heat is applied to the drum and the air moving through the machine. The beans are roasted by both conductive (hot metal) and convective (hot air) heat, creating a roast environment that develops the full potential of each coffee.
Non-traditional "hot air roasting", where the green coffee beans are roasted in a large machine similar to a hot air popcorn popper. The heat is applied to the air moving through the machine. The beans are roasted by convective heat. While easy to control and even automate, hot air roasting tends to dry out (desiccate) the beans, stripping away oils and delicate flavors and aromas.
CBI strictly adheres to traditional drum roasting, and - unlike many that use drum roasters - never uses water to "quench" (cool) the hot beans at the end of the roast, because of the damage to the flavor and loss of freshness that this step incurs.
CBI Roasts to Seven Different Levels
1) Peak (our lightest roast)
2) Velvet
3) Espresso
4) Italian
5) French
6) Double French
7) Anniversary (our darkest roast)
Single-Origin Coffees and Blends
Single-origin coffees are coffees from one particular region (Sumatra, Kenya, etc.). CBI roasts its single-origin coffees to Peak and Velvet roasts, levels at which the natural flavor and aroma characteristics of each coffee are fully developed, without significant alteration or additional flavors caused by darker roasting.
Blends are two or more single-origin coffees blended together. They can be blended either before or after roasting. One of the characteristics of many CBI blends is a darker roast level or levels. Our blends are carefully designed to offer balance and harmony - even when darker roast flavors become present in the cup.
Part 2: How to Taste Coffee
Coffee Tasting Terms
• Flavor - individual profile from the type, origin, or roast level of the coffee
• Body - the richness, smoothness, weight, or viscosity
• Acidity - the crispness, brightness, or snap
• Aroma - the smell from coffee and/or roast
Altitude (and therefore Climate) affects coffees' taste.
In lower-grown coffees (such as Sumatra or Kona) the Flavor and the Body are the most prominent taste characteristics.
In higher-grown coffees (such as Guatemala or Kenya), the Acidity and Aroma are the
strongest characteristics.
Taste Characteristics of the Four Major Coffee Growing Regions
South America
Flavor - light, clean, sweet
Body - medium
Aroma - light, floral
Acidity - low to medium
Central America
Flavor - moderate, crisp, clean
Body - light to medium
Aroma - bright, chocolate
Acidity - medium to high
Asia
Flavor - earthy, rich, intense
Body - medium to full
Aroma - heady
Acidity - none to light
Africa
Flavor - winey, fruity, wild
Body - light to medium
Aroma - fruity, sweet
Acidity - medium to high
Part 3: Storing & Brewing Coffee
Freshness
• The "enemies" of coffee are oxygen and humidity.
• Without special packaging, roasted coffee begins to lose freshness in about 7-10 days.
• Ground coffee, left in the open, begins to lose freshness in about 1 hour.
• Brewed coffee begins to lose freshness in about 15 minutes.
Storage
• Home Storage - keep in an air and light tight container, buy only what you can use in 1 week's time.
• Retail Storage - buy conservatively, keep unopened coffee away from heat sources, and rotate coffee - first in, first out.
Brewing Fundamentals
Extraction
"Extraction" is simply removing an optimum % of soluble solids (soluble solids are the different things that can be seen, tasted, and smelled in brewed coffee) from the roasted and ground coffee beans by dissolving them into hot water. The hotter the water, the better its ability to dissolve things becomes. The finer the grind, the more surface area exposed to the water, and the faster the extraction can take place. Roasted coffees contain about 30% soluble solids that the water can dissolve.
Ideal extraction rate is 18-22% soluble solids (the balance of coffee's soluble solids tend to be bitter). Coffee's flavor and aroma components are so intense, the dissolved solids in a cup of coffee account for only 1-2% of the brewed liquid, the rest being water.
Grind
The grind determines how much time water will spend in contact with the coffee, thus determining how much and which soluble solids will be extracted. Very slight change in grind profile will make a very noticeable difference (either for the better or the worse) in a cup of coffee. Too coarse = not enough time and the coffee will be under extracted, or weak. Too fine = too much time and the coffee will be over extracted, or bitter. CBI recommends "grinding to order", thus helping preserve the delicate flavors and aromas of freshly ground coffee and making sure they wind up in the cup.
Water
Water is 98-99% of the cup. CBI recommends using bottled or filtered water. Hard water = bland tasting coffee, recommend coffees high in acidity. Soft water = bland, sometimes soapy tasting coffee, recommend bottled water!
Temperature
Coffee is to be brewed at 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures diminish the water's ability to dissolve the soluble solids from the ground coffee.
Proportion
Standard measurement is 2 Tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6oz of water. Drop weight = amount of coffee used for brewing. CBI standard is 3 - 4oz drop weight for ½ gallon (64oz)
Holding Time
• Coffee on a burner has a 15 - 30 minute holding time.
• Coffee in a metal satellite has a 30 - 45 minute holding time.
• Coffee in a vacuum thermal container (airpot) has a 60 - 90 minute holding time.
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