This article is the first of a five-part series describes the general guidelines on how to determine the quality characteristics of green beans first analysis cupping.
There are many factors in the process of harvesting, drying, crushing and screening that may influence the outcome of the color of green beans, and also the quality.
The phenomenon can also hit the cup acid, body and aroma. This article specifically for the color of the raw beans afterprocessed, sorted and ready for frying.
First, are the main colors found in caffeine-containing beans *:
* Grey-Blue
* Grey Green
* Brown-gray-green
* Brown-green
* Brown
* These colors are typically used in standard international classification descriptions.
There are other colors out of range found. These include beans blue, which are usually the result of a high moisture content below the drying and causesbaking instead of frying, is leading to a very shallow dish. Yellow beans are also outside the boundaries of acceptable beans.
Grey-blue
This is the most desirable color found in coffee beans of high quality. The latter is obtained by drying in the sun after washing. Permitted along the drying process of the sun coffee is to keep the heat gradually, while the coffee beans on a table and the drying air must be placed around the beans in a leachateeven so.
The parchment coffee, which generally produce a gray-blue, are usually intact and whole, so free from defective beans, split and after drying. The moisture content of these types of beans varies from 8.5% to 10.5%, in form and after peeling parchment.
After peeling and sorting coffee beans are on the screens 16, 18 and 21 are high density of coffee beans and carefully drive, which reflects a cut in each phase of the white middleProfile roasting.
In a medium roast, the beans will produce a dark chocolate color of these properties (without roasting) and slightly shiny, without an outside oil (often caused by roasting). This is ideal.
Bean powder properly, a gray-blue color is a well-balanced acidity, full body and rich flavor with no aftertaste.
Rapid drying of parchment coffee breaks, type in the final drying. The same process isalso affect the grain, creating a brownish tinge around the edges. In addition, some of the beans will fade, resulting in a whitish to yellowish color and light in density. In the final analysis rapidly dried coffees have characteristics of light acidity to somewhat lacking acidity, light body and a flat flavor in the cup.
Typically, you'll find some variation of color in any coffee lot and the final analysis during cupping will always determine the best fit for your specific use.
Grayish-Green
This is another category of coffee beans which are normally found to be fairly solid in formation, and high density. Grayish-green beans are usually well dried and free from open parchment.
Beans with these characteristics are commonly found within the coffees that come from South America, Central America, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii.
Grayish-green beans at the medium roast profile will produce a brilliant chocolate color. The cup analysis will normally reflect a rich and smooth acidity, heavy body and a mellow flavor.
Brownish-gray-green Brownish-green Brown
Washed green beans which reflect a brownish-gray-green to brown color are the coffees which usually have been picked either at stages of under ripe or over ripe. This color is also formed by scorching heat during sun or mechanical drying, over fermentation. Old warehoused coffee is another factor that can contribute to this type of color variation.
Beans of this type of will generally produce a very light acidity, light body and, normally, overly dominant flavors which can include any combination of: woody, earthy, fermented, nutty, slightly harsh, bitter, greenish, grassy, potato and medicinal.
These characteristics are often masked by a very dark roast to add body and deaden strong undesirable flavors.
Keep in mind that there are other criteria of green beans that can also contribute in varying degrees to the characteristics of acidity, aroma and flavor, including: bean formation, center cut, moisture content and defects. We will be discussing each of these criteria in our upcoming articles.
Coming up next:
Part II: How bean "Formation" impacts the flavor profile of the roast
