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M a e s t r oA r t e s a n a l1. Introduction2. Definitions• Artisanal• Classification• Tasting• Specialty Coffee3. Production /Cultivar• Species/Variety• Terroir• Coffee Processing• Drying4. Roasting• Roast5. Preparation• Water• Barismo

IntroductionMany factors contribute to making coffee. Quality, roasting andpreparation are essential. Quality starts with the variety, elevation, climate and terroir. Following is the terminology used to definecoffee quality, coffee processing, roasting and coffee preparation. It is very important to note that there is more information on each subject we touch on. What follows is the fundamental information with key points to understand.

DefinitionsArtisanal – This is the process in which the cultivator takes the extra steps to ensure a quality coffee. From planting to harvesting, selecting, fermenting, washing, drying and warehousing to ensure a quality coffee.Classification – Coffee quality is classified by bean size. Elevation contributes more to this than anything any other factor, since it is very difficult to get Supremo coffee in low elevations. In Colombia, Supremo is classified as the best and is Grade 18 and above. In Africa and India the best classified as AA at Grade 18.5 or more. Supremo and AA are themost prized, with Excelso being second and followed by Terceras, Caracol, Caracolli y Caraolillo.Classificacion deCalidad1/64 MM Colombia Africa Y India20 8SupremoAA19.5 7.7519 7.518.5 7.2518 7A17 6.75Excelso16 6.5B15 614 5.5 Terceras C13 5.25CaracolPB12 511 4.5Caracolli10 49 3.5Caracolillo8 3

Tasting – Like it’s wine counterpart, the process of evaluating coffee. Fragrance: Aromatic aspect perceived while coffee is still dry. Aroma: Aroma is the coffee smell once infused with hot water. Acidic: Tasting note and acidic elements found within the bean.Should not be confused with sour or bitter tastes, since acidity is acoffee characteristic that generates qualities that give flavor thatdoes not make it flat or plain Body: Mouthfeel while ingesting coffee. Coffee having body issimilar to how thick it is in comparison to light body or waterymouthfeel. Flavor: Combined feelings of the sensory taste buds and olfactoryaromas that flow from the mouth to the nose. In order to classifyflavor, then tasting, intensity, quality and complexity need to betaken into account. Balance: This is the balance between different coffee aspects.Flavor, aftertaste, acidic, and body and how they complement eachother. Aftertaste: Flavor that lasts on the palate after drinking. If aftertasteduration is very short or unpleasant, scoring is low.

 Smoothness: Sensory intensity of the cup of coffee. Sweetness: Fullness of flavor, this is the opposite of sour orastringent. This property is a perception of the presence of certainnatural sugars that the coffee bean can have.

Specialty Coffee – This is a coffee that has scored 80 points or more.This is determined by tasting, uniformity and consistency (defectpercentage) and is graded according to SCAA Standards. This is thefastest growing sector in the coffee industry.In the U.S. alone this market has grown from 1% to 20% in the last 25years. This is due to customer demand of an exclusive product thatguarantees a production process of the highest quality.With coffees of this quality, it is preferred not to use sugar,sweeteners, cream or anything, since doing so will cover the naturalsweetness, flavors and aromas of the coffee. In general, adding sugaror cream is done to coffees that need to mask bitterness, acidity, orundesirable qualities.

Production/ CultivarSpecies/Variety – There are diverse coffee species in existence, of themore than 100 coffee species, Arábica and Robusta are the mostcultivated. 80% of the worldwide crop is Arábica since it produces thebest flavors. Within Arábica there are many varieties and cultivars. InColombia the most well-known are Bourbon, Castillo, Caturra,Colombia, Typica and recently Gesha.Terroir – Like in the world of wine, terroir, which means land, affectscoffee quality and flavor. This is influenced by region, soil, elements,elevation and climate. This is where the term Single Origin comes from.Coffee flavor can vary greatly from one farm to a neighboring farm anddepending on the climate, coffee from the same farm can vary fromyear to year.

Coffee Processing – The first thing that needs to happen after harvesting is to remove the seeds from the fruit also known as cherry.Each fruitis composed of several layers: outer skin (pericarp,exocarp); pulp (mesocarp); pectin layer or mucilage (silky and sticky layerparchment (epidermis)responsible for the majority of coffee sweetness;(endocarp) layer similar to paper; and silver skinmembrane that covers both seeds.Coffee processing consists of removing the layers that make up thefruit. There are many ways to accomplish this and each method willlend a different flavor to the coffee.

The most common are Natural, Honey and Washed and there are manyvariations of each method depending on the farmer.There are two fundamental phases that need to occur after harvestingand before storage/exportation: 1) fruit needs to be removed and2)beans need to be dried to the adequate level. The main differencebetween the different coffee processing methods is the order in howthe processes betweenthese phases are done. Natural coffee; fruit is removed after it is dried. Honey process and naturally pulped; a portion of the fruit isremoved first (skin, pulp and, in some cases, part of the mucílage)and the rest is removed after (rest of the mucílage and the rest ofthe layers). Washed coffee; coffee in which many layers are removed prior todrying. Skin, pulp and mucilage are removed. Only the parchmentand silver skin are left.Traditionally, a washed coffee uses mostly water to remove themucilage, once the coffee has fermented for some time in turbulentwater. The mucilage is dislodged and then the coffee is dried.

There is a reason that the most frequently term used to describe washed coffee is “clean”.Natural and honey methods add body and, mostly, a fruity flavor to coffee, (creating) a profile drastically different from a washedcoffee.This is due to the mucilage remaining on the beans. The fruit sugarsand other components ferment, penetrating the bean. But with thewashed method, everything isremoved.The washed method is a process that focuses on the bean itself.With a washed coffee, the flavor of the coffee comes thru: the origin, variety, terroir, instead of the method used to process.This means that the washed method is most adequately used forcoffees that have a high quality profile. Washed method can bring outthe clean acidity in coffee: that fruity and vibrant characteristic thatmany specialty coffee lovers love.And, finally, washed coffees tend to be more consistent. With naturaland honey methods, it is difficult to predict the final cup profile (forthis reason, strict quality control is required).This is due to the fact that fermentation continues within the fruitduring the drying process, which can take a long time. With washedcoffees, fermentation completely occurs at the beginning, making it iseasier to control.

Drying – The final step in the process is drying (except with Natural).Smaller or artisanal farms dry the coffee under the sun, while largerones may use mechanical dryers.The drying process is high risk, where the product is vulnerable todeterioration due to microorganisms, and also its own physiologicaldeterioration.

RoastingRoast – If roasting could be compared to other trades, in the world ofwine it would be compared to aging wine in barrels.This is a critical step. Roasting can be used to bring out the flavor ofgood coffee or cover the defects of bad coffee.There are various grades (levels) of roasting with variations within andit depends on what is trying to beachieved.When roasting green coffee there could be a weight loss of 12 to 20%total. After roasting, the coffee bean increases to almost double thesize, changing in color and density. Since the bean absorbs heat, thecolor changes to yellow, then a light brown color and finally a dark oilycolor. While roasting, oils appear on the surface of the bean. Roastingwill continue to darken the coffee until the heat source is eliminated.Roasting also changes acidity, volume, aroma, hardness, bitterness andthe structure of the bean.

GradesCommonRoasting Names andLevels within RoastingNotesBean SurfaceFlavorLightCinnamon, American, New England,Half City, Moderate-LightAfter several minutes, the beans pop or crack and visibly expand in size. This stage is called first crackDryLighter-bodied, higher acidity, no obvious roast flavor. This level of roast is ideal for tasting the full origin character of the coffee.MediumCity, City+, Full CityAfter being developed through first crack, the coffee reaches these roast levels.DrySugars have been further caramelized, and acidity has been muted. This results in coffee with higher body, but some roast flavor imposedDarkFull City+, Italian, Vienna, FrenchAfter a few more minutes the beans begin popping again, and oils rise to the surface. This is called second crack.Shiny. Oily levels correspond with how long coffee has passed the second crack.Bittersweet flavors are prominent, aromas and flavors of roast become clearly evident. Little, if any, origin character remains.

It is important to note that once coffee has been roasted, it has enemies to contend with, even more so when it has been ground.These are: Ambient humidity. Aromas loss. Oxygen in the air:o Volatile Component oxidationo Lipid oxidation Foreign odors.Factors that affect how quickly coffee degrades are: Temperature Light. Water activity. Water pressure Loss of CO2 Oxidizer concentration Antioxidant concentration pH

PreparationWater - Water makes up 94-98% of your cup of coffee. Even though this ingredient makes up most of the beverage, temperature (along with mineral compounds) also plays an important part in coffee flavor: sweet, bitter, acidity…Controlling temperature is key. Many complex chemical reactions occur during preparation. Water extracts chlorogenic acids, acetic and malic; oils; and more. These reactions occur at different times: caffeine, for example, is extracted at the beginning of the preparation, as well are fruity acids, then sweetness and at the end bitterness is extracted.The hotter the water, the quicker these compounds are extracted. And since each one has a different impact on flavor, it is necessary to control temperature in order to control how to extract at the precise moment.At higher temperatures, extraction control becomes more difficult, since undesirable flavor components are released much quicker.Industry traditionally uses terms like “too hot” or “burnt coffee” to refer to lack of control in flavor extraction at higher temperatures.

At lower temperatures as seen with cold brew, there are inconsistencies. However, those who have tasted cold brew understand that it is well known for its soft profile, sweetness and low acidity.If preparation time is extended to compensate for low temperature water, there are certain components that will simply not be extracted at certain temperatures. Different flavor components are liberated at different rates at different temperatures.Also, if preparation time and/or grind size does not compensate for lower temperatures then bitter coffees without body will be left. This is due to the fact that the main components extracted will primarily be acids, leaving behind the oils that add body, the sweet and sour which add balance cup of coffee.This makes precision crucial in preparation. The reason to pay attention to water temperature in order to obtain the best flavor in the preparations.It’s not only important to prepare coffee at an adequate temperature, but also to do it consistently and with precision. Nonetheless, adding hot water to a cold pot or a cold filtering process can make the temperature drop up to 10ºC.

It is also important to heat up the pot, filtering method, serving pitcher and cup, if all they are used.Coffee can only be as good as the water used. To get the best flavors, aromas, and clarity in coffee, water quality needs to be looked at, its purity, hardness, temperature andmore.These are some standards used to classify water quality:PH: Neutral (between 6-8); coffee preparation will be slightly more acidic, with a pH between 4.5-6.Hardness: 1-4 grains is ideal. Hard water can reduce flavor and cloud cold coffee. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): 50-150 ppm Chlorine: 0Water softeners, filtration adjustments and reverse osmosis may be used in some instances to eliminate the majority of contaminants, but then a system that can reintroduce certain desirable minerals will be needed forflavor.

Water hardness is not the only thing to be concerned with. Water may be contaminated with chlorine, metals, pH and more. Even the season can affect this, since water treatment facilities can change the compound levels during colder months. All these factors affect flavor, aroma and infusion process.Unfortunately, even the best coffee can have earthy flavors if the water contains contaminates from deposits from a local plant.Carbon filters are an excellent way to eliminate volatile organic compounds, the Giardia parasite, chlorine and anything that can affect flavors.Another factor to consider is the acid in coffee. Like any other acidic foods or beverages, what it comes in contact with can affect the flavor of coffee. Glass and ceramic are the most neutral components that do not react with acid. The reason most teapots and cups are made of this. Some coffee equipment use stainless steel since it is actually inert and stable and glass or ceramic are not as durable.Great care needs to be taken to avoid using plastic, paper, copper, metals or anything that can react with acid since flavor will be affected.

Barismo – This is the final phase for coffee. Barismo is the art of coffee based beverages and knowledge in regards to coffee. It is mostly recognized with preparing espresso coffee. The most important aspect is knowing how to prepare the right coffee (espresso, Chemex, French press, Moka, Turkish coffee, cold brew and more) and the appropriate grind for each different preparation.It is a profession that is gaining a lot momentum lately, due to the coffee industry growth.In Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Santiago the cafe boom is creating more employment for baristas within the franchise and specialty arena.Baristas are experts or specialists in coffee, tea and a great variety of beverages.These are people with ample knowledge in all types of coffee, grind, flavors, elaboration and preparation.They are capable of running coffee machines with the appropriate preparation for said beverages.They also know how to select the best coffee beans.Making coffee is not complicated, knowing how to make good coffee is. In addition, there is terminology that has to be known: espresso double shot, latte, tinto, cortado, macchiato etc.