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Agricultural practices should preserve the soil fertility, which is the wealth of coffee growers.  If possible increase the organic matter in the soil to promote the microbial life and the exchange capacity.

Whenever a soil is destroy it, It is observed that the coffee quality is affected therefore by contrast coffee trees. It will be healthier on a soil rich in active organic matter. They will have a better leaf area-to-fruit ratio leading to a better quality.

Soil is the main reservoir of mineral nutrients for plants. Roots grow and absorb water and nutrients according to the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil .

For most regions worldwide where coffee is cultivated. the nutritional reservoirs in soil are not sufficient to completely cover the coffee plants’ demand.  it is necessary to continue ousel supply the soil in a balanced way with sufficient amounts of organic and inorganic fertilizers.

Fertilization and Coffee Quality

fertilization does influence this chemical effect and due to the final coffee quality in the cup. Among the macronutrients, those containing nitrogen and potassium are the most predominant in the bean, usually followed by calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur. The effect of iron and manganese make it to be higher than zinc.

Soil fertility

Possible effect on cup quality , Most acidic coffee are produced on  volcanic soils.

Fertilization

Reduction in percentage of hollowed fruits , Chemical fertilization does not affect  cup quality, Breaking down fertilization applications does not affect cup quality , Fertilization does not affect cup quality

Nitrogen fertilization

Fertilization with nitrocalcium and ammonium nitrate produced lower sensory quality. The higher dosage of ammonium sulfate had negative effects on chemical composition and bean quality , Nitrogen fertilization increased bean N content and affected negatively cup quality

Phosphorus fertilization

Cup quality was negatively affected by the omission of phosphor in the fertilization.

Potassium fertilization

High potassium-K dosage reduced boron and Zinc in the bean. Excessive dosage of that reduced quality in inconsistent manner. , Excess of potassium can induce Mg deficiencies and negatively affect coffee quality , Bean quality improved with dosage.

Micronutrients fertilization

Zinc supply positively affected bean quality in terms of less percentage of medium and small size beans. Lower CBB infestation, lower potassium leaching and electric conductivity.

Higher contents of zinc and Chlorogenic , higher antioxidant activities , Cup quality is not affected by using two sources of Micronutrients .

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When we drink a cup of coffee, cause from all five senses turn into signals in the brain, travel through complex circuitry and produce what we call flavor.

As you’ve probably realized if you’ve worked in coffee for a long time, not everyone perceives the same thing when tasting coffee. Individuals vary based on their level of experience, their genetic, how they are feeling that day, and many other factors. So, is it possible to form an agreement on exactly how a particular coffee tastes?

In other words, we can , whose perception of flavor is inherently subjective, produce data with almost machine-like precision? Are we fooling ourselves when we aim for agreement between people who have different memories, emotions, and experiences? Let’s dig a little deeper into a few of these sources of variation.

Genetics

First, it is well-known that genetic variation exists in taste sensitivity. If you’ve tasted one of those paper strips in high school biology class, you know what I’m talking about. There’s a gene for the receptor that determines how strongly a person perceives the bitterness of a compound called phenylthiocarbamide . Based on how intolerably bitter the strip is to a person, they are categorized as a “taster,” a “non taster,” or a “supertaster”.

However, the degree to which a person can taste PTC does not predict their sensitivity to other bitter compounds, let alone other tastes. There is some evidence that PTC taster status can influence coffee preference .

Taste bud distribution on the tongue also varies genetically. Some people taste more intensely because they have more taste receptor sites . Some people are “smell-blind,” or anomic, to specific odorants . Even our affinity for cilantro is partially genetic: people with a certain genotype more frequently report an unpleasant, soapy taste .

Memory and Experience

A person’s previous experience can affect which flavor attributes they notice when tasting a coffee. There are multiple elements to this, from subconscious associations to cultural culinary preferences.

Our past food experiences can influence our reaction to new flavors, including both how we describe them and their hedonic valence, or pleasantness. As any cupper knows, the more familiar we are with a particular food, the more nuances we notice.

What It Means for Coffee Professionals

So, how much does this matter for everyday operations, and what can we do about it?

Minimizing variation from other sources is also crucial in balancing individual variation. The more we can dial in the variables between cuppings, the more precise our sensory data and the more meaningful our conclusions.

The important part is not necessarily standardization across the entire industry, but clear communication within companies and within supply chains. Many coffee companies have developed extensive cupping protocols and standards. The terms and references in the Lexicon can serve as a useful complement to these. What is most important is that you can communicate within your own supply chain about what your product, the coffee, tastes like.

Academic sensory science, while a different exercise than cupping, can provide helpful principles. Here are a few practical tips, courtesy of Molly Spencer, one of the lead developers of the new flavor wheel:

1. Establish a training standard and calibrate yourself.

Consider implementing a procedure to make sure you’re all on the same page. When someone is learning cupping, test their accuracy. There is a lot of background flavor in a cup of coffee. spiking in flavor defects to a cup of coffee. This helps a novice cupper learn how the defects show up against the other flavor complexities of the cup.

2. Use warmup samples and references. 

Everyone who has evaluated flavor knows there are just some days when you’re more “tuned in” than others. Get in the zone before cupping by warming up with a few samples before you begin scoring.for familiar tastes, it’s helpful for everyone on your cupping team to experience the same reference. When they are describing a certain word, like blueberry flavor, they’re all on the same page about what the definition of that really is. Training to a common standard helps mitigate individual variation.

3. Take frequent breaks.

In sensory science, it is standard to evaluate no more than 6-8 samples at once. Molly says, Coffee is so complex, there is physiological fatigue because your tongue and nose can only take so much. If you’re evaluating a lot of samples, try to space them out in time to preserve acuity.

consistency in protocol is key. Minimizing the variation in the cupping process details can help decrease the noise in your data. This can be especially important for companies with staff and roasteries in multiple locations.

Variation between tasters is a significant factor in coffee cupping, but it’s one that can be partially overcome by honing our process. Even simple practices like coding cups and taking a few more breaks can vastly improve the precision of our data. This precision helps us learn even more about the coffees we roast and serve, and ultimately communicate more specifically about their uniqueness and value.

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How and When did you first move into this business?

I’ve been involved in Hospitality since I was 15 working in my local hotel in the Scottish Highlands. I started to focus on coffee after moving to NZ and in 2013 became a Barista Trainer for a local chain of specialty cafes. After a few years of competing I was approached by Flight Coffee and joined the team here.

What motivated you to become a competitor as long as you’re so busy in your company?

I’m a big believer in competitions as a force for personal and professional development. I think you learn something valuable every time you compete, so it’s important to make time to grow – even when you’re busy.

Do you had any coffee mentors or you just roll on base on experience and self-learning ? and which one is better in your opinion?

I’ve competed with and without mentors before, but the times when I’ve performed the best have been with coaching. It makes any training more effective, because you have an extra set of eyes on each performance, help with setting up and cleaning up, etc. The process of improvement becomes much faster. It’s also important to have constructive criticism right through your training – When I work by myself, I tend to go so far down one path before showing anyone where I’m at. Then when they suggest improvements, I might have to change quite a lot of what I’ve already spent a lot of time working on. When you have another person or people as a sounding board, you can get yourself to those good ideas with a lot less wasted effort.

Where did you get the idea of competing in coffee ?

I entered my first competition because I had far too high an opinion of my skill set! I signed up a few weeks before the competition and had no idea what I was getting into – I didn’t know the rules, I didn’t know what I was being scored on. I came dead last, but it really opened my eyes to how little I actually knew about the product that I worked with every day.

what did you learn of the competition? why are you competing? It’s works for what? Why you wouldn’t be a judge?

I learned that I had a long way to go before I could call myself a coffee professional, and I’ve continued to compete to prove to myself that I’ve progressed on that path. I’ve avoided judging in the past because I know how much pressure there is on judges to perform well too. I’m still a little wary of considering myself an ‘expert’ after my first time competing – I’d hate for my first time judging to go the same way! But ultimately, I also enjoy the atmosphere backstage at competitions and having the time to connect with the other competitors, which you can’t do so much as a judge.

As a cup taster and roaster, you can make lots of challenges for yourself to keep the consistency stable, is it possible? how the cup taster competition helped you in this business?

As a roaster, consistency is the highest goal for me. It doesn’t matter how good one roast of a coffee is if I’m not able to repeat it. We now have three roasters on our team, so it’s more important than ever that we maintain a high degree of consistency across our roasting – We have strict protocols to ensure that the three of us are operating in the same manner and achieving the same results. Since we started more focused practice around Cup Tasters triangulations, we’ve all become more adept at spotting inconsistency between batches, which makes us work even harder towards eliminating those inconsistencies.

what did you do to find the difference in the those 3 cup at 8 session with a lot of different algorithm? What was your personal method? What did you focus more on it?how you controlling your stress on the stage?

I think the easiest way to control stress is being prepared. You should have practiced so much that you’re almost bored of doing it by the time it comes around. For Cup Tasters we started with very easy triangluations once a week. Once we were confidently getting 7 or 8 right, we made it harder. By the week before the competiton we practiced multiple times every day with incredibly difficult triangulations (tiny variations in the cups, different roasts of the same coffee etc.) When I started tasting the coffees at the national competition, I couldn’t believe how easy it was in comparison and my nerves disappeared! If you’re worried about doing it in front of a crowd, get some friends in to watch you practice.

Whole sensory process and cupping is a bit different in compare to cup taster competition , what do you think and how you can connect them? (For example maybe somebody is really good in cupping and calibration but cannot be good at cup taster competition)

There’s definitely a difference in how you need to process the sensory information that you’re receiving. When I’m cupping, with each slurp, I’m focusing on an individual attribute of the cup such as flavour, or acidity, or body and assigning it a score based on a mental database of every coffee I’ve ever tasted. I’m also trying to accurately describe the qualities of that attribute based on a personal library of sensory experiences. For Cup Tasters, with each slurp I’m taking a mental snapshot of the cup and holding it in my mind then comparing it to the next cup. You’re using the same data but in a different way. I think for some experienced cuppers it can be hard to turn off that part of the brain that’s performing that deeper analysis which makes it difficult to make a quick decision. I think there’s also something about the pressure of being timed that affects people’s peformance.

if somebody tells you that imagine you can do whatever you want like a dream to design a coffee competition, what do you design? Do you have any idea about it? Did you think about it before? What kind of competitions do you like to have?

I’ve thought about it occasionally and we’ve designed small things to run as in-house competitions for our customers. I think the ideal format for me is something that tests knowledge, service and ability on a level playing field – I love the Barista Championship format, but it definitely favours those with access to the most exclusive coffees, and who can afford the time to dedicate to training – which is not something that every barista has. I’d probably design something a little more democratic, that really tests the skill that a barista uses every day. Something like Coffee Masters is pretty close to ideal in my mind.

As a finalist explain your opinion about these words:

First competition:

Your first competiton is both the most important and the least important one you’ll ever enter. Most important because without it you’ll never compete, and least important because it’s basically just a tryout for all your future entries.

Team:

The most important thing. No one wins by themselves. You don’t need a huge team, but you need a dedicated team. A person or people you can rely on will push you further than you can go by yourself.

How many times will you read rules and regulation before competition?

as I know most of the competitors lose a lot of points because they don’t read the rules properly.I never stop reading them! I have a printed and highlighted copy of the rules on hand at all times whenever I’m training or coaching – Even for competitions I’m familiar with. They’re they key to everything! It’s like being given the questions you’re going to be asked on a test ahead of time.

I always believe in the competition process you must enjoy the journey like when you practice, chatting with the teams, passing the level to the final and even the announcement moment, how was it for you?

If you’re only competing to win, then you are going to be disappointed with anything other than 1st place. I’ve seen people get very angry with themselves or at judges when they don’t do as well as they expected, and it just seems very at odds with what is supposed to be a celebration of excellent coffee. My advice is to focus on the process more than the result, because it’s the process of preparing for the competition that makes you more knowledgable or more skilled, not a trophy. I was a little disappointed not to make the Finals for the World Cup Tasters Championship this year, but when I consider how much my palate has improved over the course of my training, I’m incredibly proud of what I was able to achieve.

After you advanced, what is your favorite part of competition?

I enjoy the buzz backstage and talking with other competitors more than the competition itself – If I’m not competing, I’ll often MC the event, so that I still get a chance to do that!

which competition is your favorite and why?

I like them all really! I like that the results for Cup Tasters are so cut-and-dried. You either get it right, or you don’t. There’s no subjectivity in the judging. But with that, there’s no room for creative expression so the other competitions have that advantage.

some Technical question:
How do you analyze and describe acidity and sourness?

In terms of analysis, I focus on the physical sensations on my tongue, and how my saliva glands are responding. For descriptions, I try to rate intensity on a high-to-low scale, as well as a qualitative descriptor (sparkling, bright, etc.). Where possible, I’ll try and identify the specific acidity (malic, citric, etc.) or at least assign a real world facsimile (gooseberry-like, , etc.)

Light roast or medium roast, which do you prefer and why?

It’s hard to say. I think often those terms mean different things to different people. What I would say is I prefer the roast that delivers the most sweetness without compromising acidity or promoting ‘roasted’ flavours. That will also depend on whether I’m roasting for espresso or filter.

Are you cup and score coffees separate by origin and process or you mix them and cup blind?

Usually we’ll cup by origin when we receive a lot of pre purchase samples, but we’ll cup blind and in a random order – So all the samples might be from Colombia, but region and process will be mixed up.

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Coffee from Al-Mokha began to be referred to simply as Mocha coffee, a name originally having little to do with the chocolatey coffee drink you can buy today. (Mocha is also used to refer to a coffee varietyoriginating from Yemen, one that the SCA describes as “genetically very close to Bourbon.”)

Yemen coffee has a distinct flavor and aroma. It’s complex earthiness often holds tones of dried fruit, partly due to being dried with the fruit husk. This Arabian Yemen coffee also carries notes of chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom or tobacco. The strongest of these notes is chocolate, which might account for the modern use of the word “Mocha” in association with Yemen coffee.

How It’ Grown ?

Yemen coffee farms are typically small and on the wilder side, with farmers hand-picking the coffee cherries from ancient varieties of Arabica plants growing on gorgeous, terraced mountainsides.

The microclimate has produced drought-resistant coffee plantsthat create very unique, complex-tasting coffee beans with that iconic chocolate flavor The coffee is typically harvested between November and December and is sun-dried, often right on the rooftops of the farmers’ houses! It’s an easy process in the bright and hot Yemeni climate. The leftover cherry husks are also used to create qishr(the local brand of cascara)

Sanani Coffee

First, we have the Sanani variety, which comes from various coffee plants grown in the regions west of the capital city of Sana’a. This region tends to include some crops grown at lower altitudes, and can, therefore, be of lower quality. Beans from this region have a balanced and fruity flavor profile, a medium body, and typically exhibit less acidity than other Yemeni coffees.

Hirazi Coffee

Hirazi coffee also comes from the western regions of the nation, located a couple mountain ranges west of the capital of Sana’a. This coffee tends to be light and fruity, with a winey acidity.

Ismaili Coffee

One of the few categorized ancient coffee tree varieties of Yemen, Ismaili is the name of a coffee plant varietal. Typically grown in central Yemen, it yields a unique, high-quality, pea-like coffee bean that tends to be bright and berryish, though this brightness can be muted. This tree/region name overlap can lead to some confusion regarding whether a particular coffee with this name comes from the region itself, or from a tree of that variety

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 Controlling variables during roasting process

Coffee roasting includes adjusting many variables to create your perfect roast profile. By changing factors including temperature, length of roast, and airflow, you can highlight sweetness, emphasize acidity, or create a well-balanced roast. also drum speed, you can affect the amount of time that coffee beans are exposed to direct heat.Now you can change all those variable, Should you roast a Colombian Nariño the same way you would an Ethiopian Sidamo? Probably not.Producing countries have different climates, soil types, altitudes, density, moisture,  – and all that leads to very different coffees. The beans will react differently to heat, plus you will want to accentuate specific characteristics. In other words, you need to roast them differently.So before you create a profile and put your coffee in the roaster, you need as much information as possible about the beans. And today, I’m going to take you through some of the main origin-based variables to consider. At each stage of the coffee supply chain, the moisture content of a green bean must diminish – or the bean might become moldy, defective, and less valuable than before. Ensuring a bean dries correctly is essential in order to optimize its quality potential and minimize the chance of problems.Roasters, near the end of the supply chain, have two tasks when it comes to managing moisture content. On the one hand, they must maintain the lots they store onsite within a narrow moisture range that is acceptable to their quality standards.

On the other hand, and in the span of a few minutes, the roaster is responsible for driving the last remaining bits of moisture out of the bean via the application of intense heat and pressure. In these minutes, the coffee is exposed to the most energy it will experience at any point in the coffee supply chain and the roast is set up for either success or failure.It’s easy to see why roasters should care about the moisture content of their coffee. But how useful is a number supplied by an importer, and how can roasters integrate moisture content readings into their craft? I spoke with Fred Seeber of Shore Measuring Systems, a supplier of moisture content meters, about measuring and making sense of moisture content in green coffee.

There is no official standard for ideal moisture content in green coffee, although the ICO recommends 11% as a good target. However, it’s commonly accepted that 10-12% is a reasonable range. Anything less than 10% is likely to result in loss of cup quality, while humidity at higher levels begins to create a risk of mold growth. Yet a coffee’s humidity is not static. While the pre-export drying process drastically increases a bean’s stability, changes in moisture content are still possible. Environmental factors, such as being in a particularly humid or hot location, are a common cause of this. Before getting into the technical details of measuring moisture content, it’s worth digging a little deeper into why it’s worth measuring moisture content. Knowing this will help you establish protocols suited to your specific needs.

For roasters of a certain scale, it’s simple: you pay for coffee by weight; the more water in that coffee, the more you’ve paid for water which you’re going to burn off anyway. common situation roasters find themselves in: “So, [an importer] sends you a sample, and… it’s showing 11.5% moisture in that sample. Then when your container shows up, that’s 40,000 pounds, and all of the sudden you discover it could be 13% moisture. Well, you just got blanked for two percentage points of water of a commodity that’s four bucks a pound… that’s [a lot] of money.” For the smaller, quality-focused roaster, those kinds of calculations may or may not be relevant. But moisture content still plays an indirect role in a roaster’s costs, regardless of whether or not they’re buying a few containers or a few bags.

There is no direct link between a coffee’s quality and its moisture content. A 10% humidity coffee is not necessarily better or worse than a 12% coffee. However, over time, green coffee will gradually lose vibrance. This will eventually result in the dreaded “past crop” flavor, and this process is associated with the drying out of the coffee. Therefore, even for a small roaster, it’s important to keep track of moisture content. If you paid for an 85-point coffee at 12% moisture, by the time it reaches 10% moisture it may be more like an 83-point coffee. Yet, you still paid 85-point prices for it originally.

By comparing moisture content loss with quality degradation over time, you can make smart buying and consumption decisions with your green lots. And, when combined with water activity measurements, you can even predict the shelf life of your green coffee. Again, precision here is key: you want to track your coffee through a narrow range of percentage points over a long time frame. Lastly, you may think to yourself that you don’t need to measure moisture content yourself, since your importer supplies those numbers already. Fred cautions against this thinking. He points out that coffee is shipped on water and that ports can often be warm and humid, which will affect moisture readings. So, if you’re a roaster in a dry part of the United States but your importer is located in New Orleans or Houston, and is taking moisture readings from lots right as they arrive, those numbers might not be applicable to you by the time your coffee arrives at your facility. Elevation, or altitude, is of immense importance for coffee roasting – but what we’re really talking about is density. When coffee is grown at cooler temperatures (which, most of the time, means higher elevation), the cherries ripen slower and so develop more sugars. This leads to more complex sweetness, but also to harder, denser beans. When you have beans of different densities, they also react differently to the heat. Soft, low-density beans tend to have more air pockets inside them, which can slow down heat transference. To avoid scorching the outsides of the beans, you should use a lower initial charge temperature. We also recommends extending the length of the roast for these coffees. Knowing what altitude your coffee is grown at, how far it is from the equator, and the temperature on the farm will help you to anticipate the density. When roasting, it’s important to consider not just the structure of the bean, but also the flavor of it. And this can vary greatly. “We will never have an Ethiopian with the same type of acidity like that Kenya AA Kamwangi we once had,” Tom tells me, “and it will be very difficult to find a Colombia with the stone fruit, tea-like flavors of the Yirgacheffe coffees.”

you can expect well-balanced coffees from the Americas, with more chocolate and hazelnut notes appearing in Brazil. In East Africa, coffees tend to be clean, juicy, and fruity. Some regions lean more towards sweetness (like Burundi), while others are more acidic (like Kenya). Indonesia is often known for its heavy body and earthy tones. Yet there are so many flavor variations within one region, as a result of micro climates, terroir, varieties, production and processing methods, and more. Sulawesi, Indonesia is famous for its spice notes, while Bali has a more citric profile. A Panamanian Geisha will taste different from a Panamanian Bourbon. Brazil is so large, you can fit much of Europe in it – and it has a wide variety of profiles to match. And as Tom points out, some countries have multiple harvest seasons. it’s the roaster’s job to preserve what makes an origin special and “let the coffee speak”. Knowing the profile of the coffee origin will help you anticipate which flavors will be most prominent – and how you can emphasize them. roast graph data into two types of curves: control curves and reading curves. Control curves are variables that you directly control during the roast, such as the heat settings, airflow, and gas flow. Reading curves are temperature readings. Since the variables are constantly changing, they are recorded as line graphs.

But what reading curves do you need to know? the key ones are bean temperature, air/environment temperature, and rate of rise curves – although you can also measure bean color, air, and gas pressure for even greater insights. Denser, higher-altitude coffees are associated with greater acidity, and you’ll often hear this described in terms of fruit notes – mandarin, grapefruit, plum, blueberry, and so on. This is a highly prized trait, and if you’re roasting a coffee that has this quality, you may want to accentuate it. (Bear in mind, however, that while acidity can be good, underdeveloped and sour notes are not. There is a fine line.) the more acidity and fruitiness you will throw away. A faster Rate of Rise (RoR) is also recommended by many roasters for emphasizing acidity. On the other hand, if you want more sweetness – say you have a natural Bourbon from Burundi – then Willem Boot, CEO of Boot Coffee, recommends opting for a lower RoR. Sweet Maria’s also experimented with stretching out the drying phase of the roast, and found that it could highlight this quality. as for body, stretching out first crack could open up a more syrupy mouthfeel in a coffee. It’s important to remember that the qualities you want to highlight will all depend on the coffee itself, and its unique, overall profile. Roasting is a complex skill; there are no simple rules. These guidelines are just starting points for creating your roast profiles. Knowing the altitude, temperature, terroir, and origin profile is a great start to creating a roast profile for a coffee. “It’s about a commitment to get to know the origin and bring the best to the surface,”

But it’s only a start.

Bean temperature(the blue line)

The bean temperature curve will look a bit like a check mark; once it starts going up (something called the turning point – more on that to come!) it should always continue going up. If not, you risk stalling your coffee and developing bread-like, doughy flavours

ROR(other blue line which is vice vers)

The rate of rise curve is linked to bean temperature, but there’s a subtle difference: it measures the rate at which bean temperature changes. This will give you far earlier indications of temperature changes and, in turn, allow you more control over the roast. It has a very different shape to the bean temperature curve, rising sharply from zero shortly after the turning point.

Air temperature(RED line)

Air temperature is variable measures the environment inside the drum. It’s useful to know because much of the heat transfer in coffee roasting is via air. This line will follow a similar shape to the bean temperature curve.

Key Stages on Your Roast Graph

Now we know what the roast graph measures, you can start reading and interpreting these lines. To do so, you want to pay attention to several key points on the graph: charge temp, turning point, first crack, and end temp.

Charge Temperature

This is the temperature of your drum just before you add the coffee. By manipulating this, you can speed up or slow down the rate of rise and, in turn, choose how much acidity to accentuate. You should also pay attention to bean density and processing method when selecting this.

Turning Point

As you add the cold beans to the roaster, the heat inside the machine will dramatically fall before starting to rise again. The point at which it begins to rise is called turning point.

First Crack

One of coffee roasting most famous moments is first crack. First crack signals that the beans are almost ready. As the beans expand and moisture evaporates, steam develops inside the beans. This steam then forms pressure that cracks the beans open.

First crack it’s a moment that has been given almost mythical status in coffee roasting – and it deserves it. A key stage in any roast, understanding it will give you insight into how flavors and aromas are developing.

End Temperature

As the name suggests, this is the temperature at the end of your roast.

By understanding what’s going on inside the roaster at these key points, you’ll be able to start evaluating the impact of them on your beans. For example, by manipulating charge temp you can speed up or slow down your roast. The duration of first crack can affect body. Roasting graphs may, at first, be challenging. There’s a lot of data to collect and understand. However, as you start to work with air temperature, rate of rise, first crack, and more, you will begin to gain real mastery over how your coffee beans develop during roasting. So don’t be intimidated by these charts – start recording those temperatures and see how it helps you as a roaster. As heat is applied to the coffee beans, they go through endothermic and exothermic reactions. Up until first crack, the beans absorb the heat (an endothermic reaction). The moisture dissipates and the color changes from green to yellow and then brown. The aroma will be cereal-like: think toast, popcorn, or grass. As for first crack, this is a brief exothermic reaction: the beans release heat (energy) in the form of that steam we mentioned above, along with carbon dioxide. The bean will have doubled in size and shed the majority of their silver skin, but oils won’t yet be present. After first crack, it switches back to an endothermic reaction until second crack, the final exothermic reaction (if you choose to roast your beans that far).

Flavor Development

Although we like to talk about first and second crack when roasting coffee, it’s important to remember that coffee flavor profiles are the real goal. And for this reason, we also need to consider caramelization and the Maillard reaction. Both of these happen before first crack. The Maillard reaction occurs when we start to see browning, and it creates many of the flavors in our coffee – especially the savory ones. As for caramelization, it happens a little after the Maillard reaction it as the dehydration of sugars through heating, which then give off the carbon dioxide and H2O that cause first crack. As you may have guessed, this process leads to caramel flavors in the roast – but it’s also what causes bitter notes if the heat continues for too long. It’s hard to predict exactly when these reactions will take place. Joe tells me that they occur as a result of the amino acids and sugar molecules, and as these break down, hundreds of reactions occur. These reactions start at different temperatures, but, due to different coffee structures hitting these different temperatures at different times in the drum, they can overlap. Since it’s so difficult to anticipate these reactions, it’s even more important to pay attention to the aroma and color of the beans.

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Generally, a Barista will need a lots of practice, documents and learning objectives to gain required skills to achieve Training Certifications. In addition we will guide you through this article that shows you how you can improve yourself as a barista and how to evaluate your skills.

In a new effort to document and record the many learning objectives and skills required to complete your Training Certifications. We will post a series of articles about how you could improve yourself as a barista or how you can evaluate your skills or any other baristas at a glance.

Coffee Beans

The differences between Arabica and Robusta, including growing conditions, caffeine levels, pest & disease resistance, flavor, and visual differences. Recognize key differences between Arabica & Robusta is can be from their taste and shape, The importance of coffee freshness, including The use of a sealed bag, ideally within one month after roasting and within a maximum of three months; Grinding coffee fresh (to order) within 1 minutes of preparing; another topic is how much importance of using fresh coffee beans and how to keep them fresh, you need good storage of beans in the hopper overnight or when not in use; for roasted bean Keeping lids on the bean hopper and dozer chamber; Store beans far away from air, moisture, light, and heat; Maintaining a stable temperature for roasted lower than 18 degrees and for green bean 60% moisture and 21 degrees for temperature and should be stable.

Workspace management

Maintains a hygienic and organized workspace that minimizes waste demonstrates the appropriate position for commonly used tools, eg tamp, pitchers/jugs, clothes, etc. you need to design your work area and workflow line to manage it in the busy time.

Grinding, Dosing and Tamping

The importance of keeping the work space clean, tidy and organized at all times The correct terminology to Identify correctly all key identify parts of grinder (hopper, espresso machine and adjustment collar, dosing grinder component parts chamber, fork, on/off switch) and espresso machine including switches (steam wand & tip, portafilter handle, group head, dispersion screen & gasket, drip tray, gauges, hot water spout, on/off switch, continuous/AV buttons) The acceptable range (per definition) of coffee used in espresso, and how distribution of coffee grounds affects extraction. The impact of tamping on distribution, and extraction flow,  it’s important to know demonstrates the basics of dosing, distribution and tamping and their impact on extraction is have a huge effect and has too many variables for making good espresso shot. The correct dosing action has an effect on achieving correct input with minimal waste. Demonstrates good dosing and distribution technique to keep dose consistent from one espresso to the next and to minimize channeling, Calibration of a grinder is the main part for choosing the tastes. The grinder should be calibrated to produce an espresso that falls within all standards. The grinder should be purged between adjustments, Demonstrates grind calibration, using a grinder with a dosing chamber OR an ‘on-demand’ grinder. How the grind affects shot times Identifies when a grind is incorrect and corrects it to produce espresso in 20-30 seconds. The correct use of a tamper to produce a flat and even surface on the tamped cake and to reduce repetitive strain injuries for a good tamping technique using a hand tamper

Extraction and Brewing

Espresso is a method of preparation that takes finely ground coffee, compacts it into a portafilter and forces hot water through it under pressure to make a concentrated coffee beverage , Sensory attributes are used to describe coffee, There may be regional variations to espresso and cappuccino parameters used in the traditional ways but normally I required just espresso with big basket as well as every one know with “double espresso basket”, there is no anymore single or double. just ESPRESSO : Dose depend of basket as you using, normally for specialty coffee it would be 18g – 20g or 21g , you should dose accurate size or 1+- for it. Brew ratio for espresso can be  1 / 1.5 , 1 / 2 or 1 / 2.5, mean for espresso 20 gr in and 40gr out is ½ which is standard and most of the time its work. Shot time: 20 – 30 seconds, you need analyze the key defining parameters of an espresso used within any examinations that you have , Tastes and describes attributes, such as aroma, body and flavor, of an espresso Chooses appropriate terms to describe flavor from the Specialty Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel

Try to understand how regional variations in parameters have effect on last flavor, There are five interdependent elements to brewing espresso: The bean / The barista / The machine / The grinder / The water , Lists of the five inter-dependent elements to brewing espresso which is in upside line , controlling them and know how they have effect on your last flavor is keep your consistency as well.

Preparation of the espresso machine requires:

• Prepares the machine for use correctly and with appropriate equipment
• Having separate cloths for steam wand, counter and portafilter
• Checking that boiler pressure is up to 1 bar before use;
• Warming (seasoning) group handles by pulling a minimum of 1 shot per group before dialing-in;
• Stacking cups on cup warmer and saucers and spoons etc. next to the espresso machine
• Preparation of espresso involves the following steps:
• Remove portafilter from grouphead and flush group
• Wipe basket clean and dry
• Dose and distribute desired grams of coffee
• Tamp consistently, level & ergonomically
• Clean loose grounds from portafilter surfaces
• Insert portafilter into the grouphead and start the pump immediately, as one continuous motion
• Observe the flow and stop pump appropriately
• Serve or use to make espresso-based drink
• Remove portafilter and knockout spent grounds
• Wipe basket clean and flush group (rinse optional)
• Return portafilter to grouphead to keep preheated
• Demonstrates the correct steps for preparing espresso according to SCA standards
• Understanding of basic sensory qualities of
• Under-extracted espresso (thin body, unbalanced flavor with high acidity, poor crema),
• Over-extracted espresso (unbalanced flavor with high bitterness, poor crema)
• An acceptable espresso (good body round and smooth, well balanced flavor (acidity, sweetness, bitterness), good visual crema which covers whole espresso (in line with coffee used)
• Recognizes by sight and tastes the differences between under-extraction, over-extraction and acceptable extraction

Milk techniques

The importance of using fresh milk in maintaining foam standards:

• Expired milk is unfit for consumption and should be discarded
• The time milk is left out of the refrigerator should be minimized
• Stock should be rotated (first in first out)
• Pitchers/milk jugs should be emptied and cleaned before use
• Pitchers/milk jugs should not be prefilled
• Milk should not be re-steamed
• Describes the measures required to maintain freshness of milk
• Milk should be produced with consistently dense texture, with no visible bubbles and a shiny surface. (See SCA Foam Quality Guide).
• Demonstrates the appropriate techniques required to produce correct milk texture (micro- foam).
• There is a desirable range of milk temperature: 55c-65c (131- 149F) (Maximum temperature 70c/158F, Minimum of 50c/122F).
• Demonstrates the appropriate techniques for producing the correct milk temperature
• All temperatures are measured in the cup, not the pitcher/jug
• The correct steps in foaming milk are:
• Empty and clean pitcher before use
• Purge steam wand before foaming
• Wipe steam wand immediately after use
• Purge steam wand after wiping
• Minimize milk waste
• Demonstrates hygienic and efficient steps when foaming milk
• Drinks should be prepared to the required composition and visual requirements
• Performs the techniques required to produce a cappuccino and caffe latte

Barista menu

• An espresso should be served to the specified size, taste and visual parameters (as per SCA exam requirements).
• Demonstrates good techniques for preparing and serving an espresso
• A cappuccino should be served to the specified size, taste and visual parameters (as per SCA exam requirements).
• Demonstrates good techniques for preparing and serving a cappuccino.

Hygiene, health and safety

• Risks related to safety and hygiene should be minimized and in accordance with local laws.
• Demonstrates basic understanding of the local laws that apply to safety and hygiene when using espresso equipment and cleaning chemicals
• The use of safe and hygienic work practices including:
• Washing hands before preparing espresso and after eating, drinking, smoking etc
• Keeping body and clothing (including apron) clean and hygienic
• Using and cleaning machines safely – according to manufacturer’s instructions and local laws
• Using cleaning chemicals safely – according to manufacturer’s instructions and local laws
• Serving drinks safely and hygienically (Avoiding handling lip of the cup; aware of dangers of hot liquids/spillages)
• Demonstrates safe and hygienic work practices when preparing and serving espresso beverages

Customer service

The role of a barista

• To prepare beverages correctly
• To communicate information to customers
• To represent the industry and the work of other coffee professionals
• Defines the role of the barista in the customer experience and specialty coffee industry
• The principles of customer service cover products, atmosphere, work environment and service
• Lists the 4 aspects of customer service

Cleaning, Maintenance and troubleshooting

Regularly cleaning the machine creates beverages that taste good, protects the long-term health of the equipment, and maintains a positive image to customers;Describes the importance of and demonstrates good techniques for daily cleaning of the grinder and espresso machine.

Good practice for daily cleaning of equipment includes:

• Thorough cleaning of the steam wand.
• Wiping drying the bean hopper.
• Emptying the doser chamber and brushing out all excess ground coffee beans thoroughly.
• Wiping splashes and spills on outside of grinder and machine.
• Back flushing the espresso machine with coffee detergent at least once a day.
• Brushing and cleaning group heads of all excess coffee beans and oils.
• Flushing and cleaning steam wands.
• Removing and cleaning drip tray.

Lists or describes the hygiene implications and operation issues (eg blockages) resulting from not properly purging and wiping the steam wand.

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Coffee trees are pruned short to conserve their energy and aid in harvesting, but can grow to more than 30 feet (9 meters) high. Each tree is covered with green, waxy leaves growing opposite each other in pairs. Coffee cherries grow along the branches. Because it grows in a continuous cycle, it’s not unusual to see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously on a single tree. It takes nearly a year for a cherry to mature after first flowering, and about 5 years of growth to reach full fruit production. While coffee plants can live up to 100 years, they are generally the most productive between the ages of 7 and 20. Proper care can maintain and even increase their output over the years, depending on the variety. The average coffee tree produces 10 pounds of coffee cherry per year, or 2 pounds of green beans. All commercially grown coffee is from a region of the world called the Coffee Belt. The trees grow best in rich soil, with mild temperatures, frequent rain and shaded sun.

Botanical classification

Coffee traces its origin to a genus of plants known as Coffea.  Within the genus there are over 500 genera and 6,000 species of tropical trees and shrubs. Experts estimate that there are anywhere from 25 to 100 species of coffee plants. The genus was first described in the 18th century by the Swedish botanist. Botanists have disagreed ever since on the exact classification, since coffee plants can range widely. They can be small shrubs to tall trees, with leaves from one to 16 inches in size, and in colors from purple or yellow to the predominant dark green.

In the commercial coffee industry, there are two important coffee species — Arabica and Robusta.

Coffea Arabica — C. Arabica

Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Mundo Novo, Tico, San Ramon, Jamaican Blue Mountain

Coffea Arabica is descended from the original coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia.  These trees produce a fine, mild, aromatic coffee and represent approximately 70% of the world’s coffee production. The beans are flatter and more elongated than Robusta and lower in caffeine.

On the world market, Arabica coffees bring the highest prices.  The better Arabicas are high grown coffees — generally grown between 2,000 to 6,000 feet (610 to 1830 meters) above sea level — though optimal altitude varies with proximity to the equator. The most important factor is that temperatures must remain mild, ideally between 59 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with about 60 inches of rainfall a year. The trees are hearty, but a heavy frost will kill them. Arabica trees are costly to cultivate because the ideal terrain tends to be steep and access is difficult. Also, because the trees are more disease-prone than Robusta, they require additional care and attention.

Coffea canephora — C. canephora var. Robusta

Variety: Robusta is a one canphora variety

Most of the world’s Robusta is grown in Central and Western Africa, parts of Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and Vietnam, and in Brazil. Production of Robusta is increasing, though it accounts for only about 30% of the world market. Robusta is primarily used in blends and for instant coffees. The Robusta bean itself tends to be slightly rounder and smaller than an Arabica bean. The Robusta tree is heartier and more resistant to disease and parasites, which makes it easier and cheaper to cultivate. It also has the advantage of being able to withstand warmer climates, preferring constant temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which enables it to grow at far lower altitudes than Arabica. It requires about 60 inches of rainfall a year, and cannot withstand frost. Compared with Arabica, Robusta beans produce a coffee which has a distinctive taste and about 50-60% more caffeine.

The Anatomy of a Coffee Cherry

The beans you brew are actually the processed and roasted seeds from a fruit, which is called a coffee cherry. The coffee cherry’s outer skin is called the exocarp. Beneath it is the mesocarp, a thin layer of pulp, followed by a slimy layer called the parenchyma.  The beans themselves are covered in a paper-like envelope named the endocarp, more commonly referred to as the parchment. Inside the parchment, side-by-side, lie two beans, each covered separately by yet another thin membrane. The biological name for this seed skin is the spermoderm, but it is generally referred to in the coffee trade as the silver skin.

In about 5% of the world’s coffee, there is only one bean inside the cherry. This is called a peaberry (or a caracol, or “snail” in Spanish), and it is a natural mutation. Some people believe that peaberries are actually sweeter and more flavorful than standard beans, so they are sometimes manually sorted out for special sale.

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The beans we roast, grind, and brew to make coffee are the seeds of a fruit. The coffee plant produces coffee cherries, and the beans are the seeds inside. Coffee trees can naturally grow to over 30 ft/9 m. But producers prune and stump plants short to conserve the plants’ energy and to help harvesting. Smaller trees have better yield and quality in a limited space. Each tree is covered with green, waxy leaves that grow in pairs and coffee cherries grow along its branches. Depending on the variety, it takes three to four years for a coffee plant to produce fruit. The National Coffee Association USA states that the average coffee tree produces 10 lbs. of coffee cherry per year, which results in around 2 lbs of green beans. But there are different varieties of coffee and their beans have many different characteristics. Size, flavor, and disease resistance vary, among other factors. beans, which are the unroasted seeds from inside the ripe coffee cherry. Beneath the cherry skin is a thin layer called the mesocarp, more commonly known as the pulp. Mucilage is the inner layer of the pulp. There’s also a layer of pectin underneath the mucilage. These layers are full of sugars, which are important during the fermentation process. Then we reach the coffee seeds, which are technically called the endosperm but that we know better as beans. There are usually two beans in a coffee cherry, each of which is covered by a thin epidermis known as the silver skin and a papery hull that we call parchment (technically the endocarp). The parchment is usually removed in hulling, which is the first step in the dry milling process. Machines or millstones are used to remove any remaining fruit and the dried parchment from the beans. But sometimes green beans are sold with this layer intact as parchment coffee. The silver skin is a group of sclerenchyma cells that are strongly attached to the beans. These cells form to support and protect the seed. They come off during roasting, when they are known as chaff.

A coffee cherry’s skin is called the exocarp. It is green until it ripens to a bright red, yellow, orange, or even pink, depending on variety. Green coffee cherries shouldn’t be confused with green coffee.

Sometimes there is just one seed inside a coffee cherry and it is rounder and larger that usual. This happens in about 5% of coffee cherries and the beans are known as peaberries. Peaberries can be an anatomical variation of the plant or they can form when there is insufficient pollination and one ovule isn’t fertilized. Sometimes the seed simply fails to grow, whether due to genetic causes or environmental conditions. Peaberries usually occur in the parts of the coffee plant that are exposed to severe weather conditions. There is some debate over whether peaberries have a sweeter and more desirable flavor and they are sometimes sold at a premium. Regardless of whether you think they taste different, their rounded shape allows for better rolling in the roasting drum. So it’s best to keep them apart from other beans to avoid an inconsistent roast. Coffee cherry skin and fruit is usually discarded, but sometimes they are dried to make cascara for tea and other products. It is difficult to remove skin and mucilage from coffee beans and different processing methods have developed to do so. Each method has an effect on the flavor and profile of the final coffee. For example, washed coffee has all of the fruit flesh removed before drying. But in natural coffee the fruit flesh is removed after drying. In honey and pulped natural processing, the skin and sometimes part of the mucilage is removed before drying but the remaining mucilage and other layers are removed after. Leaving the mucilage on results in sweeter coffee with more body. It’s easier to understand why if we compare both dry and wet post-harvest processes. When coffee cherries are taken from the branch, they start to germinate. This uses the sugar in the seed. Germination stops when drying begins. Natural processed coffees go to the drying terrace earlier than pulped naturals or washed coffees. Because of this, more sugars remain in the naturals and you end up with a sweeter bean. Washed coffees have clean, more consistent flavors that can show off a lot of acidity. Natural coffees have a lot more fruitiness, sweetness, and body. The sugars of the mucilage also ferment during both dry and wet processing, and this has an impact on the final flavor. Without careful monitoring and consistent drying, the unpredictable process of fermentation can undesirable qualities. Understanding the basics of the coffee cherry can help you better understand production, processing, and roasting. Next time you are choosing between a natural processed and washed coffee, you can have more confidence in knowing what that means and its impact on your cup.

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Finding the good green coffee in any field (specialty or non) is always my concern and also I had problem always for finding what I need but the answer is so simple , I didn’t know what I need , first decided about price, cup profile and target market, then start sending email to all the coffee importers and take their price list and find what you like.

Purchasing coffee is no easy task – although it’s certainly an exciting one. From selecting your origins to managing inventory, there are endless considerations. But your green coffee importer doesn’t just have to be your supplier. They could also be an important resource as you brand yourself and grow as a business. How do you build your partnership with a green coffee importer? What questions should you be asking them? And what do they need to know about you? This is other point of view.

The cuping way is so important.  Cupping: it’s how you decide if a coffee is worth adding to your profile and it’s how the importer determines its cupping score, flavor notes, and ultimately, price. However, not everyone cups in the same way. “It is important to rule out any variable that makes the experience of tasting coffee different from importer versus customers. So, it’s a good idea to understand how your importer is cupping in order to replicate that yourself and to get an idea of what they are tasting under the same conditions,” says Caitlin. Additionally, you should ask about the kind of cupping feedback the importer provides. Will you just get a number or do you receive more information about the coffee? “Not every coffee is going to be a 90+ Geisha, but that doesn’t mean that the coffee is not a really good representative of a certain region or a certain profile. So, what we try to do when we communicate with our clients is go a little past the number score and more about what may be the use for this coffee. Is it going to be a pour over or is it going to be a piece of a blend?”

Servicing Provide is really important for keeping the quality, Don’t make assumptions: a lot of importers will do more than just sell you their coffee. Find out about the scope of services that they offer. Do they provide logistical support? Are freight costs included? Do they have a warehouse facility where you can store your coffees and, if so, for how long? Do they offer financing options? “It’s an absolutely important question, For Royal, for example, if customers pay up front for their coffee, we offer five months of free storage in the warehouse. Some of these options may be included in the pricing while some might be extra. Make sure you understand exactly what everything costs – and how that might vary as your purchases change in the future. you can also offer financing options that will depend on the pricing of coffee and the nature of the account. These services can potentially save you money and help you have better cash flow, so it’s good to understand exactly what you get”. Other issue is about asking the right questions (and at the right time).

As a roaster, your business identity – and your customer’s loyalty – will often revolve around which kinds of coffee you provide. You don’t want to lose customers who love your coffee’s flavor, only because can’t provide them with a suitable replacement when it goes out of season. So, ask your importer about seasonality and coffee substitutions. What are some origins that you can purchase all year round, and what are their unique characteristics? How should you organize your purchases from your favorite origin, depending on the seasonality? When you start to run out of a particular component coffee for a blend, can they offer you a suitable substitute? I recommend  asking these questions in the planning stage of your roastery, even before your roastery is open. If you tell an importer that you’re “looking to open a roaster in six months or eight months,” he tells me, they can recommend origins that are going to be in season in that period. They can also walk you through the timeline of how and when to start purchasing coffee. Another thing that you can ask your importer is how they source. Do they buy from single farms, cooperatives, or both? What kind of impact will your purchasing decision have in the coffee-farming communities? You can ask these questions is vital for building your brand identity and mission, especially if ethically sourced coffees and sustainability feature in that. Yet it’s not always as simple as single origins are better. He says that while a single farm may offer traceability, buying from cooperatives could help hundreds of community members. He recommends having a conversation with your importer to gain a bigger picture of the effect of your purchasing decision.your Purchasing Options & The Receiving Process is about If you know the kind of coffee you want to buy and the origin, how should you move forward? Is spot purchasing an option? What about forward contracts? Is it possible to benefit through your importer trading in futures contracts?

This is an important question,particularly for roasters that are starting out.while various importers offer different buying options, the one you should pick will depend on your roastery and its size. if you’re just starting out, he explains,you can start spot purchases from a warehouse at that time and, as you grow, you might say, ‘I want to do forward contracts.’… That can be beneficial to having a more long-term sense of what your cost may be for a coffee, but keeping in mind that your cash flow and working capital are very important as you grow then nnce you have decided on the coffee and the contract, you should ask your importer about the receiving process. Check the available freight options, as well as how long it will take from the moment you place an order until you receive it. Knowing this will make inventory management easier. Now you can ask importers for the realistic time from the date of order to delivery to your door, and then “backtrack when you need to place the order, and add a few more days to that, just to be sure. additionally, roasters can treat importers as a source of knowledge. Think about us as a resource not just for the green bean itself, but sometimes to give you a picture of any other aspect of the market that may affect the transit time for origins and may affect pricing for certain origins, whether it’s port strikes, currency movements, or unexpected weather, importers keep close tabs on anything that could affect the coffee trade. As a result, they can be a valuable aid when you’re trying to plan ahead. No-one knows more about these coffees than the importer themselves.Finally find out what services they offer. Ask them about these basics and figure out what you need. And make sure they also know a bit about you.

This will help you to select the right green bean supplier and then build a strong relationship with them, one that will support you in making the best purchasing decisions, managing your cash flow, and reinforcing your brand. For traders, it’s their job to sell coffee, But at the same time, I want to have anyone that I work with and their business to succeed.

Saeed abdinasab

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