Dr. Coffee responds:
One of the high points of Dr. Coffee’s February 2005 visit to Guatemala was the opportunity to learn more about how coffee is processed.

Coffee beans are meticulously harvested by hand by our producer partners throughout the world. The coffee bean is actually surrounded by a thin layer of parchment (skin) and outer layer of pulp within what is called a cherry. Cherries (coffee) are processed in one of two different ways: “natural” or “washed”.

With "natural" processing, also known as "dry" or "unwashed" processing, the coffee cherries are laid out to dry slowly, which can take three or four weeks. The dried cherries are then hulled with processing equipment to remove the pulp and parchment. Coffee has been processed this way for centuries and though dry processing can sometimes lead to a lower quality coffee, when done right, it can produce some of finest coffees in the world, Sumatra being one very good example.

"Washed" or "wet" processing is increasingly the most common processing method used by specialty coffee producers. With wet processing, once the cherries have been picked, they are run through a de-pulping machine, which removes the skin and sorts the coffee beans by size and weight (better beans are heavier). The beans are then washed, fermented, rinsed, and dried. Once the beans are dried, they are processed further by removing the parchment from the bean and then sorting again by size and density. The wet process provides for better separation of quality coffee beans from those with defects and which are lower in quality.

Q. What should I do with my coffee grounds?

Dr. Coffee responds:
Coffee grounds are a very good addition to your composting efforts. They are considered a "green" or nitrogen source with a C/N ratio about 20:1. While it is widely thought that they are acidic, it has been shown that most of their acidity is removed in the brewing process. Used grounds are essentially neutral and composting them with other materials will buffer any minor residual acidity. As a rule of thumb, the amount of grounds you would want to add to a compost pile is dependent on how many you may have available to you. If you were just using the amount that an average household might generate you should have no concerns. But some of you may have access to larger volumes and in that case you should limit the percentage to no more than 25% of the volume of the pile.

Coffee by-products can be used in the garden and farm as follows:

• Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.

• Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance.  Coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.

• Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer.  Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.

• Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.

• Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier to repel pests.

If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little bit to your worms!

(Source: http://www.gardenweb.com)

Dr. Coffee Debunks the Vacuum Fresh Myth:
So, you know how all the "big boy" coffee companies advertise how they seal in the freshness of their coffee by vacuum packing it? Well we’re here to tell you that the value of vacuum-sealing coffee is all a big myth…it’s all about marketing.

When coffee is ground, the volatile gases that make up that wonderful coffee aroma we all love are released. Along with this, the grounds of coffee are obviously exposed to oxygen — fresh coffee’s enemy — and the coffee begins to de-gas (big company lingo) or "go stale" (little company lingo!).

Here at Café Campesino, when we grind coffee for a customer, it is immediately packaged so that it’s exposure to air is minimal. And, our foil bags actually have a one-way valve that lets gas out but doesn't allow air in. If we sealed the bag and it had no valve, the bag would eventually burst from the gases being released.

Herein lies the myth of vacuum-sealed fresh coffee. Vacuum-sealing requires that the coffee be ground and left exposed to the air — typically for 2-3 days. This allows all of the gases and aromas to dissipate (bummer) and accelerates the staling of the ground coffee. If this is not done, the bags or cans into which it is to be packed would burst at the seams from the gases that fresh ground coffee releases. So, the bottom line is that vacuum-sealing requires that the coffee be stale, which begs the question, why would we buy vacuum-sealed coffee when we can get it fresh-roasted from companies like Café Campesino?

Dr. Coffee responds:
Here at Café Campesino, while we are certainly glad to grind your coffee for you, we highly recommend that you grind it yourself. It doesn't take long but it does make a world of difference in how your coffee will taste.

For about $20, you can get a blade grinder and get started grinding. This isn't necessarily the best way to grind (the blade tends to give an inconsistent grind and can sometimes burn the coffee) but it is an inexpensive way to start, and with practice, some people get very good at using the blade grinder.

We recommend that you spend a little extra, $60 to $120, and splurge on a burr grinder, a home version of the professional grinders you see in coffee shops. Burr grinders give you an even and consistent grind, and can be set for most brewing methods. An added bonus is that they tend to be much cleaner than the blade grinders.

As a general rule, the following grinds are used for the corresponding brew methods:

Extra fine - turkish
Fine - espresso
Medium - drip and auto-drip
Coarse - french press and percolator

Any grinder that you purchase should have the manufacturer's instructions to help you achieve the grind you are looking for.

Grind on coffee lovers...grind on.

Q. How do you store coffee properly?

Dr. Coffee responds:
So you have just taken delivery of your freshly roasted coffee from Café Campesino…the enticing aroma coming from the box beckons you to open it, open the bag and make your first cup. But then what? What do you do to keep the rest of the coffee fresh and ready to brew next time? My first message is, well, something you wouldn’t expect to hear from any ordinary doctor…stay away from air…air is bad!

Unlike life and scuba diving, air does not sustain life when it comes to keeping coffee at its freshest. If you are going to use your coffee within 1 to 2 weeks, storing it in an airtight container is a must, preferably in a glass or ceramic jar with a rubber gasket, or even a Tupperware-like container. And, it is also just as important to store your coffee container in a low-lit area…now that’s amore!

Freezing is an acceptable option for coffee that isn’t going to be used within 2 weeks. Just make sure that when you remove the coffee, you take only the amount you need out and return the rest to the freezer immediately. Thawing and refreezing wreaks havoc on coffee. Also, make sure that your coffee is well-wrapped when freezing it so that it doesn’t pick up aromas of other foods in your freezer, like trout or chili.

Never refrigerate your coffee. Moisture adversely affects coffee; further, the flavors and aromas that circulate throughout your fridge will inevitably seek a home in your coffee and unless you like coffee that tastes like Arm & Hammer or Roquefort cheese, keeping it sealed is the best way to lock in its natural flavor and lock out intruding odors.

And finally, whole beans store much better than ground coffee. Once you have ground coffee, the volatile aromas and flavors inherent to the beans are quickly lost as the coffee begins to go stale…to avoid this, brew ground coffee ASAP and, if possible, buy whole beans and only grind what you need. Stayed tuned for my continuing series on the lifecycle of the coffee bean in the next issue of Fair Grounds.

Q. Are espresso blends dark roasted?

Dr. Coffee responds:
This month’s specials — Café Campesino’s Original Espresso Blend and Easygoing Espresso Blend - offer two distinct espresso "experiences". While our original blend is a little lighter and brighter, our easygoing blend is somewhat smoother and sweeter.

It is worth noting that all espressos are blends of either Arabica and/or Robusta beans. However, the beans used in espresso blends are not necessarily dark roasted…actually, beans used in espresso blends tend to be roasted a little lighter to avoid excessive bitterness, among other things. In the US, some folks tend to equate "espresso roast" with dark roast…remember, a dark roast is, well, a dark roast and an espresso roast, well, all I can say is…it ain’t an espresso roast!

Finally, while some roasters blend both Arabica and Robusta to make their own espresso, Café Campesino believes that blends of appropriately roasted Arabica beans produce the best taste. Try this months specials and you’ll taste why!

Dr. Coffee responds:
Café Campesino’s BRAG blend consists of our Guatemala Full City, Sumatra Full City and Nicaragua Dark coffees. In order to ensure that each component of the blend plays its particular role effectively — the Guatemala lending brightness, the Sumatra providing body and the Nicaraguan adding richness - our roaster Lee Harris prefers to blend the beans after each type has been roasted separately.

Bringing out the unique characteristics of each bean requires that the roaster control and adjust factors like the temperature and duration of the roast as well as how far along the bean is at the "first and second cracks". If these beans were to be blended prior to roasting, optimizing each bean’s particular characteristics would be difficult if not impossible to achieve. There are, however, situations in which pre-roast blending works well…stay tuned for more on that in upcoming editions of Dr. Coffee!

Dr. Coffee responds:
Coffee beans are flavored after they are roasted and partially cooled to around 100 degrees. The flavor syrup is then applied, as the coffee beans' pores are open and therefore more receptive to flavor absorption.

An alternative technique is to flavor coffee after brewing. This method allows one pot of coffee to satisfy those in the household who drink it "straight" as well. At Café Campesino, we offer all-natural Monin syrups that can be added to your fresh-brewed coffee.

Q. How much caffeine is in decaf?

Dr. Coffee responds:
In the United States, federal regulations require that in order to label coffee as "decaffeinated" that coffee must have had its caffeine level reduced by no less than 97.5 percent.

Example: Most arabia coffees are about 1.36% caffeine by weight normally. This makes them 98.64% caffeine free even before anything is done to lower the caffeine content..

When 97% of the caffeine has been removed, only .0408 % of the coffee weight is caffeine. About 4/10ths of 1%. At this level it is labeled "decaffeinated. How roasters label their products is another matter. Suppose two roasters roast coffee that originally came from the same lot, and were decaffeinated together in the same vat. One roaster labels his decaf "97% Caffeine Removed." The other says his is "99+% Caffeine Free." Which roaster is telling the truth?

The answer is: They are both right. They are both saying essentially the same thing. 

For more on decaffeination, see our article from the March 2003 issue of Fairgrounds.

Dr. Coffee responds:
Oxygen is the enemy of fresh coffee. When coffee is ground, the surface area of the coffee is greatly increased allowing oxygen an easier path to the cell structure of the roasted coffee - and therefore allowing the ground coffee to become stale much quicker than whole beans. So, your coffee will stay fresh longer if you are willing to grind your own beans just before brewing your morning pot of fair trade coffee.

Q. Is it ok to mix fresh beans with the tail end of last month's bag?

Dr. Coffee responds:
Mixing older coffee with new is not bad, but it's good to keep in mind that the flavor of your coffee will be different. If you're adding new beans to a batch that is 2-4 weeks old, you'll see much less of a flavor change than if you mix new coffee with beans that are several months old. Over time, you'll get used to purchasing the right amount of beans to keep the mixing of older coffee to a minimum.

Q. What is "cupping?"

Dr. Coffee responds:
Cupping is the technique used to evaluate the flavor profile of a coffee. To understand the minor differences between coffee growing regions, it is important to cup coffees from around the world side by side. Cupping is also used to evaluate a coffee for defects or to create coffee blends.

Here's how it's done:

Place 2 tablespoons of freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee in a 6-oz cup. Grind coffee a little less than normal, ideally to a French press size. The coffee should be roasted no darker than medium. The roast should be similar for all of the coffees evaluated.

While some filtered water is heating, smell the grounds and write down your observations. The smell of the grounds (before water is added) is referred to as fragrance. Hot water (near the boiling temperature) is then added to the cup. Smell each cup without disturbing it and write down observations of the aroma.

After 1-2 minutes break the crust of the coffee using a wide mouthed soup spoon that has been pre-heated. Put your nose directly over the cup and push the coffee down. This is the most potent burst of coffee aroma you will have during cupping and is the best time to evaluate the aroma. As you break the crust, stir the cup a little to make sure all the coffee is covered in water and to help the coffee sink to the bottom of the cup.

Rinse the spoon in hot water and move to the next sample. After evaluating the aroma of all of the samples, scoop out any grounds that continue to float. Due to the high density of the lightly roasted coffee most of the grounds will sink.

After the coffee has cooled enough (1-2 minutes more) take some coffee into the spoon and slurp the coffee strongly to aspirate it over the entire tongue. It is important to aspirate strongly since you are trying to cover the entire tongue at the same time. Most of the flavor observed in a coffee relies on the presence of aromatic compounds. To test this, simply plug your nose while drinking coffee next time. It will taste like instant coffee due to its lack of aroma and the flavor will be boring.

Write down your observations of flavor, acidity, aftertaste, and body. Move to the next cup and try to compare the different cups. As the coffee in each cup cools, it is often possible to detect new flavors.

For more information on cupping, visit The Coffee Review at http://www.coffeereview.com/reference.cfm?ID=33

Q. Why are coffee beans often found at perfume counters and candle shops?

Dr. Coffee responds:
When smelling too many intense scents, the sense of smell can become saturated, making it hard to discern the difference between fragrances. Sniffing the scent of coffee beans can actually clear your nasal passages, in the same way that sorbet is served to cleanse the palate between courses in a restaurant. It's sort of like a reset button for your nose.

Q. How should I grind beans to make a great cup of coffee?

Dr. Coffee responds:
Different methods of brewing require different grind consistencies. Coffee used for drip brewing (most home coffee makers) should be ground to the consistency of granulated sugar. If the drip cycle takes less than four minutes, grind your coffee finer. If it takes more than six minutes, grind your coffee coarser. If you're using a French press or percolator, the coffee should be ground coarse. And to get the best flavor in an espresso, the beans should be ground very fine, almost power-like with a slight grittiness. 

Q. How (and how often) should I clean my coffee maker?

Dr. Coffee responds:
An old wive's tale suggests that one should leave a coffee pot with the oils from the last pot in it to season it. However, all this does is taint the fresh coffee and mix the old oils with the new, making a bitter brew and contaminating the flavor.

If you use your coffee maker once a day, it's best to clean it weekly. Run a full pot of half vinegar/half water through your coffee maker, which will loosen hard water deposits. If your pot is especially dirty, you can repeat this step if you like, but its recommended you use a new batch of cold water and vinegar. Then run clean cold water through the pot. Repeat until vinegar smell fades. This may take three or four times.

Clean filter basket and pot with soapy water. Don't forget to clean the pot lid. The lid picks up a lot of oils. Clean the water reservoir with a clean cloth, to get any water deposit build-up.

Dr. Coffee responds:
Try our recipe for Iced Mocha. It's the tasty concoction we serve up for cyclists taking part in BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia) events. A great way to "recycle" your AM cup!

A 16 oz. glass filled 2/3 with ice
6 oz. of brewed coffee
2 tbsp. Sugar
a good long squirt of chocolate syrup
4 oz. of half and half or whole milk (as much or as little as you like — yet proportionate to the coffee measurement)
whipped cream (optional)
garnish: cinnamon, nutmeg or chocolate shavings (optional)

Add cold milk or half and half over ice in 16 oz. glass. Add sugar and a good long squirt of chocolate syrup. Add about 2/3 very cold coffee (chilled coffee decreases the melting rate, which keeps the coffee flavor intensity longer). Shake or stir contents. Add whipped cream and a desired garnish. Serve with a long spoon.

Q. Will freezing roasted coffee beans keep them fresher longer?

Dr. Coffee responds:
There's a good deal of debate over this issue within the coffee community. At Café Campesino, we feel that if you buy your beans in relatively small quantities — what you would use in a month — there's no need for freezing. Just store them in an airtight, moisture-proof container in a cool dry place (but not the refrigerator). If you must store beans for longer than a month, you can freeze them (in an airtight, moisture-proof container). However, freezing (and especially the thawing and refreezing that can occur when taking the beans in and out of the freezer every day) increases the likelihood that moisture will creep into the porous bean and the quality of the coffee will deteriorate. In addition, the flavor "oils" (which are not really oils at all, but a mixture of soluble and insoluble elements) that form on the outside of the beans during roasting will flake off because extreme temperature changes deteriorate bean structure (similar to how sidewalks crack as a result of moisture seepage and temperature change or the undesirable taste that ice cream gets when it's thawed and refrozen). The key: don't let the coffee become thawed. Quickly grind the portion you need and return the beans to the freezer.

Our best advice: Order your beans monthly for the freshest coffee. Buy it packaged in our Kraft bags for transport, then transfer the coffee into an air tight sealed container. Coffee beans will keep the majority of their flavor for up to six weeks in an airtight seal container at room temperature.

Q. Why buy baking soda?

Dr. Coffee responds:
Why buy baking soda when you can get rid of those nasty refrigerator odors with recycled coffee grounds! Just put a small open bowl with used grounds on each fridge shelf and the coffee will absorb odors and leave the whole refrigerator smelling clean. Replace the grounds every two weeks for maximum freshness.

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