Coffee Data Science
Green Coffee Selection Process
Some home roasting experience
I wish I could say I do super fancy coffee selection when roasting. I also wish I used the data from coffee grades and flavors to really find the best coffees. But I don’t. I enjoy variety and uniqueness in coffee blends which often gives surprises. I also get to have an experience that I’m not guaranteed to have again.
However, there is some method to the madness, so while I was selecting coffee recently, I took some screen shots to share how I do it. I’m very curious how other people select coffee.
Selection Criteria
Generally, I will aim to buy a specific weight usually 10 to 20 lbs otherwise I will buy the whole store. Typically, I select more than I will buy, and I down select.
I have not found single origin coffees to be enjoyable because there is always a component they are lacking. To keep things simple in blending, I usually use only two bean types, roasted separately. Occasionally, I have more or make a mix of multiple beans left over from other bags of green beans.
I have found a bean from African blends very well with South America. So most of my selections are from those two continents. However, I usually pick up beans from elsewhere based on the description.
I prefer dry processed over wet because they are fruiter coffees, and I want a sweet cup of espresso with a lot of mouthfeel or syrupness.
Finally, I mostly buy from Sweet Maria’s because I like how they have scores and flavors available.
Initial Picking
I start with an aim for a total number of pounds. If I find the selection just amazing, I end up buying 1 lbs of everything, but then I won’t be able to repeat roasts. There is a certain joy to having something new every time.
First, I look through coffees in each region, and I look at scores.
I’m also reading the descriptions. I look for “Good for Espresso”, sweetness, chocolate, fruity, and wild (my favorite descriptor). I don’t worry about the recommended roast level. I also look for something new or different to try like Robusta.
Down Select
Then I have to down select because I always want too much. I often look for dry processed with a few wet processed coffees to balance out the flavors. I found my wife prefers wet processed beans as those roasts taste most like what is typical coffee.
Then I do direct comparison of in-region coffees to see what I can knock down.
Data!
For all of these coffees, I then record Q-scores for my data sheet. This allows me to look at some long term data for average Q-score in my blends as well as have a history of what I’ve bought.
Finally, I roast with some general aim for great roasts or unique flavors.
I hope anyone getting into coffee roasting can see that the process is still very much an artisan one, at least at the level of home roasting. I wish there was more rhyme or reason to what I select, but most of it has been by trial and error.
If you like, follow me on Twitter and YouTube where I post videos of espresso shots on different machines and espresso related stuff. You can also find me on LinkedIn. You can also follow me on Medium.
Further readings of mine:
Collection of Espresso Articles
A Collection of Work and School Stories
A Summary of the Staccato Lifestyle
Measuring Coffee Grind Distribution
Espresso Baskets and Related Topics