Coffee In America

If you ever decide to travel to another country, you will see humans across the globe accomplish the same tasks everyday in slightly different ways. We go to work, we spend time with friends, we eat meals; these are normal daily occurrences, however, they can come in many forms.

In the same way, the global coffee culture comes in all shapes and forms depending on where you find yourself. After moving to China only 4 months ago, the differences are drastically apparent. 

For many Americans, coffee is not only a beverage to consume, but a means to an end. Reasons why you might find people drinking coffee vary.

Some consumers feel the necessity to begin each day with this specific caffeine boost, whether it comes from a home brewer or from a cafe.

Customers will go to cafes to work or study in a comfortable atmosphere, away from distractions at home or around coworkers.

Other customers will meet with friends for fun hangouts or serious heart-to-heart conversations. Most cafes aim to create an atmosphere to welcome people in and invite them to stay for a while.

Common features of cafes are either bright windows and a clean, simple arrangement, or a dimly lit space with comfortable, homey decor. Most customers find their favorite spot and develop a deep sense of loyalty to their shop. 

For a customer, loyalty develops not only through the atmosphere or even the quality of coffee, but through the interactions with the staff.

Baristas are crucial to the vibe of a shop. They set a tone for the customer as soon as they walk in the door.

Baristas are seen as a source of information and support for a curious guest, but also offer a friendly face and a good conversation to accompany their beverage. It is not even uncommon for a cafe regular to become close friends with their barista because they might end up seeing them everyday. 

This business in America also acts as a gathering point for community. Many small shops host events, concerts, artist showcases, discussion nights, tastings, and other group activities to connect people with their fellow coffee-loving brothers and sisters. Coffee is just the beginning point that brings people together to share their interests and passions. 

Most coffee shops serve similar beverages: lattes, black coffee, cappuccinos, however, the definition of each of these drink can vary wherever you go. Popular second wave stores, such as Starbucks, have created a culture that has strayed away from the traditional methods and use their own definitions.

For many Americans, drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening is exclusively a social event. Going to a friend’s home for a leisurely afternoon chat or having a cup with dessert after dinner are all common occurrences, however this coffee will almost always be decaf.

Decaffeinated coffee, alternative milks (skim, almond, oat, etc.), and various types of syrups (caramel, chocolate, vanilla, etc.) and creamers are all expected components for an American coffee drinker. We are all about individualism and that identity does not stop with the coffee we drink.  

The coffee as an industry in the US is growing rapidly with stores like Onyx, Cat & Cloud, and Blue Bottle Coffee, who have become not only nationally but internationally recognized for the work they have done to develop their product and exemplify excellence in what they create. In some instances, full-time barista is becoming a salaried job with benefits. There are global competitions to showcase the perfect cup of coffee or latte art or brewing method (at least for the current year).

The idealized part-time job of the early 2000’s is now becoming a career path for those who aren’t afraid of hard work and customer service. It is a job that requires the continuous sharpening of skills and constant vigilance over changing trends in order to stay relevant in the coffee industry.

Coffee is a staple in many Americans’ lives and provides not only tasty treat and a caffeine boost, but also a centralized space for people to gather and express their passions. 

More Than A Cup Of Black Water

Maybe you have never thought about where your coffee comes from and what process it went through. 

In fact, the coffee we drink comes from coffee trees and the seeds inside their fruit after intense layers of processing. It comes from the mountains where hundreds of flowers bloom and where nature produces thousands of sweet cherries.

What has the coffee seed been through before it becomes a cup of black water in our hands?

The first stage is picking. In the common processing method, fresh fruit is screened by flotation after harvesting. The fresh fruit is put into the flotation tank where the poor quality and lighter weight fresh fruit are removed by flotation before fermentation or drying. The quality and state of fresh fruit will directly affect the quality of fermentation.

Picking

As a stage of cherry selection, picking determines the direction of the whole processing. For specialty coffee, the ripeness and elevation of fresh fruits are essential.

In the picking stage, all red, or even purple-red coffee cherries are picked by professional workers. Commercial use coffee is mostly picked in the way of strip picking; therefore, the maturity of cherry is not uniform.

There will be immature green cherries, over-ripe rotten cherries and dried-on-tree cherries with defective flavors. This is also one of the reasons for impurities, such as astringent and phenolic tastes when cupping.          

There is a higher demand for all-red cherries at high altitudes because the higher the coffee tree growth altitude is, the longer the coffee growth cycle will last, which is conducive to the accumulation of sugar and nutrients. Sugar is the primary source of flavor. The higher the maturity and the sugar content of fresh coffee fruit, the better the quality and flavor of the coffee.

Fresh fruits begin to ferment after harvesting, so it is necessary to carry out the formulation processing soon after harvesting.

Flotation/Sorting

Flotation is a process of removing impurities: through the fluidity and gravity of water, the immature fruits, floaters, withered beans, sticks and leaves that can cause impurities are removed.

After the fresh fruit is soaked in water, the pulp which carries abundant microorganisms will accelerate the fermentation process.

The coffee farmers must pay more attention to the wet surface of the pulp and turn over frequently to avoid the development of mold. In addition to water flotation, the color sorter can also be used for sorting fresh fruit to improve the quality of the finished product.

Fermentation

French microbiologist Pasteur described fermentation as "life without air", which is an essential phase in the flavor development. During fermentation, microorganisms interact with enzymes. Some microorganisms are produced naturally and they can make contact with enzymes directly.

An example is when fruit juice becomes “sour" after growing old. Another kind of microorganism created by human beings is used to create the condition for contacting enzymes, such as making wine by fermentation. In coffee processing, microorganisms in mucilage react with sugar to degrade, resulting in fermentation.

Many variables are affecting the fermentation process as such the shape and material of fermentation tank, the weight and maturity of coffee, initial and environmental temperature, fermentation mode (dry or wet fermentation), water quality and time.

In the process of fermentation, lactic acid and acetic acid are produced with the degree of sugar decomposition. We use the PH tester to detect the degree of fermentation. When PH is below 4, there is a risk of over fermentation; the smell is similar to pickles, rotten fruits and even nail polish.

The thickness of the coffee pulp is an important factor affecting the fermentation degree. The thicker the pulp of coffee beans, the higher the fermentation temperature, the more intense the fermentation. The coffee fragrance will change from fresh fruits to berry-like. The sweet fragrance will be transformed into tropical fruits and rich red wine which is the ideal state of natural fermentation.

 If we reach the smell of rotten bananas, we must immediately make the adjustment plan to avoid over-fermentation by drying them quickly. Wet environment condition is a paradise for bacterial growth. Ventilation during fermentation and dry environment are very important.

Drying

Next, let's talk about drying.

The drying is the preservation of green bean quality and the development of flavor. While maintaining embryo activity, the water content in coffee beans is reduced to the appropriate storage range of green beans: 10-12%. Too little water content of coffee beans will make embryo dry quickly, flavor loss quickly and woody flavor. On the other hand, too much water content will cause embryo growth environment humid and mildew and dead beans.

Drying is not simply a matter of reducing the moisture content of fresh fruits or husked beans. It takes time for fermentation products to interact with seeds to improve the quality of the coffee. The typical drying period is about 23 days. Drying the processed coffee by laying it out on an outdoor patio allows for higher temperatures and faster drying method.

However, overexposure under sunshine can cause the crack the husk and the potential for the green beans to produce mold when they are directly exposed to the microbial environment. In addition, the organic substances inside the coffee beans will be destroyed by high temperatures, which will reduce the retention of flavor substances.

Proper drying is done with a suitable temperature through convective hot air. This method results in only the surface of the coffee drying while the internal moisture will be transferred through multiple layers of organic substances to reduce the moisture and balance the flavor.

Resting

The main purpose of this stage is to stabilize the quality of coffee beans to achieve batch consistency. Coffee with parchments or husks may be unevenly dried. Therefore, it requires at least 4 weeks of resting time to balance moisture so that the flavor can be fully developed and ready for shipment.

Environmental changes are subtle. Usually, we will design the processing plan first, then implement it.  But in reality, we find that the temperature and humidity of the environment are continually changing.

Even in a cool and ventilated place, there will be some fruit that ferments too quickly resulting mildew. It still needs to be turned over in a small range to slow down the fermentation rate.

The uncontrollable factors brought about by this kind of environment increase the difficulty of processing. Depending on the climate and environmental variables of the coffee region, origin farmers must choose the processing factor best suited for their crop.

After our processing, these coffee beans with parchment will be sent to the dry mill for dry processing and become coffee green beans in the hands of the roaster. After roasting, the small roasted beans we see in the coffee shop become the " black water" in our cups.

So as you can see, it's not an easy journey for coffee to end up in a cup.  Not only is this tiny bean interesting, but it is like a precious treasure waiting for you to discover its delicious potential.