There are fewer compounds affecting gustatory perception than there are aromatic compounds. These sensations are perceived by our taste buds in very different ways. Further, these compounds also interact with the brain at different rates and in different patterns. Early in their training, professional cuppers gain knowledge that some parts of the mouth, palate and […]
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Jonathan
Water & Mouthfeel
Defined as the perception of heaviness and viscosity in the mouth, body is affected by the amount of solids found in the coffee liquor, other emulsified constituents like oils, and certain chemical effects in the mouth. Cuppers often evaluate body by moving the tongue against the palate, applying pressure to the liquid against the surfaces […]
The Trigeminal Sensory System
The trigeminal nervous system is not as familiar to most people, but it has been the subject of much recent study in terms of how it affects flavor. These nerve endings exist in both the nasal passages and mouth, and give thermal sensations and pain. At a less intense level, they cause sensations of pungency […]
The Brewing Process
Brewing coffee should be considered from two aspects: physical and chemical. The physical aspects of brewing coffee include the effects that water will have on the coffee grounds themselves (such as expansion), the amount of solids dissolved (as the result of temperature, stirring, etc.) and the physical actions that take place as the water passes […]
Interactions of Coffee and Water
Let’s discuss what could happen when coffee is prepared with poor quality water. What follows are some possibilities using some radar charts as illustrations. In a radar chart, start reading at the top. The flavor attributes are listed on the outside, and the distance from the center indicates the intensity of the particular flavor attribute. […]
Effects of Water on Equipment
The dissolving of calcium and magnesium in natural waters makes water hard, and hard water is responsible for scaling, liming and other undesirable mineral deposits on brewing equipment. When water is heated and then cooled, these dissolved substances can deposit scale on metal surfaces. As scaling proliferates, these compounds restrict flow through spray heads and […]
Examining TDS and Taste
In a tasting conducting by the Technical Standards Committee of the SCAA, coffee was brewed with different levels of TDS in order to determine if significant flavor differences existed and how much difference actually existed. The tasting was blind and was designed to isolate TDS as the key variable. The same coffee, grind and brewer […]
Sizing & Grading
Coffee has, in many countries, been graded by size longer than it has by quality. in fact, the two things are still considered related, although technically they are not. Different countries will use different terminology around their grading. Grading is generally done with sieves, numbered to indicate the size of the perforations. The even numbers […]
How Coffee is Traded
The price paid for coffee is generally quoted in U.S. dollars per pound in weight ($/lb). There is something of a global price for coffee, often referred to as the C-price, or commodity price. This is the price for commodity coffee being traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Coffee production is often discussed in […]
Understanding Olfaction
Our olfaction receptors are situated in the nasal membrane and are stimulated by volatile chemical compounds, such as those found in coffee. These compounds come into contact with our receptors by being inhaled through the nose (as a gas by sniffing), or exhaled as vapors (when we swallow, the escape and rise to the receptors). […]