Coffee is a relationship
Coffee is an industry filled with a myriad of relationships. We can consider an importer servicing both their farmers and their customers, a facility manager navigating the many moving parts of a roastery, or even just everyday folks meeting up for a cup of coffee. These relationships are all facets of an industry with a reach far beyond what the average consumer witnesses daily. The coffee in your cup was carefully cultivated on a farm far from the gentle plains of Kansas. The land on this farm was tended by dedicated farmers and the path from coffee cherry to a roasted, ground, and brewed bean passes through numerous hands. I strive to learn where that coffee comes from and share its story.
In the community we share, there are a multitude of stories as to how we got drawn into the world of coffee. Have you ever seen what coffee looks like growing on the plant? Long before it is roasted, those coffee “beans” are seeds of coffee cherries on a plant. The first time I saw a picture of coffee cherries, I was hooked. Sure, I had been drinking coffee for years before seeing that picture, but seeing the cherries lured me further into the world of coffee. I just had to learn how those cherries ended up as the delicious brew in my cup.
As a coffee professional, I always ask myself if my drink could be better and what I should pursue to find the best flavor. This is key to my relationship with the drink; the coffee has a story it wants to tell. This story starts with the variety of coffee and the plant’s health. It continues through the process used to remove the fruit from the seed, how the coffee is roasted, and ultimately how we brew coffee.
My favorite part of the story is finding great flavors through what I call “dialing in” the coffee, then getting to enjoy it while watching cartoons or sharing it with friends. Dialing in is often used to refer to the process of determining the best grind setting, mostly used when making espresso. Dialing in my manual drip coffee is all about contemplating the flavor, body, how the taste lingers in my mouth, and then deciding what changes I need to make to the brewing process. Changes that could be considered are the grind setting, water to coffee ratio, water temperature, or the type of pour-over brewing device.
Brewing coffee can be peculiar in how one type of coffee will react to water compared to another. The relationship doesn’t need to be mysterious. It really all comes down to two things we can easily identify: varietal and process. Well, in all honesty, process is sometimes easier to determine than varietal. Watching how water draws through your ground coffee is a great way to get to know your coffee and understand how dense it is. If water is drawing through your coffee quickly, you are likely not getting an adequately thorough extraction. A good metric to abide by is that the harder the coffee is, the finer your grind will need to be. You won’t know how the coffee’s density affects your drinking experience until you brew a cup and consider your experience. This is why I call it a relationship with your coffee. The coffee will tell you what you need to know if you take the time to listen.
As I am writing this, I am thinking of ways to connect with you. I enjoy sharing my findings about coffee origins, new brewing techniques, and musing about our coffee journey and how it started. It is always good to stay curious. Ask questions and stay interested in the rest of the community.
What is your relational connection to coffee? Do you enjoy hearing stories of where the coffee comes from? Are you searching for new ways to make coffee? These questions can be answered in the comments. Start a dialog and help build more community!