Understanding Green Coffee Beans: What You Need to Know
So you’ve got your roasting setup ready—awesome! Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: green coffee beans, and lets be honest it’s why you came to privatecollection.coffee…. They’re the unsung heroes of your coffee journey, so let’s give them the spotlight they deserve.
- What Are Green Coffee Beans, and where do they come from?
Green coffee beans are just coffee beans before they’ve gone through the roasting process. They look like little nuggets of hope, and they’re full of potential flavour. Think of them as the raw ingredients of your favourite coffee. At its most basic, you have a coffee plant which grows a coffee fruit, inside is a magical coffee bean. While there is lots of detail that goes into regions, growing and processing, until you understand the process more, you can lean on us to guide you to the best value for money coffee beans in Australia.
- Bean Quality: What to Look For
Just like with any ingredient, the quality of your beans matters. Look for beans that are uniform in size and free from defects. Dull, shrivelled beans aren’t doing you any favours. Freshness is key, so buy from a reputable source (us!!) and try to use them within a few months.
- Bean Origin: The Flavour Story
Coffee beans come from all over the world, and their origin greatly impacts their flavour. Beans from Colombia will taste different from those from Ethiopia, thanks to the soil, climate, and processing methods and farmers expertise and experience. Experiment with beans from various origins to discover your favourites.
- Bean Blends and why it matters
Why do we talk so much about the importance of bean blends (you will notice we have a great collection here). We really believe that the best bang for your buck especially when starting out can be found in a blend- and the best blends are curated by our expert green bean team (that rhymes pretty well!)
All hypothetical but stay with me here- you would normally roast 100% Bean A- by adding 15% of Bean B and 10% of Bean C you can build up different but complementary flavours while keeping the price lower. When you get good at blending beans, you can build up similar but more complex versions of tastes like chocolate- you can pair a milk chocolate and a dark chocolate to add a chocolaty depth to your end roast.
First things first try some different beans to find what you do and don’t like, start with what you like in your favourite cafes bean- pick out the main flavours and start there- do you like a light or dark roast, do you like bitter or sweet?
- Processing Methods: How Beans Are Prepped
Before beans reach your kitchen, they go through processing methods like washed, natural, or honey. These methods affect flavour and roast behaviour. For example, natural processed beans might have a fruitier flavour, while washed beans often taste cleaner and brighter.
- Storage: Keeping Beans Fresh
Green coffee beans need to be stored properly to maintain their quality. Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Avoid exposing them to light and moisture, which can affect their freshness. And remember, beans are like vampires—they prefer the dark!
- Checking Moisture Content
Moisture content plays a big role in roasting. Beans with too much moisture can lead to uneven roasting, while beans that are too dry might burn. If you’re buying in bulk, it might be worth investing in a moisture meter to ensure your beans are just right.
- Sample Roasting
Before diving into large batches, consider sample roasting. It’s a great way to experiment with different beans and roast profiles without committing to a whole bag. Plus, it’s a fun way to find out what works best for you.
Final Thoughts
Understanding green coffee beans is like knowing the plot before watching a movie—it sets the stage for a great experience. So get to know your beans, and let them lead you on a flavourful journey.
Private Coffee Collection green bean team (I did it again) is here to help you on your journey, so whatever advice you need, feel free to reach out and we are happy to help.
