Defect coffee beans - What is excessive? - Page 2

#11: Post by **another_jim** » April 14th, 2012, 2:27 am

"Ugly is not a defect." Ugly are misshapen beans. But broken beans, beans with holes in them (insect damage), discolorations (mold, stinkers or sours), wrinkled (withered), or semi-tranluscent and small (unripe) are defects. The worst defects are the discolored ones, since the discoloration shows that the bean will have nasty flavors. Bug bites leads to beans becoming stinkers or moldy, so they will usually taste bad, even if the holes look clean. The unripes and withered will just not pull their weight in the cup, leading to blah taste. Photographs usually don't say much, since you have to count the number fo defects per unit weight (typically 300 grams) to get a feel for how bad a coffee is.

There is no great correlation between perfect to somewhat imperfect prep and taste. If there are lots of defects (over 15 discolored or 100 otherwise bad beans in 300 grams of coffee), it's unlikely to be any good.

#12: Post by **Benjammer** » April 14th, 2012, 4:18 am

Thanks, that helps. I wasn't sure if I should get rid of the broken beans, I suppose those might get overroasted due to their smaller size, so it's a good idea to get rid of those.

#13: Post by **Jammers** » April 18th, 2012, 11:37 am

Cracked beans ("broken beans") are defects, but are only regarded as lowering the cup quality at a certain threshold of cracked beans per 300 grams.

I'd definitely check with your supplier. Either they should be refusing those coffees before they get them, they tasted the coffee and liked it despite the bean appearance, or they buy lower grade coffees. Indonesian coffees, like the on in Benjammers picture, often look like that. They don't have to (e.g. Sulawesi Toarco), though.

#14: Post by **blzrfn** » April 18th, 2012, 1:24 pm

In my experience very little if any Sumatran coffee would pass as specialty coffee by SCAA standards. The processing and handling of coffee in Sumatra is so rustic that it amazes me that it doesn't all rot and mold before exportation (a lot of it does). There are some really good Indonesian coffees that give us a peak into what may one day come out of Sumatra (e.g. PNG estates) but in the mean time there are many that enjoy the earthy, mustiness of a wet-hulled coffee.

#15: Post by **Benjammer** » May 19th, 2012, 6:05 pm

From what I've tried, I do enjoy the Sumatra flavour, I'm going to go with another company that offers a bit more pricey / pre-sorted sumatra next time and see if it makes it a big difference.

#16: Post by **GregR** » May 19th, 2012, 11:39 pm

Sweet Marias has a Sumatra Lingtong Tano Batak for sale right now that has very few defects. I culled two beans out of 227g this morning, plus a few more after the roast.

#17: Post by **cannonfodder** » May 21st, 2012, 9:28 am

I have been going away form Sumatra'n for some time now. Just dont care for the heavy earthy notes it puts in my blends even at low ammounts. Papua new guinea has been my go to for Indo coffee's for the past couple of years.

#18: Post by **bsikes** » May 21st, 2012, 10:07 am

I'm with Dave on the Sumatra's... the ones I have roasted were nasty looking and I felt I could have culled them forever, but then what would I have left to roast. And the "earthy" taste... I think "earthy" is just a nice way of saying "dirty"... I am reminded when Thomas of Sweet Maria's wrote in a thread that Maria simply would not drink Sumatra's. That was good enough for me, even if I had already decided that my dollars were better spent on a different origin of beans. I'll have to try some PNG beans... haven't roasted any of them yet.