Glossary Level 300: Roast & Blend
Aged Coffee Green coffee that has been stored for three to five years to
further develop flavor. Aging high quality Indonesian arabica beans results in
flavors like spice, peat moss and toasted marshmallow.
Arrival Sample The final step in the green coffee quality process before
blending and roasting. When coffee arrives from origin, a sample is taken by
the Global Coffee Quality team in Seattle to ensure that the quality did not
suffer during transit and matches expectations set by the preshipment
sample.
Blend
A coffee offering consisting of beans from different coffee-growing
countries. Blends make up a significant percentage of Starbucks® whole bean
coffee sales.
Decaffeination Decaffeination is the process by which caffeine is removed
from the green coffee bean. Starbucks uses three different decaffeination
methods.
Direct Contact The most common decaffeinating method. It uses a solvent
called methylene chloride, which is highly selective in removing caffeine, so a
greater amount of the coffee’s inherent flavor and quality is maintained during
the process.
First Pop (Crack) A stage in coffee roasting between 6 and 9 minutes when
the beans double in size and make a crackling sound as they expand. This
stage is also referred to in the industry as “Cinnamon Roast.”
Green Coffee Processor A green coffee processor is a large machine at a
roasting facility that filters out physical debris that may have gotten into arriving
bags of green coffee beans.
Green Coffee Silos
waits to be roasted.
Cleaned green coffee is stored in green coffee silos as it
Green Coffee Warehouse
Roasting locations have a dedicated green
coffee warehouse nearby. After the shipping containers arrive at port, they will
be sent first to the appropriate warehouse, where inspections and quality
checks are performed and containers are unloaded onto pallets.
Methylene Chloride A solvent used in decaffeination. Caffeine molecules
bond with the methylene chloride, leaving the bulk of the coffee flavor intact.
Post-Roast Blend
A blend that involves different coffees being roasted
separately first, using different roast curves, and then blended together. These
blends result in multiple roast expressions.
Pre-Roast Blend A blend that involves different coffees being combined first
as green beans and then roasted all together. The goal is to emphasize one
roast expression.
Roasted Coffee Silos Roasted coffee is stored in silos for an average of 24
hours until it is packaged. Freshness is maintained by introducing nitrogen into
the silos, creating oxygen-free environments for the beans.
Second Pop (Crack) A stage in coffee roasting between 9 and 13 minutes
when the beans pop again, the cracking caused by exiting gases. This stage is
also referred to in the industry as “Full City Roast.”
Shipping Container Bags of green coffee beans are shipped from origin in
large containers, each holding 40,000–45,000 pounds (18,145–20,415
kilograms) of green coffee. Each container equals one “lot” of coffee.
Single-Origin A geographical term that describes coffee from one origin
country.
SWISS WATER® Process A decaffeinating method that removes caffeine
from green beans by soaking them in warm water to create “flavor-charged
water” that is then run through an activated charcoal filter to capture the
caffeine molecules. The beans are then soaked again in this water to
reintroduce the flavors.
Wet Blending
A preliminary step in the creation of a coffee blend. The
Development team mixes different percentages of brewed coffee from various
origins until they reach the desired outcome in the cup. Before actual beans
are blended, “wet blending” helps the team understand how the different
coffees will interact.
Glossary Level 300:Brew & Craft
Brew Ratio
The ratio of water to coffee used when brewing. The brew ratio
affects the strength and extraction of the finished beverage.
Contact Time The period that water is in contact with the brew bed of coffee.
A factor of coffee extraction.
Cupping A professional coffee-tasting technique used for evaluating the
flavor profile of a coffee.
Dose The amount (weight or volume) of ground coffee used in a brewing
recipe.
Espresso A small cup of concentrated, aromatic and intense coffee brewed
as hot water under 9–10 bars of pressure passes through finely ground coffee.
Espresso, The Four Ms of The four elements that are necessary to make
the perfect shot of espresso: Coffee (Miscela), Grinder (Macinazione),
Machine (Macchina) and Barista (Mano).
Extraction The process of using water to draw out the compounds from
ground coffee that create a beverage’s aroma, taste, body and color.
Flavor
How our brains synthesize aromas and tastes into a combined,
overall experience. Taste is a subpart of flavor.
Gustatory Perception (Taste)
The sensory evaluation of the five basic
tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami).
Insoluble Compounds The oil and fiber compounds from the coffee bean
that do not dissolve in water but contribute to mouthfeel and texture of the
beverage.
Lactose
A disaccharide that is the primary source of milk’s natural
sweetness.
Olfactory Perception (Smell)
The sensory evaluation of the volatile
chemical compounds that create coffee aroma.
Optimum Extraction The range of extraction between over-extraction and
under-extraction which sensory research has identified as the most pleasing:
18–22%.
Pairing
The art of matching food and coffee to enhance the flavor
experience. Pairings may be complementary or contrasting.
Papillae (puh-PILL-ee) Small bumps on the tongue that contain the taste
buds, the receptors that transmit taste information to the brain.
Particle Size Distribution
The size variance that finished ground beans
have. The goal is to create a very tight particle distribution around the ideal
grind size. This allows for even extraction.
Refractometer A scientific tool that uses the refraction of light to measure
total dissolved solids (TDS).
Retronasal Olfaction
aroma.
The ability to perceive flavor by synthesizing taste and
Retronasal Passage The airway connecting the nasal and oral cavities that
allows aromatic vapors to be “smelled” from the mouth.
Soluble Compounds The compounds inside the coffee bean that are able
to dissolve into water during the brewing process. Soluble compounds create
flavors and aromas.
Solubles Yield (Extraction Yield / Percent Extraction) The percentage of
the solubles of the coffee bean that was dissolved into the beverage. A
measurement of extraction.
Special Coffee Association (SCA)
A nonprofit, membership-based
organization with a mission to engage, inspire and expand a sustainable global
specialty community through shared values and core commitments.
Strength
The intensity of the beverage created by the amount of coffee
dissolved in relation to the water. Scientifically, strength is expressed in total
dissolved solids (TDS).
Tamp
The act of using 30–50 pounds of pressure to compress freshly
ground coffee into an even puck to ensure uniformity in extraction.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
dissolved into a solution.
A measurement of the amount of compounds
Turbulence The mixing action created as water passes over and through
ground coffee. It can be caused by the movement of water from a brew head or
kettle, or by manual agitation on the part of a barista stirring with a paddle or
whisk. A factor in coffee extraction.
World Coffee Research (WCR) An agricultural research and development
nonprofit whose mission is to “Grow, protect, and enhance supplies of quality
coffee while improving the livelihoods of the families who produce it.” WCR
collaborates with a global network of coffee-research partners that includes
Starbucks Coffee Company and the Starbucks Foundation.