Little Barrels of fun.
Peaberries are nature’s little gift. Little barrels of fun stimulate your senses with every sip. These exotic-looking beans can be romantically aromatic, flaunting florals and a bevy of chocolates. A vibrant acidity is just bright enough to alert the senses while awakening the chocolatey sweetness from the backdrop. The velvety smooth body rounds out the ensemble while maintaining balance. This edition of Benchmark blogs will explore the controlled chaos of roasting Kula Peaberry. If you have been following our blog series, you are familiar with peaberry. Still, if you are new and are not aware, here is a quick introduction to what a peaberry is, and for more information, please check out our previous blog about peaberry.
Also known as caracolillo in Spanish (little snail), a peaberry is a rare coffee bean- not a different varietal or origin, but an example where a coffee bean grows contrarily. Typically, there are usually two beans inside a traditional coffee cherry. Their flat fronts of the beans face inwards, and their round backs outward, similar to peanuts. In a peaberry coffee cherry, one bean does not grow, and it forms a single round bean. This bean grows with nothing flattening it during development resulting in a pea-shaped (or oval-shaped) bean called a peaberry. The peaberry anomaly occurs in 5- 10% of the total coffee harvest, making them a rare item. Peaberry coffee beans are typically smaller, rounder, and denser than regular coffee beans; roasting them for the first time can be challenging.
Before roasting these exotic-looking beans, consider several factors before roasting them. Three things stick out that make them unique from their flat bean counterpart. They are the bean size, shape, and density. First, peaberries are often smaller, and smaller beans roast
faster than average beans, making balance challenging. If the beans get roasted too fast, they can scorch while roasting them too long will bake them out. Second, their shape plays a significant role in transferring heat into the bean. Their round shape allows them to roll better in the roasting machines, making them more consistent and even roast. However, because of their shape, the heat from the machine may take longer to reach the center of the bean, making them susceptible to underdevelopment, therefore producing undesirable flavors. In addition, peaberries have a higher density than flat beans. Denser beans have a more significant number of cells and a more compact cellular structure than coffees with a lower density. Finally, the last thing that sticks out is their density. Peaberries are small, round, and dense. A coffee bean is like a honeycomb with a hollow cellulose structure that holds nutrients for the embryo. Thicker cellulose contains more flavor precursors leading to more flavor after roasting. Conversely, a more porous bean will often produce a weaker flavor.
Density is how dense a substance is. To calculate density, divide the mass of an object by its volume. For example, coffee density is the ratio of the weight of the coffee bean to its volume in units. If math is not your thing often, you can tell which beans are harder and denser
by looking at coffee beans. If the furrow in the middle of the bean is straight and slightly open, the bean may be more porous (less dense). Conversely, the bean may be denser if the crack is wavy and closed.
Peaberries make for good coffee drinking and, even more, fun roasting them. However, they come with their own set of challenges when roasting them. Understanding the coffee’s physical characteristics will make it easier to develop a roast profile that will exhibit all the coffee’s best sensorial attributes.
Roasting the Kula Peaberry
We have a medium-high density coffee for the KULA peaberry, small bean size and shaped like a garden pea. I find the coffee’s primary sensory attribute to be the aroma of spiced florals, a chocolatey sweetness, pleasant acidity, and a velvety body. To get these flavors out of these coffees, I came up with an excellent profile for this coffee.
Below is my profile and my thinking behind it.
Considering the coffee’s physical characteristics, shape, size, and density, I initially aggressively hit the coffee hard with the heat blasting through the drying stage. Penetrating the beans’ hard exterior requires a high initial temperature and heat setting. The small, round, dense beans can stand up to more intense roasting. It is essential not to roast the coffee too quickly. Roasting too fast would minimize the desirable sensory attributes of the spiced floral aroma and a balance of sweetness, acidity, and body.
To avoid roasting the beans too fast, I temper my initial plan of aggressive heat application. Instead, I will slightly ease the heat and not push it as aggressively through the browning stage or the Maillard stage. In addition, extending the browning stage will allow me to produce more sugar-browning type flavors and a whole, rounded body to complement them.
The developmental stage can be a little more tricky. Peaberries have an earlier and a softer volume first crack, requiring full attention during this stage of development. If roasting on a drum roaster and using a trier, it is not uncommon to see the first crack before hearing it. During the first crack, the cellular matrix of the bean is at its most elastic. Carbohydrates break down and contribute to the overall body. A gradual roll through the first crack will help provide a clean and velvety body. While losing control and rushing through the development can leave for a gritty, sharp, and angular body. My development time is shorter than a typical for a medium-light roast
with a finish temperature that is slightly lower than I might otherwise. The lighter drop temperature will allow the acidity to be present while preventing it from predominating, creating a harmonious balance of sweetness, acidity, and body. When tasting or cupping the Kula PB,
the sweetness and acidity will be more intense on the second or third day out of the roaster.
To quickly review, highlight the Kula Peaberry’s chocolatey sweetness, pleasant acidity, and smooth body. Start the roast hot with a high gas setting, adding heat at the start of the roast, but then pull back through browning and finish it lower than average with an average amount of development. Although it may be hard to resist, giving these beans an extra day or two off the roast will make your experience much more enjoyable.
It’s important to note that this profile plan works well for the Kula Peaberry and will work with other peaberries, but all peaberry are not created equal. Therefore, before roasting any coffee, it is essential to analyze its physical attributes, including moisture reading, water activity, and processing methods.
Successful coffee roasting requires constant learning and repetition, and even for the more experienced coffee roasters, new coffees can be challenging. So always taste and track your roasts and their variables, and happy roasting.