In this episode, Kenneth sits down to discuss green coffee grading with Mark Inman of Sustainable Harvest. The duo weaves through the ins and outs of the green coffee grading process - what matters and what doesn’t, why it is important, and the impact it has on the way your coffee tastes. Mark and Kenneth share a few insider tips, for example, how to tell if a hole in the bean is a defect or rather a result of a natural process, which does not negatively impact the taste.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Sustainable Harvest focuses on having a relationship with coffee farmers. They tend to buy from them every year.
• Some buyers want pristine beans. Others are happy with much, much lower grades.
• Appearance plays a role in coffee grading e.g., peaberries.
• Mark lists out and explains the primary defects, including foreign objects, sours and insect damage.
• There are primary and secondary defects. Mark explains what they are and how their presence impacts the grading process and ultimately the taste in the cup.
• Mis-shaped or chipped beans tend to roast unevenly.
• In Mexico, chipped beans are used to produce 'grinder coffee'.
• The fact that there are ways to use lower-grade beans helps to make coffee more sustainable.

BEST MOMENTS

‘That sense of permanence enables us to invest in training, in project work on behalf of the client. ´

‘For specialty grade coffees, you can’t have any primary defects involved.’

‘When you see a preponderance of floaters or Quakers, it´s usually poor wet processing.’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Guest - Mark Inman with Sustainable Harvest

https://www.sustainableharvet.com/

@sustharv on Instagram for Sustainable Harvest

@norcalglobetrotter on Instagram for Mark Inman

Common Coffee Varieties, Varietals and Cultivars C101 Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/common-coffee-varieties-varietals-and-cultivars/id1616624229?i=1000560421288

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Award-winning single-origin specialty coffee: https://umblecoffee.com/

You’re disciplined and high achieving. You never settle. Shouldn’t the fuel that helps you reach your goals be held to those same standards? Instead of a crash-inducing cup of jo, you need coffee with optimal antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. A coffee so good that you can drink it black.

At Umble Coffee, we only roast specialty-grade arabica coffee from around the world with cupping scores 84 and above. Don’t sabotage yourself in pursuing your goals - drink coffee that tastes better and is better for you. No crash, great taste, and better long-term health benefits. That’s Umble Coffee.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umblecoffee/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umblecoffee/

Twitter:  https://mobile.twitter.com/umblecoffee

ABOUT THE HOST

As a coffee lover, physician, chemical engineer, serial entrepreneur, competitive runner, writer, and family man, Kenneth knows what it’s like to push yourself to achieve goals very few accomplish. He’s one of the best specialty coffee roasters in the United States as he’s a multi-year US Coffee Roasters’ Competition Finalist. He created Umble Coffee Co with the belief that, if sourced and roasted right, coffee can taste phenomenal and be good for you.

“Life’s too short to drink bad coffee.”

Podcast Description

Coffee 101 is an educational show on all things coffee. The host, Kenneth Thomas, starts with the most basic questions about coffee and builds your knowledge from there. If you love coffee, are curious about coffee, or you’re a business just looking for a resource to train your team, Coffee 101 is without question the show for you!  Season 1 is all about coffee's journey from seed to shelf.