Growing Specialty Coffee Beans Begins With Ideal Conditions
There is some confusion about the meaning of the term specialty coffee with some believing it is the way the coffee was brewed or that a particular barista has prepared the blend. While all of these may have some role in the quality of the finished product, achieving a product qualifying as specialty coffee begins with the soil in the region in which it was grown. These coffees are made from top quality beans grown ideal conditions and are usually hand-picked at their peak of ripening.
Due to the exacting conditions under which they are grown, specialty coffee beans tend to be more expensive than most others. They are often referred to as gourmet coffees or premium and often have the distinctive flavor of the area in which they were grown. These coffee are beans grown in climates micro-managed for optimal conditions and the after-harvest process is very strict to better manage the processing of the bean.
The term specialty coffee may have lost some of its luster in the 1990s with the rapid growth of coffee shops and the industry's growth to a $10 billion a year business. Despite marketing and advertising efforts to the contrary, special flavorings added to the ground coffee by one particular retailer does not accurately produce specialty coffee unless the beans are grown under ideal conditions.
Specialty Roasting Has Time Honored Tradition
Roasting procedures used for specialty coffee beans is much the same as for non-specialty beans, except the roasters are more exact in their time and temperature ranges. Coffee beans will begin to crack when they reach about 320-degrees internally due to the chemical reactions taking place inside the beans. As they begin to roast they will swell to almost double their original size and being to take on a reddish brown exterior tone.
Depending on the type of specialty coffee being roasted, it can take from 10 to 30 minutes to complete the roasting process. The more of the original coffee bean's flavor that is desired, the less time the bean is roasted. The same specialty coffee beans can be roasted for regular brewing or for espresso by adjusting the time and temperature of the roaster as well as the type of grind and brewing techniques.
Once the roasting process is ended the specialty coffee beans are cooled rapidly by blasting them with cooled air or water. Once they are cooled they are cleaned and dried before packaging or ground. Freshly roasted specialty coffee beans can be safely stored for about 30 days. Grounds should be used within 24 hours to realize the full flavor of the coffee.
