For people who love coffee, the process of learning more about their beans can be quite appealing.
This process is called cupping, and can give you an awareness of this popular drink beyond just the caffeine content or the necessity of a morning routine.
Subtleties such as flavor and aroma come alive when a coffee is properly cupped. Understanding good practice and some top cupping secrets can help you to experience the most from your coffee.
The first step is in having the right tools. The things you will definitely need are:
- Coffees you wish to cup
- Gram scale
- A way to heat water to a specific temperature
- Cups, around 5-7 ounces each, at least a dozen
- Coffee grinder
- Something to spit into when done with each cup.
- Container of water to wash spoons between coffees.
If you are very serious about cupping, some other equipment that professionals use include special silver-plated spoons and specifically designed forms to write down notes and observations about each coffee.
Choosing Beans
Choosing the right beans is the next step.
There are several “themes” which cuppers tend to follow, such as choosing coffees from specific regions, coffees of similar taste profiles or those with the best reputations among the coffee community. You can also go with something different, such as different roasts of the same bean or four completely different coffees.
When putting the coffee together, precision is essential. The right ratio of grounds to water for the particular bean is especially important.
Also, you should make sure the water reaches a temperature of 202 degrees Fahrenheit and wait approximately 25 seconds before pouring it. Grounds should soak for about three to four minutes and all cups should be brewed at once so they are ready to be tasted back-to-back.
You should always make sure your equipment is clean when cupping. If grounds from one type of bean get mixed in with another, it will pollute the pure flavor. For this reason, the grinder should be thoroughly cleaned between grinding each type of coffee.
Tasting The Coffee
The final step in the process is in drinking the coffee.
First, you break the “crust” of grounds which settle on the top of the liquid. Smell the aroma of the coffee as it first breaks the crust and get the full effect of all the complexities in the bean.
Afterwards, scrape the grounds off the top and use a spoon to scoop some of the coffee into your mouth, letting it coat your tongue and getting the fullness of its flavor.
Spit (if doing many cups), rinse the spoon and move on to the next cup. Make sure to do the circuit more than once, to catch the differences that occur due to temperature change.
It’s at this point you should write down any observations that you have on the coffee. This will help you to compare notes with others you might be cupping with.
Cupping can be a great social event and is usually best to do with friends and other coffee lovers. Remember, stay focused and experience everything you can about the coffee, but enjoy yourself.
Next Article: How Does Roasting Work?
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