Green Bean Archive: Green Bean Pricing, Washed and Natural Process Yirgacheffe Green Beans, Specialty Coffee Beans

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ETHIOPIA, YIRGACHEFFE, Cherry Red

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Cherry Red G1

01 | Introduction to the Growing Region

Unique Geographical Environment

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia, situated at an altitude of 1700-2100 meters, making it one of the highest altitude coffee growing regions in the world and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Lake Turkana, Lake Abaya, and Lake Chamo bring abundant moisture to this area. The Rift Valley, represented by the Misty Valley, is shrouded in year-round mist, enjoys spring-like seasons, gentle breezes, and cool, humid conditions. Thousands of coffee tree varieties thrive and multiply here, nurturing the unique terroir of FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe—where floral and fruit aromas intertwine ambiguously and change unpredictably.

The Historical Origins of Yirgacheffe

Initially, the coffee trees in Yirgacheffe were cultivated by European monks (somewhat similar to Belgian monks growing grain to brew beer), later taken over by farmers or cooperatives. Coffee trees naturally spread throughout forests, fields, and backyards. During harvest seasons, the Ethiopian Coffee Trading Company would come to town to purchase coffee beans collected by farmers, ultimately auctioning them for export under the "Yirgacheffe" brand.

OPERATION CHERRY RED

Many friends are quite familiar with the name "Operation Cherry Red." However, what exactly is the Operation Cherry Red project? Only a few people can describe it in detail.

To help Ethiopian coffee farmers achieve better income and improve local living standards, in 2007, a Dutch trading company Trabocca launched the "OPERATION CHERRY RED PROJECT" with local farmers. The project was purely aimed at incentivizing farmers to improve coffee bean quality. At the beginning of the harvest season in the producing regions, Trabocca would designate microclimate zone harvesting plans, manually harvesting 100% mature red coffee cherries, with production ranging from approximately 1500-3000 kilograms.

In 2008, the Operation Cherry Red project invested $5000 to purchase new natural drying racks. In 2009, another $8000 was invested for new natural drying racks and shade nets. In 2010, a $9000 generator was purchased, and in 2011, an additional $10000 was invested to improve some local coffee transport roads, making coffee transportation more convenient and efficient. Trabocca provided interest-free loans for purchasing new coffee cherry depulpers and coffee bean sorters. To facilitate supplier procurement, $14000 was invested in 2012 to build a high-quality Addis Ababa coffee cupping laboratory.

Trabocca provides financial loan support, new hardware equipment, and production processing knowledge and technical assistance to help farmers improve production levels. They promise to offer generous purchase prices as long as the actual output quality meets cupping standards in both Ethiopian Addis Ababa and Amsterdam cupping labs. The passing standard set by Trabocca is 88 points.

After processing in the producing region, Operation Cherry Red coffee beans are immediately packaged in plastic inner bags (GrainPro bags or vacuum-packed bags), then transported to Djibouti to await shipping. Through real-time monitoring, safe transportation, and timely appropriate processing methods, they strive to pursue perfect quality. Roasters can purchase high-quality coffee beans through this Operation Cherry Red program, which also elevates Ethiopian coffee quality, commands better prices, and allows Trabocca to return profits to farmers, continuously improving and enhancing quality.

02 | Processing Method

This FrontStreet Coffee natural-processed Yirgacheffe coffee has slightly larger beans, with slightly lower density and moisture content. Every coffee from this processing station can be considered premium specialty coffee, exhibiting characteristics superior to other coffees regardless of processing method. The coffee beans from here can be considered the finest in the Yirgacheffe region.

After the processing station screens available coffee cherries, they place the entire coffee cherries—preserving both pulp and skin completely—on elevated racks for natural drying. It is precisely this labor-intensive rack-drying method that isolates contact with the ground, preventing earthy off-flavors during the drying process and creating exceptionally clean fruit flavors. After more than two weeks of natural drying, the dark brown coffee cherries are professionally stored, waiting for full flavor development. Before shipment, the processing station removes the coffee beans from the cherries—the sweetness is imaginable.

03 | Green Bean Analysis

Yirgacheffe Grading System

According to different green bean processing methods, Yirgacheffe can be divided into two main categories:

Category A: Washed processing method, with grading standards established by the "Specialty Coffee Association of America" (SCAA), divided into Grade 1; Grade 2, where smaller Arabic numbers indicate higher grades. FrontStreet Coffee's G1 Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style, with citrus and floral notes blending into the coffee liquid—a flavor irresistible to everyone;

Category B: Natural-processed green coffee beans, graded as Grade 1; Grade 3; Grade 4; Grade 5. Similarly, the highest grade FrontStreet Coffee G1 natural Yirgacheffe has rich fruit aromas. Opening a bag of freshly roasted FrontStreet Coffee G1 natural Yirgacheffe can overturn everyone's original perception of coffee—only those who have tasted the highest-grade FrontStreet Coffee natural Yirgacheffe will believe that coffee is a fruit.

Difference One

Two Different Green Bean Processing Methods:

Harvested coffee beans must immediately enter processing procedures, otherwise they will start to ferment, causing off-flavors in the coffee beans. There are two processing methods: "Natural Method" and "Washed Method," which create different flavor profiles.

Natural method beans have complete natural mellow flavors, gentle aromas, and more body; washed method has good mellowness, high aroma, and lively acidity.

Natural Sun-Drying Method (Natural/Dried-in-the-Fruit):

Fruits begin the sun-drying process immediately after harvesting without any processing. This is the oldest existing processing method. The drying process typically lasts about 4 weeks. The processing method must be very rigorous to ensure the coffee doesn't lose any flavor. The natural sun-drying method requires extremely dry local climate conditions. In some regions, people use drying machines to assist the coffee fruit drying process (the hot air from dryers can accelerate the drying process and help control the drying degree).

Fully Washed Method:

Using washing and fermentation methods to remove skin, pulp, and mucilage. Farms using the washed method must build washing pools and be able to introduce continuous fresh water. During processing, fermented beans are placed in the pool, moved back and forth, using the friction between beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until smooth and clean.

After washing, the coffee beans are still inside the parchment, with 50% moisture content, and must be dried to reduce moisture content to 12%, otherwise they will continue to ferment, become moldy and spoil.

The better processing method is sun-drying, although it takes 1-3 weeks, the flavor is excellent and quite popular.

Difference Two:

Coffee Bean Appearance

Green beans: Generally washed green beans are greenish-blue, while natural green beans are yellowish-green.

Roasted beans: Washed Yirgacheffe has more silver skin, while natural Yirgacheffe has less silver skin.

Difference Three: Taste Differences

Dry Aroma Differences:

Cupping: [Using 8g of coffee to 150ml of 94°C hot water in a cup, letting the coffee steep for 3-4 minutes until forming a crust]

FrontStreet Coffee Natural Yirgacheffe: Light fermented wine aroma, spicy fragrance

FrontStreet Coffee Washed Yirgacheffe: Jasmine floral aroma, lemon or lime acidic fragrance

Taste Differences:

FrontStreet Coffee Natural Yirgacheffe: Natural processing is somewhat complex, with light fermented wine aroma, slightly more pronounced bitter notes, much richer mouthfeel, honey sweetness, cocoa notes with hints of spices, full body with persistent aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Washed Yirgacheffe: Washed processing has brighter acidity, like lemon acidity, cleaner mouthfeel, more prominent citrus aromas, with some black tea sensation in the finish.

Similarities: Both have fruit acidity, similar to citrus fruits like lemons.

Exported using regular jute bags, printed with Trabocca branding.

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe variety is local heirloom, small bean variety, with a relatively round shape, very small beans, mostly between 14-15 screen size.

Yirgacheffe Cherry Red Grade 1 green beans have yellow-green color, typical of natural coffee, with uniform and full beans, few defective beans.

04 | Roasting Analysis

Beans with such splendid flavors are naturally not suitable for medium-dark roasting. Therefore, this coffee is intended to be lightly slow-roasted to best express its rounded, sweet characteristics with rich floral and fruit aromas.

This coffee has relatively small beans and moisture content, absorbing more heat during the roasting process, with a relatively faster Maillard reaction process.

In the first roast, I used a higher drop temperature, using 160 heat before the coffee beans dehydrated and turned yellow, to ensure sufficient heat would continue into the first crack, developing directly to the second crack, determining the development curve.

In the second, third, and fourth roasts, with the same 200°C entry temperature and same heat, I gradually reduced the heat during the roasting process as needed.

This roast is a quick-roasted light roast:

Cupping:

Roast one: strawberry, raspberry, vanilla, honeydew, juicy

Roast curve 2: strawberry, raspberry, vanilla, honey, fruit juice

Roast two: mango, black plum, citrus juice

Roast curve 3: mango, black plum, blueberry, citrus juice

Roast three: citrus juice, cream

Roast curve 3: citrus juice, cream

Roasting machine: Yangjia 600g semi-direct heat

Using quick-roasting mode, drum temperature to 200°C, damper at 3.5, after 1 minute adjust heat to 160°C, damper unchanged, adjust heat once at 148°C, reduced to 130°C, roasted to 5'03", temperature 151°C, bean surface turned yellow, grassy aroma completely disappeared, dehydration completed, heat adjusted to 105°C, damper opened to 4;

At the 8th minute, ugly wrinkles and black spots appeared on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly turned to coffee aroma, can be defined as the prelude to first crack, at this time must listen carefully for the first crack sound, at 9'07" first crack began, heat reduced to 70°C, damper fully open (heat adjustment must be very careful, not so small that cracking stops), dropped at 194°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe's dry aroma emits rich fruit fragrance, with heavy dried fruit notes, strawberry, mango, and apricot jam aromas.

The wet aroma is like sweet syrup, like thick apricot pulp juice, wrapped in rustic honey or chocolate. Entry is not intense, medium body, acidity is not obvious but lively and bright, like fruit black tea.

04 | Brewing Analysis

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Flavor

Brewing Methods

As for brewing methods, pour-over and siphon brewing are optimal. When grinding, you can smell the overwhelming natural fruit aroma, with obvious sweetness.

Gentle and elegant, sweet and charming. FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe emits extremely complex aromas, displaying exceptionally outstanding mouthfeel that is difficult to describe.

First Brew: V60 dripper, 15g coffee, water temperature 90°C, grind setting 4, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

31g water for bloom, bloom time 29s

Segmented: pour water to 99ml, stop, slowly pour to 230ml

That is: 31-99-100

Taste: Obvious strawberry fruit acidity, astringent finish, with off-flavors

Adjusting grind setting 4 to 3.5 (finer), lower water temperature

Second Brew (Correction): V60 dripper, 15g coffee, water temperature 86°C, grind setting 3.5,

Water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

27g water for bloom, bloom time 28s

Segmented: 27-105-88, time 1:50 (timing starts from bloom)

Taste: Smooth, much richer flavor, layered, enhanced fermented berry sweetness

The produced wet aroma of fermented berries and fruit wine makes it hard to believe this is FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe, though personally I'm not very fond of this wet aroma. However, from the extremely smooth entry to the delicate body, the emergence of ripe fruit sweet and sour flavors is truly astonishing. The sweetness exceeds any Yirgacheffe I've tasted before. The aftertaste performance is also excellent, truly deserving of its "fruit bomb" nickname—basically guaranteeing you can still feel sweetness in your mouth half an hour after drinking.

Taobao link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1-c.w4004-15673140431.8.2ebeaaf8iGfAu2&id=555060132728

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473