Differences Between Indonesian Mandheling Coffee and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe: Mandheling Flavor Profile Introduction

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Which is more acidic between Mandheling coffee beans and Yirgacheffe coffee beans? Of course, Yirgacheffe coffee beans are more acidic! Follow FrontStreet Coffee as we delve into why Yirgacheffe coffee beans are more acidic than Mandheling coffee beans from the perspectives of coffee growing regions, coffee roasting, and coffee brewing.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Growing Region

Initially, Yirgacheffe was a sub-region in the Sidamo province of Ethiopia, located in the northwestern part of Sidamo, with an altitude of 1700-2100m, making it one of the highest altitude coffee growing regions in Ethiopia. Because the production methods and flavors here are so outstanding, Ethiopian coffee farmers competed to pride themselves on their coffee having Yirgacheffe flavors, so it became independent from the Sidamo region to become Africa's most renowned growing region. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the biggest difference between coffee produced in Yirgacheffe and Sidamo regions is that Yirgacheffe coffee beans have bright and clean acidity, mainly featuring lemon and citrus acidity, while Sidamo coffee beans' acidity leans toward juicy flavors, mainly featuring sweet and sour notes like strawberry and raspberry juice.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Varieties

Mainly Ethiopian native varieties are grown. FrontStreet Coffee observes that the main characteristic of Ethiopian native varieties is that the coffee bean sizes vary. Why is this? As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has an unimaginable number of coffee varieties. The vast number of coffee varieties are mixed and grown together, making them difficult to separate, and they are also harvested together, so most coffee beans from Ethiopian regions will show varying sizes from each other.

Main Processing Methods for Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans

Yirgacheffe was originally mainly natural processed, but later people discovered that washed processing methods could better highlight the bright acidity of Yirgacheffe coffee beans, and the coffee's taste would be cleaner and more refreshing. Therefore, Yirgacheffe coffee beans now mainly use washed processing methods, though natural processing methods are also widely used.

The washed processing method involves putting screened coffee fruits into a depulper to initially remove the skin and pulp. The coffee beans with remaining pulp and mucilage are placed in water, where they ferment for about 12-36 hours depending on local temperature changes. After fermentation, the coffee beans with parchment are placed in flowing water channels to wash away remaining pulp and mucilage. After washing, the coffee beans are dried through sun-drying or using drying machines until the moisture content reaches about 12%, and finally the parchment is removed from the green coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the biggest characteristic of washed processed roasted coffee beans is that the white silver skin line is retained in the middle of the coffee beans.

Indonesian Sumatra Coffee Growing Region

Indonesian Sumatra is the main producing region for Indonesian specialty Arabica coffee beans. The Mandheling coffee we refer to in daily life comes from the area near Toba Lake in the central and northern parts of Sumatra Island, with an altitude of 900-1200m, as well as the area near Aceh at the northern tip of Sumatra, with an altitude of 900-1600m for Arabica coffee beans. Suitable altitude and tropical rainforest climate keep the island's average temperature between 25-28°C, with evenly distributed seasons and no dry periods, creating an excellent growing environment for coffee trees.

Speaking of Mandheling coffee, FrontStreet Coffee loves its rich aroma, full-bodied texture, and intense flavor, while the unique herbal spice flavor is also a hallmark of Mandheling coffee. In addition to Indonesia's growing conditions, the wet-hulling processing method is also one of the sources that form the intense flavor of Mandheling coffee. Why? FrontStreet Coffee will keep you in suspense here.

Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Varieties

The origin of the name "Mandheling" comes from the indigenous Mandheling people on the island, and Mandheling coffee varieties mainly use the "Ateng" variety, which is known in Indonesia as Catimor. It is a hybrid of Timor (a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta) and Arabica's Catura, so Ateng's flavor is naturally cleaner than the Timor variety's flavor.

Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Mandheling coffee mostly uses Sumatra's unique wet-hulling processing method. Due to lack of water resources, Mandheling was originally mainly natural processed, with the disadvantage of unstable quality, and later attempts were made with Brazilian semi-natural processing, but due to the local weather being predominantly rainy with constant typhoons and year-round humidity and rain, the weather conditions required for natural processing could not be achieved.

Unlike the washed processing method, which retains mucilage for fermentation and then cleans the remaining mucilage with clear water before direct sun-drying, with coffee beans stored together with parchment, the wet-hulling method uses washed processing for fermentation, then performs semi-drying before removing the parchment by machine for final drying. The coffee beans enter the storage process "naked."

Appearance Characteristics of Wet-Hulled Green Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee noticed that Mandheling coffee beans share a common appearance characteristic: "hoof-like shape." This is because when green beans are semi-hard and semi-soft moist green beans, using machines to remove the mucilage and parchment layer causes them to be compressed and injured, and the beans crack open like hoof shapes, commonly known as hoof beans.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Roasting Degree

To preserve the bright acidity characteristics of Yirgacheffe coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster uses light roasting to roast coffee beans from this region. Taking FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gedeb Zone cooperative washed coffee beans as an example:

Region: Yirgacheffe Gedeo Zone region

Altitude: 1900-2300m

Varieties: Heirloom

Processing: Washed processing

Using Yangjia 800N, charge amount: 480g. Preheat the roaster to 175°C, damper set to 3, heat at 120. Return temperature at 1'32", heat unchanged at 140°C, damper opened to 4. At this point, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage. At 166°C, heat reduced to 100, at 176°C, heat reduced to 80, damper remains unchanged. At 8'28", the bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'38", first crack begins, adjust damper to 5 (adjust heat very carefully, not too small to have no cracking sound). Develop for 1'30" after first crack, drop at 193.5°C.

Sumatra Mandheling Coffee Bean Roasting Degree

To better highlight the rich herbal spice mellow coffee flavor of Mandheling coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee's roaster uses medium roasting to roast coffee beans from this region. Taking FrontStreet Coffee's Aceh PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans as an example:

Region: Sumatra Aceh Gayo Mountain

Altitude: 1100-1600 meters

Variety: Ateng

Grade: G1, 3 times hand-picked

Processing: Wet-hulled method

Yangjia 800N, charge amount 480g. Preheat the roaster to 200°C, damper set to 3, after 1 minute adjust heat to 160, damper unchanged. Roast to 5'40", temperature 148°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, dehydration complete, heat adjusted to 140, damper changed to 4. At 9'40", bean surface shows ugly wrinkles and black spots, toast smell clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 9'54", first crack begins, adjust heat to 60, damper set to 5, drop at 204.5°C.

How Does FrontStreet Coffee Brew Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans?

To better express the rich floral and fruity aromas and layered complexity of this coffee bean, FrontStreet Coffee decided to use a V60 dripper for brewing. The spiral rib design of the V60 dripper not only extends the contact time between coffee grounds and water but also allows water flow to follow the spiral grooves toward the center point of the dripper, creating pressure on the coffee grounds through the gravity of water flow to form higher complexity.

Water Temperature: 90°C

Coffee Amount: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Medium-fine grind (77% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

This time using segmented brewing, first pour 30g of water for 30s blooming, at which time the coffee expands into a "hamburger" shape. For the second segment, pour 125g of water in small circles from the center. Pour height 4cm, gentle strength to minimize agitation of the coffee bed, water flow rate at 4g per second. When the water level drops to 1/2 of the coffee bed, start the third pour. This segment is also poured gently from center outward in circles until reaching 225g to end pouring. End extraction when all coffee liquid in the dripper has finished dripping, time 2'01". After coffee extraction is complete, gently shake and wait for the coffee liquid to fully mix before tasting.

Washed Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Brewing Flavor: Entry shows citrus, black tea, with cream, caramel, and almond notes appearing as temperature changes. The aftertaste is obviously sweet with a clean and sweet taste.

How Does FrontStreet Coffee Brew Mandheling Coffee Beans?

When brewing medium-dark roasted coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee generally uses a KONO Meimon dripper because this dripper's only exhaust area is the one-quarter rib. When the water level passes the rib area, the water level in the dripper continues to rise, increasing pressure through the weight of water. Since the outlet is relatively small, it can extend the contact time between coffee particles and water, and through water flow, it can more effectively extract soluble substances, generally achieving the high body effect that customers expect.

Water Temperature: 88°C

Coffee Amount: 15g

Water-to-Coffee Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: 65% pass-through rate on 0.85mm mesh screen

FrontStreet Coffee first uses a bloom amount that is twice the coffee amount, that is, 30g of water for blooming, with a bloom time of 30 seconds. Small water flow circular pouring until 125g, then segment. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper (timing starts from bloom). Extraction time is 2'00".

PWN Golden Mandheling Coffee Bean Brewing Flavor: Nuts, spices, herbal plants, licorice, chocolate, caramel, with clean and smooth flavors.

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