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Exploring Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee Bean Roasting Curves

Recently, while dialing in a new batch of washed Ethiopian Sidamo coffee beans - the Flower Queen variety - I fixed the pre-first-crack curve and then changed only the length of the development stage and the drop temperature, to see what effect that had on flavor.

This Sidamo bean's reference flavors feature distinct floral notes, lemon and citrus, lime-like acidity, and a peach aroma after cooling.

With that flavor profile in mind, I decided to shorten the Maillard reaction time and run a relatively fast curve. Because the beans are dense and hard, I started with high heat for dehydration, then reduced the heat before first crack to slow the rate of rise and ease into first crack, trying to limit the loss of floral and other small-molecule aromatics.

Because of daily production needs, I chose a 550 g batch size (a full load) for the beans.

Roasting Parameters

Charge Temperature: 200°C

Yellowing Point: 154°C @ 5 minutes 20 seconds

First Crack: 183.5°C ± 0.5°C @ 8:20 ± 3 seconds

Three curves were run, changing only the drop temperature and development time:

First Batch: 190.5°C @ 1 minute 20 seconds

Second Batch: 191°C @ 1 minute 40 seconds

Third Batch: 192°C @ 2 minutes

Cupping Results the Next Day

First Batch

The wet aroma showed distinct, strong green tea and floral notes. On the slurp there were aromas of green tea, jasmine, lime, and cane sugar. The mouthfeel was light and clean, with soft, fresh acidity, but the aftertaste was insufficient, with only some sweetness remaining in the mouth. Still, it drank very light - like drinking a cup of tea rather than coffee.

Second Batch

The wet aroma had yellow lemon, floral notes, black tea aroma, and distinct citrus tones. On the slurp there were aromas of black tea, yellow lemon, caramel, and jasmine. At this roast level the flavors began to grow richer and more substantial. The initial acidity was deeper than the first batch, sweetness was perceived more quickly, and the sweetness level was higher. Overall, though, it was not as clean and transparent as the first batch - but it was more balanced.

Third Batch

The wet aroma had mature citrus, caramel, and osmanthus fragrances. On the slurp there were aromas of caramel, ripe yellow lemon, osmanthus, cream, and stone fruit. On entry, although the tea-like sensation was still present, the tea aroma was no longer as distinct as in the first two batches. The aroma complexity was higher, but the tones were deeper with less transparency. The acidity lost its previous liveliness and brightness, instead showing cream aroma and higher sweetness, with even fruit notes.

Sidamo Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Sidamo Flower Queen coffee beans stand behind both brand and quality, and offer outstanding value. At 15 grams of coffee per cup, a 227-gram package makes 15 cups.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee's Sidamo Flower Queen is the bean behind the roasting experiment above, and it rewards a fast, light curve - the kind that preserves the florals, lemon, and lime acidity while keeping the peach note that appears as the cup cools. If you are roasting or buying it, aim for the second batch's balance: a drop near 191°C with about 1 minute 40 seconds of development brought out the richest and most balanced cup in the trial, with black tea, yellow lemon, caramel, and jasmine.

Drinkers who want the same flavor family without the roast work can reach for FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe, the classic entry into Ethiopian specialty coffee. It is known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a clean tea-like body, and its Gotiti cooperative lot - graded G1 and washed in the traditional style - shows citrus and lemon acidity under an elegant white floral note. For a fruitier, more tropical take, FrontStreet's sun-dried Red Cherry lot keeps the region's character while adding tropical fruit, a full fermented sweetness, and a creamy smoothness.

To brew any of these to showcase the floral and citric side, FrontStreet suggests a V60 at a 1:15 ratio, 15 g of coffee, and 90-91°C water, ground to about fine white sugar (EK43s setting 10, with 80% passing a No. 20 sieve). A 30 g bloom for 30 seconds, then a pour to 125 g completing near one minute, then the remaining water to about 225 g at roughly 1 minute 35 seconds, finishes the extraction in 2:00 to 2:10.