How to Roast Ethiopian Coffee Beans? Which Ethiopian Coffee Brands Are Recommended

Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe Chelelektu

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Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Chelelektu G1

01 | Region Introduction

Unique Geographical Environment

Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia with an altitude of 1,700-2,100 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 water vapor to this area.

Many coffee enthusiasts cannot distinguish between the two regions of Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, both belonging to Ethiopia. Simply put, Sidamo is a province, while Yirgacheffe is a town within Sidamo province. Sidamo has an altitude of 2,100 meters, while the Yirgacheffe region has a higher altitude, with the highest exceeding 2,600 meters, much higher than Sidamo. Yirgacheffe is known for its unique jasmine fragrance, bright and lively citrus acidity, and black tea texture, while Sidamo features full-bodied berry and tropical fruit flavors.

Yirgacheffe is located in the Gedeo region of southern Ethiopia. This region governs the relatively well-known areas of Yirgacheffe and Kochere. Because the coffee produced in Yirgacheffe has special flavors with a unique style that is widely loved, it has formed its own category in product classification and has always occupied a place in the global specialty coffee market. Yirgacheffe itself is a small town located in the Sidamo province, with three neighboring small producing areas: Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya. Because the coffee flavors produced are almost identical to and run parallel with Yirgacheffe, Kochere is also classified within the Yirgacheffe regional category. In November 2009, Ethiopia implemented a new trading and grading system, adding three sub-regions: Wenago, Kochere, and Genlena Abaya, in addition to Yirgacheffe.

Kochere is a small producing area located about 25 kilometers southeast of Yirgacheffe. The harvested coffee beans come from local small-scale coffee farmers, consisting of numerous individual small coffee farmers. These small farmers have an average coffee cultivation area of about 1 hectare, with planting altitudes ranging from approximately 1,900 to 2,000 meters. The coffee varieties are mainly a mix of Typica and Heirloom (local native varieties). Due to this region's relatively advanced raw bean water processing equipment, it has always demonstrated high-level performance in the field of washed processing, praised for its clean sweetness with complex notes of honey and citrus. The main local production model involves small coffee farmers directly delivering each harvest of red cherries to nearby cooperative washing stations for unified processing.

Starting in the 1970s, Ethiopia introduced washed processing technology. Currently, the raw bean processing in the Kochere region is primarily washed. After the washing station selects and grades red cherry-colored coffee fruits, they directly remove the pulp for washing and fermentation. After washing, the parchment beans are placed on racks for natural sun drying. When the humidity reaches 12% or below, they are directly sent to the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) warehouse in Awassa. Cupping grading and quantity are typically conducted, and washed processed beans are usually stored in parchment form until dehulling work is done before export.

Since the implementation of the ECX system in 2008, most raw coffee beans have been sold through bidding under this system. This batch of natural processed Yirgacheffe G1 Chelelektu is located in the Chelelektu village within the Yirgacheffe Kochere producing region. The coffee cherries come from approximately 500 local family small-scale coffee farmer members nearby. These small farmers have an average coffee cultivation area of less than 2 hectares, with planting altitudes ranging from approximately 1,900 to 2,000 meters. Their washed beans have been cupped by professionals, with historical records reaching as high as 94 points.

Raw Bean Information

Product Name: Ethiopia Natural Yirgacheffe Chelelektu G1

Flavor Description: Raisins, dark berries, tropical fruits, and caramel

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe Kochere Region

Producer: Chelelektu Processing Station, local small-scale farmers in the town

Variety: Heirloom (local native varieties)

Grade: ECX Highest Grade G1

Altitude: 1,900 to 2,000 meters

Processing Method: Natural Processing

02 | Processing Method

This naturally processed coffee has slightly larger beans with lower density and moisture content. Every coffee from this processing station can be considered high-quality specialty processed coffee, with characteristics that outperform other coffees regardless of the processing method used. The coffee beans from here can be considered the best coffee in the Yirgacheffe region.

After the processing station selects usable coffee cherries, the entire pulp and skin are completely preserved, and the coffee cherries are placed on raised beds for natural processing. It is precisely this high-intensity labor-intensive method of bed drying that isolates contact with the ground, prevents earthy off-flavors during the drying process, and creates exceptionally clean fruit flavors. After more than two weeks of natural drying, the dark brown coffee fruits are professionally stored, waiting for the full maturation of flavors. Before shipment, the processing station removes the coffee beans from the coffee cherries, making the sweetness imaginable.

03 | Raw Bean Analysis

About Yirgacheffe Grading

According to different raw 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 Gr-1; Gr-2. The smaller the Arabic numeral, the higher the grade. G1 Yirgacheffe has a distinctive style, and the flavor of citrus and flower aromas blended into the coffee liquid is an irresistible deliciousness for everyone;

Category B: Natural processed coffee raw beans, graded as Gr-1; Gr-3; Gr-4; Gr-5. Similarly, the highest grade G1 natural Yirgacheffe has rich fruit aromas. Opening a bag of freshly roasted G1 natural Yirgacheffe coffee can subvert everyone's original understanding of coffee. Only those who have tasted the highest grade natural Yirgacheffe will believe that coffee is a fruit.

Yirgacheffe varieties are local native varieties, small-bean types, with a relatively round appearance, very small beans, mostly between 14-15 mesh.

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

Ethiopia Coffee Bean Roasting Analysis

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

The beans of this coffee are relatively small, with moisture content, and they absorb more heat during the roasting process, making the Maillard reaction process relatively faster.

In the first roast, I used a higher dropping temperature, using 160 heat power before the coffee beans dehydrated and turned yellow, to ensure sufficient heat to sustain until the first crack, directly developing to the second crack, determining the development curve.

In the second, third, and fourth roasts, using the same 200-degree bean entry temperature and same heat power, I gradually reduced the heat power during the roasting process as needed.

This roast is a fast-roasted light roast:

Cupping:

Roasting Curve 2: Lemon, blueberry, floral aroma, stone fruits

Roasting Curve 3: Citrus, jackfruit, peach

Roasting Curve 4: Fermented, cream

Roasting Curve 2:

Using fast-roast mode, preheat the roaster to 200°C, air damper set to 3.5. After 1 minute, adjust heat to 160°, air damper unchanged. At 140°, adjust heat power once, reducing to 130°. Roast to 5'03", temperature 151°, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, dehydration complete. Adjust heat to 105°, air damper opens to 4;

At the 8th minute, ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the obvious toast aroma clearly turns to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to the first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of the first crack. At 8'30", the first crack begins, reduce heat to 80°, air damper fully open (adjust heat very carefully, not so small that there's no cracking sound), drop at 198°.

The dry aroma of Yirgacheffe emits rich fruit fragrances, with heavy dried fruit flavors of strawberry, mango, and apricot jam.

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

04 | Brewing Analysis

Yirgacheffe's Flavor

Brewing Method

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

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

V60 filter cup, 15g of coffee, water temperature 86°C, grind setting 3.5,

Water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

27g of water for bloom, bloom time 28s

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

Mouthfeel: Smooth, with layered texture, enhanced fermented berry sweetness

The wet aroma of the brewed coffee with fermented berry and fermented fruit wine flavors makes it hard to believe this is Yirgacheffe, but personally, I don't particularly like this wet aroma. However, from the extremely smooth entry to the delicate body, the emergence of ripe fruit's sweet and sour flavors is truly astonishing. The sweetness exceeds any Yirgacheffe I've tasted before. The aftertaste performance is also quite good, worthy of being called a "fruit bomb." Basically, it can guarantee that you'll still feel sweetness in your mouth half an hour after drinking.

Ethiopia Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Ethiopia coffee beans have full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high cost performance - a half-pound (227g) bag costs only about 90 yuan. Calculated at 15g of coffee per cup, one bag can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan. Compared to coffee shops selling cups for over 100 yuan each, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

Important Notice :

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