How to Grind Brazilian Sitio São Joao Estate Yellow Bourbon Beans for Pour-Over Coffee_Expert Tips for Brewing Yellow Bourbon

Serra do Cerrado / Sacred Tree Estate — Brazil's Cup of Excellence Third-Place Winner

Serra do Cerrado, also known as Sacred Tree Estate, lies in the southern highlands of Minas Gerais State at roughly 1,200 meters, with an average annual temperature of 19°C (66°F) and average annual rainfall of 1,600 millimeters. The outstanding location and favorable climate have created a singular terroir in which high-quality specialty coffee is grown. The farm itself sets aside 300 hectares of protected tropical rainforest, and its most striking landmark is the Sacred Tree, a Cariniana legalis standing more than forty meters tall that the owner estimates has been growing here for over 1,500 years.

The estate belongs to José Renato Gonçalves Dias. Agricultural production here has carried on since 1948, he says, and the farm relies only on organic fertilizer to feed the plants and keep the land vital. Around 160 permanent employees work the estate, supported by solid, sustainable living conditions that include comprehensive health and medical plans. Workers receive training for professional development, and a school on-site ensures their children get a quality education.

The coffee from Serra do Cerrado is entirely different from that of typical large Brazilian estates, because machines never replace human labor. From picking the cherries to post-processing, everything is done by hand. Harvest workers take only fully ripe cherries; these then go to depulping machines for fruit removal or are spread straight out in the patios to sun-dry. Once processing is finished, the green beans sit in jute bags until their average moisture content falls to 11%, after which they are moved to wooden warehouses to rest for 30 days before export. Finally, every batch passes through density and electronic color sorters, completing the whole production chain. Serra do Cerrado has also earned ISO 9001/2002 Quality Management System certification, showing that the estate can precisely control the quality and yield of its green coffee. Every production batch carries its own documentation and full historical records, so the owner can trace the process for quality control. The estate holds UTZ sustainable management certification as well and is a member of the BSCA (Brazil Specialty Coffee Association).

Among José Renato Gonçalves Dias's two estates, besides the exceptional terroir of Serra do Cerrado, there is another very famous sister property: the globally renowned Cup of Excellence champion Fazenda Rainha. Over the years both estates have collected numerous awards at the Cup of Excellence (COE), winning over coffee lovers around the world.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Parameter Recommendations

How to Brew Brazil Coffee from Serra do Cerrado Estate Yellow Bourbon

FrontStreet Coffee Hand-Brew Reference

Weigh 15g of Serra do Cerrado Estate Yellow Bourbon coffee and grind it medium-coarse. The particles should be a touch coarser than table salt — we use a BG grinder at setting 6A (50% standard sieve pass rate). Use a water temperature of 88°C and a Kono or Kalita dripper, with a coffee-to-water ratio of roughly 1:14.

Pour the hot water from the gooseneck kettle in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper. Start the timer as you begin, pouring to 30g within 15 seconds, then stop. At the 1-minute mark, start the second pour. Again pour in clockwise circles centered on the middle of the dripper, keeping the stream off the spot where the coffee bed meets the filter paper to avoid channeling.

Leave a small ring when you reach the outermost edge of the coffee bed, then work gradually inward circle by circle. By 2 minutes and 10 seconds you should reach 210g, completing the brew.

Japanese-Style Iced Pour-Over — Serra do Cerrado Estate Yellow Bourbon

FrontStreet Coffee Iced Pour-Over Reference for Serra do Cerrado Estate Yellow Bourbon

Brazilian coffee from Serra do Cerrado Estate Yellow Bourbon, medium-dark roast, BG grinder setting 5R (60% standard sieve pass rate).

20g coffee, 150g ice cubes, 150g hot water. The water should be 1°C hotter than the 88°C recommended for normal hand brewing. Normal grinding uses a Fuji 3.5 setting, while iced pour-over needs slightly finer — Fuji setting 3. Recommended coffee-to-(water + ice) ratio of 1:15.

Bloom with 40g of water for 30 seconds.

Pulse pouring: a first segment of 60g and a second of 40g. Use a fairly fine but tall water column and stir firmly so the coffee bed rolls completely. Be careful not to let the water level rise too high or to hit the filter paper at the edges.

The full extraction takes about 2.5 minutes, similar to the normal 20g brew.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yellow Bourbon from this part of Minas Gerais is prized for a clean, sweet fruitiness, and FrontStreet's Brazil Queen Estate Yellow Bourbon captures that character. Sourced from Mogiana near South Minas, where fertile red volcanic soil lets the cherries absorb plenty of nutrients, it is roasted medium and delivers notes of cream peanut, chocolate, toast and sugarcane sweetness. Acid is low, the body is balanced, and the gentle sweetness lingers — it suits a pour-over, French press or clever dripper, and shows just as well through a moka pot or a home espresso machine.

For a different expression of the same estate, FrontStreet also roasts a Yellow Bourbon SOE, which uses medium-dark roast to bring out butter cookie, macadamia and toast aromas with a creamy sweetness on the espresso machine.