Guatemalan Santa Ana Estate Pacamara Coffee: Pour-over Parameters & Brewing Guide

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Guatemala Santa Ana Estate Pacamara Coffee

"The delicate Pacamara" - This is precisely the praise from Han Huaizong, the renowned author of 'Coffee Science'!

This excellent variety, successfully improved through the combination of Pacas and Maragogype, has always been one of the top choices for coffee enthusiasts and is definitely worth your tasting!

Santa Ana Estate Story Information:

This batch of Pacamara is grown and produced by Guatemala's Santa Ana Estate. Santa Ana Estate is located in a village in Nuevo Viñas, Santa Rosa Province, Guatemala, situated on La Gavia Mountain between the Tacubulco and Pacaya volcanoes. The estate's soil consists of volcanic soil and pumice.

Based on his passion and love for coffee and quality, estate owner Roberto Díaz Marroquin has devoted himself to the management, preparation, cultivation, harvesting, and processing of annual production for over 30 years. His efforts have earned excellent recognition in the international market. Currently, registered and world-renowned brands include "Finca Santa Ana" and "Idolia".

The coffee varieties in the estate have variability, including Bourbon, Yellow Caturra, and Red Caturra. They grow simultaneously with local natural shade trees such as Gravilea, Pine, Oak, and Chalun in a natural estate environment. Combined with local abundant annual rainfall, soil types, altitude, and other natural conditions, the coffee produced by Santa Ana Estate possesses special and rich aroma and flavor, making it worth your tasting.

Pacamara Coffee Bean Variety Introduction:

Pacamara is a hybrid of Pacas and Maragogype discovered in El Salvador in 1950.

It was first cultivated by researchers in El Salvador in 1958. Pacamara is a rare excellent variety under artificial selection, possessing both the excellent taste of the Pacas variety and the large size of Maragogype. The beans are at least 70%-80% the size of elephant beans. The biggest characteristic of this variety is its lively and sophisticated acidity, sometimes with biscuit aroma, sometimes with fruit aroma, with excellent thickness and oil sensation.

Processing Method Introduction:

Washed Process

In response to the shortcomings of the traditional natural process, the washed method was developed. First, the harvested fruits are processed through a depulper to separate most of the pulp from the coffee beans. Then they are guided to a clean water tank and soaked in water for fermentation to completely remove the remaining pulp layer. After fermentation is complete, they are dried either by sun exposure or using machines until the moisture content reaches 12%. Since the washed process has already removed the pulp, during the drying process, there's no need to worry about mold or insect damage problems as with the natural process.

(↑ Depulper, removing pulp) (↑ Soaking in water for fermentation) (↑ Spread flat for drying)

Natural process beans have rich and full flavor with very distinct and diverse layers, while washed process beans have a very clean and refreshing taste with obvious fruit acidity. Different processing methods give coffee beans unique aromas.

Roasting Suggestions/Analysis:

This coffee variety is the large bean [Pacamara] with relatively large particles and high density. New season beans themselves have higher moisture content. During the roasting process, they absorb heat relatively quickly, and the Maillard reaction process is also faster. The yellowing point occurs at about 5 minutes. In the first batch of roasting, the dropping temperature is relatively high, with an entering bean temperature of 200 degrees and relatively high fire power. During the roasting process, the fire power is gradually reduced as needed. When the beans enter the yellowing point, complete dehydration, and before first crack, the fire power is adjusted to a finer level to avoid surface scorching.

Under this operating method, the coffee's dehydration time is relatively shortened, with a temperature increase rate of 6-8 degrees every thirty seconds, and it enters first crack earlier, preserving more floral and fruit aromas with clean and bright acidity.

Cupping Flavor Description:

Caramel sweetness, drupe chocolate aftertaste, lime peel acidity, wine tonality, clean and bright texture

Brewing Analysis:

Today we introduce FrontStreet Coffee's commonly used method for hand-brewing Pacamara coffee: Three-stage method

Three-Stage Pouring Method

• Segmented extraction, dividing one portion of water into three stages for pouring
• Suitable for light roast, medium-light roast, and medium roast coffee beans
• Uses V60 filter cup
• Increase bloom time or number of water interruptions to enhance the richness of coffee taste

Three-Stage Water Segmented Extraction Method

Advantages: More layered than single-pour, can clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back flavors of coffee. The method is to increase the amount of water each time after blooming, usually pouring when the coffee liquid is about to drop to the powder layer surface, using small, medium, and large water flows for three-stage extraction.

Disadvantages: Has relatively high requirements for water flow rate and volume.

FrontStreet Coffee's [Pacamara Coffee Hand-Brew Parameter Suggestions]

V60 filter cup brewing can enhance the sense of layers, making it richer and brighter when drinking; at the same time, it fully expresses Pacamara's upward and clear aroma.

15g powder, water temperature 89-90 degrees, grinding BG 5R (Chinese standard 20 mesh screen pass rate 64%), water-to-powder ratio close to 1:15-16

Method: 27g water for bloom, bloom time 30s. The hot water in the hand-pour kettle is poured clockwise in circles centered on the middle of the filter cup. Start timing when brewing begins, pour water to 27g, then stop pouring and wait 30 seconds for the first pour.

During the first pour, circle like before, but the speed can be slightly slower. When reaching the outer circle, speed up a bit. Stop pouring at about 1:15 seconds. When the liquid level drops by 1/3, pour again. The second pour concentrates in the center, and the water flow should not hit where the coffee powder connects with the filter paper to avoid channel effects. End extraction at about 2:05 seconds. The tail section can be omitted (the longer the time, the more astringency and rough taste will increase).

Segments: 30-125-230g

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473