How to Brew Brazilian Santos Coffee | Brazilian Santos Coffee Cupping Grades

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Brazilian Coffee Bean Grading System | How Are Brazilian Santos Strictly Soft No. 2 Coffee Beans Named?

Brazil is one of the world's top coffee-producing countries. As the largest coffee-producing region, it accounts for one-third of global coffee consumption with various grades and types of coffee. While Brazil faces more natural disasters than other regions, its vast plantable area more than compensates. The coffee varieties here are numerous, but its industrial policy focuses on mass production and affordability, so premium-quality coffees are relatively rare. However, they make excellent choices for blending with other coffees. Among these, Santos coffee is the most famous, known for its aromatic, mellow, and neutral flavor. It can be brewed directly or mixed with other coffee beans to create blends, making it an excellent choice.

Other Brazilian coffee varieties like Rio and Paraná require minimal care and can be mass-produced. Although their flavors may be somewhat coarse, they still offer good value for money. Due to their distribution across the country and varying quality levels, Brazil has established its own grading standards (graded from No. 2 to No. 8 based on impurity content, No. 13 to No. 19 based on bean size, and six flavor grades). Almost all Arabica varieties have good quality and stable prices, with "Brazil Santos" being the most famous. Since ancient times, it has been an essential component of blended coffees and is widely recognized. Recently, "Tolma Cup" has also received high praise. From affordable instant coffee to premium estate-grown beans, Brazil offers it all. Due to natural environmental constraints, Brazilian coffee grows at lower altitudes compared to neighboring countries, approximately 600-1200 meters above sea level, which has led to the development of its own grading system. The term "Soft" in the name doesn't refer to bean hardness but describes a mild, smooth flavor profile.

When purchasing Brazilian coffee beans, you'll typically see descriptions like: Brazil Santos No. 2, Screen 19, Strictly Soft. This is because Brazilian coffee beans are evaluated using a comprehensive system based on defect ratio, screen size, and cupping tests. Here's how to understand this description:

Brazil – Country of origin

Santos – Export port

2 – Grade based on the quantity of defective beans mixed in, where No. 2 is the highest grade and No. 8 is the minimum specification for export sales.

Screen 19 – Indicates bean size, which Brazil represents with numbers 12-20, where higher numbers indicate larger beans. "19" indicates beans that pass through a 5.4-millimeter screen. However, this grading method is limited to flat beans; round beans require special oval-hole screens (8-13) for grading.

Strictly Soft – Indicates the cupping grade, with "Strictly Soft" representing the highest level.

Here's a simple overview of Brazilian cupping grades, from highest to lowest: Strictly Soft, Soft, Softish, Hard, Riada, Rio, Rio Zona. From Hard and below, including lower grades, they are considered commercial beans.

Grade 1: Strictly Soft

Grade 2: Soft

Grade 3: Softish

Grade 4: Hard

Grade 5: Riado

Grade 6: Rio

Brazil adopts such a complex quality grading system mainly due to its vast production area and enormous coffee output.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method for Brazilian Santos: [V60 Pour-Over]

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grinder setting 4

Brewing Method: 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee grounds. First pour 25g water for a 25-second bloom. Second pour to 120g, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly to 225g total. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage pour to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and backend flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring extends the extraction time, allowing for better extraction of the nutty and chocolate notes in the backend.

Related recommendations: Introduction to the flavor characteristics of Brazilian Santos coffee. Is Brazil's most famous Santos coffee delicious?

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