How to Brew Costa Rica Anaerobic Natural Yellow Catuai for the Best Taste?

How do you brew a Costa Rican anaerobic natural Yellow Catuai for the best taste? FrontStreet Coffee walks through the process and the recipe.

The owner of Finca La Ortiga places the selected coffee beans into specially prepared barrels for fermentation, tightly seals the steel containers, and lets them rest for 18-23 hours. During fermentation, the cherries are isolated from oxygen and self-pressurized by the carbon dioxide produced inside the steel containers, letting the fruit ferment more completely and thoroughly.

During fermentation, the pH value must be strictly and precisely controlled, and the surrounding temperature carefully managed. Once fermentation is complete, the coffee is sent to the drying fields for sun-drying.

The combination of anaerobic processing followed by sun-drying gives the coffee rich tropical fruit flavors and a full-bodied texture, with notes of sweet fruit wine. It tastes refreshing and multi-layered. So how should you brew this particular bean? FrontStreet Coffee suggests that pour-over is the best fit.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Parameters

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Filter: Hario V60

Water temperature: 90°C

Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: Medium-fine (BG 6S: 58% pass-through rate on China standard #20 sieve)

Brewing technique: Multi-stage extraction

Use 34g of water for a 30-second bloom, then continue pouring with a small circular stream to 127g before pausing. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 226g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop until it's about to expose the bed, then remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the bloom.) Extraction time is 2'05".

Flavor Profile

The dry aroma shows distinct sweet spice and fermented notes, while the wet aroma releases cinnamon and fermented wine fragrance;

On the palate there are cinnamon, honey, and vanilla nuances. At different temperatures, fruit wine flavors come to the fore. The overall mouthfeel is smooth, with distinct flavor layers and ample sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Ask an experienced brewer for one pour-over dripper that's practical, easy to use, and good-looking, and they'll very likely recommend the V60. Its maker, Hario, was founded in 1921 in Tokyo as a respected glass manufacturer, originally producing heatproof laboratory glassware — the heatproof glass server that accompanies so many brew bars is one of its popular products. In 2004 Hario redesigned the V60 prototype into the familiar form, named for its 60° cone angle and "V" shape, and launched it the following year.

Compared with other drippers, the cone and 60° angle force water to flow to the center before dripping into the server, extending water-to-coffee contact so aroma and flavor extract fully. The V60's signature single large outlet keeps the flow unobstructed — flow rate depends largely on the brewer's control, and shows up directly in the cup.

Floral-fruity, naturally processed beans like this anaerobic Catuai are exactly what the V60 does best. With the third wave of coffee, roasts moved lighter and brewers began chasing terroir — Ethiopia's white florals, Kenya's berry acidity. The V60's fast extraction draws out three-dimensional aromas and lively acidity, letting florals, fruit acids, delicate sweetness, and tea notes shine, which is why beans like FrontStreet Coffee's Idido (Guodingding), the tropically fruity Huakui (Flower Queen), the Geisha-style Strawberry Sugar, and the raisin-toned Mozart are ideal V60 candidates.

V60s now come in resin, ceramic, glass, copper, and stainless steel. Each material affects looks, weight, and subtle heat-conductivity differences in extraction, while the structure stays constant. FrontStreet Coffee favors the resin Hario V60 because resin effectively blocks heat loss, and because in standardized mass production, resin is the easiest material to mold with the smallest tolerances.