Yirgacheffe Chelelektu High Raised Bed Natural Processed Coffee Beans - Flavor Profile & Brewing Characteristics

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Introduction

Since Ethiopia introduced the washed processing method in 1972, washed Yirgacheffe coffee has been widely loved for its fresh and refined flavor. Noticing that the washed processing method was gradually overshadowing the traditional natural processing method, a coffee merchant launched the natural-processed Idido coffee beans in 2006, and natural Yirgacheffe coffee beans made an impressive debut. Riding this wave of popularity, Beloya and Aricha natural coffee beans were introduced in 2007.

The three launched natural coffee beans adopted raised bed natural processing, where coffee cherries are dried on elevated beds, eliminating the miscellaneous flavors commonly found in traditional ground-dried coffee beans. This natural processing not only preserves the citrus and floral characteristics of Yirgacheffe coffee but also adds melon sweetness and the tartness of berries. Since then, the Yirgacheffe region has experienced a resurgence of natural processing. In addition to the natural coffee beans from the three regions mentioned above, the natural coffee beans from the Chelelektu processing plant in the Kochere region show even more refinement on top of the existing raised bed natural processing. FrontStreet Coffee has therefore acquired this coffee bean for roasting, cupping, and brewing to explore its qualities.

Chelelektu

Chelelektu is located approximately 18 kilometers southwest of Yirgacheffe town in a straight line. Starting from Yirgacheffe town and heading south, the elevation gradually rises until reaching a three-way intersection. Taking the right path leads toward Chelelektu, while taking the left path southeast leads to Gedeb and Wenago. Chelelektu is the largest village in the Yirgacheffe Kochere region, hardly inferior to Yirgacheffe town itself. There are quite a few batches named after Chelelektu. Chelelektu has two processing plants, and coffee from processing plants near the Chelelektu village may all be called Chelelektu coffee.

The Chelelektu beans introduced by FrontStreet Coffee come from the Mestawot Asefa processing plant, located slightly farther north from the town center, even farther than Beloya. The meticulous natural processing at the Chelelektu processing plant was impressive during FrontStreet Coffee's cupping process.

Raised Bed Natural Processing

The Chelelektu processing plant controls the stacking thickness of coffee cherries on raised beds appropriately after harvesting. According to different drying stages, materials with different breathability are used as the base layer of the natural drying beds. During the drying process, defective and unripe beans are intensively removed by hand. Movable raised beds are used to adjust the natural drying operation according to sunlight and weather conditions. The result of 15-21 days of continuous meticulous care is uniformly colored and attractive dried cherries. Through cupping, FrontStreet Coffee found that the natural-processed Yirgacheffe from the Chelelektu processing plant exhibits jasmine floral notes brought by high-altitude cultivation, rich juice sensation, and fermented tea notes. The overall experience is like drinking a cup of citrus fruit black tea.

Region: Yirgacheffe, Kochere, Chelelektu

Processing Plant: Chelelektu Mestawot Asefa Processing Plant

Altitude: 1,850 - 2,100m

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Method: Raised Bed Natural Processing

Grade: G1

FrontStreet Coffee's Roasting Recommendations for Chelelektu Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee's roaster uses a Yangjia 800N semi-direct flame roaster with 480g batch size: Preheat the roaster to 165°C, set the damper to 3, and heat to 130. Return temperature point: 1'32". When the temperature rises to 115°C, set the damper to 4. At 5'50", the temperature reaches 151.5°C, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy smell completely disappears, and dehydration is complete.

When ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, and the toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma, this can be defined as the prelude to the first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of the first crack. The first crack begins at 9'15", keep the damper unchanged, reduce heat from 181°C to 90. The development time after first crack is 1'28", and the beans are discharged at 195°C.

FrontStreet Coffee's Cupping of Chelelektu Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee conducts cupping within 8-24 hours after roasting sample coffee beans. FrontStreet Coffee's barista typically uses 200ml ceramic cupping bowls marked with 150ml and 200ml measurement lines. Following SCAA standards, the water TDS is around 150ppm. TDS that's too low can easily cause over-extraction, while TDS that's too high affects mouthfeel and can lead to under-extraction. The water temperature used for cupping is 94°C. The grind size is controlled to achieve 70%-75% pass-through rate on a #20 standard sieve (0.85mm). Ratio: 11 grams of coffee powder to 200ml of hot water, that is 1:18.18, which extracts a concentration precisely within the 1.15%-1.35% Golden Cup range, with an immersion time of 4 minutes.

Dry Aroma: Jasmine, citrus

Wet Aroma: Jasmine, berries

Flavor: Jasmine floral notes, citrus, berries, pomelo peel, black tea

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Tips

Dripper: V60 #01

Water Temperature: 91°C

Coffee Amount: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:16

Grind Size: Medium-fine grind / fine sugar size (78% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Method: First, wet the filter paper and preheat the dripper and coffee pot. Use 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. When injecting water in a small circular motion to 130g, perform a segmented pour. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 240g and stop. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. (Timing starts from the beginning of the bloom) Extraction time is 2'08".

Brewing Flavor: Jasmine floral notes, sweetness from citrus and berries, clean sweetness from sucrose and bergamot, with slight astringency from pomelo peel and orange peel, and a black tea aftertaste.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on WeChat: kaixinguoguo0925

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473