Costa Rica Gesha Coffee Bean Brewing - Brewing Temperature Recommendations for La Candela Estate Gesha Beans

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I believe everyone is quite familiar with Panama's Geisha coffee beans. In fact, Panama's Geisha coffee was introduced from Costa Rica in 1960. At that time, the Geisha coffee beans were research varieties that the Costa Rican Coffee Research Institute obtained from Tanzania in 1953. Due to low yields, they were never taken seriously. After Geisha coffee beans "flourished" in Panama, besides Panama itself, Geisha coffee beans gradually gained attention from Costa Rica, which had researched them, as well as Ethiopia, the "hometown" of Geisha. FrontStreet Coffee would like to discuss Costa Rica's "perfectly suited" plantation for Geisha coffee—La Candelilla Estate.

FrontStreet Coffee—La Candelilla Estate Coffee Beans

Region: Tarrazú, Costa Rica

Estate: La Candelilla

Variety: Geisha

Processing: Washed

Altitude: 1750m

La Candelilla Estate

The name "La Candelilla" (Little Candle) comes from a group of shimmering fireflies. La Candelilla Estate has abundant water sources and high humidity. The coffee trees planted in the estate create a highly shaded habitat for fireflies. Every evening, these little creatures come out in groups, and their shimmering lights fly through the air like bundles of candles, so the lovingly named the estate "La Candelilla."

La Candelilla Estate is located in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica at an altitude of 1750m. The Tarrazú region has fertile volcanic soil, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall that provide excellent growing conditions for coffee trees in this area. The estate mainly grows common Central and South American coffee varieties Caturra & Catuaí, these "twin brothers." The high-altitude environment is also very beneficial for the growth of the Geisha variety.

The microclimate at La Candelilla Estate is favorable for coffee growth. In the early morning during the dry season, La Candelilla Estate can experience temperatures of 9 degrees Celsius, rising to 35 degrees Celsius by noon, and then dropping back to 9 degrees Celsius by dusk. Such significant temperature differences between day and night allow coffee cherries to better accumulate nutrients and develop more refined flavors. FrontStreet Coffee believes that this high-altitude environment with large day-night temperature variations is exactly what Geisha coffee trees desire. The temperature difference slows down the growth rate of coffee trees, extending the flavor formation time of coffee beans, resulting in richer flavors when brewed. The delicate fragrance of high-altitude Geisha coffee cannot be replicated by low-altitude grown Geisha.

La Candelilla Estate was initially just a few ordinary coffee farms operated separately by partners who would send coffee cherries to local cooperatives for processing. Until 1997, the coffee crisis affected Costa Rica's coffee industry, and one of the partners suggested launching a small processing plant project. In 2000, several partners pooled their resources to establish La Candelilla Estate. La Candelilla Estate has its own small coffee processing plant, which not only allows it to process different batches of coffee independently but also ensures quality control during the processing.

As mentioned earlier, the owners named the estate "La Candelilla" because of the fireflies. To protect these fireflies, La Candelilla Estate adopts environmentally friendly technologies. The estate's staff and operations do not negatively impact the environment. La Candelilla Estate prefers to treat the environment in a balanced and beneficial way.

Geisha Variety

In 1931, a group of botanists discovered Geisha beans during an expedition to southwestern Ethiopia in a primary forest, then brought the seeds to Kenya where they were grown in nurseries; later they spread to Kenya and Tanzania; in 1953, the Costa Rican research institution CATIE obtained some Geisha seeds from Tanzania for research purposes.

In 1960, Pachi Serracin, the former owner of Panama's Don Pachi Estate, brought Geisha from Costa Rica to Panama. After the owner of Hacienda La Esmeralda accidentally discovered diseased plants and submitted them to competition, Geisha coffee reached the "pinnacle of its bean life."

Washed Processing

The La Candelilla Estate Geisha coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee acquired were processed using the washed method to highlight the bean's bright acidity and floral characteristics. Selected coffee cherries are placed in a depulper to initially remove their skin and pulp; coffee beans with remaining pulp and mucilage are placed in water to ferment for about 24 hours; after fermentation, coffee beans with parchment are placed in flowing water channels to wash away their pulp and mucilage; after washing, the coffee beans are dried in the sun or with dryers until the moisture content reaches about 12%. Finally, the parchment is removed from the green coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Records

Heat the roaster to 180°C, flame at 130, damper opened to 3; Return temperature point at 1'32", when roaster temperature reaches 130°C, open damper to 4, flame unchanged; when roaster temperature reaches 151.6°C, the bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering the dehydration stage.

At 7'56", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly transitions to coffee aroma, this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8'30", first crack begins, open damper to 5, develop for 1'28" after first crack, unload at 190°C.

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Report

FrontStreet Coffee conducts cupping on samples 8 hours after each roast batch, using 200ml standard cupping bowls, with grind size at 70%-75% pass-through rate on standard #20 sieve, using 11.1g of coffee. Water TDS is 120ppm, water temperature is 94°C. First grind and smell the dry aroma, then add water to fill the bowl. Confirm wet aroma, break crust and remove grounds after 4 minutes, then proceed with flavor evaluation.

Dry Aroma: Citrus

Wet Aroma: White floral

Flavor: Jasmine, lemon, green tea, honey

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Tips

Dripper: V60 #01

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:15

Grind: BG6m (80% pass-through rate on #20 sieve)

Temperature: 90-91°C

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, also called three-stage brewing: Use 30g of water for bloom for 30 seconds, continue pouring with small circular motions to 125g for the first segment, when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the dripper. Extraction time is 2'01" (timing starts from bloom).

Brewing Flavor: Jasmine fragrance, lemon acidity, honey green tea aftertaste.

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