Flavor Differences Between Arabica Coffee Peaberries and Flat Beans: The Formation of Peaberry Coffee Beans

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

Introduction

Do coffee beans really have male and female distinctions? They don't! These are just Chinese common names for flat beans and round beans in coffee. Is it true that round beans necessarily taste better than flat beans, as rumored online? In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will help everyone understand what flat beans and round beans are.

The Difference Between Flat Beans and Round Beans

Coffee beans are the pit part of coffee fruit. Under normal circumstances, one fruit contains two independent, curved coffee beans with their flat sides touching, forming a spherical shape as they grow together. Such coffee beans are called flat beans, which is the most common coffee bean shape.

However, some fruits, for various reasons, may have only one coffee bean growing inside. Without the space occupation of another bean, the coffee bean has more growing space and eventually becomes a plump, oval shape. Such coffee beans are called round beans (Peaberry/PB), also known as pearls. Round beans are rare in production, commonly found on the branches of young coffee trees, accounting for 5-10% of the entire tree's yield.

What Causes Round Beans to Form?

There are many reasons for the formation of round beans. In most cases, they are caused by climate or pest damage. For example, drought in coffee-producing areas leading to delayed flowering; small temperature differences between day and night in production areas causing rapid fruit growth; pest damage during fruit development, and other factors can lead to incomplete internal development of the fruit, thus forming round beans.

Do Round Beans Really Taste Better Than Flat Beans?

There are rumors online suggesting that because round beans absorb the nutrients of two beans, their overall flavor and mouthfeel must be better than flat beans. Is this really true? To verify this claim, FrontStreet Coffee specially sourced both small round beans and AA-grade flat beans from the same Kenyan Sasini Estate for brewing comparison.

Brewing parameters: 15 grams of coffee beans, medium-fine grind size (78% pass rate through Chinese standard #20 sieve), water temperature 90°C, powder-to-water ratio 1:15, circular three-stage pouring.

Brewing method: First pour to 30g, then let bloom for 30 seconds. Continue pouring to 125g for segmentation, when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter cup. Both beans finished extraction at 2'03" ± 1 second.

Small round bean brewing flavor: At high temperature, the entry shows berry juice sensation, plum acidity, and honey sweetness. After cooling, it presents a full tomato juice mouthfeel, plum acidity, and almond aftertaste.

AA-grade flat bean brewing flavor: At high temperature, there's a distinct full tomato juice mouthfeel, plum acidity, and honey sweetness. After cooling, it brings slight nuttiness, juice-like mouthfeel, and bright acidity.

From the flavor performance after brewing, the two are very close. In terms of overall layering, the small round beans win; in terms of overall fullness, the AA-grade flat beans win. Through this brewing comparison, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the statement that small round beans' overall flavor and mouthfeel must be better than flat beans is not absolute—it depends on whether the drinker prefers layering or fullness.

What Should We Pay Attention to When Roasting Round Beans?

Because round beans roll faster in the roasting chamber than flat beans, the drum speed needs to be reduced during roasting. At the same time, the density of round beans is also higher than that of flat beans, and their heat transfer speed is slower. FrontStreet Coffee suggests extending the dehydration time when roasting round beans to allow the coffee beans to heat more evenly during the development stage.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: 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