What Does Coffee Bean Cleanliness Mean and What Is It Related To? The Relationship Between Pour-Over Coffee Layers and Cleanliness

When tasting coffee, you might hear someone describe it as "this coffee bean is so clean!" But what exactly does "clean" mean in this context?

In coffee tasting, there is an evaluation criterion called "cleanliness," which many people find somewhat confusing. FrontStreet Coffee will attempt to clarify this concept: cleanliness refers to the clarity and transparency of the coffee's primary flavors. It should not contain any jarring flavors such as off-notes or defect flavors. Here, off-notes refer to flavors that are muddled and unclear, which is different from flavor complexity. Defect flavors are undesirable flavors, such as woody taste, grassy taste, or rotten fruit taste. Generally speaking, the higher the cleanliness, the better the quality of the coffee.

Is washed coffee cleaner than natural processed coffee?

This statement is not entirely accurate. The original natural processing method simply involves drying coffee cherries and then removing the husks. During this approximately half-month process, there are many uncertain factors, such as insect damage, over-fermentation and rotting, or mold due to insufficient sunlight. These accidents can lead to defect flavors and off-notes in the coffee beans, naturally resulting in lower cleanliness.

To address this situation, the Dutch pioneered the relatively newer washed processing method compared to natural processing. This method removes substances like pulp, mucilage, and pectin that are prone to over-fermentation and attract insects, leaving only coffee beans with parchment on, which are easier to dry. This greatly reduces defective beans, naturally improving the coffee's cleanliness.

According to current processing standards, natural processing can also achieve low defect rates and high quality. In terms of cleanliness, it can be comparable to washed processing. Some people might misunderstand cleanliness, thinking that coffee with brighter acidity is cleaner, but this understanding is incorrect.

How can brewing improve coffee cleanliness?

Coffee cleanliness is influenced by cultivation, processing, roasting, and brewing. As consumers, we cannot intervene in upstream influences, but we can achieve good coffee cleanliness by selecting high-quality coffee beans and proper brewing techniques.

The first suggestion is bean resting. FrontStreet Coffee recommends resting coffee beans for about 4 days from the roasting date before tasting them. Freshly roasted coffee beans have a "dry" sensation, which is the residual smoky taste from high-temperature roasting. This needs time to mature and release carbon dioxide to dissipate. Therefore, coffee that has been rested for several days will have a cleaner taste and more prominent flavors.

The second suggestion is gentle water pouring. FrontStreet Coffee has encountered many friends who brew bitter and astringent coffee because they stir too forcefully when pouring water. In fact, as long as the parameters are accurate, gentle and slow circular pouring can also effectively extract the flavor compounds from coffee, without needing to be overly obsessed with pouring techniques.

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