Will There Be Significant Differences Between G1 and G2 Grade Ethiopian Single-Origin Coffee Beans?

Coffee beans are agricultural products, and unlike industrial products, they cannot maintain uniform quality. Many factors can affect the quality of coffee beans. To avoid mixing good and bad beans, grading is necessary to standardize and categorize coffee bean quality. Additionally, grade markings provide valuable reference for green bean buyers when selecting their purchases.

When we purchase roasted coffee beans, we can also see grade markings on most packaging bags. This is a continuation of exporters' practices, aimed at making these grades familiar to consumers. However, attentive friends will notice that grade markings vary across different coffee-producing regions. The reason for this is that coffee bean grading standards have not been standardized worldwide.

Some coffee-producing regions grade beans based on cultivation altitude, such as most Central American regions; others grade based on bean size, like Kenya; or categorize by defect rates, such as Ethiopia.

This is because each country's geographical environment and cultivation methods vary, so their green bean grading systems are developed according to national conditions and adapted to local circumstances. Speaking of which, FrontStreet Coffee must mention Ethiopia's grading system.

Why Ethiopia Grades Based on Defects

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia has thousands of different coffee varieties yet to be discovered. To prevent continuous theft of these unknown varieties by foreigners from other countries, the Ethiopian government has given them the collective designation "Heirloom" as a protective measure. When we purchase a bag of Ethiopian native coffee beans, we can discover that the bean sizes are not uniform. Tall, short, fat, and thin beans all account for certain proportions.

Most Ethiopian coffee trees are primarily wild or semi-wild, distributed throughout various corners of the country. During harvest seasons, nearby coffee farmers collectively venture out to harvest ripe fruits scattered in fields and mountains. In a single field, there might be dozens of different coffee varieties.

Although these coffee beans are of different varieties, farmers have no obligation to distinguish between them. They only need to harvest and sell the mature red fruits to processing plants to receive corresponding compensation.

Processing plants purchase different bean varieties from surrounding farmers and similarly do not distinguish between them. Instead, they directly mix them together for unified processing. It is this "less rigorous" harvesting and production method that results in beans of varying sizes. It's worth mentioning that although some beans are small, they possess excellent flavor. Therefore, Ethiopia cannot use size to grade coffee beans.

Secondly, Ethiopia has high average altitude and relatively flat terrain, with coffee mostly grown at the same height, making it impossible to distinguish grades by altitude. Consequently, the Ethiopian government ultimately decided to use defect rate content to differentiate grades.

Of course, grading by defect rate inevitably "mistakenly harms" many coffee beans with excellent flavor. Therefore, after 2009, the Ethiopian government modified its coffee grading system, no longer distinguishing bean grades solely by defect rate. Instead, after initial grading by defect rate, secondary evaluation is conducted through cupping and bean appearance.

What's the Difference Between G1 and G2 Beans?

So what exactly is the difference between G1 and G2 beans? Excellent! Today's example is our familiar Yirgacheffe. The green beans in the image below are Yirgacheffe G1 and G2 grade beans, both washed processed. Let's first examine their appearance to see what differences exist!

It can be observed that the G1 grade Kochere green beans are noticeably fuller than the G2 grade beans, with more uniform color. Upon closer inspection, you'll find that G2 has more defects than G1, although this is naturally expected! Next, let's sieve out their defective beans, roast them, and see what differences exist after roasting!

Roasting complete! Due to different bean sizes, there are subtle differences in color values between the two. FrontStreet Coffee used light roasting, which allows the beans to retain more floral aromas and fruit notes, perfectly interpreting the Yirgacheffe flavor profile.

Brewing Parameters and Process

Brewing parameters: 15g coffee grounds; 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio; EK43 grinder setting 10; 92°C water temperature; V60 dripper; three-stage pouring method.

First, we use twice the amount of water as coffee for a 30-second bloom; after blooming, pour the second stage of 120ml hot water with small, even circular movements; when the water level is about to drop, pour the final stage of hot water (75ml) with small, even circles; finally, just wait for the drip filtration to finish, and you're done!

Through tasting, FrontStreet Coffee can determine that the G2 grade Yirgacheffe has very classic regional flavors: lemon, white floral notes, citrus acidity, and green tea aftertaste. The G1 grade Yirgacheffe, on the other hand, builds upon this flavor foundation with brighter acidity, cleaner mouthfeel, and slightly longer aftertaste! However, without direct comparison, the differences between them are not very obvious.

Conclusion

In summary, we can learn that G1 and G2 Yirgacheffe do not have significant flavor differences; it's just that G1's mouthfeel is somewhat more outstanding than G2, which represents the main difference in grade. It's important to note that grading is primarily to provide reference for green bean buyers' purchases. By the time they reach the roasted bean market, the influence of these grades is minimal. After all, coffee shops typically purchase high-grade, high-quality coffee beans by default. Except for the top two grades with higher grading standards, lower grades are rarely seen~ So friends need not worry too much about bean grade issues~

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FrontStreet Coffee
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