Gold Mandheling Coffee Bean Roast Level

Is FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling Always Acid-Free?

Unlike other conventional coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee's Mandheling coffee beans primarily showcase a rich, mellow mouthfeel with sweet caramel aftertaste. Therefore, they are typically roasted using a dark roast profile.

Taking FrontStreet Coffee's Golden Mandheling coffee beans as an example, FrontStreet Coffee, before roasting Golden Mandheling, determines the roasting direction based on cultivation information. Golden Mandheling coffee beans are grown at altitudes of 1100-1600 meters in the Lindong region of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The climate is humid, and to accelerate drying, the wet-hulling method is used. Fully ripe fruits are hand-picked individually to ensure preliminary bean quality, then placed in barrels for dry fermentation, allowing the pectin sugars to fully ferment and enhance flavor. Fermentation typically lasts between 12-36 hours, depending on specific conditions. Afterward, they are sun-dried for 1-2 days until moisture content reaches 35-40%, then the hulls are removed using a hulling machine, followed by further sun-drying until moisture content reaches approximately 12-15%.

These are green beans with relatively high moisture content, showing significant deviation from dry-processed beans in terms of moisture levels. Therefore, special attention must be paid during dehydration. For high-moisture green beans, after adding them to the roaster, immediately close the air damper, let them steam for 30 seconds, then open it to level 3 until the beans turn light green or white. Then open the air damper to level 4, and after first crack, open it to level 5 (maximum).

Simply put, the goal is to roast Golden Mandheling thoroughly "inside and out," using superior roasting techniques to fully express the bean's flavor characteristics. Caramelization is the most crucial stage affecting coffee flavor. After 6-7 minutes of roasting, green beans absorb significant heat energy, initiating pyrolysis reactions and producing the first cracking sound. Some sugars convert to carbon dioxide, moisture continues to evaporate, new aromatic compounds gradually develop, forming so-called coffee oils that combine with hundreds of aromatic substances including nicotinic acid, citric acid, quinic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, caffeine, and more.

Pyrolysis reactions can continue into the second crack. While caramelization is a vital process for awakening aromatic compounds, as roasting time extends, some components become carbonized, forming undesirable bitter and astringent substances. The challenge is achieving maximum caramelization while minimizing carbonization to avoid flawed flavors like charcoal and rubber.

Heat the roaster to 200°C and add beans, set air damper to level 3. After 1 minute, reduce heat to 160°C, keeping air damper unchanged. Roast until 5'40" at 148°C, when bean surfaces turn yellow and grassy aromas completely disappear, indicating dehydration completion. Reduce heat to 140°C and adjust air damper to level 4.

At 9'40", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surfaces, and toasted bread aroma distinctly transforms into coffee aroma—this can be defined as the prelude to first crack. Listen carefully for the sound of first crack, which begins at 9'54". Reduce heat to 60°C and fully open the air damper (adjust heat very carefully to maintain cracking sounds), and discharge at 204.5°C.

Flavor Characteristics of Golden Mandheling

Golden Mandheling coffee features high-quality herbal aromatics, with more intense caramel sweetness and relatively stable, elegant fruit acidity. It presents rich sweetness, mellow body, and wild spice flavors. Generally, Lindong Mandheling is best roasted until after second crack to effectively reduce off-flavors, but Golden Mandheling already exhibits excellent clarity and sweetness even before second crack, offering broader interpretation space for roasting.

Brewing Methods for Golden Mandheling

FrontStreet Coffee suggests using freshly roasted coffee beans for brewing to fully experience the rich flavors. Coffee beans shipped by FrontStreet Coffee are roasted within 5 days because FrontStreet Coffee understands that freshness significantly impacts flavor. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted quality coffee," ensuring every customer receives the freshest coffee when their order arrives. The coffee's resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at its peak flavor.

Dark roasting makes the internal structure of coffee beans loose—they can be easily crushed with a gentle pinch, indicating strong water absorption when ground. To avoid excessive bitter compounds being released after coffee grounds absorb water, FrontStreet Coffee will adjust the grind to be coarser and use lower temperature water for pour-over brewing. FrontStreet Coffee will use the common 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio; if you want a richer flavor, you can use 1:13, adjusting according to your taste preference.

FrontStreet Coffee's barista aims to present Golden Mandheling coffee with a richer, more balanced mouthfeel, recommending the use of a KONO dripper which features "immersion extraction" characteristics. The KONO's ribs are mainly distributed in the lower portion, serving to guide coffee liquid downward, while the upper portion fits tightly with the filter paper, hindering steam discharge and slowing flow rate. This results in higher coffee concentration and a richer, more substantial mouthfeel.

88°C water temperature, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 15g coffee grounds, grind size (70% pass-through through #20 standard sieve), using three-stage extraction.

First stage: Pour 30ml and bloom for 30 seconds;

Second stage: Pour 100ml in circular motions from center outward;

Third stage: Pour 95ml in circular motions from center outward.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473