What makes golden mandheling suited to a deep roast?

Golden Mandheling is a Sumatra coffee from the Aceh area, selected by PWN with a bean size of 18 mesh or above and very few defective beans. Like Lintong Mandheling, it is wet-hulled, and its low-acid, full body makes it a natural candidate for a deep roast.

A deep roast relies on caramelization to build the sweet aftertaste Mandheling is known for, but the roaster has to extend the roast carefully so sweetness develops without bitter compounds taking over. The wet-hulled process begins with dry fermentation in a bucket after the cherries are picked and sorted, which shapes the bean's heavy body and earthy character.

Mandheling coffee is deeply favored by enthusiasts for its mellow, substantial body and low-acid, lingering aroma, making it especially suitable for deep roasting to trigger the sweetness and rich fragrance brought by caramelization. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the production area characteristics of Sumatra Mandheling, the wet-hulling process, and compare the roasting curves and cupping performance of two beans sold by Front Street Coffee: Lintong Mandheling and PWN Golden Mandheling. It will also share grinding, water temperature control, and drip extraction parameters for medium-dark roasted Mandheling, helping you brew a cup of Mandheling with a long sweet aftertaste and clean flavor at home.

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Mandheling coffee, with its full and solid body, mellow and captivating aroma, moderate acidity, and richly layered sweetness, has become a classic choice that many coffee lovers find thought-provoking. Its low-acid and steady flavor profile is especially suitable for deep roasting, using sufficient caramelization reactions to release a rich aroma, thick taste, and clear sweet aftertaste.

Roasting Mandheling to achieve a mellow and sweet aftertaste is not easy. The roaster must strictly control the quality of the green beans, have a thorough understanding of the bean characteristics, and clearly know the impact of each stage of the roasting process on the beans. Only then can the roasting time be appropriately extended to bring sweetness to Mandheling while inhibiting the formation of unpleasant bitter substances.

Front Street Coffee currently sells two kinds of Mandheling coffee beans , both from Sumatra Island but different production areas. One is Mandheling coffee beans from the Lintong production area, and the other is Golden Mandheling coffee beans from the Aceh production area, carefully selected by PWN Company, with a bean size of 18 mesh or above and very few defective beans.

Both kinds of Mandheling coffee beans are processed using the wet-hulling method. After the coffee cherries are harvested, the bean quality is initially selected, then the beans are placed in a bucket for dry fermentation, allowing the pectin sugars to fully ferment and increase flavor; the fermentation time is usually between 12 and 36 hours, depending on the specific situation. Then they are sun-dried for 1–2 days. When the moisture is reduced to 35–40%, the parchment is removed with a huller, and then they are sun-dried again until the moisture content reaches about 12%–15%.

Therefore, Mandheling green beans, which contain relatively more moisture, have a higher moisture deviation compared with sun-dried beans. For this reason, Front Street Coffee pays special attention during the dehydration stage of roasting. For green beans with high moisture content, after putting in the green beans, the airflow can be closed immediately, then opened to 3 after 30 seconds of steaming. Once the green bean color turns light green or white, open the airflow to 4, and after first crack open it to 5 (maximum), allowing the coffee beans to roast "thoroughly" from inside to outside in an environment with a more uniform bean chamber temperature.

Lintong Mandheling coffee beans : bean charging temperature 200°C, turning point 5'18", first crack begins at 9 minutes at 186°C, first crack development 4 minutes, discharge temperature 202°C.

Golden Mandheling coffee beans : bean charging temperature 200°C, turning point 5'40", first crack begins at 9'54" at 191.2°C, first crack development 3'30", discharge temperature 204.5°C.

According to cupping comparison by Front Street Coffee, Lintong Mandheling coffee beans show the herbal, spice, and nutty flavors unique to the production area, as well as caramel-like sweetness. The performance of Front Street PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans, in addition to herbal, spice, and nutty flavors, also has a clean mouthfeel and a more obvious sweetness, which benefits from the uniform particle size of Golden Mandheling and more even heating during roasting.

After medium-dark roasting, Mandheling coffee beans will expand, and their structure will become looser. Therefore, after grinding, they easily absorb more water and accelerate the release of various substances. To avoid over-extraction, Front Street uses a medium grind size and a slightly lower water temperature to reduce the release of bitter large molecules from the coffee during extraction.

For Front Street Coffee store production, the following drip extraction parameters are used: dripper: KONO, coffee dose: 15 g, water-to-coffee ratio: 1:15, grind size: 70% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve, water temperature: 88°C.

Specific brewing method: first pour 30 g of water and steam for 30 s; in the second stage, pour in a small stream in circles up to 125 g, wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half before pouring again, then continue pouring in a small stream in circles up to 225 g. After all dripping is completed, the total extraction time is about 2 minutes 10 seconds.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.