How Do Two Roast Profiles Change Chimbu Coffee?
Two pour-over roasting trials with Chimbu beans from Papua New Guinea gave different results. The first roast was taken too far and lost the fruity notes, while the second was dropped right after a dense first crack and delivered sweetness with a lasting aftertaste. The comparison shows how roast timing, not origin alone, decides the cup.
Green bean processing and brewing details, including water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio, and bloom time, are documented alongside both roasts. Papua New Guinea is an island country in the southwestern Pacific whose highlands support coffee as a cash crop, and whose coffee bean trees around Sigri estate in the Wahgi Valley sit at roughly 1,600 meters with cool weather and ample rain.
Papua New Guinea is not only unique in its geographical location, but also produces the world-famous Bird of Paradise coffee. This article documents two pour-over roasting experiments with coffee beans from the Chimbu region: the first missed the fruity notes due to over-roasting, while the second was dropped in time after a dense first crack, finally presenting sweetness and a lasting aftertaste. From green bean processing to brewing parameters, the author shares key details such as water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio, and bloom time, and compares the flavor differences between the two roasts. If you are also curious about coffee beans from mysterious regions, or want to understand the rich charm of Chimbu coffee, this pour-over record will provide you with practical reference. At the end of the article, recommendation information from Front Street Coffee is also included.
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Since I became obsessed with buying green beans and roasting at home, coffee beans from "mysterious countries" have always stirred up my strong curiosity. For example, Papua New Guinea (Independent State of Papua New Guinea, usually abbreviated as PNG). In my memory, high school geography class said it is right next to Indonesia, history class mentioned that it was once a remote colony of Western countries, and university sociology class also discussed how primitive tribes interact with modern society and capitalism. This country name is awkward to read, and I often mispronounce it, always unsure after which character to add "a," or forgetting that there are two "a"s. In short, the coffee beans produced by this hard-to-reach country are definitely worth trying.
Papua New Guinea is located in the southwestern Pacific and is an island country, bordering Indonesia to the west and close to the Solomon Islands to the east. Surprisingly, this country has highlands, and coffee is its only cash crop! Among them, the most famous is "Bird of Paradise coffee," especially the Sigri estate, which exports Bird of Paradise coffee around the world. Sigri estate is located in the Wahgi Valley of the Western Highlands, with an average altitude of 1,600 meters, a cool climate, and abundant rainfall, providing superior growing conditions for coffee trees.
However, the green beans I bought this time come from Chimbu in the Eastern Highlands. The more famous coffee-producing area in the Eastern Highlands is Goroka, which is known for producing coffee and gold mines. Chimbu does not have a long history of growing coffee, but it has fertile soil, high altitude, and a mild climate throughout the four seasons, plus good green bean processing methods: coffee farmers hand-select ripe coffee cherries, then transport them to the Goroka processing station for depulping and fermentation, undergoing washed processing and sun drying—that is, the currently popular honey processing—to ensure quality. The coffee beans produced in this way have a rich taste and are highly rated.
First roast: I accidentally roasted it too far, and during the minute of coasting before dropping, my ears were filled with the crackling of second crack.
After 72 hours of resting, I brewed it by pour-over with a dripper and filter paper (water temperature 90°C, bloom time 40 seconds), with a coffee-to-water ratio of 10 grams of coffee to 120 milliliters of water. As expected, it was very rich, with a lasting aftertaste, but unfortunately there were no fruity notes and no acidity.
Second roast: After hearing the crack of the first bean, the next minute was a dense first crack. Because I hoped to brew out fruity notes, I coasted and prepared to drop after about 10 seconds, full of expectations for the second batch.
After 48 hours of resting, I brewed it by pour-over with a dripper and filter paper (water temperature 90°C, bloom time 40 seconds). Last time I found the taste very rich, so this time I adjusted the coffee-to-water ratio to 10 grams of coffee to 150 milliliters of water. The finish was still lasting, with fruity notes on the entry, and the fruit acidity was not obvious, but! There was sweetness! And the sweetness stayed in the mouth, especially the coffee aroma bursting throughout the whole mouth, lingering for a long time! Super delicious!
Front Street Coffee recommendation: This Papua New Guinea Chimbu coffee bean, after honey processing, has excellent body and is suitable for coffee lovers who like low acidity, high sweetness, and a lasting aftertaste. For pour-over, a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15 and a water temperature of 90°C are recommended, which can better showcase its sweetness and aroma.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
