What does the Costa Coffee roast comparison show?

A Costa Rica Mozart roast log compares six batches of the same bean across two roast strategies. Three early roasts used gradual heat reduction with extended dehydration, but cupping showed the flavors came out light. Three later roasts used rapid dehydration and higher heat to drive aroma, producing a profile that combines floral notes with fermented wine aromas.

The bean is a raisin honey process lot of the Caturra and Catuai varieties, common among American coffee beans, with yellow-green green beans typical of honey processing. Full mucilage retention and a zero-water method make timing strict, and the log closes with pour-over extraction parameters for the chosen profile.

When facing a new bean, roasters typically start by gathering origin information and flavor descriptions provided by the green bean supplier, then gradually adjust through test roasts and cupping. Front Street Costa Rica Mozart is known for its unique raisin honey process and complex aromas. This article fully documents the roasting exploration process for this bean: first, three test roasts were conducted using a gradual heat reduction and extended dehydration approach, but cupping revealed the flavors were on the light side; subsequently, three more roasts were done using rapid dehydration and increased heat to drive aroma, ultimately selecting a profile that combines floral notes with fermented wine aromas. The article also includes pour-over extraction parameters and techniques for coffee enthusiasts' reference.

Before roasting a new bean, we first learn about the bean's information and the flavor notes provided by the green bean supplier, then use this information to try roasting a few batches, and adjust based on cupping results. Some time ago, we obtained a Front Street Mozart from Costa Rica. This Front Street Costa Rica Mozart bean was previously renowned for its unique processing method and complex aromas.

| Unique Processing Method — Raisin Honey Process

Retaining 100% mucilage and using a zero-water method increases the difficulty of the honey processing method, requiring strict control of timing.

On the day the coffee cherries are harvested, the harvested coffee fruit is poured into a large water tank; ripe, plump fruits sink to the bottom, while underdeveloped or overripe fruits float to the surface — these floating beans need to be removed. The selected coffee cherries are placed on raised beds to dry for at least three days, then the cherry skin is removed, and after retaining the mucilage, they are further dried. At this stage, climate factors are key to the success of honey processing.

During the drying process, these coffee cherries must be constantly turned to ensure even drying, but the turning frequency must be well controlled — drying should be slow to ensure the coffee undergoes fermentation, but not so slow that over-fermentation occurs.

| Green Bean Analysis

This Front Street Mozart is of the Caturra and Catuai varieties, common among American beans. The green beans appear yellow-green, typical of honey-processed coffee beans, and smell of fresh orange acidity with a faint fermented fruit aroma.

This Front Street Mozart bean is from the 2018 crop season, with relatively high moisture content, and grown at an altitude of around 1,950 meters, making the bean density quite hard. So at the beginning, we chose the gradual heat reduction and extended dehydration time approach for roasting, conducting three test roasts and cupping them.

The roaster is a Yang Family Feima 800N. Due to our regular production needs, we chose a batch size of 550 grams for charging.

The charge temperature was 200°C, with only the drop temperature and development time varied:

【First Batch】

Turning point: 151.2°C, 5 min 15 sec; dropped at 193°C; first crack development 1 min 50 sec; first crack at 8'38

【Second Batch】

Turning point: 151.2°C, 5 min 12 sec; dropped at 194°C; first crack development 2 min 10 sec; first crack at 8'30

【Third Batch】

Turning point: 151.2°C, 5 min 17 sec; dropped at 194.8°C; first crack development 2 min 30 sec; first crack at 8'40

【Cupping Results】

【First Batch】 has a faint fermented aroma and complex floral notes; on slurping, flavors of citrus, sweet orange, berry, melon, and raisin; 【Second Batch】 carries jasmine floral notes and fermented wine aromas; on slurping, flavors of sweet orange, plum, caramel, raisin, and rum; 【Third Batch】 carries flavors of cocoa, orange, snow pear, grapefruit peel, and smoky notes.

Although these three batches performed well in aroma and cleanliness, the overall flavor leaned toward light, and the mouthfeel was relatively thin.

Among the three batches, we felt 【First Batch】 performed slightly better. However, although there was nothing particularly wrong overall, it was not the flavor we were aiming for. So we adjusted our roasting approach, this time choosing the rapid dehydration and increased heat to drive aroma method for roasting, again roasting three sample batches.

The charge temperature was likewise 200°C, with only the drop temperature and development time varied:

【First Batch】

Turning point: 150.7°C, 5 min 20 sec; dropped at 193.2°C; first crack development 1 min 30 sec; first crack at 8'55

【Second Batch】

Turning point: 152.6°C, 5 min 25 sec; dropped at 195°C; first crack development 2 min; first crack at 9'00

【Third Batch】

Turning point: 152.6°C, 5 min 27 sec; dropped at 197°C; first crack development 2 min 30 sec; first crack at 9'05

【Cupping Results】

【First Batch】 smells of osmanthus and fermented wine aromas; on slurping, flavors of sweet orange, berry, pineapple, raisin, caramel, and toffee; 【Second Batch】 has complex floral notes; on slurping, flavors of orange, berry, raisin, and snow pear; 【Third Batch】 smells of pronounced fermented wine aromas; on slurping, flavors of citrus, nut, hazelnut, caramel, and cocoa.

The flavors of 【First Batch】 and 【Second Batch】 are actually quite similar, but 【First Batch】 is slightly superior in aroma and flavor, so we chose the roasting profile of 【First Batch】:

Reduce the heat at charge to 130, open the airflow to 3, charge when the drum temperature is 200°C, increase heat to 160 at 140°C to accelerate the bean's dehydration rate and shorten dehydration time; in the mid-to-late dehydration stage, reduce heat to 130 to let the beans prepare for first crack.

First crack begins at 8 min 55 sec; at this point, open the airflow wider to 5 and gradually reduce heat. When development after first crack reaches 1 min 30 sec at 193.2°C, and you can smell orange and floral notes through the tryer, it's ready to drop.

【Brewing Suggestions】

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Parameters: Water temperature 90–93°C, grind size BG 5R (58% passing through China standard No. 20 sieve), coffee-to-water ratio 1:15, extraction time about 1'50"

Technique: Bloom with 30g water for 30 seconds, then pour with a small stream and fast pace up to 120g, pause; when the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and finish; when the bed is about to be exposed, remove the dripper.

Tip: Because this Front Street Costa Rica Mozart bean is not roasted dark, we suggest trying a higher water temperature with a small stream and fast pour when brewing this Front Street Mozart bean to bring out its aromas~

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