How Does the Brazilian Coffee Grading System Work?

Brazilian green coffee bags carry codes such as CERRADO NY-2 SC-17/18 SS FC, and each part means something. The system was set up by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, and it records the region, the defect grade NY, screen size SC, cup quality grade SS or S, and cup profile grade FC or GC.

Brazil has 26 states and 17 grow and export coffee, so early region names followed state lines before specialty demand pushed finer subdivision. Familiar subregions now include Mogiana, Sul de Minas and Cerrado, and bags may also name the export port, which is why Santos coffee is shipped from the Port of Santos. The article then applies this to espresso and a 1:5 hot Americano.

Brazil, as the country with the largest coffee production in the world, indicates its green bean grading system with a string of letters and numbers on the jute bags. This article will systematically interpret the grading logic and underlying reasons of Brazilian coffee from multiple dimensions such as region identification, defect grading NY2, screen size SC, cup quality grade SS and S, and cup profile grade FC and GC. At the same time, combined with Front Street Coffee's classic Italian blend coffee beans, it shares the extraction parameters and operating steps of espresso in commercial and home scenarios, and introduces the drinking method of diluting with hot water at a 1:5 ratio into hot Americano, helping coffee lovers make a balanced cup of Brazilian coffee at home.

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On the surface of the jute bags used for Brazilian coffee exports, there is usually a set of codes composed of English letters and numbers printed, such as "CERRADO NY-2 SC-17/18 SS FC". This seemingly complex set of characters actually reflects the grading results of Brazilian green coffee beans. This system was established by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), and its content covers several aspects such as the specific coffee region, defect deduction grade, green bean screen size, cup score, and sensory evaluation.

Brazil has a total of 26 states nationwide, among which 17 states have coffee cultivation and export as their main industries. Therefore, the early regional division of Brazilian coffee was mostly based on states. However, after the rise of the specialty coffee wave, consumers have had a higher demand for traceability of coffee beans with excellent flavor, and the regional division has subsequently become more refined. Today, many subregions have been further subdivided within each major state.

The more familiar and commonly seen subregions on the market include Mogiana (MOGIANA), Sul de Minas (SUL DE MINAS), and Cerrado (CERRADO), among others. Coffee beans produced in these places will clearly indicate the region name on the burlap sacks. In addition, some coffee beans will also additionally indicate export port information. For example, the well-known Santos coffee is shipped from the Port of Santos.

The NY2 immediately following the region in the code represents Brazil's defect grading of green coffee beans. This grading standard originates from the Green Coffee Association of New York, so the grade name uses "NY" as its prefix. It is worth mentioning that the highest grade of Ethiopian coffee is labeled "G1", the highest grade of Kenyan coffee is "AA", while the highest level of Brazil's coffee defect grading is NY2 rather than NY1, which makes many coffee lovers puzzled.

By consulting relevant materials, Front Street learned that according to Brazil's grading rules, each batch takes 300 grams of green beans as a sample, counts the defective beans one by one, and uses a deduction system for evaluation—the higher the proportion of defects, the more points are deducted, meaning the worse the quality, and the lower the corresponding grade, arranged in order as 2, 2/3, 3, 3/4, 4, and so on, with lower grades further down the list. As for why there is no highest grade NY1, the reason is that Brazil considers that to reach the NY1 level, the coffee beans would need to have absolutely no defects, and from an objective reality, this is almost impossible to achieve.

Brazil's coffee-growing regions are mainly distributed in the relatively flat plateau areas of the central and southern regions, at an altitude of about 1,000 meters, with conditions for large-scale cultivation. No other country in the world can match Brazil in coffee production area. At the same time, Brazil is also the world's most industrialized coffee-producing country and the one most dependent on mechanization, so large machinery can often be seen operating in Brazilian coffee farms. Although mechanized harvesting greatly saves labor costs, it also lowers the degree of specialty coffee to a certain extent.

Of course, Brazil also has some specialty coffee-producing regions, where coffee trees are planted in high mountain areas at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,400 meters. The terrain is relatively steep, mechanized operations are limited, and picking mostly relies on manual labor. Even if coffee cherries are harvested manually, which provides a certain guarantee in quality and specialty level, Brazil still believes that coffee is essentially an agricultural crop and can never achieve zero defects, so the NY1 grade is not established.

After completing the green bean defect grading, screens are also used to evaluate the screen size of the coffee beans, and "SC" represents the screen size. The largest screen size of Brazilian coffee beans is 19 screen, but the output is extremely scarce, so what is more common on the market is 17/18 screen or 16/17 screen.

Finally, the sample beans are also cupped after roasting, using the official cupping scoring method of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), which is divided into 7 grades in total. Among them, those scoring 85 points and above are rated as Strictly Soft (SS), and those scoring between 80 and 84 points are rated as Soft (S).

The last part is grading based on cup profile, usually divided into 6 grades: Fine Cup, Fine, Good Cup, Fair Cup, Poor Cup, and Bad Cup, among which Fine Cup (FC) and Good Cup (GC) are the most common.

Although the flavor of Brazilian coffee is not particularly outstanding and its acidity is relatively low, thanks to its huge production, affordable price, and stable quality and flavor, it presents a balanced tonality like cocoa and nuts, with a rich and mellow taste, so it is often used as a blending component in espresso coffee beans. It not only helps reduce costs, but also brings a solid, sweet, and mellow aroma to espresso. In the four coffees—Front Street Classic Italian Blend, Front Street Black Cocoa Blend, Front Street Commercial Blend, and Front Street Specialty Blend, which are espresso coffee beans recommended by many baristas—Brazilian beans are all part of the blend.

Parameters for making espresso with Front Street Brazil Classic Italian Blend

The coffee machine used in Front Street stores is the commercial single-group "Lelit Bianca", which can adjust the extraction process by changing pressure, with a maximum pressure of up to 11 bar. A home coffee machine only needs to have 9 bar pressure to meet the needs of extraction and milk frothing, and paired with an espresso coffee grinder, it is enough.

Coffee beans: Front Street Classic Italian Blend

Coffee powder dose: 20g

Coffee liquid yield: 40g

Powder-to-liquid ratio: 1:2

Extraction time: 26–32 seconds

Grind setting: Galileo 2.0

The coffee machine used by Front Street is equipped with a double basket capacity, and 20 grams of coffee powder needs to be placed in each time. The extraction powder-to-liquid ratio is set at 1:2, that is, 40 grams of coffee liquid is produced within a reasonable time. The extraction duration is closely related to the flow rate of the coffee powder. Usually, a single extraction time is controlled between 20 and 35 seconds. If it is less than 20 seconds, the coffee taste tends to be thin and weak; if it exceeds 35 seconds, over-extraction is likely to occur, giving the coffee a burnt and bitter taste. Therefore, when serving, Front Street controls the extraction time of espresso within the range of 26 to 32 seconds.

Before starting extraction, the basket needs to be wiped clean first, the grinder turned on, and a double dose of coffee powder ground, then placed on an electronic scale to be weighed and adjusted until it reaches 20 grams. After that, use a distribution tool to level the coffee powder, then use a tamper to apply force vertically downward to compact and press the coffee puck tightly, ensuring a more stable extraction process.

Next, turn on the extraction switch and let water run for 1 to 2 seconds to moisten the group head and at the same time wash away the coffee residue attached to it. Place an electronic scale under the cup that will receive the Espresso, tare the weight to zero, and place it together under the group head during extraction.

Gently lock the portafilter onto the group head, then toggle the extraction switch down to begin extraction. Pay attention to changes in the state of the extracted liquid. When the electronic scale shows that the coffee liquid has reached 40 grams and the time is about 30 seconds, pull the extraction switch down to stop. As for the drinking method of Front Street Classic Italian Blend coffee beans, Front Street dilutes the espresso into hot Americano at a ratio of 1:5 coffee to hot water. This not only retains the original palatable tonality, but also maintains a balanced and mellow mouthfeel, as well as pleasant flavors such as cleanliness and sweet aftertaste.

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