My Time In Puerto Rico

I could never really find the time to write a decent blog post in Puerto Rico about my travels to different coffee plantations.   I felt like anything I wrote down I would just be reusing for my final presentation and it seemed too repetitive.  Instead, I decided to give a general overview of what I did in Puerto Rico.

In Puerto Rico I met up with Daniel O. Torres, owner of Gustos Coffee Company.  Daniel gave me a tour around his San Juan facilities as well as let me attend a barista training class and a cupping.  Later, during my two week visit to the island, I toured four plantations with Daniel as well as Mr. Jose Fabre Laboy, the ex-Secretary of the Department of Agriculture for Puerto Rico and Dr. Salvador Salas, a agriculture professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, and the Secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources for Puerto Rico.  I was honored to be traveling with such knowledgeable people.  We visited a variety of farms.  Some were large and commercialized and others were smaller and family owned.  Visiting the plantations and being able to see the whole growth and production process first hand was an invaluable experience.  I discovered that coffee production in Puerto Rico is greatly declining.  Many farmers are switching to different crops to get more of a profit, and others are just finding it difficult to hire people to work in the fields.  The labor issue is a major problem in Puerto Rico right now.  One of the plantation owners explained the crazy situation to me.  Apparently people who generally work on the farms will be paid relatively the same amount by the government for not having a job.  These unemployed people also receive a free cellphone and 250 minutes monthly from the government in addition to relatively cheap housing options where either water or electricity is paid for. This form of mass welfare has greatly hurt the coffee industry as well as other businesses that count on low wage workers for operation.  The plantation owner says that as of now there appears to be no real solution to this problem.

Visiting Puerto Rico was a truly eye opening experience.  I learned tons about coffee growth and production as well as the hardships plantation owners are currently facing.  Growing coffee is a difficult business, and I can only hope that the new demand for coffee in China, Japan and India without increased supply will give these farmers the opportunity to sell their beans at a higher market price and perhaps stay in business.      

The Arrival: Puerto Rico

            When I arrived in Puerto Rico I was expecting some sort of culture change even though it is a US commonwealth.  When I stepped off the plane I was immediately stuck by how humid it was.  I felt like I was walking though a steam room.  This, when combined with the heavy clothes I was wearing for Sun Valley weather, made me feel like I was swimming in damp, hot moisture. 

What I assumed would be my first culture experience in Puerto Rico was my cab ride.  I was thinking there may be some Spanish radio talk show going on and that I wouldn’t really be able to clearly communicate where my hotel was to the driver.  Yet, the moment I stepped into the cab I was greeted by Gaga’s “Born This Way” which was quickly followed by “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”.  Clearly the only major difference between mainland US and Puerto Rico was the national language. 

I noticed other abnormalities as I travelled around the island.  Gas is sold in liters while distances are either posted in kilometers or miles depending on, as far as I know, how the road crews felt that day or whatever was in stock at the local official Highway Sign Store.  The speed limits were pretty straightforward.  Signs posted indicated various numbers such as “55 maximum” with no reference to whether that was in mph or kph, which, for me, was confusing based on the spontaneous substitution of distances in either metric or imperial measurements.  Also, all police and emergency vehicles, rather any car or truck with some sort of bright flashing light apparatus, constantly kept their lights on.  Driving down the freeway I would see police cars and ambulances with their lights blaring as if they had somewhere to go, yet they calmly moved along with no sirens and no emergency to rush off to.  This only bothered me when the police were right behind me on the freeway because my initial gut instinct is to pull over when police lights are on.  Actually, one time a police car followed me through a drive through at night with his lights on the whole time.  I guess his hunger was a pretty big emergency. 

Out of all the changes when coming to Puerto Rico the one that is by far the best is the weather.   I left cold, damp, dreary, depressing “Sun” Valley and gladly welcomed pristine blue skies, crisp sunny days and an average of 95°.  There is nothing better than sun, warm breezes, lush tropical hills laden with coffee and plenty of white sand beaches.  

El Conquistador Resort

Colorful Old San Juan

Colorful Old San Juan 

Colorful Old San Juan

           

Brewing

There are numerous methods for coffee brewing.  All of them run water through coffee grounds to extract the highly volatile oils that give a cup of coffee its flavor. Although all of the various methods seem to brew coffee in the same way there are a number of key factors that affect the final cup. 

- Size of the grounds

- Time water is in contact with the grounds

These two factors determine the strength and quality of the drink.  Temperature of the water is also a key factor.  Water temperature for brewing coffee should be between 195° and 205°  Fahrenheit.

There are a number of different brew methods.  A few are: pourover, drip, French press, and espresso.

The essential basics when it comes to coffee brewing are this:

Ground size corresponds with the time the coffee is in contact with the water.

The smaller the ground the quicker the coffee is brewed, the larger the ground the more time is needed.  The goal when brewing coffee is to achieve the perfect cup.  If the coffee is under brewed the coffee can come out watery and bland.   If the coffee is over brewed it can become too strong and achieve a very overwhelming taste that loses the specific notes that the origin beans or blend intended to achieve.

Brewing even one blend of coffee a number of different ways can manipulate the flavors, body, aroma and acidity achieved in the final cup. 

A number of steps are required before you even begin brewing a cup of coffee.  Weighing out the right number of beans for the size of drink you are having, using high quality grinding equipment (burr grinders vs. blade), the temperature of the water, and the quality of the machines performing the brewing all are highly important in achieving a great cup of coffee.  

Espresso Grind

Drip Grind

Pour Over Grind

French Press Grind

Pour Over

French Press

Pour Over

French Press

Drip

Tasting of different grind types

Disconnection

Sorry the blog hasn't been updated in awhile. I am yet to find an Internet connection for my laptop. I have a few blogs to post when I find some wifi so don't get too worried. See y'all later

-Bryce

Lesson 1 of 1: Roasting Coffee

When it comes to roasting coffee there are generally two mindsets.  One believes that roasting coffee is an art and the other believes that roasting coffee is a science.  Liz Roquet embraces both at different times of production. The actual roasting of the coffee is completely scientific.  At certain times and certain temperatures you are guaranteed certain chemical reactions within the beans.  There is no guesswork when it comes to roasting beans.  The true art form, according to Liz, is developing blends of beans that achieve certain flavor profiles for the customer. When it comes to roasting coffee, time and temperature are the main factors in achieving the roast you are looking for.

To imagine the inside of a roasting machine think of a dryer.  A rotating drum is blasted by heat from infrared burners.  This drum is constantly turning to ensure even roasting as well as circulate the air around the beans.  If the drum were to stand still the beans could catch fire.  With a roasting machine you can control the heat and the air.  The more air you let in the hotter it gets due to the increase in oxygen.  It is the roaster's job to nurse the roast and decide the roast degree.  The quality of the beans is controllable, the rate at which they roast is controllable and it is up to the roaster to determine the flavor desired and when to stop the roast.  Coffee is roasted at such high temperatures that even a few seconds difference between stopping a batch could mean you end up with an entirely different roast than what you intended.

During the roasting process the sugars in the coffee beans begin to caramelize.  Based on how long the beans are roasted the sugars can lead to flavors that are sweet, toasty, smoky and burned.  Sugars are very important because they play one of the biggest roles in how the coffee tastes.  As coffee is roasted the volatile oils that give a cup of coffee its flavor come to the surface.  The darker the coffee is roasted the more the oils begin to emerge.  When roasting beans it is key to look for smoothness and sheen.  During the roasting process coffee beans can lose up to 15% of their weight, but increase about 20% in size.      

Before you start to roast coffee you have to have an idea of what flavors you want to highlight and what beans can achieve the final cup you are looking for.  Blending different types of beans can create an experience that, as Liz puts it, "doesn't happen in nature and complements the flavors you want, whether they are fruity, earthy, zingy or just a base".

The three main keys to a great cup of coffee are:
1. Top Quality Beans
2. An Attentive Roasting Process
3. The Freshness of Roasted Beans

 To the Right: A fresh batch coming out of the roaster.

 Liz Roquet's Diedrich Roaster

A range of beans at different levels of roasting.  In the distance are un-roasted green beans.  Next are light roasted, then medium-light, then medium, medium-dark, and then dark roasted beans.

Coffee Grading: Yes that's right! Inanimate objects get report cards too

At the most basic level there are two types of coffee.  Arabica coffee is of a higher quality and is grown at higher elevations than it's close brother Robusta Coffee.  Robusta is a cheaper, hardier variety that can survive at a wider range of climates and lower elevations.  Robusta coffee also has higher caffeine concentrations.  Under these bean classifications coffee is graded into a number of categories.  The highest classification is Specialty.  Under this highest grade all of the coffee beans are graded for size and defects.  There are a variety of ways to separate coffee beans for grading and sometimes it is done by hand.  Each individual bean is handled, graded and separated before packaging.  Specialty grade is still a large classification itself.  It includes the top 3% of coffee beans, which still leaves a large scale for differentiation.  One of the main ways to guarantee the best beans from the Specialty grade is to have an importer that makes relationships with farms and co-operatives.  If an importer tastes at origin and purchases straight from the farmers you are guaranteed to get amazing coffees.

Goats, Monks That Never Sleep, and Papal Approval

     Legend has it that coffee was first discovered by a goat herder in Ethiopia.  One day he noticed that his goats were gone and after a bit of searching he discovered them eating small red fruits off of low growing bushes.  He noted that his goats were acting jittery and jumping all over the place.  Perplexed, the goat herder ate a few of these small cherries and was amazed to find he felt energized.  The herder took a bushel of the fruit to his local monastery.  The monks ate the cherries and were amazed to discover that they had more energy, their minds were clearer, and they could focus better.  This worked to their advantage during long nightly prayers.  One monk, dubious of the powers of the coffee cherries, threw a basket of them into the fire.  Another monk rescued the beans from the fire and threw them into some water to put out the flames.  Legend has it that this is how the first coffee drink was created.

     Coffee originated in Ethiopia, but it took a very strong hold in Saudi Arabia.  Coffee served as a perfect drink to substitute alcoholic beverages, which are strictly banned from countries that practice Islam.  Coffee slowly spread into Europe via trade with countries in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabs were so protective of their lucrative crop that they boiled the beans before export to ensure that all of the product was infertile.  One way or another fertile beans managed to be smuggled to Denmark where the plants were gown and cultivated in greenhouses. From here it was only a matter of time before all of the major superpowers began growing and producing their own coffee.  At one point in Italy a group of people though coffee was the drink of the devil and wanted it to be outlawed.  They figured that coffee was detrimental to their faith because Muslims drink coffee and reject wine.  They took their case to Pope Clement VIII.  It is purported that the Pope took one sip of coffee and immediately fell in love with the taste.  He even suggested that coffee be baptized to become a true Christian drink.    

     Coffee was a big wake-up call for countries like England and France.  If you lived in London or Paris around this time you would generally not have access to drinking water.  People wouldn't dare drink the water from the Thames or Seine Rivers for fear of contracting cholera or other waterborne diseases.   The beverage of choice was beer for breakfast, lunch, dinner and anywhere in between.  Beer was safe to drink, but it clearly did not improve a person's ability to focus at the workplace.  Some people claim that coffee fueled the industrial revolution because it got rid of the inebriated haze most people were living in.  The ability to design and operate heavy machinery was greatly aided by the clarifying, energizing and stimulating effects of coffee.   Coffee has literally changed our world.