Cup of Coffee Made a Little Greener
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Your Morning Coffee Made Better
I just like many people savor a delicious cup of coffee to start my day. Recently while enjoying my morning brew I decided to look further into the subject with conservation in mind. As I researched I realized that it is possible to go "green" with coffee and I am not referring to the unroasted bean.
Photo courtesy of: Jon Sullivan
This lens will focus on the Eco-Friendly alternatives associated with coffee. By being aware of these aspects hopefully it will make your morning a more pleasurable experience.
Be Mindful:
According to COFFEE STATISTICS REPORT 2010 Edition, Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day, or equivalent to 146 Billion cups per year. The average cup size is 9 ounces.
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How frequently do you drink coffee?
Cultivation
Harvesting
Photo courtesy of: Coffee cherry
From Shade comes Coffee
Long before you make the decision on which coffee to purchase the environmental impact has already been determined. The cultivation method is something to be considered in your choice to buy Eco-Friendly products. Shade-grown coffee farming is considered to be the traditional method having the least impact on the environment. Coffee plantations that practice this specific cultivation process are considered to be more environmentally safe than sun-grown farms.
Shade-grown may also commonly be referred to as "Bird Friendly Coffee ®".
Shade-grown coffee is primarily harvested under the natural canopy of forest. Occasionally some density may be cleared, but the overhead canopy and many indigenous trees remain abundant (see chart below). Shade farms provide natural habitats for many species of wildlife and insects, primarily migratory birds. Cultivation done in this manner maintains a moderate climate for coffee plants and falling leaves from the overhead canopy tend to enrich soil composition. The improved soil quality means stronger root base thus increasing the life cycle of the coffee bush and reduced soil erosion. Another positive effect of the natural compost provided by this method of cultivation is a reduction of the use of pesticides resulting in less harmful surface water runoff and providing a more organic growth.
Photo courtesy of: Patricia Moguel & Victor Toledo
Benefits of Shade-Grown products:
- Healthy people: Coffee is sprayed with more chemicals than any other product consumed by humans, second only to tobacco. Shade-grown coffee reverses the trends and negative impact of chemical use in natural forest and is most often organically grown. The limited uses of chemicals produce a healthier product for consumers and provide a safer environment for the workers on coffee plantations.
- Healthy environment: Shade-grown farms require little or no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides resulting in less harmful water runoff. The shade trees filter carbon dioxide and reduce the effects of global warming. The preservation of rainforests aids in soil moisture retention minimizes soil erosion and retains natural habitats for wildlife.
- Taste: Coffee berries mature more slowly in the shade, within the extended ripening period the production of natural sugars increase and enhance the flavor of the coffee making it less bitter.
Processing
Water Conservation
Photo courtesy of: Waterfall
A Prudent Process
The processing of coffee cherries is also an extremely important factor to consider when purchasing a more "green" coffee. There are several stages of processing that coffee must go through before it is ready to become your favorite brew. Depending on the methods used to process the beans after harvest the resulting coffee wastewater and how it is handled can have a severe impact on the environment. There are three common practices currently applied in the processing stage, the method used is usually determined by region and the amount of coffee produced.
Wet Process: as the name implies, requires the largest quantities of freshwater to fulfill. When coffee cherries are wet processed the beans are de-pulped by immersion in water before being dried. Two types of wet processing exist. The Ferment and Wash method introduces fermentation into the process to remove any remaining pulp and requires washing with large amounts of water. Machine assisted wet processing uses mechanical scrubbing to remove remaining pulp therefore requiring less water usage. Technological advances in equipment and treatment facilities have made wet processing as a whole more efficient and reduced the amount of water required, but it is estimated that any wet process still requires around 130 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of coffee.
Semi Dry Process: Unlike wet processing, involves the use of machinery to de-pulp coffee beans before drying, but requires the remaining pulp be washed away prior to drying producing a moderate amount of wastewater.Dry Process: Just as the name implies produces the least amount of coffee wastewater, and is the traditional method of processing coffee. In this method the cherries are cleaned and sorted by hand. Once the fruit is sorted it is placed on large tables to be dried before the cherries are de-pulped, greatly reducing the amount of water required. On larger plantations machine drying may be introduced after a few days of natural sun drying only to speed up the process. Once the optimum moisture is reached the product is sent to mill where all outer layers are removed from the coffee bean at once.
Depending on the processing method used wastewater containing high levels of pollution from organic matter, mucilage and flavonoids can result. If not treated properly before being returned to the environment the wastewater will increase biological oxygen demand and lower pH levels in natural bodies of water.
The drying process is considered to be the most important stage in production as it will affect the overall quality and flavor of the coffee. Once the bean has been dried it is then sent to milling where the finishing touches are performed such as, hulling, polishing, cleaning, sorting and finally grading the coffee beans. At this point you now have what is known as unroasted (green) coffee.
Have a Guess?
What do you think?
Roasting
Green Coffee
Photo courtesy of: Jon Sullivan
Going Beyond Green
Once coffee is roasted let the aroma and flavor deterioration begin. Ideally you want roasted whole beans consumed within two weeks of roasting for optimum freshness. Although packaging and storage may vary the true shelf life somewhat, technology can only do so much and can't improve freshness.
During the roasting phase there are emissions of air pollutants such as particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, organic acids and CO2 to be concerned with unless they are controlled properly. Other processes such as quenching, cooling, destoning, green bean handling, grinding and decaffeination are emissions contributors as well, but most pollutants are from the roasting. Every commercial roasting house must have control equipment in place to meet state specific air quality regulations. Although air quality regulations vary state to state on acceptable emissions and size of roasters required to be permitted, typically roasting equipment capable of processing batches of 15lbs. or more of coffee beans per hour is required to meet air quality regulation standards.
For those who dare, home roasting is the process of buying unroasted coffee beans and roasting them in your own home. With home roasting not only is there a economic advantage to consider, but once you perfect the art it provides you a finer control of the quality, freshness and ultimately the flavor of your coffee. As one can imagine this takes practice and you can expect to ruin a batch of beans or 2, but once learned you can be a true coffee connoisseur.
Let Us Know
What is Your Desired Roast of Coffee?
Grinding
Ground Coffee
Photo courtesy of: Paul
A Good Grind
Whole beans must be ground in order to accomplish coffee brewing. A good grind is instrumental in a quality cup of coffee and optimal grind must be matched to the brewing method used to extract flavor compounds. For shorter brewing cycles use a finer grind of coffee exposing more surface area for shorter extraction periods, the longer the brewing cycle the more course the ground coffee should be. For home coffee grinding there are two common methods used and each can influence the taste characteristics of your brew. The chopping method is accomplished by blades rotating at high speed; it is in most opinions an inferior method for two reasons. With rotating blades you end up with an inconsistent grind producing coffee dust and heat generated by friction pulls oil from the whole beans resulting in chemical changes affecting the flavor. The preferred grinding method is with a Burr-grinder that provides a uniformly ground coffee by crushing beans against abrasive elements with minimal frictional heat, better preserving the taste characteristics of the bean.
Once coffee is ground the freshness will deteriorate more rapidly. Ideally you want to consume ground coffee within a few days of the grind. When possible buy whole beans and grind no more than you intend to use in one day.
As taste vary so goes the grind. It will take some experimentation to determine what grind setting suits you, but the characteristics below provide a reference.
- Fine Grind: Brewing cycle 1-4 minutes, similar to texture of sugar, good for Espresso and some drip brewers with cone shaped filters.
- Medium Grind: Brewing cycle 4-6 minutes, similar to texture of course sand, good for drip brewers with flat bottom filters, for cone shaped filters somewhere between fine and medium grind is recommended.
- Course Grind: Brewing cycle 6-8 minutes, chunky, distinct particles, works well for French Press and Percolators.
**Brewing cycle begins at first contact of heated water to grounds and ends once all water has passed through.
**It is recommended that if you are grinding flavored beans that grinder is cleaned throughly after each use because the oil residue may alter flavor of future grinds.
Currently there are no grinders with an energy star rating and these appliances are generally low wattage with limited use in the home, so if you want to conserve here, be brave and go manual expend your energy instead.
Brewing
Preparation
Photo courtesy of: Simon Howden
Time for the Good Stuff
Now that you have the perfectly roasted bean, ground just right it's time to reap your reward. Today there are many brewing techniques, and no single method is right for everyone. All brewing methods consist of one simple action; the infusion of water to ground coffee, the process by which you accomplish this is up to you and your desired result. The method you choose for brewing your coffee should be based on your needs and your unique taste. The quality and flavor of your coffee is not only determined by the brewing process you use, but serveral other factors as well. No matter how you choose to brew your coffee, optimize the quality of every cup you prepare and fine-tune your brew process by incorporating these recommendations.
Bring it all together:
- Coffee: When it comes time to brew the freshness, the grind and quantity of coffee used are all of equal importance to the final quality of the cup. For ultimate flavor it is best to use whole beans roasted no more than two weeks prior to consumption and grind only as much as you intend to use in a single day. Use appropriate grind for brewing method and adjust fineness to suit taste. An over-extraction will occur if a grind is to fine for a particular infusion method resulting in a bitter taste. If grind is to course the result will be under extraction and a weak brew lacking body and full flavor will result. There are many opinions on the coffee to water ratio, but a good starting point is 2 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee per 6 fluid ounces of water. The ideal brewing ratio for you will take some experimentation. Since the extraction of flavor is done during the brewing cycle it is not recommended to use a less coffee more water ratio as this will result in weak flavor, a better way to achieve a weaker cup of coffee is to dilute the individual cup with water and not affect the entire brew.
- Water: Since coffee is more than 98% water the quality of the water used will have direct impact on the overall flavor. It is recommended that charcoal filtered water be used for brewing as this will remove impurities from water and directly enhance the flavor of the cup. It is not recommended that softened water be used due to the presence of sodium compounds and distilled water is considered to pure and will produce flat taste. The ideal water temperature for brewing is in the range of 195° to 205° Fahrenheit; in this range water is just before boil. The temperature is important as a scalding effect will result in lost volatile compounds resulting in flavor changes and producing an over extracted bitter taste. If the temperature is to low an under extraction will occur and the bulk of the flavor compounds will remain in the grinds resulting in a weak coffee. It is important to maintain a constant temperature throughout the brew cycle.
- Infusion: Whatever the infusion method used for coffee extraction just three simple categories apply.
Steep and Strain - Hot water is simply applied to coarse ground coffee in a pot or container and the mixture left until extraction has occurred. The coffee is then strained in some way prior to serving. An example would be the common French press, coffee grounds are placed in a container and hot water applied, typically 4 to 7 minutes to extract soluble. The filter is then depressed to trap grinds at bottom of cylinder and strained coffee is served. Some other examples of steep and strain infusion include the coffee jug, vacuum brewer, and Aero Press.
Filter Infusion - Medium to fine ground coffee is placed in a container lined with a filter designed to let the coffee soluble slowly drip through to a holding pot when hot water is applied from above and steeps with the coffee grinds. A typical brewing cycle is 2 to 6 minutes depending on volume. If a flat base filter is used it is recommended to use a course to medium grind, if the filter is cone shaped the grind should be more fine. It is recommended that steel mesh reusable filter be used as paper filters tend to trap coffee extract affecting flavor.
Pressure Infusion - Hot water is forced under pressure through a small compact bed of finely ground coffee held inside a small metal basket. The infusion time is less than 1 minute so the grind must be extremely fine. This is known as the espresso process and is generally suited to preparing individual cups of coffee and produces very strong taste.
Quick Hits
Tips
Always Remember
If you enjoy your coffee as much as I do you want the most out of every cup. There are some important things to remember to ensure optimum flavor.
Always buy quality shade-grown and dry-processed coffee; organic is becoming very popular and more readily available. Not only does this coffee result in a better flavor, but it also provides a peace of mind that care was taken to produce the coffee in an environmentally safer way.
Try home roasting and grinding to ensure the freshest possible brew. Once whole beans are roasted they are best if used within two weeks and ground coffee should be consumed within just a few days. As for the flavor there is nothing worse than stale coffee, storage is very important and will dictate the shelf life of your whole beans and ground coffee alike. Coffee is best stored in airtight containers that block light, preferably ceramic as opposed to metal or plastic. It is a misconception that whole beans are best stored in freezer and refrigerator. If water molecules come into contact with the bean and packaging it will deteriorate the quality of the coffee. Storage is best done in a cool place void of water, light, oxygen and heat which is why airtight containers are ideal.
Use the right grind for the brewing method and filter type and always use a standard coffee to filtered water brewing ratio. It is better to brew coffee with full body and flavor and weaken to taste by diluting individual cup. If coffee is brewed too weak all you can do is start over, never pour brewed coffee through used grounds it does not increase the strength. I recommend the use of reusable gold mesh filters, since paper filters have tendency to trap flavor compounds and reusable filters also reduce waste.
Once the brewing cycle is complete coffee should be enjoyed immediately. The brew is best if maintained at temperatures between 180°-185° Fahrenheit and not left on the burner for more than 15 minutes. Coffee should be consumed within 45 minutes after brewing so it is recommended to use an insulated carafe for heat retention when possible and never reheat brewed coffee
Always clean roasters, grinders and brewing equipment regularly, over time oils and coffee tar will buildup and effect the taste of each brew.
Eliminate waste with reusable mugs or thermos and ditch the Styrofoam, go all in by introducing the used grounds as compost in your garden.
Currently small appliances such as grinders, roasters and coffee maker do not carry energy star ratings. These appliances in the home are not are not subject to large consumption of energy, but every little bit helps. When making purchase decisions consider the wattage of the equipment and unplug when not in use.
Enjoy your coffee, I know I will.
To Do List
1. Buy shade-grown organic coffee
2. Buy roaster
3. Buy grinder
4. Buy coffee maker
5. Sign Guest Book :)
6. Enjoy!
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