Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Thomas Bultman, Biology
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-12-2024
Abstract
Our interdisciplinary project on coffee and justice considered the impact of local choices on global coffee producers from both science and humanities perspectives. The science focused on further improving the quality of specialty coffee to create a higher demand for these upmarket beans, thereby allowing coffee producers to earn a more livable wage. Three experiments were conducted to test specialty coffee best practices. The first focused on the baked defect, which may occur when the rate of rise of bean temperature drops during the roasting process. The roasting process has three phases (drying, Maillard, and development); the second experiment tested how time spent in the Maillard phase affected coffee quality. The third experiment tested the perceived sweetness of fractions collected at different time intervals during the brewing process. Blind taste tests were conducted with local participants and professional Q-graders. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry is being used to determine if the roasting or brewing treatments affected the chemical composition of the brews and what correlation that may have with cup quality as determined by taste evaluation. Results from the taste tests indicated no significant differences between the control coffee and coffees from altered roasts (experiments one and two). However, we did find that perceived sweetness was higher for later brew fractions (experiment three).
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Boer, Elliana, "The Local is Global: The Science of Coffee Roasting and Brewing" (2024). 23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024). Paper 8.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/curca_23/8
April 12, 2024. Copyright © 2024 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
Comments
This research was supported by the Hope College Global Health Program.