The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has established comprehensive protocols for coffee cupping to ensure consistent and accurate evaluation of coffee quality. These protocols encompass specific standards for sample preparation, cupping mechanics, and sensory assessment. Below is a detailed cupping protocol based on the SCA’s standards:
1. Sample Preparation
- Green Coffee Standards:
- Defects: Specialty grade coffee should have zero Category 1 defects and no more than five Category 2 defects in a 350-gram sample.
- Water Activity: Green coffee beans should have a water activity measurement below 0.70 aw to maintain quality and prevent microbial growth.
- Roasting:
- Profile: Roast coffee samples to a light-medium level to highlight inherent flavors without imparting roast characteristics.
- Resting Period: Allow roasted samples to rest for 8 to 24 hours before cupping to enable degassing and flavor stabilization.
- Grinding:
- Grind Size: Grind coffee to a medium-coarse consistency, similar to coarse sand, to facilitate optimal extraction during cupping.
2. Cupping Mechanics
- Cupping Vessels:
- Size: Use cups with a capacity between 7 to 9 fl oz (207 to 266 mL) and a top diameter of 3 to 3.5 inches (76 to 89 mm).
- Material: Ensure cups are made of inert, non-reactive materials like ceramic or glass to avoid influencing the coffee’s flavor.
- Coffee-to-Water Ratio:
- Use 8.25 grams of coffee per 150 mL of water, adhering to the SCA standard ratio for cupping.
- Water Quality:
- Temperature: Heat water to 200°F (93.0°C) for brewing.
- Composition: Use clean, odor-free water with a total dissolved solids (TDS) level of 150 ppm and a pH of 7.0 to ensure consistent extraction.
- Brewing Process:
- Pour water evenly over the grounds, ensuring all coffee is saturated.
- Allow the coffee to steep undisturbed for 4 minutes.
- After 4 minutes, break the crust by stirring three times, then remove any floating grounds.
3. Sensory Assessment
- Aroma Evaluation:
- Immediately after breaking the crust, assess the coffee’s aroma by inhaling deeply to capture volatile compounds.
- Tasting:
- Once the coffee cools to approximately 160°F (71°C), begin tasting.
- Use a cupping spoon to slurp the coffee, allowing it to spread across the palate for comprehensive flavor assessment.
- Attributes to Evaluate:
- Fragrance/Aroma: Assess the intensity and quality of the coffee’s smell, both dry and wet.
- Flavor: Evaluate the principal taste, including character and complexity.
- Aftertaste: Note the duration and quality of residual flavors after swallowing.
- Acidity: Determine the brightness and liveliness, considering both intensity and quality.
- Body: Assess the weight and texture of the coffee on the palate.
- Balance: Evaluate how the flavor, aftertaste, acidity, and body interact harmoniously.
- Uniformity: Ensure consistency across multiple cups of the same sample.
- Clean Cup: Confirm the absence of defects or off-flavors.
- Sweetness: Identify the presence of pleasant, sugary qualities.
- Overall: Provide a holistic assessment of the coffee’s quality.
- Scoring:
- Use a standardized cupping form to assign scores for each attribute, typically on a scale from 6 to 10, with 6 being good and 10 being outstanding.
By adhering to this protocol, cuppers can systematically evaluate coffee samples, ensuring consistency and reliability in quality assessment. For more detailed information, refer to the SCA’s Coffee Value Assessment standards.