Author Archives: Bean Belt Coffees

Explaining Specialty Coffee Scoring

The SCA scoring protocol was created in 1982 to differentiate specialty from commercial (conventional) coffee. The assessment is 0-100 points and specialty coffees are above 80 points. The cupping session: it’s recommended that we prepare 6-9 cups of the same “sample-lot” to evaluate the coffees properly. The session takes approximately 45 minutes from when the […]

Types of Roast

The coffee bean goes through several stages until it becomes the drink that everyone knows. One of these steps is called “roasting,” which is the fundamental burning process to acquire the specific characteristics of the drink. It is responsible for determining many of the coffee’s characteristics, such as acidity, body, balance and final flavor. At […]

Coffee from capixaba mountains wins geographical indication

Specialty coffees in Espírito Santo (ES), Brazil, have been granted a Geographical Indication by the Capixaba Institute for Research, Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (Incaper). This classification encompasses products or services that have a determined origin and qualities linked to their origin, be it their “know-how,” history, culture or natural factors. The “Espírito Santo Mountain […]

Discover the life story of Ciro Sousa, from the Chapadão farm

At the Chapadão farm, the entire process is carried out with the family. Ciro Sousa, 70 years old, is the producer in charge. He runs the business alongside his wife Maísa and their two children: Gustavo and Rodrigo. Ciro says that his family has always been of farm owners as well as stock raisers. His […]

The rampant rise of sea freight prices is about to reach consumers

Currently, more than 80% of international trade is done by ships and sea freight costs directly affect the price of different types of goods, such as coffee, rice, sugar, auto parts, furniture and toys, among others. In 2021 these costs have risen 547% over the last five years’ average and such increases might soon hurt […]

Coffee harvest shows advancements, but climate interferes in the production

The climate was not very favorable for coffee production in 2020. Besides having a long period without rain, the beginning of flowering — which normally starts in September — went through very high temperatures. Such conditions usually compromise the quality of the grains produced, leading the leaves to burn and turning them yellow. Fruits might […]

Learn about the story of Diogo Tudela, from the Castelhana farm

The story of the Tudela family with coffee began in the mid-70s with two brothers (Diogo Tudela’s father and uncle), in Paraná, a state in the south of Brazil. They started with a small 100-hectare coffee farm. However, after they faced a heavy frost, the brothers decided to sell the farm and go to the […]

Learn about the life story of Clayton Mapelli, from the Nascentes da Grama farm.

To share Clayton’s story, we first need to tell the story of the Mapelli family. It started back in 1888, when three Italians came to Brazil by ship and arrived at the Port of Santos (São Paulo) on November 14, 1888. One of them was Luigi Mapelli, Clayton’s great-grandfather. During his first month in Brazil, […]

Controlled Fermentation Process

The coffee fermentation process can take place in two ways: aerobic, with the presence of oxygen, and anaerobic, without the presence of oxygen. The anaerobic process produces more homogeneous results and is easier to be controlled (temperature monitoring, pH, alcohol, etc.), since they are carried out in closed containers. As the market increasingly seeks for […]

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