For this fortnight's exclusive Fresh Crop content, Jonathan shares his recipes for brewing our latest coffee, the washed process Colombia Auricel Conde (which also happens to be endorsed by our Good Coffee Doing Good program!).
First off, from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of (Colombian Producer) Auricel, Padre Coffee and Cofinet, I want to thank you – yes, you, the legend reading this – for engaging with, supporting, and appreciating good coffee which is sustainably sourced.
It is through your demand through which we can supply exciting coffees that so drastically improve the livelihoods of producers in my (other) home country and all over the world.
To me, this coffee perfectly represents the reason why we do what we do, why all of us in the supply chain get out of bed each day and work hard to bring you an exceptional cup of coffee: it tastes good, and it does good.
Even though the Quindio region is renowned in the world for the quality of its coffee – coming from an altitude of 1800-2000 masl in Auricel’s case – it’s in fact, geographically speaking, a very tough place for agriculture.
The region is part of the “Coffee Cultural Landscape” which was inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2011 as it constitutes an example of human adaptation to harsh geography, a feat only possible through a culture of hard work, and the generational efforts of entire families.
But even the hardest worker such as Auricel has to face the also harsh environment of the market, where small producers with low leverage generally struggle sell their produce at a profit.
Producer Auricel Conde at his farm La Primavera
In this landscape, Cofinet’s efforts to educate, train, and support small farmers like Auricel are nothing short of a blessing and a noble cause. Through their internship program, producers gain the skills and knowledge needed to grow and produce excellent coffee, which in turn empowers their industry and bolsters their livelihood.
Auricel's story is a perfect example of this. He came from humble beginnings - casually labouring and coffee picking - and now produces some delicious coffees.
Auricel Conde and his current fermentation tank
Auricel’s offerings, too, are as wholesome as is his story, and I’m excited to share this cup with you.
Vibrant and clean, incredibly juicy, sweet, complex and multi-faceted, this is a coffee that will bring you a delicious, evolving experience as it ages both in the bag as it degasses, and in the cup as it cools down.
On filter, an irresistibly juicy body with strong notes of cherry, bright apple acidity and a smooth, brown sugar balanced sweetness. A week after roast, and once it cooled down a touch, I got bucketloads of blackberry in this cup. I’m telling you, I could not stop drinking this.
On espresso, (oh boy the espresso…), it was a totally different game, it really reminded me of the Timor-Leste coffee we had on our menu a few months back. Think rich, syrupy mouthfeel, remarkably spicy with notes of black tea and hints of aniseed, and a juicy, well balanced stewed fruit finish.
But hey, please don’t take my word for it – try it for yourself!
I’ve chosen the humble V60 as my filter method, paired with my trusty Porlex Grinder, of which I highly recommend.
This is a simple yet efficient, tried-and-true method for anyone who enjoys filter at home without needing to break the bank, and is what I use for my own set up.
FILTER RECIPE
Equipment
Hario V60 2 Cup Cone
2 Cup Filter Paper
Porlex Tall Hand Grinder MKII
Fellow Stagg EKG Kettle
Scale with a timer
Wooden stirrer
Your favourite server/drinking vessel
18g of coffee ground medium (6 clicks off on the Porlex)
300ml of filtered water at 94°C
Note: this is a 1:16.67 ratio, if you want to make more coffee, just follow this ratio.
Preparation
Heat up your filtered water up to 94°C, or let boil and set aside for a minute.
Meanwhile get your filter paper, fold it and place it on the cone. Place the cone on your decanting vessel of choice, and generously rinse paper with hot water. This ensures that your coffee doesn’t taste like paper while it also preheats your vessel.
On your Porlex grinder, tighten up the bolt all the way and unscrew it 6 times for a medium grind.
Measure your 18g of coffee, grind them and feel the burn in your arms while you question how long it can take to grind a mere 18g of coffee. Struggling with your manual grinder is an essential part of this recipe as the brew tastes much better the harder you have to grind for it.
Once you have your grounds, place them in the cone, and form a small dip right in the middle, either with an utensil or with your fingers, to ensure that all the coffee gets soaked during bloom.
Don’t forget to tip out the paper water if you haven’t yet. I know I’m guilty of forgetting to do it but hey, you live and learn.
Set all this up on your scale, tare it off and ready up your timer.
Now you’re ready to rumble.
Method
00:00
Aim for that hole you made in the ground coffee, start the timer, and gently pour 40g of water in a circling motion to ensure all your coffee is wet. This step is called the 'bloom', and it’s incredibly important because it allows the coffee to de-gas, so that this gas doesn’t get in the way of the water trying to do its job in extraction.
00:30
At 30 or so seconds, start pouring again, gently and in circles, taking around 30 seconds to pour up to 180ml, or 60% of your final yield. I say 30 or so seconds to bloom because as coffee beans age, these same gasses are also released, so the older the beans get, the less you have to bloom. For roasts that are only a few days old, make sure you bloom for around 40-45 seconds.
01:15
Gently pour the rest of your water and aim to reach 300ml before the timer hits 2mins.
3:05
Once all water has dripped through, you’re all done!
I would recommend taking your time to enjoy this brew, and only decant small sips at a time as it cools down. Give your cup a good swirl so that it covers the walls of the cup. Take notice of the juicy cherry aromas, and firmly but tastefully slurp it in so that it covets your tongue in its all its glory.
Or really just drink it however you most enjoy.
DOMESTIC ESPRESSO RECIPE
The Breville Bambino plus (and Breville Smart Grinder Pro) was my choice for domestic espresso; I continue to be impressed time and again with its ease of use and the fantastic quality of its brews.
Grind size: Fine - 4 on the Breville Smart Grinder Pro
This one is fantastic drunk black and super smooth with milk.
Note: As this recipe was developed on a Breville Bambino Plus home espresso machine, please use this as a guide to aid in achieving your desired flavour preference. If you are unable to reproduce the exact result on your home machine, don’t panic, an alternative is to simply adjust your recipe using the ratio, so it works best for your set up.
We’ll be donating $1 from every 250g of this coffee sold. The donation is proportional for 500g ($2) and 1kg ($4) volumes. We are hoping to raise A$5,000.00, which will cover the cost of materials; Cofinet is generously donating their time and labour to construct the fermentation tank for Auricel. We’ll be sharing updates on the project as they come to hand.
Learn more about Good Coffee Doing Good here!
Padre Coffee acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continued connections to land, sea and community.
We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
