Flower Moon
Monday May 12th marks the arrival of the Flower Moon, this month’s full moon. Its name signifies growth, new beginnings, blossoming, transformation and change. We send our monthly newsletter on the full moon to celebrate how we launched, roasting on a coffee roaster wheeled out of our barn in Jamesport, under the full moon.
So how are we growing and blossoming this month? We are working on new light and medium roasts that will launch later this month. We are proactively partnering with new importers to have more diversified access to green coffee beans. We roast in a warehouse where many importers store their coffee, and it’s simply a matter of moving our coffee beans from one loading dock to another within the same building. Which is very convenient! In the process, we’re getting to know our coffee neighbors, improving efficiency and gaining better access to supply. It is a clear reminder that community is around us all the time, and sometimes all we have to do, especially if we’re new in town, is take the leap to introduce ourselves.
Our cold brew has been quite popular in summers, and we discovered an option to increase our production by having it canned. We launched an initial order of 100 cold brew cans that will be ready within the next few weeks. The beans for this project were roasted last week and are currently resting for two weeks before they can go through the canning process.
Lastly, we confirmed our first Seattle-based coffee tasting event. If you’re in the area, please mark your calendars for June 24th at Cafe Feva (link) in Fremont. We share an affinity for dark roast blends with the cafe owner Nicole, who started in the coffee industry at Monorail Espresso - a roastery that we love. The Fremont neighborhood where Cafe Feva is located is also near and dear to our hearts, as both of our children were born at home on the same block as the Fremont Troll.
Green coffee bean storage near our roasting location
Washed vs. Natural Process Coffee Beans
We roast specialty coffee, which loosely means that we source the highest quality green coffee beans available on the global market. More specifically, speciality coffee achieves a score of 80 or higher on the Specialty Coffee Association’s 100 point scale, which relies on Q graders (coffee sommeliers) to score the coffee for attributes like flavor, aroma, acidity and overall balance. We’ll have more conversations about Q grading as Ana will attempt certification at the next opportunity in Seattle, but for now we want to talk about the difference between washed and natural process beans.
As buyers of green coffee beans, one of the attributes we choose from is natural or washed process beans. You can tell the difference by how the beans look. From the beans below, the process type is evident by the white line on the bean on the right. That lighter coloring demonstrates a washed process, meanwhile the naturally processed bean on the left is consistently brown.
What does natural and washed process mean? Coffee beans are actually the pit of coffee fruits, so imagine a red round fruit around the bean. With the natural process, the fruit and bean are dried together, intact. The fruit is then removed from the bean. Meanwhile with the washed process, the fruit is removed from the bean before drying, and the bean is washed clean and then dried.
Ignore the size difference in these beans, they are from different regions with different producers. Their processing type is evident from the white center of the bean on the right.
Why would a producer choose one process over another and why should coffee drinkers care? Naturals have more fruit and fermented flavors since the coffee fruit and bean have more time to interact together. Washed beans are known for their clarity and vibrancy. The true taste of the bean can shine through without interference from the berry, in fact tasting notes of berry (blueberry, strawberry) are less common in washed beans. For coffee producers, another reason to choose one process over another, aside from taste preference, is access to water. Natural process is often used in regions with water scarcity or dry seasons that are well suited to long periods of natural drying. Most Brazilian beans that we encounter utilize natural process.
Things we’re excited about that have nothing to do with coffee
Any bean fans here? In 2022 I received a long awaited notification from Rancho Gordo that I was finally part of their bean club, and it felt like I had joined a secret society. Until then I had been ordering ad hoc from their website, but the club introduced me to a world of beans that I didn’t know I needed. The founder, Steve Sando, writes a newsletter that I look forward to reading like it’s some kind of breaking news. His passion for beans is infectious and I think he’s pretty genius in his ability to get subscribers pumped up about a basic (but delightful!) food item. Every quarter I receive a box of beans that spans their selection of heritage beans, sometimes with a special addition like popcorn or hot sauce. This makes me happy because we now have one fully plant based member of our family, which is a no brainer with all of these beans, plus having high quality beans on hand is always helpful, especially on weeknights when the creative juices aren’t flowing. There’s no need to join the bean club to order Rancho Gordo beans but if you want the full experience here’s the link to join the waiting list (link).
That’s all from us for now! We’ll see you on June 11 for the next full moon, the Strawberry Moon.
Warmly,
Ana and Brett
—
Find our coffee in person on the North Fork at
LUMBER + Salt // Jamesport, NY (full coffee bar)
Lombardi’s Love Lane Market // Mattituck, NY
Sang Lee Farms // Peconic, NY
…or order directly to your doorstep here on our website!
