In the Grinder - Our Daily Coffee Weblog

Perla Negra

Ever hear of a Brix Meter?  We think this is pretty cool!

This is Francisca Chacon, an organic coffee farmer from Las Lajas in Costa Rica.  We have 20 bags of her exquisite coffee Perla Negra P2430.  She is holding in her hand a Brix meter, a refractometer that measures sugar levels in degrees Brix.  What is Brix you ask?  It is the degrees in a measurement used to determine the mass ratio of dissolved sugar to water in liquid.    

Brix meters are used in the wine industry for measuring the approximate amounts of sugars in grapes to determine ripeness but Francesca is using it on coffee cherries that come in fully ripe.  Those with more than 20 degrees Brix are set aside to be processed as “Natural” coffees on a raised bed, is that cool or what?  A Brix meter can be used to determine sugars in everyday foods too. As a point of reference the Brix levels for other fruits are as follows:  Apple-14, Lemon-12 and Passion Fruit-18.

This drying technique requires a famer with the devotion and passion to create something exceptional with her own hands from her own land. A farmer willing to innovate with their own time energy and faith to create the best coffee they can.  This type of person is exactly who Francisca is. For this we salute you Francisca.

These natural Costa Ricans are extremely fruity, like Fruity Pebbles. They have a little bit of Cinnamon, a full rich chocolate body and wininess in the cup. I can only imagine what a roaster could do with this and what it might produce in an Espresso.  I think it is very exciting.

Best Regards,

Andrew