Diedrich IR5 Analysis by Doris Garrido
As a grandson of a Timor hybrid, there are many things about this Honduran cultivar that I find fascinating. Coming from the Sarchimor family, it inherits traits I deeply appreciate: a high potential for caramelization and a specific herbal personality that gives it immense character.
During my sample roast, I must have blinked (excuses, I know) right after the first crack and ended up with a darker roast than intended. During the cupping, I knew what I had done and prepared myself for a "toasty" cup. Instead, I perceived an herbal bitterness, and I wasn't sure if it was from the extra development or the bean itself. Suddenly, a song popped into my head: "The Girl from Ipanema." I know it's cheesy, but that song reminded me of the Parainema cultivar, and sure it was Honduras Parainema on the label. Behind the toasty finish of my roast sat a lemon acidity and incredible sweetness. With that information in hand, I moved to my first production batch on the Diedrich.
Last year, I helped select a similar coffee from a different producer, and I learned a lot from roasting it. Based on that, I previously looked to caramelize it as I would its "grandpa" Timor. But for this specific roast, I decided to build all my energy during the drying phase to shape its herbal personality. My goal was to reach Maillard quickly so the lemony acidity could shine, while still maintaining the ability to slow down the caramelization process later.
I have been telling my trainees lately: the Diedrich builds extra energy because of the radiant heat from its ceramic panels. This allows you to build energy in specific areas of the roast in a way that differs from other drum roasters. I hope this distinction helps translate my findings to other machines.
In this case, roasting a Parainema Natural, I wanted to build energy during drying to allow for a longer caramelization period. I was careful with the gas at the start because I knew these beans absorb energy quickly. (Grown in Santa Barbara at Finca El Cielito, 1450 masl, with a density of 699 g/L, which I consider a "medium average"). Because the beans are large (like a long Gesha) I was afraid of scorching. I chose to increase the gas in stages, "testing the water" as I added it, ensuring I pushed toward Maillard without over-pressuring the bean.
On the roast, I started with a batch size of 4.5 lbs. and a charge temperature of 411F. Gas adjustments of 70% at 1:00, and 100% at 2:00 minutes. Dropping the burners at 3:30minutes as it was getting hot, ending up killing the burners for a full minute and was a hair’s breadth away from a roast crash. Fortunately, I rode it out well; I just had to be patient and wait for the first crack.
Post development: First crack arrived with a Rate of Rise (RoR) of 19°F/min. This isn't usually too high, but for this coffee, it was. After the crack, the coffee wanted to run, so I dropped the burners again and allowed it to develop for 1:22. Despite a high end-temperature (411°F) and a ground ColorTrack reading of 58.8, I expected to taste toastiness again. Surprisingly, I didn't. I’ve found that Naturals often give higher color readings but taste cleaner than Washed coffees at those same numbers.
In the cup the herbal side showed lemongrass, kale, orange zest, sage, and pink peppercorn. On acidity: Bright green apple, lemonade, mango, and nectarine. Soft caramel, dried fig, and a very buttery finish with milk chocolate on the sweetness.
This is a truly beautiful coffee from Honduras, with an elegant shape and great sweetness. As a bonus, I am gifting every roaster my official soundtrack for roasting Parainemas: 'The Girl from Ipanema' preferably the version in Portuguese.
Feliz Navidad!
