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odors such petroleum, rubber or gasoline that could have been picked up during shipment. The last step before grading the sample is to measure the retention on a traditional-holed grading screen shaker. According to the SCAA Standard Classification Method, there should be no more than a five-percent variance from the contracted specification. As you gather these data points, be sure to record them meticulously. Continue by setting out 350 grams of green coffee on your mat. It is best to narrow your field of evaluation by dragging just a small palm full of beans into an adjacent section of your mat. Begin inspecting, being careful to turn the coffee and investigate carefully as you move the majority of beans into a 'clean' pile. Beans that raise question should be set aside and compared directly with descriptions and pictures for the defects listed in the Handbook. Continue working until you have worked through the entire sample. There are 16 total defects as defined by the SCAA and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). Six of these defects are designated as primary, while 10 are designated as secondary. Primary defects represent a more severe threat to cup quality. Each defect is profiled in the Handbook with its name in English and in Spanish, SCAA classification, effect on cup quality, other issues, causes, remedies, a picture, and physical description. For example see the pages included in the Handbook for Full Black/Partial Black below: FULL BLACK/PARTIAL BLACK Defect Name: Other Names: Spanish Name: Full Black Black or partial black Grano Negro - parcial negro SCAA Classification: Full Black is a Primary defect: 1 predominantly black bean = 1 full defect Partial Black is a Secondary defect: Less than ½ black, 3 beans = 1 full defect Effect on Cup Quality: Varies. Ferment or stinker taste, dirty, moldy, sour, phenolic taste. Other issues: Cause(s): Remedies: Ochratoxin risk Agricultural. Blackening, results from over fermented pigment associated with micro-organisms. 1) AGRICULTURAL. Black beans are prevented by picking only ripe fruit from the trees, and avoid over-fermentation conditions during farm processing. 2) PROCESSING. Black beans become apparent when the parchment (pergamino) is removed. They are usually slightly smaller and less dense and some of them can be removed by screening and by density sorting. The most effective way to remove them is manually (hand sorting) or mechanically using a color sorting machine. For Evaluating Green Coffee according to the SCAA Standard Classification Method: Necessary Tools • SCAA Arabica Green Coffee Defect Handbook (avail. scaa.org) • SCAA Green Grading Mats (avail. scaa.org) • SCAA Green Grading Form (avail. scaa.org) • Quiet environment; free of interruptions and foreign odors • Moisture meter Suggested • Full spectrum lighting • Classi⇒ cation aid to organize defective beans by type Once you have completed the sample and confirmed defective beans with the handbook, it is time to complete the SCAA Green Grading Form. The first step is to transfer the actual defect count from your mat or classification aid to the left-most column on the right side of the form. Because not all green coffee defects are equal and pose varying levels of threat to final cup quality, there are full defect equivalents for every primary and secondary defect. These are listed clearly not only on page two of the Handbook, but also on each defect's profile and on the grading mat. Let's use Full Black/ Partial Black as an example: Due to its severe effect on the cup, a full black is a primary defect. Furthermore, its full defect equivalent is one, meaning one single full black will carry over as one full black defect in our final count. A partial black, covering fifty percent or less of the bean's surface, is less threatening. To account for this disparity, a partial black is not only a secondary defect, but requires three defective beans to amount to one full defect equivalent. If you have three partial blacks on your classification aid, then you would mark one full defect equivalent in the right most column of your grading form. SCAA Arabica Green Coffee Defect Handbook 4 When carrying over full defect equivalents, there is no Excerpt used with permission from the SCAA Arabica Green Coffee Defect Handbook. Photos by Steven Diaz. Full Handbook available at scaa.org/store. Continue sorting through your 'questionable' pile by using these profile pages for each type of defect. Are you finding examples of what you see on your mat in the Handbook? If so, place the defective bean in the respective section on your classification aid. If not, it is not a defect— pass it through to the clean pile! As you get started grading, you will find that the majority of beans you suspect as being defective are actually not. It is this restraint and ability to isolate and identify true examples of agricultural and processing defects that marks well-seasoned graders. It is important to remember that the Handbook was developed for use as a companion to grading, making it easier to learn best practices and providing ongoing accountability and support for developing graders. It is vital also to remember that according to the SCAA Green Grading Protocol, if what you are finding in your sample is not in the Handbook, it is not a defect! Above all, it is essential that you are sober in how you approach grading and cupping. The decisions made by a Licensed Q Grader on the grading and cupping forms can affect the value of a farmer's coffee for better or worse. Graders working in the supply chain may cause claims to be brought against contract terms—the stakes are high! 74 barista magazine At Coffee Solutions we offer classes for students of all experience levels focusing on fundamental and advanced techniques for espresso preparation, manual brewing methods, roasting, and cupping. Let us help you experience success in the coffee industry by learning the basics and mastering the fundamentals! Group and private sessions are available. Now offering the Q-Grader certification exam Training Partner for Probat North America A member of the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe 508-422-9233 info@coffeesolutions.net www.coffeesolutions.net twitter: Coffeesolutions Creating Success in the Coffee Industry Want Confidence? Learn the Trade.