At first this may seem to be a "Err duh!" question, but I am talking from start to finish. From when it start out from being a seed, to all the way to the end product. What is involved business wise in making coffee?
Best answer:
Answer by Muse
Watch Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. He has an epidsode of it, on the discovery channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA9SMWb4bJM
Here's a little taste of it.
Its really interesting.
If you want to watch the whole thing you could probably find it at your local block buster.
: -)
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Starting with the germination of the seed to a tree is about 4 to 5 years before a crop is gathered. The bush flowers and produces coffee cherries which will turn red (orange or yellow, depending on variety) when they are ripe. These are usually hand pick (however some have machines that do the picking) then processed. The process can be either with water or by air processed to remove the outer covering. This usually produces 2 'seeds' that are then cleaned then dried. These seeds are then bagged and delivered to a coop or a middleman who brokers the bags to a buyer. After the sale, the buyers transport the bags to a warehouse or to a roaster. Warehoused coffees can be sold to small roasters or retailers. The Beans are roasted either by companies or individuals, then allowed to rest for a period of time, from hours for commercial to a few days by knowledgable roasters. The commercial stuff is shipped to warehouses or other outlets to be stocked on a shelf. Small roaster usually sell their stuff to end users (the consumer). WHen an individual like myself buys the green beans from a retailers (my favorite is linked below) I usually get the product via UPS or USPS. I roast just the amount I will be using for a weeks time and allow it to rest a couple of days. I then grind the beans just before my water reaches a boil and then place 7 grams of ground coffee beans for each 6 ounces of water I will use into a filter cone and pour the hot water over it, catching the resulting brown liquid gold in my cup.
ReplyDeleteFor commercial coffee the process is usually, Scoop out a few tablespoons of old coffee grounds into a basket. Place the basket in a Chinese built water contrivence, turn on the power and allow the tepid water to drip through the grounds. Then pour this sludge into your cup and guzzle before the taste has a chance to 'bloom', all the time thinking, "Why can't I get a good cup of coffee?"