A new Coffee Brewing Control Chart relating sensory properties and consumer liking to brew strength, extraction yield, and brew ratio.

The classic Coffee Brewing Control Chart (BCC) was originally developed in the 1950s. It relates coffee quality to brew strength and extraction yield, and it is still widely used today by coffee industry professionals around the world to provide guidance on the brewing of coffee. Despite its popularity, recent experimental studies have revealed that sensory attributes and consumer preferences actually follow much more complicated trends than those indicated by the classic BCC. Here, we present a methodology to synthesize the results of these recent studies on drip-brewed coffee to generate new versions of the BCC: a new Sensory BCC that displays a broad array of statistically significant sensory attributes across typical total dissolved solids and percent extraction ranges, a new Consumer BCC that highlights the existence of two preference clusters with different likes and dislikes across those ranges, a new Sensory and Consumer BCC that combines both sensory descriptive and consumer preferences on the same chart, and a more streamlined BCC that omits consumer preferences and focuses on the overarching sensory descriptive trends. The new BCCs provide more accurate insight on how best to brew coffee to achieve desired sensory profiles. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Through the manipulation of yield and extraction parameters, the new Sensory and Consumer Coffee Brewing Control Chart presented here can be used by brewers of drip coffee to design coffees with specific sensory profiles and match the preferences of different consumer types.

The Chemistry of Green and Roasted Coffee by Selectable 1D/2D Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry with Spectral Deconvolution.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is a long-standing technique for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When coupled with the Ion Analytics software, GC/MS provides unmatched selectivity in the analysis of complex mixtures and it reduces the reliance on high-resolution chromatography to obtain clean mass spectra. Here, we present an application of spectral deconvolution, with mass spectral subtraction, to identify a wide array of VOCs in green and roasted coffees. Automated sequential, two-dimensional GC-GC/MS of a roasted coffee sample produced the retention index and spectrum of 750 compounds. These initial analytes served as targets for subsequent coffee analysis by GC/MS. The workflow resulted in the quantitation of 511 compounds detected in two different green and roasted coffees. Of these, over 100 compounds serve as candidate differentiators of coffee quality, AAA vs. AA, as designated by the Coopedota cooperative in Costa Rica. Of these, 72 compounds survive the roasting process and can be used to discriminate green coffee quality after roasting.

Effects of brew strength, brew yield, and roast on the sensory quality of drip brewed coffee.

Drip brewed coffee is traditionally quantified in terms of its strength, also known as total dissolved solids (TDS), and its brewing yield, also known as percent extraction (PE). Early work in the 1950s yielded classifications of certain regimes of TDS and PE as "underdeveloped," "bitter," or "ideal," with the modifiers "weak" or "strong" simply correlated with TDS. Although this standard is still widely used today, it omits a rich variety of sensory attributes perceptible in coffee. In this work, we used response surface methodology to evaluate the influence of TDS and PE on the sensory profile of drip brewed coffee. A representative wet-washed Arabica coffee was roasted to three different levels (light, medium, or dark), with each roast then brewed to nine target brews that varied systematically by TDS and PE. Descriptive analysis found that 21 of the 30 evaluated attributes differed significantly across the brews for one or more experimental factors, yielding linear or second-order response surfaces versus TDS and PE. Seven attributes exhibited a significant response surface for all three roast levels tested: burnt wood/ash flavor, citrus flavor, sourness, bitterness, sweetness, thickness, and flavor persistence. An additional seven attributes also showed a significant response surface fit across some but not all roasts. Importantly, sweetness exhibited an inverse correlation with TDS irrespective of roast, while dark chocolate flavor and blueberry flavor decreased with TDS for medium roast. These results provide new insight on how to optimize brewing conditions to achieve desired sensory profiles in drip brewed coffee. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research provides guidance on how best to achieve specific flavor profiles in drip brewed coffee.

Sensory and monosaccharide analysis of drip brew coffee fractions versus brewing time.

BACKGROUND: The composition of drip brew coffee versus brewing time has been chemically characterized in previous studies, and it is known that the total dissolved solids (TDS) systematically decreases with each fraction during the brew. Little information exists regarding the corresponding sensory attributes versus time, however, and it is unclear how TDS correlates with flavor profile. RESULTS: Standard drip brews were fractionated into distinct samples by switching in an empty carafe every 30 s during the brew. Using a trained sensory descriptive panel, we found that most taste and flavor attributes decreased with brew time; for example, the earlier fractions were systematically more bitter and more sour than later fractions. Surprisingly, however, several flavor and taste attributes increased in time; for example, later fractions were systematically sweeter and more floral than earlier fractions. Since later fractions had lower TDS, these results indicate that perceived sweetness in drip brew coffee is negatively correlated with TDS. Mass spectrometry measurements of the monosaccharide content in the brews showed that none of the fractions had perceptible concentrations of any monosaccharide. CONCLUSION: The results of the sensory analysis and the monosaccharide analysis suggest that perceptible sweetness in coffee is a consequence of masking effects and/or the presence of sweet-associated aromas and flavors. The results further suggest that unique flavor profiles could be obtained from the same coffee grounds by judicious combinations of specific fractions. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of Basket Geometry on the Sensory Quality and Consumer Acceptance of Drip Brewed Coffee.

In this work, discrimination tests, descriptive analysis, consumer tests, and total dissolved solids (TDS) were used to evaluate the effects of brew basket geometry on the sensory quality and consumer acceptance of drip brewed coffee. Two basic geometries, semi-conical and flat-bottom, were evaluated in conjunction with coffee roast and particle size. Initial discrimination tests showed that small differences in median particle size were not discernable, but that coffees brewed using either semi-conical or flat-bottom filter baskets were significantly different (P < 0.05, N = 45). Additionally, coffee brewed in the semi-conical basket had significantly higher %TDS, and we estimated a sensory difference threshold of 0.24 %TDS. A subsequent descriptive analysis (DA) showed significant differences by roast for 11 attributes and by grind for six attributes. Although brewing geometry, as a single factor, was only significantly different for three independent attributes (smoke aroma, sweetness, and tobacco flavor), roast × geometry interactions were significant for six attributes (berry flavor, bitterness, burnt wood/ash, citrus flavor, earthy flavor, and sourness) and the grind × geometry interaction was significant for two attributes (bitterness and floral aroma). Attributes showing significant interactions with brewing geometry were also key drivers of consumer liking/disliking. Overall consumer liking (9-point hedonic scale) was analyzed by cluster analysis (N = 85), which revealed four distinct preference clusters. For each cluster, a particular basket geometry and/or roast level showed lesser acceptance. Overall, the results strongly corroborate the hypothesis that basket geometry affects the sensory quality of drip brewed coffee. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Most Americans consume drip brewed coffee. Improving our understanding of the effects of basket geometry, roast level, and grind size on the total dissolved solids, sensory properties, and acceptability of drip brewed coffee gives producers and consumers alike an opportunity to optimize the sensory quality of their coffee.

Chemical Characteristics of Sangiovese Wines from California and Italy of 2016 Vintage.

Sangiovese is the most widespread Italian red cultivar and constitutes the basis of internationally known wines such as Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. Outside of Europe, Argentina is the largest producer, followed by the United States. This study sought to define and compare 2016 vintage Sangiovese wine composition from various production regions in California and Italy. Forty-six commercial Sangiovese wines from California and Italy were analyzed for volatile profile, color, phenolic, and elemental content. This study demonstrates that it is possible to determine regional differences among wines based on these chemical profiles. However, some Californian and Italian wine had similar chemical compositions. In order to compare Californian and Italian wines, Californian wine reference models were developed using the chemical parameters from Sangiovese wines, performing a Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA). To our knowledge, this is the first time that an extensive regionality study has been attempted for Sangiovese wines.

Characterization of Red Wine Proanthocyanidins Using a Putative Proanthocyanidin Database, Amide Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography (HILIC), and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Proanthocyanidins are complex polymers of flavan-3-ol monomers and play a key sensory and health role in foods and beverages. We describe here a novel method for characterizing wine proanthocyanidins using a theoretical database comprised of the chemical formula and exact mass of 996 compounds. The database was constructed using the four primary grape and wine proanthocyanidin monomers: (epi)catechin, (epi)catechin-3-O-gallate, (epi)gallocatechin, and (epi)gallocatechin-3-O-gallate, each combined in all possible combinations up to a polymerization of 10. The database was queried against spectra collected using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHLPC) with a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) column and coupled to a high-resolution accurate mass quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Q-TOF MS). Two wine samples produced with different post fermentation maceration were analyzed using the presented method to demonstrate application for analysis of diverse proanthocyanidins. The first sample was pressed immediately at the end of fermentation when all sugar had been utilized and the second received eight weeks of post fermentation maceration. The HILIC column combined with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry and database matching provided tentative identification of 89 compounds with excellent resolution and without the need for two-dimensional separations. The identified compounds were visualized with Kendrick mass analysis, a simple technique allowing for rapid visualization of which compounds are present in a given sample.

Consumption of diacylglycerol oil as part of a reduced-energy diet enhances loss of body weight and fat in comparison with consumption of a triacylglycerol control oil.

BACKGROUND: Diacylglycerol is a natural component of edible oils that has metabolic characteristics that are distinct from those of triacylglycerol. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the efficacy of an oil containing mainly 1,3-diacylglycerol in reducing body weight and fat mass when incorporated into a reduced-energy diet. DESIGN: The study was a randomized, double-blind, parallel intervention trial that was conducted at an outpatient clinical research center. The subjects (n = 131) were overweight or obese men (waist circumference > or = 90 cm) and women (waist circumference > or = 87 cm). Food products (muffins, crackers, soup, cookies, and granola bars) containing diacylglycerol or triacylglycerol oil and having the same fatty acid composition were incorporated into a reduced-energy diet (2100-3350-kJ/d deficit) for 24 wk. Percentages of change in body weight, fat mass, and intraabdominal fat area were assessed. RESULTS: In an intention-to-treat analysis, body weight and fat mass decreased significantly more in the diacylglycerol group than in the triacylglycerol group (P = 0.025 and 0.037, respectively). By the end of the trial, mean body weight had decreased 3.6% and 2.5% in the diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol groups, respectively. Fat mass decreased 8.3% and 5.6% in the diacylglycerol and triacylglycerol groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Foods containing diacylglycerol oil promoted weight loss and body fat reduction and may be useful as an adjunct to diet therapy in the management of obesity.