Coffee is a delicious and most popular beverage in the world. People developed a unified evaluation system to assess coffee qualities and score points according to specific criteria. Samples of both green and roasted coffee are evaluated. There is a system called Q-grading, where Q means the quality of coffee.
Who Is A Q-Grader?
This person is a professional who determines the quality of coffee to taste. Drawing an analogy with the wine industry, the Q-grader is a coffee sommelier.
How To Become A Q-Grader?
To receive Q-grader status, you must take a unique six-day course. It consists of two parts: the first three days are seminars and practice, the other three days are continuous exams. The course is designed for people with a coffee experience and is not suitable for beginners.
The course aims to teach participants to evaluate coffee objectively, without personal preferences, according to specific parameters:
- Dry/wet aroma
- Quality and intensity of acidity
- Taste & aftertaste
- Balance
- Defects
- General impression
To do this, participants conduct capping and triangulation, develop sensory skills, analyze the quality of green and roasted beans, and complete general knowledge about coffee. To confirm the status of the Q-grader, participants pass 20 exams, including the final theoretical exam, and get an international certificate.
Why Do Companies Need Q-Graders?
The Q-grader is responsible for the range of coffee, the choice of grain at the supplier. Globally, the role of the Q-grader is to give feedback to the farmer. The specialist clarifies which tastes are qualitative characteristics and which flavors are not desirable for the industry. Accordingly, the farmer can change his approach to coffee, knowing what parameters are highly valued in the consumer’s country.