Coffee Chemistry
10 October 2007Most college students depend on caffeine to get through grueling hours of studies and early classes. Coffee seems to be the caffeinated beverage of choice so when I saw the article titled “Tweaking Coffee’s Flavor Chemistry” in the September 17th issue of Chemical and Engineering News, I thought it would be a perfect topic for my new series of what I have decided to call “practical science” articles.
The article discusses how the flavor of coffee actually “works” and how scientists are working to make coffee taste even better. The roasting process of green coffee beans is what gives coffee its flavor. Slight variations in roasting temperature and time changes the aroma and the ratio of bitter and acid flavor. There are over 1000 volatile (something that can readily be vaporized) compounds in coffee, all of which contribute to its complex flavor. 40 of these compounds alone contribute to coffee’s aroma. All of the flavor and aroma compounds come from many chemical reactions that occur during the roasting process. One of the most important flavors in coffee is its bitterness. Many believe this comes from the caffeine, but it actually comes two other groups of components as there is not enough caffeine for its bitterness to be detectable. The more the coffee is roasted, the more bitter these compounds become as the heat causes them to undergo chemical reactions. These compounds could help coffee roasters to more precisely control the roasting process. Currently, most go by the color of the beans, but monitoring these compounds analytically could allow this more precise control to be established.
The chemistry does not end at the roasting process. While coffee lasts several months once it is roasted, ground coffee only stays fresh for two weeks. Once it is brewed, coffee changes flavor very rapidly (changes start within a few minutes). The longer brewed coffee is kept hot, the more the aroma degrades and the more acidic it becomes. This is one reason why bottled, canned, and liquid coffee concentrate do not have a strong aroma.
If you want to know more about the specific chemistry, leave me a comment and either I can explain it or email you a link to the article (the only way to get access to the article if you are not a subscriber to the magazine).
Recently
New Design
30 September 2007If you visited in the past few days, you probably noticed my brand new design. My friend, the talented Sara White of Pixeltree Design, visiualized and executed this great new look. If you are looking for a great website or design and want great work at a competitive price, I highly recommend Pixeltree Design.
In other news, the design has inspired me to take this blog in a new direction. Since I am so busy with all my school work and related activities, I have not been able to post as much as I would like. To make up for this, when I do post, I hope to provide interesting content related to science that can be understood by the masses. I feel that the field of science has an artificial barrier between scientists and everyone else. Many people I talk to who “hate” science had a bad experience with the subject at some point in there education (usually chemistry - my specalty). I feel that since science is so integral in everyones life (gasp…this may come as a surprise to some), there should be more scientists who share their love of science with the masses. I hope to do this in a way that makes it interesting for everyone and shows how the field is applicable to daily life.
A New Year
09 September 2007I’d like to start off with an apology to my readers. After moving back to school and starting classes two weeks ago, things just got really hectic. I think I have everything under control now and I’m all settled into my routine, so I hopefully will be able to make regular posts again.
Even though I have only had two weeks of class, I already have tons of work to do. My first exam is in two weeks, and I have already had some projects due. This semester I’m taking Organic Chemistry I, Matrices, C++ for Engineers, American History to 1877, and Cinema Art as well as working 6+ hours a week in my research lab. The only class that seems like it will be difficult is chemistry, but it should be doable with a lot of hard work. All of my classes are interesting so far, but I’m really loving chemistry. Not only are my classes good, but I love my new dorm room. Yes I know that sounds weird…but it’s true. I am living with two of my friends I met last year and our room a living area, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen (without a stove). We got the room through sheer luck; housing made a mistake in our first assignment so they gave us a suite they were not planning on filling this year. Apparently they are going to rennovate the room for a staff apartment next year. I think I’m in for a good semester (and year)!