Coffee Data Science
Sifted Coffee by Color and Size
Short study using Omni for Coffee Grounds Color
I was curious to use the Omni on sifted coffee to analyze color as I like to make staccato espresso shots. The coffee bean is not homogenous, and I enjoy exploring the different ways to understand this idea.
First, I sifted the coffee using a Fellow Shimmy for < 300 um (it is rated for 200 um, but the hole shape allows for particles up to 300 um to pass), and then I separate the larger particles with a 500 um Kruve sieve.
Particle Distribution
I measured the particle distribution for both unsifted and the three sifted levels.
The distributions were roughly what I expected with some cross-over. This is partially expected considering sifting sorts particles by the minimum cross section of a particle, and particle imaging has the particles laying the flattest possible. They don’t quite line up in measuring particle sizes.
We can also look at the cumulative particle distribution:
In comparing the measurement of all vs the composite of the sifted particles, and this showed an offset. I’m not sure if this is due to smaller particles sticking to larger particles.
Roast Color
I also measured the agtron color of the grounds.
The reading is relative to the average color so I have to do a scatter plot with a line connecting the dots. The finer the particles, the higher the coffee Agtron.
We can look at just the sift levels, which look like there is a shift to lighter colors (higher value) as the particles get smaller.
The coffee bean and the particles it produces are very fascinating to me. I’m not sure what this data will help understand aside from that sifted particles could have different attributes or that they come from different parts of the bean. For me, I see some validation that the sifted layers are different enough to tie into differences in taste.
If you like, follow me on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram where I post videos of espresso shots on different machines and espresso related stuff. You can also find me on LinkedIn. You can also follow me on Medium and Subscribe.
Further readings of mine:
My Second Book: Advanced Espresso
My First Book: Engineering Better Espresso
