Thanks to everyone who played this week’s Humpday Giveaway contest with a chance to win this awesome hand grinder from Hario thanks to the awesome folks at Prima Coffee Equipment!
We had loads of responses to this week’s question, but it was a pretty tricky one, and we were left with only handful of correct answers.
The question was: At higher altitudes in coffee-growing regions, temperatures drop significantly at night. What effect does this have on the coffee cherry?
We directed you to the the column in the June + July 2013 issue of Barista Magazine from the Colombian Coffee Hub for the answer.
The column is about the effects of altitude and temperature on coffee growing, and though it’s true that at extreme high altitudes coffee plants can suffer with less production, an increase of energy going to leaves, and fewer cherries, that wasn’t really the answer we were looking for. And also, though rust has been discovered at higher altitudes lately (and it’s part of the reason that the most recent outbreaks have been so devastating) that’s because of an increase in temperature at altitude not a decrease.
High altitude coffees have always been associated with high quality coffees, and there’s a reason for that. The money quote from the column is here: “At higher altitudes there are considerable temperature drops at night. This condition makes the coffee tree produce more sugars, which are stored at the cherries, and allows the tree to protect itself. Hence, altitude coffees tend to be sweeter and more acidic.”
So the answer we were looking for is: The coffee cherries tend to be sweeter and more acidic.
We put all the names of everyone who submitted the correct answer in the hat mug and pulled out the winner’s name.
Congratulations: Ray Munoz! We hope you enjoy your Hario Mini Mill Slim from Prima Coffee Equipment!
Thank you to everyone who played, and if you didn’t win this week, don’t worry! Wednesday’s only a week away when we’ll be back with another round of Humpday Giveaway!
