SCA Barista flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Brew ratio

The ratio of dry coffee dose to brewed beverage mass or volume. A 1:2 espresso ratio means 18 g of coffee yields 36 g of espresso.

Extraction yield formula

Extraction yield equals TDS of the brewed coffee times beverage mass, divided by dry coffee mass, expressed as a percentage.

Espresso pump pressure

Conventional espresso extraction pressure is 9 bar at the group head, achieved by the pump and regulated by the brew circuit.

Grind and extraction rate

Finer grind increases surface area and slows water flow, raising extraction rate; coarser grind lowers it by reducing surface area and speeding flow.

Microfoam texturing

Microfoam is made by introducing air near the milk surface, then submerging the tip to create a rolling vortex that incorporates fine bubbles, targeting 60-65 °C.

Immersion versus percolation

Immersion brewing steeps coffee fully in water (French press), while percolation passes water through a bed (pour-over). Immersion typically requires a coarser grind.

Tamping purpose

Tamping compresses and levels the espresso puck to reduce channeling and create an even resistance to water flow across the bed.

Drip brew temperature

SCA brewing guidance specifies water between 92 and 96 °C (195 to 205 °F) at the point of contact with coffee for drip brewing.

Channeling

Channeling is uneven water flow through weak points in the espresso puck, causing localized over-extraction and overall under-extraction of the rest.

Coffee pulp byproduct

Pulp and mucilage removed during processing are major wet-mill waste streams; they can be composted or processed into cascara rather than discarded.

Eco-pulper water savings

Eco-pulpers use mechanical demucilagination to sharply reduce the liters of water needed per kilogram of green coffee compared with conventional washed processing.

Shade-grown coffee

Coffee grown under a canopy supports biodiversity and can reduce synthetic inputs, though it does not automatically deliver higher yields than full-sun systems.

Spent grounds composting

Spent coffee grounds are acidic organic matter that can be composted or used as a soil amendment once pH is balanced with other materials.

Certification versus direct trade

Certification schemes audit producers against defined standards, while direct trade describes a sourcing relationship between buyer and producer without necessarily involving an audit.

Espresso machine idle energy

Boiler heating dominates espresso machine energy use; insulating boilers and using timers to cut idle heating reduce total energy consumption.

Reusable cup footprint

Reusable cups reduce single-use waste, but the net carbon benefit depends on how many times the cup is reused versus its production footprint.

Water filtration purpose

Carbon filtration and softening remove chlorine, odors, and hardness that cause scale and corrosion, protecting equipment and stabilizing flavor.

Backflushing

Backflushing forces water (and periodically detergent) backward through the group to clear coffee oils and residue from the shower screen and valve.

Burr wear

Grinder burrs dull with use; flat burrs commonly need replacement after roughly 500 to 1000 kg of coffee depending on bean hardness.

Descaling

Descaling removes mineral scale from boilers and brewers using an appropriate acid descaler, restoring heat transfer and flow that scale impairs.

Group head gasket

The group head gasket seals the portafilter against the group; it must be replaced when it hardens, cracks, or leaks during extraction.

Steam wand hygiene

Steam wand tips must be purged and wiped after each use so milk residue does not clog the steam holes and harbor bacteria.

Grinder chute cleaning

Cleaning hoppers and chutes prevents oil buildup and stale residue that can taint flavor and impede consistent dosing.

SCA cupping dose

The SCA cupping protocol uses 8.25 g of coffee per 150 mL of water, with water at 93 °C, for a standardized sensory comparison.

Specialty grade threshold

Specialty coffee is defined as scoring 80 points or above on the 100-point SCA cupping scale, with no Category 1 defects.

Cupping attributes

The SCA scale scores fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, uniformity, clean cup, sweetness, and overall impression.

Green coffee defects

Full defects counted per 300 g green sample classify coffee quality; specialty grade typically permits zero Category 1 defects.

Refractometer use

A refractometer measures TDS of brewed coffee, which combined with brew ratio yields extraction percentage for quality control.

Cupping evaluation order

Evaluate dry fragrance first, then wet aroma after adding water, then flavor and aftertaste as the cup cools to capture changing attributes.

Cupping acidity meaning

In cupping, acidity describes a bright, lively, desirable quality scored for intensity and quality, not a measured pH value.

Cupping uniformity score

Uniformity scores consistency across the multiple cups of the same sample; identical cups score full points, while differing cups lose points.