The 1ST CRACK COFFEE CHALLENGE (abbreviated as 1CCC) is a roasting competition that aims to discover and nurture young roasters. The first preliminary challenge given to the 100 participants is to reproduce the same roast as the sample beans given to them by the organizers.

 

It's not just about "roasting coffee that you think is delicious," but about "roasting the coffee to come as close as possible to the model coffee," which tests a roaster's skill and knowledge of beans in a comprehensive manner.

 

Starting in 2023, aroma analysis using gas chromatography will be used to judge the qualifying rounds, with official sponsor Ajinomoto AGF Co., Ltd. being involved in the judging.

 

However, you may be wondering how much you can learn about coffee just by its aroma.

 

So, on June 25th, when all the roasted beans for the preliminary round were ready, we interviewed people from the Ajinomoto AGF Co., Ltd. Research and Development Laboratory. While actually seeing the "gas chromatography" machine, we asked them about the depth of coffee that can be understood from the aroma and the reason why Ajinomoto AGF is sponsoring "1CCC".

──What was the reason that coffee manufacturer Ajinomoto AGF Inc. became an official sponsor of "1CCC" in the first place?

 

Hamanaka: We have been supporting 1CCC since the first event, and the first privilege was to invite the winner to Manabu the factory. I have been involved in 1CCC since the second event, but I myself was in charge of aroma analysis at the company for a while, and I have felt that coffee competitions rely too heavily on the subjective judges' opinions (of course, the judges' evaluations are also important).

 

Therefore, I thought that the competitors should be evaluated in a more objective way, so I spoke to Fukuzawa, the representative of Giessen Japan, about conducting analysis using gas chromatography in the preliminary rounds. Fukuzawa shared the same concerns and was able to sympathize with me.

Yoshiteru Hamana of the Ajinomoto AGF Co., Ltd. Development Research Institute. He has obtained coffee-related qualifications, including SCAA/CQI Q Grader and JCQA Certified Coffee Instructor Level 1.

-- Sasajima and Takahashi, what did you think when you heard from Hamanako that he wanted to conduct aroma analysis at the coffee roasting competition?

 

Takahashi: I felt a sense of responsibility knowing that my results would be used to evaluate the tournament, and that scared me a bit, but I also thought it would be purely interesting.

Mr. Rei Takahashi, Development Research Institute, Ajinomoto AGF Inc.

 

--Until then, you had only used gas chromatography for internal product development and verification.

 

Takahashi: Yes, I had never used it in this way before.

 

Sasajima: From my position as a manager, I was most careful about the fact that we had to approach the results of our aroma analysis with a different mindset than when we use them within the company.

  Yuko Sasajima, Research and Development Research Institute, Ajinomoto AGF Co., Ltd.

--You actually had your first aroma analysis done at the 2023 tournament. What did you think when you saw the results?

 

Sasajima: Since this is a contest to make the flavors closer together, I was worried that the analysis would show differences, but when I analyzed the beans of the 100 participants, the differences clearly showed up on the chart. Some were close, but there were also some who were far apart.

 

For example, if a company specializes in analysis, the job is to provide analytical data, but our job is to analyze our own products. Analyzing the roasted beans of the 1CCC preliminary contestants and having the rankings decided by those numbers is a huge responsibility.

 

Hamanaka: It actually took a long time to get cooperation from within the company.

 

Ajinomoto AGF may have a strong impression of being an instant coffee company. However, we have the technology to analyze and bring out the aroma of coffee, including regular coffee. In my career of more than 10 years working with coffee at Ajinomoto AGF , I thought that by making more use of our company's strengths, we could have an impact on the entire coffee industry, including specialty coffee, and that this competition would definitely be an opportunity to do so. So, based on our strength, aroma analysis, we consulted with Giessen Japan.

 

-- Speaking of aroma analysis, coffee is generally checked by cupping, but what exactly can you find out from it?

 

Takahashi: The procedure for aroma analysis is to first grind the beans of the qualifying contestants under the same conditions and extract the coffee using a measuring flask. The flask is immersed in water and the top layer is scooped out. This is a similar method to general cupping.

 

A gas chromatograph installed at Ajinomoto AGF . In addition to coffee, it is also used to analyze a variety of other foods and beverages.

  The coffee extracted in this way is then placed in a gas chromatography machine. A 30-minute pre-treatment process is carried out to heat the coffee liquid evenly and release the aroma, after which the aroma gas is transferred to an adsorption tube and analyzed.

  The extracted coffee liquid is set in this way

The arm pre-processes each one, keeping the temperature and vibration constant to reproduce the exact same aroma.  

The analysis is completed in about one hour after the adsorption tube containing the aroma is placed in the analyzer. The gas chromatograph operates almost 365 days a year to carry out this task.

 

Because there are 100 preliminary contestants in "1CCC," it will take about a week just to analyze the samples, after which the differences between the samples and the brewed beans will be converted into easy-to-understand indicators and output as a chart.

 

--What can we learn about coffee through aroma analysis?

 

Takahashi: From the data we have accumulated so far, we have been able to see things like, "When these values ​​are high, there is this tendency." The roasting method, the variety of beans, and the place of origin all have a significant impact on the aroma.

 

I have never collected data on the difference in aroma depending on the roaster, but for example, the amount of air that comes into contact with the beans differs between a roaster that mainly uses conductive heat and a roaster that mainly uses hot air, so the aroma tendencies may be different.

 

Sasajima: I think it would be interesting if we could infer the roasting method from the aroma characteristics of samples taken from the same beans roasted by different roasters, like with 1CCC.

On the day of the interview, the roasted beans from the qualifying contestants had already arrived.

 

--Can we say that these differences on the chart are related to differences in the "taste" of the coffee when we drink it?

 

Hamanaka: Yes, coffee is mostly about its aroma. For example, if you pinch your nose and drink roasted green tea and coffee, it's hard to tell the difference. That's how much the aroma influences the drink.

 

--In other words, aroma analysis is not based on what a person feels, but is an objective analysis of the components of the scent. Conversely, are there any things that cannot be determined through aroma analysis?

 

Sasajima: Even with this device, we cannot analyze all the components of the coffee aroma. Therefore, there are still many components that we do not know what is linked to the aroma of the coffee.

 

--We now understand that aroma analysis can reveal a lot about coffee. How does Ajinomoto AGF actually use aroma analysis in product development?

 

Hamanaka: In terms of applying this to product development, it is essential to "create hypotheses."

 

Let's say you want to make something more delicious, and after analyzing various data, you notice that "customers will like it more if you increase the amount of ingredient A." To find out that data, you first need aroma analysis data, otherwise you won't be able to compare it with customer preference data. Aroma analysis is essential for forming such hypotheses.

 

Sasajima: Roasting is Manabu reaction. When heat is applied to the raw coffee beans, the components react and change into various components. This process cannot be seen with the naked eye, but the results can be seen by aroma analysis, so I think it can be used to quantify the state of the Manabu reaction.

 

--By analyzing the aroma, you can look back on why something turned out the way it did, not just based on intuition, but in numerical terms. If that's the case, it could lead to a review of roasting techniques and methods.

 

Hamanaka: That's right. You can also experiment with temperature control while looking at the results of aroma analysis, and when you buy a new roaster, you can create a profile based on data rather than just intuition.

 

Sasajima: Even if the profile is the same, the aroma will be different if the moisture content of the original beans is different. By looking at such Manabu reactions as data, I think we can feed them back into roasting techniques.

 

──Everyone who participates in "1CCC" is notified of the results of their analysis, right?

 

Hamanaka: That's right. The subject sample beans are at the center, and you can see in the form of a chart how far the participants' roasted beans deviated from them. However, the ingredients that are used to judge these items are our trade secrets and know-how.

 

--What was the reaction from the roasters who participated last year?

 

Hamanaka: I was relieved that there were no negative reactions. However, I had the impression that people just looked at the chart and thought, "Oh, I see."

 

For example, if the chart showed that the coffee was "slightly fruity," we felt it was difficult to reconcile the participant's sense with the chart's value. It may not have been the case that seeing the chart helped the participant improve their roasting.

 

An example of a chart for the 2023 competition. The difference with the designated beans is clear. A higher number is not necessarily better, but the purpose of the competition is to see how close the beans are to the designated beans.

 

Sasajima: I don't think roasters have many opportunities to come into contact with this kind Manabu analysis, so I would like to continue doing it this way and make improvements in the future.

 

At the same time, I felt the need to raise awareness that roasting and Manabu ingredients are inseparable.

 

Also, I felt that I should ask those who didn't get very close results how they felt the differences, because I think that those with similar values ​​on the chart are people who can match the roast as a basic skill.

 

However, the results of this chart do not take into account whether the coffee is delicious or not. Therefore, it does not mean that the coffee is not delicious because it is far from the chart.

 

--The fact that the quality of an aroma analysis chart and the impression you get when you actually drink it can sometimes be quite different is one of the fascinating things about coffee and roasting.

 

──Another aspect of this competition that Ajinomoto AGF is involved in is that the finalists are given the task of "creating an original drink recipe using instant coffee." What was the reason for choosing "instant coffee" for a roaster competition?

 

Hamana: For Ajinomoto AGF , we believe that instant coffee is an important category that can only be delivered to our customers. There are very few companies that can manufacture instant coffee, and we take pride in that.

 

The theme of the final presentation of this competition was "What we can do as roasters for sustainable coffee," and instant coffee made with advanced extraction technology can be said to be a sustainable food because fewer beans are used per cup compared to regular coffee (Suspa). It also has the advantage of being affordable (Cospa), being able to be brewed in less time (Taipa), and being easy to prepare as it dissolves easily in cold water or milk.

 

The coffee industry is facing the 2050 problem (a problem where coffee-growing land is expected to decrease by 50% due to global warming), and the way instant coffee is made also needs to be updated. As a company and in the coffee industry, we believe that we should maximize the potential of instant coffee.

 

At that time, we wanted young roasters who participate in "1CCC" to think about instant coffee together with us, so we included it as one of the topics (= themes we wanted to think about together with the participants).

 

--The assignment was simply to submit the recipe, but it would be nice to have the opportunity to taste the recipe as well.

 

Hamanaka: That's right. We are still in the process of discussing this with Giessen Japan, but we would like to have some of the recipes we receive be available for visitors to try at the finals, and we would also like to present a special award for the recipes.

 

Also, some roasters have said they want to make instant coffee. There are companies overseas that can make instant coffee for individuals, but it is difficult for Ajinomoto AGF to do so.

 

However, we don't know what the market will be like in the future, and if young people aspiring to work in the coffee industry say they have never tried instant coffee or served drinks, there will be no discussion. In the United States, a roaster cafe called "Intelligentsia" offers a menu using instant coffee. First of all, we would like everyone to try it, touch it, and then we would like to hear their opinions and communicate with them.

  At the 2023 tournament, drinks from the finalists were served to visitors.

 

--That's a dream come true. By the way, will instant coffee eventually catch up with so-called regular coffee?

 

Hamanaka: Instant coffee is also made from 100% coffee beans. Using know-how accumulated over the years, it is possible to bring out the aromas unique to the roasting and region of origin, and the product " A Little Luxurious Coffee Shop® EVERBLACK® " is actually packed with various techniques, so I would definitely recommend trying it. (Personally, I recommend Ethiopia.)

 

──Finally, on July 26th, the six finalists of "1CCC 2024" will be announced based on the aroma analysis by Ajinomoto AGF and the cupping evaluation by the judges. Please tell us what Ajinomoto AGF expects from "1CCC".

 

Hamanaka: My goal is to make 1CCC a tournament for the best rosters in the world. I want to make it more mainstream.

 

Sponsoring the competition will increase our company's value, but more than anything, we want to contribute to the development of the roasting community by being involved in this competition.

 

I believe that the growth of 1CCC will lead to the development of coffee, and I hope that it will become the biggest roasting competition in Japan.

1CCC 2024

https://giesen.co.jp/products/1ccc2024

 

Four departments that pursue "Deliciousness of Manabu "

| Ajinomoto AGF Inc.

https://agf.ajinomoto.co.jp/enjoy/randd/born/department_main.html