Sensory foundation

Alberto Polojac
 Course content
- Sensory analysis
- Physiology
- Basic tastes and aromas
- Cupping
 What is sensory analysis?

Scientific discipline that studies descriptions of sensations

perceived by human beings
 Objectives in sensory analysis
Break down, identify, measure and assess sensations
produced by the analyzed object into easily accessible info

BIG ISSUE OBJECTIVITY

Sensory characteristics or sensations (like colours,
tastes...)are not inner properties of an object, but are
produced from interaction between object and
human being
 Why?

- Coffee is both simple and complex in flavour

- Get closer to consumer experience
- Chemical analysis is not practical
 How?

Using human senses

Informations must go through mental

process which can be influenced by
internal and external cues
 Senses
More than 11 milion bytes reach the
brain every second and only a part
of this information is processed

● 40% sight
● 30% hearing
● 5% touch
● 1% smell
● 1%taste
Man cannot so much think as an idea, unless he has
perceived something with his senses

Aristotle
Chain of perception
STIMULUS

SENSATION

PERCEPTION & INTERPRETATION

RESPONSE
FOOD INDUSTRY SAMPLE ASSESSMENT

using human assessors as an instrument of

measurement to determine response to stimuli
Samples

- Selection of samples will affect

accuracy of test
- Preparation of samples
- Submission of samples to assessors
Human assessors

- Innate abilities
- Training
- Personal experience
- Physical and psychological state
 Building sensory skills
EXPERIENCE INNATE ABILITY
20% 25%

20%
PRACTICE 35%
MENTAL DISCIPLINE
 Food business
Results of sensory testing should produce
accurate information that can be used to make
business decisions

Successful sensory programs:

- produce accurate relevant information
- are reasonably cost effective and efficient
- increase personal developement of participants
Olfaction
What we identify in flavours
depends on our sense of smell
50 milion odorant receptors are in the olfactory epithelium

People discriminate 10,000 odors and differentiate 4,000

Swallowing forces air up orthonasal way

Training can improve odor recognition by 1,000 times

 Olfaction
Enzymatic

Aromas Sugar Browning

Dry Distillation
 Enzymatic
- Most volatile
- Result of enzymatic reactions during growing
- Perceived in dry fragrance and brewed aroma

Flowery Fruity Herbal

Jasmine Lemon Peas

Tea rose Apple Potato
 Sugar browning
- Moderately volatile
- Result of thermal reactions during roasting
- Perceived in aroma and mouthfeel

Caramelly Nutty Chocolaty

Caramel Walnut Chocolate

Honey Almond Vanilla
 Dry distillation
- Least volatile
- Bean fiber breakdown during roasting process
- Perceived in dry fragrance and aftertaste

Spicy Resinous Pyrolytic

Pepper Piney Ashy

Clove Black currant Tobacco
 Gustation
The detection of stimuli dissolved in water, oil or
saliva, by the taste buds
Meilgaard

- we cannot taste something not in liquid taste

- contact is more regular than olfaction
 Gustation
10,000 taste buds detect 5 basic sensations:

Bitter

Salty

Sour

Sweet

Umami
Gustation
Bitter
- always present in coffee
- increasing during roasting
- not desirable in high concentrations
Sour
- always present in coffee
- reducing during roasting
- desirable when complex
Sweet
- sucrose concentration
- reducing during roasting
- very desirable
 Gustation
Mouthfeel: a tactile sensation imparted by coffee

- viscosity: thick, oily

- softness: creamy, smooth, doughy
- substance: dense, heavy
- resistance: syrupy, round
- afterfeel: prolonged physical feeling
- negative: astringency
Cupping
Cupping
The cupping table:
- cupping spoons
- 2 or more cups per sample
- rinsing bowls
- timer
- sample coding
- spittoons
 Cupping
Preparation of samples:
- weigh beans and grind separately
- heat water between 92-95°C
- consistent pouring
- break after 3-4 minutes
- rinse spoons between bowls
Any questions?
 Alberto Polojac

- AST for Green, Sensory, Roasting and Brewing

- Qgrader

Personal info: alberto.polojac@imperator.cc

www.bloom.coffee