Why Swiss Water Process for Papa’s Roast Decaf?

“What took so long?”
That might sound like an unhappy customer, but it was really the question we were asking ourselves!  From the time we set out to create a Classic Decaf until we actually had it ready to ship slowed from weeks to months as we insisted that PR Classic Decaf carry the same smooth, satisfying nose, notes and finish as our flagship, Papa’s Roast Classic.

Easy enough, right!?
Well, maybe. If you’re comfortable using just any decaffeinated bean.  The problem: There are several ways to remove caffeine from coffee beans, and the most common methods (at least 70% of decaf beans) utilize some pretty harsh chemical solvents. How about ethyl acetate or methylene chloride(!).  These producers assure us that the chemistry is used in incremental quantities, is thoroughly rinsed in their process, and that any remaining residue is burned off in the roasting process.  Hmmm.  And, of course, they did note that these beans are less expensive, too.

OK.  But what else is there?
We supposed that if there were no other alternatives, we’d be good with it, but there is one great, very natural process known as Swiss Water Process.  It’s pretty clever and uses nothing but water and a charcoal filter to remove 94-96% of the caffeine!  Yep, that’s our choice!

Only one snag: Decaf beans are a trick to roast!
So we set about test-batching Classic Decaf and found the learning curve was pretty steep.  The beans are changed during the decaffeination process and don’t behave like regular beans, and thus  R&D was not only costly, but slow... until finally one night’s cupping brought it all into alignment.  It was pretty exciting!

Introducing Papa’s Roast Swiss Water Process Decaf!
After an extended search for a reliable supplier of Brazilian SWP beans, we’re shipping and have received great reviews.  So, whether you're looking for a late-in-the-day cup or just do better without the caffeine, we think we've got just what you've been waiting for!  As we said about Classic, “Once brewed, we believe you won't be disappointed!”

Until next time, thanks always for joining us our journey!

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