There’s something warm and nostalgic about Brazilian coffees. Maybe it’s the mellow chocolatey depth or the gentle sweetness that lingers on the tongue. This week, I roasted Brazil Yellow Honey – Carlo & Dani from Sweet Maria’s, and honestly, this one felt like comfort in a cup.
The Bean: Sweet Maria’s Yellow Honey from Brazil
This coffee comes from the Carlo & Dani farm, a smallholder lot in Brazil, processed using the Yellow Honey method. Unlike fully washed beans, honey-processed coffees keep some of the sticky fruit mucilage on the bean as they dry, giving them a richer, deeper sweetness. The “yellow” in this case means a cleaner, lighter honey process – not as fermented or heavy as red or black honeys.
🔥 My Roast: SR800 with Extension Tube
For this batch, I roasted 200g on my SR800 with the OEM extension tube. I was aiming for a medium roast to bring out the honeyed sweetness and creamy body, while still preserving some of the fruit and spice.
I’ll share my roast chart soon, but here’s the basic flow:
- First Crack around 6:15
- Ended roast at 7:30, around 408°F
- Let it rest for 48 hours before brewing
- Roasted Beans weight – 174 grams (13% loss)
The roast felt balanced, and the beans came out with a beautiful, even brown hue and a gentle, warm aroma.
🌱 Why I Love This Roast
As someone still exploring the world of home roasting, coffees like this help me learn with joy. The forgiving nature of Brazilian beans combined with a clean honey process made this a great bean to test airflow, develop sweetness, and taste small differences in roast depth.
📷 Roasted Bean Image
💡 Tips for Other Roasters
- Don’t rush post–first crack – this bean rewards a 60–90 second development
- Keep fan around 5–6 once yellowing starts, to help sweetness build evenly
- Let it rest 48–72 hours to mellow the flavor and smooth the cup
Final Thoughts
If you’re just starting out or looking for a low-acid, sweet and full-bodied coffee, this Brazil Yellow Honey from Carlo & Dani is a winner. Whether you’re a pour-over person or a French press fan, it adapts beautifully.
Have you roasted this one? Drop a comment or share your profile — I’d love to hear how others are enjoying it!
