In commercial and specialty green coffee procurement, the Pre-Shipment Sample (PSS) represents the single most crucial contractual instrument between an origin exporter and an international coffee house. Before a 20ft full container load (FCL) carrying 18 Metric Tons (300 bags of 60kg) is cleared for ocean dispatch from Indian curing works, the buyer must evaluate a representative physical and sensory benchmark. For discerning roasters seeking 84+ SCA specialty Arabica from India, approving a PSS is not merely a formality; it is a legally binding verification that the coffee stuffed into maritime containers matches the exact cup profile, defect count, and moisture thresholds agreed upon in the purchase contract.
The Anatomy of a Pre-Shipment Sample (PSS)
In international commodity trade governed by European Coffee Federation (ECF) and Green Coffee Association (GCA) model contracts, samples fall into three distinct classifications: Type Samples (offer samples from past harvests), Pre-Shipment Samples (PSS), and Shipment Approval Samples (SAS) or Landed Arrival Samples. Among these, the PSS holds absolute legal supremacy regarding cargo acceptance.
A true PSS is not drawn from cherry stage or rough parchment storage. It is extracted strictly after complete secondary dry milling, grading over perforated screen sifters, optical sortexing, and batch blending. When Draba Ventures prepares an 18 MT export lot of washed Arabica (such as Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold Screen 19+ or Plantation A Screen 17+), our quality controllers utilize trier probes to draw composite samples across a minimum of 10% of the stuffed burlap bags in accordance with ISO 4072 standards.
These individual extractions are homogenized to assemble representative 250g to 500g PSS parcels. Each pouch is heat-sealed inside a moisture-barrier aluminum-foil kraft pouch labeled with the lot number, estate coordinates, screen grade, and harvest year. Because the PSS is drawn from the actual container-ready stack, it functions as a legally binding mirror. Once the buyer signs off on the PSS cupping notes, the exporter is legally obliged to ship that identical lot, ensuring zero divergence between the origin sample and the container that arrives at Hamburg, Antwerp, Genoa, or Felixstowe.
Sampling Standard
ISO 4072 composite trier extraction across 10% minimum of the containerized lot, blended to ensure absolute lot uniformity.
Sample Volume
250g to 500g hermetically sealed foil-lined kraft pouches with tamper-evident lot verification seals.
Contractual Status
Legally binding baseline; arrival sample must match PSS physical defect parameters and sensory cup scores within +/- 0.5 SCA points.
84+ SCA Cupping and Roaster Calibration
Specialty coffee is defined by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) as green coffee that scores 80 points or higher on a standardized 100-point cupping scale, possessing zero primary defects (Category 1) and no more than five secondary defects (Category 2) in a 350g sample. At Draba Ventures, our high-altitude washed Arabica lots from the Giri and Bababudan ranges of Karnataka are engineered to consistently exceed 84+ SCA points.
When an international roaster receives our 250g PSS, transparent physical and sensory data enables immediate calibration on precision sample roasters such as Ikawa, Roest, or Probat sample barrels. Our laboratory provides accompanying QC documentation outlining the green bean density (typically 710 to 740 g/L), screen retention metrics (over 90% retained on Screen 19 for MNEB), and exact dry-basis moisture levels.
The SCA cupping methodology evaluates ten sensory attributes: Fragrance/Aroma, Flavor, Aftertaste, Acidity, Body, Balance, Uniformity, Clean Cup, Sweetness, and Overall. Indian high-grown specialty Arabica offers a distinctive profile highly prized in Europe:
- Fragrance & Aroma (8.00): Intense dark chocolate, caramelized cane sugar, and delicate white jasmine florals.
- Acidity (7.75): Malic and phosphoric structure; smooth, sparkling citrus brightness without sharp or bitter edges.
- Body & Mouthfeel (8.00): Creamy, heavy, velvet-like coating that holds up exceptional depth in single-origin filter roasts and rich espresso crema.
- Clean Cup & Uniformity (10.00 / 10.00): 100% defect-free across all five cupping bowls, confirming flawless washing and pristine mechanical drying.
- Total Composite Score: 84.25 to 85.50 SCA points, establishing top-tier commercial specialty standing.
Roaster Calibration Protocol
We supply roasting curve benchmarks (roast time 8:30 to 9:15 min, end temperature 204C to 207C, Agtron commercial color 62 to 65 ground) so your master roaster can reproduce origin sensory evaluations within 48 hours of sample receipt.
Quality Assurance and Optical Defect Extraction
An 84+ SCA cupping score cannot be achieved solely through high elevation and rich volcanic soil; it demands meticulous mechanical and optical sorting. In standard commercial coffee, a single sour bean or stink-damaged seed can ruin an entire cupping flight, dropping a lot from specialty standing into commodity discount brackets.
To protect the absolute integrity of both the PSS and the eventual 18 MT export container, Draba Ventures utilizes multi-stage cleaning lines culminating in VIS/NIR Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) Sortex optical sorting systems. Operating at 94.63% optical defect extraction accuracy, these cameras scan each green bean across visible and near-infrared spectral wavelengths.
The Sortex sorting line automatically identifies and ejects primary defects including full blacks, full sours, and dried pods, as well as secondary defects like insect-damaged seeds (coffee berry borer broca holes), chipped beans, and immature quakers.
| Defect Category | SCA Specialty Limit | Standard Commercial Lot | Draba Ventures PSS Lot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Defects (Full Black, Sour, Foreign) | 0 defects / 350g | 2 to 5 defects | 0 defects (Absolute Zero) |
| Secondary Defects (Chipped, Broca, Quaker) | Max 5 defects / 350g | 12 to 25 defects | <= 2 defects / 350g |
| Screen Sizing Retention | >= 85% on target screen | 70% to 75% | >= 92% on Screen 19+ (MNEB) |
| VIS/NIR Optical Sortex Efficiency | Manual hand-pick | 80% to 85% mechanical | 94.63% Hyperspectral Precision |
Moisture Control and Maritime Security
The most critical vulnerability in specialty coffee sourcing lies between PSS sign-off and container arrival at the discharge port. An importer may approve an exquisite 85-point PSS flown via express air courier, only to discover that the ocean container suffered condensation damage, fungal blooms, or woody fading during transit, degrading the cup score to 78 points.
Draba Ventures eliminates maritime quality degradation through rigorous biological moisture stabilization and hermetic containerization protocols:
- Moisture Stabilization: Green coffee is cured and conditioned until moisture content is strictly stabilized between 10.5% and 11.5%, never exceeding the 12.0% statutory threshold.
- Water Activity (aw) Defense: Water activity is strictly monitored below 0.60 aw, biologically halting enzymatic cellular breakdown and preventing any spore germination of Aspergillus ochraceus or Penicillium verrucosum.
- GrainPro Hermetic Liners: Export burlap jute sacks (60kg) are fitted with multi-layer high-barrier GrainPro hermetic inner liners. Sealed with industrial cable ties, these liners maintain a stable gas-tight internal microclimate, preventing external ocean humidity and container sweat from penetrating the cellular matrix of the green beans.
- Mycotoxin Prevention: By eliminating moisture condensation, our maritime protocol guarantees that Ochratoxin A (OTA) formulation remains strictly below 3.0 ppb, far beneath the rigorous limits set by EU Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915.
Frequently Asked Questions
Request 84+ SCA Pre-Shipment Samples (PSS)
Calibrate your sample roasters with authentic Indian specialty green coffee. Receive representative 250g PSS pouches with full physical grading and SCA cupping data.
