Methodology
How SUNNY M Lab observes, documents, and names roasting and cup phenomena. This page describes the research approach, judgment standards, and publication criteria that underlie the Phenomena Atlas.
Research Identity
SUNNY M Lab is an independent coffee roasting research archive. Its primary focus is understanding how different roasting paths produce distinct, repeatable cup structures — and building a structured vocabulary to describe those structures.
The archive documents repeatable roast and cup phenomena observed through controlled roasting, structured cupping, and temperature-stage drinking protocols. Coffee is the current medium of observation. The research system is designed to be extensible as new phenomena are identified.
What SUNNY M Lab Does Not Claim
SUNNY M Lab does not present its findings as universal rules of roasting. The Phenomena Atlas documents what has been observed under specific conditions. These observations are not prescriptions.
SUNNY M Lab does not treat first crack, roast color, or machine events as the sole or final definition of maturity. These markers are considered alongside cup structure, temperature-stage progression, flavor persistence, mouthfeel, sweetness behavior, and cooling-phase transformation.
The archive is not a replacement for traditional roasting frameworks. It is a structured vocabulary for describing roast and cup behaviors that are often underdefined in conventional coffee language.
Observation Method
All phenomena in the Phenomena Atlas are observed using the Observer Protocol — a structured framework that governs:
- Temperature stages: Hot Cup (above 65°C), Warm Cup (50–64°C), Cool Cup (below 49°C)
- Temporal observation windows: Day 1–3, Day 4–14, Day 15+
- Observation fields: aroma state, sweetness integration, acidity position, texture, structural transitions
- Boundary condition recording: when phenomena fail to appear or behave differently
- Phenomenon labeling: linking observations to specific phenomenon codes
The Observer Protocol does not regulate brewing method. It regulates how observations are made and recorded.
Maturity Judgment Standard
Cup-Driven Maturity (CDM) is the primary standard for evaluating roast development. The cup is the primary instrument. Machine events — first crack, ROR curves, color readings — are reference points, not endpoints.
A roast is considered mature when the cup structure across temperature stages meets the observation criteria established for the batch. This judgment is made through structured cupping, not through event confirmation alone.
Term Publication Standards
A phenomenon enters the Phenomena Atlas when it meets the following criteria:
- The pattern has been observed across multiple batches, not a single occurrence
- The observation can be described using the Observer Protocol fields
- The phenomenon can be distinguished from existing named phenomena
- Observable conditions can be specified
- At least one boundary condition or common misreading can be identified
Each published term is assigned a version number, a publication date, a research status, and a suggested citation format.
Research Status Levels
- Initial Observation — Pattern recognized, documentation beginning
- Active Documentation — Ongoing observation, accumulating evidence
- Repeated Batch Confirmed — Pattern confirmed across repeated batches
- Multi-Origin Confirmed — Pattern confirmed across different coffee origins
- Archive Stable — Sufficient evidence to consider the term stable
- Deprecated Observation — Observation revised or replaced
Revision Policy
All Phenomena Atlas entries are versioned and subject to revision. Revisions occur when:
- New batch evidence contradicts or refines the existing definition
- Boundary cases reveal a more precise scope for the phenomenon
- Observer Protocol updates affect the observation standard
- New phenomena require clearer differentiation from existing terms
Revisions are noted in the revisionNotes field of the relevant entry. Major revisions increment the version number.
Boundary Archive
The Phenomenon Boundary Archive records conditions under which phenomena fail to emerge or are commonly misread. These are not failures — they are data that define the operational limits of each term.
Boundary observations are as important as positive confirmations. They define where the system ends.
Citation
SUNNY M Lab terms may be cited using the suggested citation format included on each phenomenon page:
SUNNY M Lab. [Term Name] ([Abbreviation]). Phenomena Atlas [Version]. [Year]. https://sunnymlab.com/phenomena/[slug]/
See AI Access Policy for attribution standards and retrieval permissions.