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More Calibrations, Rio, and those nifty cups...

Posted by Brazil Fair Trade Certified Cupping Competition on October 21, 2008 at 12:00am

For those of you who've never been on a cupping panel I should probably dig a little deeper on calibrations. First, the calibration can also serve as a warm-up for the judges, giving them a chance make sure their own senses are dialed-in. As we well know, we all have different palates and different senses of smell. While experienced cuppers tend to be totally tuned into their noses & tongues, they're still individuals with varying life experiences and sense memories. One combination of volatilized compounds in a cup of joe might make me think of my grandma Ellen's canned peaches at the same time that they remind Darrin Daniel of fine a fine Peach Lambic (which he's now obligated to buy for all the judges after the competition.) A strong phenolic taint might make one person think of the time he lit a pencil eraser in grade school (ahem...) or it could call up the sense memory of a burnt out clutch. A key task of a calibration is to ensure that the judges are noticing similar things in the samples-like in #8 today which featured fecund phenols.Last, but not least, a calibration session can include a discussion of aromas, flavors, and taints particular to the origin. With naturally processed coffees, human influence on the quality of the coffee only goes so far. With the other half of our competition, the processed coffees, a farmer can do much more in post-harvest processing to ensure quality. One particular taint that can plauge Brazilian coffees is the infamous Rio-taint. A lot of work has been done over the years on this fungal contaminant (present in old #8 above) and we're extrememly lucky to have one of Brazil's foremost authorities on this phenomenon on our panel. Professor Flavio Meira Borem of the Federal University of Lavras related some of the recent studies on Rio-taint and how cherry hang-time on the tree is one of the largest factors involved.Professor Borem has also been actively involved in the Responsible Sourcing Partnership through leading technical trainings for Fair Trade producers. He's also edited a wonderful new book on the technical aspects of post-harvest coffee care. Covering everything from the physics of drying to how to properly warehouse your beans, the book is a tremendous aid to Brazil's small farmers and co-ops. For those attending SCAA next year in Atlanta, you'll be able to purchase the English translation of Professor Borem's book on (and currently available for coffee nerds who read Portuguese.)A few more pictures of the day's action:

Those nifty cups. They come with little plastic lids to keep the grinds fresh. They might be uniquely Brazilian. Some judges like them and feel the aromas from the ground coffee are more concentrated. Others noted that the lids are rather hard to pull off and aromas might be too concentrated.

John Cossette of Royal, Darrin Daniel of Allegro, Joao Batista Jardli of SAAG Brazil, Takahisa Toda of MC Coffee Brazil, and Wendy de Jong of Tony's.

There's also an awful lot of hot water in Brazil. If you're not a Frank Sinatra fan...

Roasting sample batches on the Probatinho

In desperate need of a job.

Posted by Jess on October 20, 2008 at 5:29pm

I haven't had the best of luck lately. I left Epicenter, I couldn't compromise my happiness for a job. Since then, I took on a full-time job in a cafe, that quickly became a part time job, because they didn't take into account that tourist season would soon be over and business would be slower, onto a full blown "letting go" notice, because they couldn't afford to keep me or give me the hours, I so desperately need right now.It's my birthday in a few days and I am recovering from a severe cold, and sadness that I don't have a job to help me pay my rent next month.I am not going to be able to celebrate my birthday either. *sigh* whatever.Point is, there is anyone in Walnut Creek or the east bay, looking for a hard working, friendly, outgoing Barista... I am your gal.Thank You.

Financial Uncertainty

Posted by Jeremy Clouser on October 20, 2008 at 12:32pm

At this point in time I have put together a solid business plan, got money lined up, and I've found a great location. However, a lingering doubt remains whether or not, with all the financial uncertainty gripping the world, if this is the best time to invest heavily in a business.Warren Buffett, in a recent article in the New York Times, said, "When people are greedy, it's the time to fear and when there is fear its the time to be greedy." He is referring to the stock market, of course, but I think lessons can be learnt from this quote. For someone starting their first small business, it means that things must be done with even more precision and with even more thought than usual. I believe strongly in my concept and that with a concerted marketing campaign I will attract customers, but the financial news is really quite dire and people are starting to spend less on a whole range of products. Am I so blinded by my desire to succeed, that I’m not seeing something critical?I don’t really know the answer to this (I guess that’s why I’m writing this). The risk of starting a business is that you’ll never know exactly how things are going to turn out. This is also where the reward comes; by having the ability to visualize the future the present takes shape. This is also where Buffett’s words are pertinent, if you can separate substance from hype and take a risk and give it time to grow, then you’ll be rewarded.I take these words as inspiration and I feel good moving forward, but I still have a nagging in my side. Does anyone else have any thoughts about the supposed financial doom and the process of opening a café?http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Calibrations

Posted by Brazil Fair Trade Certified Cupping Competition on October 20, 2008 at 3:03am

Today marks the start of the first ever Fair Trade Cupping Competition in Brazil. The judges are all well rested and ready to go after a proper night's rest. Our panel started out this morning from the Hotel Colinas in the heart of downtown Machado after a tasty Brazilian breakfast which included one of my favorites, Pao de Queijo with bacon. The judges, of course, we're only allowed a slice of white bread and some water so as to not upset their delicate palates (no I didn't see David Hermann eat chocolate cookies and jello for breakfast.)

About 15 minutes outside hilly Machado the Centro de Excellencia do Cafe, Sul de Minas sits on a small plateau overlooking lush farmland. It was built last year through federal and municipal funds in order to serve as an educational and technical training center.

Every cupping competition begins with a calibration in order to align the panel around standards and terms. Silvio Leite, a veteran cupper who's directed too many Cups of Excellence to count, led off the morning by going over the most recent edition of the SCAA cupping form and protocols. Then it was off to the laboratory across the courtyard to start cupping.

Reference samples

Andrew Miller of Cafe Imports and Darrin Daniel of Allegro Coffee discuss the merits of by-the-kilo roadside churrascurias.

Volunteers from the local agrarian school.After the first run-through, the judges will break for lunch. The afternoon session will involve more cupping and a final alignment meeting to conclude the calibration.Stay tuned for more!-Demian Luper, TransFair USA

Panama (Part 3): The Rain

Posted by Chris DeMarse on October 17, 2008 at 3:22am

At this point in my series of blogs I should be writing about my amazing coffee experience in Panama. I should be talking about the amazing amount of knowledge and perspective that I've gained as a part of visiting some of the best microlot farms in the world. I should be mentioning the brilliant amount of care and passion that is pour into each plant as it meticulously develops throughout the season. Instead I am going to talk about the rain; the rain that poured into rivers in the streets of Boquete and rushing over my Chaco sandals; the rain that fell like like gently trickling waterfall off the hood of my rain coat; the rain that washed all of my hopes and dreams of making coffee a reality on this trip away in utter defeat.I only had one day in Boquete to make things happen. Our trip was on a tight schedule and I was not the person in charge of that schedule, so I found our itinerary to be constrictive when it came to our stay in the mountains. We spent the early hours following our stay at Hostal Refugio Rio trying to track down the two contacts I had concerning private coffee tours. I called Daniel Peterson from Hacienda La Esmaralda knowing that there was a good chance he might be out of commission due to his wife's pregnancy, and when I reached him this was quickly confirmed. Daniel and his wife had invited their first miracle of life into their family just the day before. Much congratulations to Daniel and his wife.So I started calling Graciano Cruz from Los Lajones Estate to try and track him down.His emails were amazingly helpful and he seemed more than happy to show us around. The first few calls to him got dropped on the pay phone we were using, which was not completely defeating but rather annoying. I relented and went back to our hostel to wait for a possible email from Price Peterson because Daniel said he might get a hold of his dad to see if he might be free to show me around instead. At this point I was a bit apprehensive as I felt things crumbling beneath me. " Am I really going to miss out on a coffee tour?", I thought to myself.Growing impatient of both my situation and of the steadily pouring rain at this time, I made my way down to the gas station just down the street for one last attempt at reaching Graciano and a call to Price. I reached the office of Hacienda La Esmaralda where I was greeted by a chatty Panamanian woman spouting off a barrage of spanish that I couldn't really follow because Yo hablo espanol muy puquito. I just said in english, "Is Price Peterson there?", to which her response was, "Un momento por favor". Excellent. A chance to finally talk to to someone who might fulfill this dream. Price was more than cordial and seemed glad that I had called, but the rain seemed a bit daunting to the task of touring a coffee farm so he offered a tour the following day. I wanted to scream obscenities and stomp in puddles of dirty rain water at that very moment. I didn't have a "tomorrow" in Boquete. There was only a "today". I told him that, if I could work it out, I would call him in the morning. After a couple more attempts at reaching Graciano I sunk my head and and sullenly dragged myself back to the hostel.I started out knowing that this trip was not all about the coffee; it was about a lifetime experience and an opportunity to live differently for a week. It was very much that experience, but even days after the experience I feel like the kid in high school that wished he would've tried out for the soccer team or gone to open auditions for that production of Le Miserable. I cannot accept that this is the end of the story for me and Panama. Tickets are again only 350 dollars for February and I know that the Hacienda La Esmaralda will be in harvest season. So, the question remains: who is up for a trip?

The International Panel

Posted by Brazil Fair Trade Certified Cupping Competition on October 14, 2008 at 9:00am

The first ever Fair Trade Cupping Competition in Brazil has brought together an international panel featuring roasters, importers, exporter, Q Graders, and cupping superstars from the USA and South America. In less than a week the international panel will begin the competition with a calibration meeting led by Silvio Leite to establish standards. On Tuesday 10/21 the panel will begin cupping the naturals category at the Center of Excellence in Machado. More updates to follow!Judges:Prof. Flávio Meira Borém, Universidade Federal de Lavras, BRAZILJohn Cosseette, Royal Coffee Inc,, Emeryville CA, USADarrin Daniel, Q Grader, Allegro Coffee Company, Thronton CO, USAWendy de Jong, Q Grader, Tony's Coffee & Teas, Bellingham, WA, USAOscar Gonzales, Sustainable Harvest, Lima, PERUDavid Hermann, The Roasterie, Kansas City, MO, USAJoao Batista Jarduli, SAAG, BRAZILSilvio Leite, AgriCafe, BRAZILAndrew Miller, Cafe Imports, Minneapolis MN, USAJack Robson Silva, Cafe Bom Dia, BRAZILObserversTakashi Toda, Mitsubishi, BRAZILFernando Monteiro, Mitsubishi, BRAZILArnaldo Baskerville, Cafema, BRAZILAlexandre Gonzaga, Minas Estate Coffee, BRAZIL

The Strangers play Live!!!

Posted by J Oliver's Coffee on October 14, 2008 at 4:41am

The Strangers, from Charlotte, NC will play at J. Oliver's Saturday, October 18 at 8 pm. They play covers from the 70's -90's sprinkled with some of their original material just to keep things interesting. A great & fun group of guys:Chris Keener - Vox, Guitar, SaxTracy Drake - Guitar, VoxNate Andrews - Bass, VoxTony Golic - Drums/Percussion/VoxEveryone is welcome!!! Come enjoy a relaxing evening of good coffee & good music. Hope to see you!The J Oliver's Crew

SCAA Skill-Building Cupping Workshop Volunteers

Posted by Renee Espinoza on October 13, 2008 at 6:02am

The upcoming annual SCAA Symposium & Exhibition is approaching, and this year will have an increased focus on hands-on education, coffee competitions, and more opportunities than ever for professional networking. It will truly live up to its theme “The Specialty Coffee Event: SCAA 2009.”With this enhanced workshop schedule, there is an increased need for volunteers as the Cupping Workshops alone have doubled in size. On behalf of the SCAA Training Committee, we would like to invite any Baristas planning to attend the annual Exhibition in Atlanta to consider volunteering for these Cupping Workshops. As the front-line contact with our customers, Baristas represent the face of the specialty coffee industry to the public; thousands of Baristas everywhere greet customers, take orders and make coffee drinks, everyday. The entire coffee industry depends on you to help educate our consumers. Because of this, volunteering for the cupping workshops are an excellent way to gain the knowledge and information needed to assist in the education of your customers. You will have the opportunity to learn the processes and procedures from those who cup and select the coffees that you prepare and serve. You will learn the SCAA standards and how they are implemented and most importantly, you will be given the opportunity to taste to coffees right along with the students who are attending. It is our hope that in working together, these classes can help Baristas gain as much knowledge as possible.Volunteers are responsible for ensuring the class runs smoothly, starting with grinding and dosing the coffees for each flight; pouring water; and quickly clearing and resetting each flight of coffees during the lab. Most labs require about a 4 hour commitment, including setup, lab time, and cleanup. Volunteers are not required or expected to do any public speaking or presentation and are welcome to taste the coffees from each flight during the class.If you’re interested in volunteering for the SCAA Cupping Workshops in Atlanta, please send an email to Renee Espinoza at respinoza@coffeemasters.com and include any known conflicts (such as attending another lab or judging in the WBC) and whether you would be interested in volunteering for multiple labs throughout the weekend. The dates of the Exposition are Friday, April 17, 2009 through Sunday, April 19, 2009.In addition to volunteering at the annual Exposition, there are several SCAA Regional Skill-Building Workshops happening throughout the year all over the country. These are smaller events but follow the exact same curriculum as the Cupping Workshops taking place in Atlanta. The first Regional Skill Building Workshop is in Charlotte, NC on November 7th through the 9th, hosted by Dilworth Coffee. This event includes five Workshops, including two Cupping Workshops, two Espresso Workshops, and one Latte Art class sponsored by the BGA. If you are interested in volunteering for this event or future SCAA Regional Skill-Building Workshops, please contact Melissa Bula at SCAA at mbula@scaa.org.Thank you for your interest in SCAA education and hope to see you at the Exposition or the Regional Skill-Building Workshops. If you have any further questions about volunteering for SCAA Cupping Workshops, please contact Renee Espinoza at respinoza@coffeemasters.com. If you’re interested in If you’re interested in getting involved with the SCAA Training Committee, please contact Ellie Matuszak, SCAA Training Committee Chair, at ellie@coffeesolutions.net.Sincerely,The SCAA Training Committee, Cupping SubcommitteeAndi Trindle, Cupping Subcommittee Co-Leader, Atlantic SpecialtyChad Trewick, Cupping Subcommittee Co-Leader, Caribou CoffeeRenee Espinoza, Cupping Subcommittee Volunteer Coordinator, Coffee MastersAndrew Miller, Café ImportsJohn Gozbekian, LAMILL CoffeeDorothea Hescock, Starbucks Coffee CompanyAmanda Eastwood, Café ImportsAlex RussanJim Cleaves, Dunkin BrandsEllie Matuszak, SCAA Training Committee Chair and SCAA Board Liaison, Coffee SolutionsMelissa Bula, SCAA Staff

Family Reunion Comments

Posted by judy f mccabe on October 12, 2008 at 3:43pm

Well another successful reunion has occurred today......I must say though the younger folks need to learn how to stick around and listen to family history.....but I was like that too years ago, eat and go. The problem is in years to come when they are old enough to want to hang around for stories, the older folks present today won'tbe here.....maybe I need to write down the stories for the future meetings. I noticed the food choices are reflecting the economic times, but that's OK...this happens all the time, another historical fact to record. Took a lot of photo's and will post some when the film is developed...I know...I'm not a digetial person! Looks like there's another hurricaine brewing.....we'll just have to wait and see what happens with it. Ever wonder what folks did before weather satelites? Just closed up their homes and hunkered down that's what! And my Mama's house is still standing strong( built in the early 50's) and so is my ggreatgrandma's house built in the 1800's. I'll try to post a picture of it too. Well...Monday brings another work day so I'll stick a fork in it and call it DONE.....later Gator's

October Saveur - So happy for Karaba!

Posted by Mark Overbay on October 8, 2008 at 8:37am

http://www.saveur.com/article/Drink/9-Great-Coffees

October Indonesia Cupping...

Posted by scott@herkimercoffee.com on October 8, 2008 at 6:44am

Time to cup a bunch of indos....Sumatra, Sulawesi, Timor, Bali, the list goes on. I'll be cupping these throughout the next week or so, let me know if you would like to come in and check anything out. Will also be evaluating some Brasil, Costa and a few more Ethiopians.Cheers,Scott

All Alone

Posted by Sarah on October 7, 2008 at 6:53am

So I'm working the evening shift by myself lately, and I have to say it's a totally different ballgame. Getting through a line of 10 people with no cashier is definitely a challenge, and I have been guilty of falling victim to freakouts. But, I was starting to get a little bored with just working the bar, and I thrive on new challenges. So much of it is mental, at some point you just stop the panic and get to people as fast as you can, which is pretty f'ing fast. Plus, I don't have to share any of my tips, and people are generous when they see you sweatin' it by yourself ;)Of course there is the continuing challenge of working with the Astoria heat exchanger automatic. Ugh. We've been trying to solve the problem of the top of the puck hitting the diffusion screen, so we scored a triple-shot basket. (ps, when we got it, there was a triple spout on the bottom. Wtf? How would one even use that??) After an hour of pulling shots with reject coffee that we were going to throw out anyway, we got the grind fine enough that we could use the same amount of coffee as in the double basket, but tamp it low enough that there's a nickel of space between the top of the puck and the screen. I pulled the best shot that's ever been pulled off that f'ed up machine -- 24 second extraction with sweet lookin' crema. Oh yeah.My latte art is getting pretty sweet -- I decided to stop trying to be fancy and focus just on hearts. Once I have those down, I'll start on my rosettas etc. I think it's harder to get really great art in to-go cups, which is all I have to work with, but I'll do my best. Maybe if I get really good in to-go cups, porcelain will be no problem!My evening customers are sweeeet! There's one girl who always orders the same drink, and says that I make it the best. I got a great heart on it one night, and she told me she was having a terrible day and that my art really made her night. Hell yes! Such an awesome feeling. Coffee is so much better than the animal shelter!

Spro Down In Chi Town

Posted by Jonathan Meadows on October 5, 2008 at 7:41pm

This past weekend I drove to Intelligentsia in Chicago for the Barista Jam, marking the second major coffee adventure I have taken. The first being my move to Alliance World Coffees in Muncie, Indiana from my home in Dallas, Texas. It was nice to finally visit the famous Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea Company. Sadly, I only had time to be involved in the Jam, which was held at their roasting location and never got to see the café.I do not care much for the 3 hour drive to Chicago from Muncie or the detour along the way that made my 3 hour trip turn into a 4 hour trip. I was able to enjoy the same detour on the way back to Muncie. Oddly enough, I actually enjoyed driving through the Chicago traffic; it was much like Dallas traffic except on crack. I find it strange the things that comfort me…The two day Jam was packed full of workshops and lectures, beginning with a short keynote speech from Doug Zell who stressed his desire for the specialty coffee industry to begin moving away from the drip brew method and moving toward French press and/or Kemex methods. He also stressed the importance of charging different prices for brewed coffee based off of how much you paid for the coffee crop. I found it a bit ironic that after Doug spoke out against the drip brew method, later that day they brought in Metropolis coffees to give a lecture on how to correctly use the drip brew method....The most notable lecture was the Café Imports lecture on green coffee, detailing many of the current coffee transportation issues and the effects of climate change during transportation. The lecture left me feeling a little helpless and as though we don’t really have that much control over what happens to our green beans before they arrive in our roasting facilities. I’m looking forward to seeing a solution.I was able to talk with Kurtis, a roaster for Intelligentsia regarding some of the health concerns we have had at Alliance World Coffees here in Muncie. He was gracious enough to show me the steps they take to insure a healthy roasting environment. Hopefully we will be able to implement some of their health standards soon.The last day included a milk workshop and a latte art competition to conclude the weekend. The competition was pretty laid back, but I think it’s good that I competed to just get my feet wet. I actually did a lot better that I was expecting and actually got an average rating on the makeshift “applaus-o-meter” oh, did I forget to mention that there weren’t any official judges so everything was judged by the intensity of the barista clap.We also got a lot of free stuff from the wonderful sponsors who helped make the event possible. I want to thank the wonderful staff at Intelligentsia for organizing and volunteering their time to hang out with us all weekend.If yall were at the Jam, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Coffee Reviews!

Posted by Benza Lance on October 5, 2008 at 2:21pm

HEY!Every day this week, I will be reviewing a different coffee over at my blog, sosprodown.blogspot.com. Up on the list are offerings from Barefoot, Ecco, and Old Soul. Head over and check it out!-Benza

My Trip To Miami

Posted by BaristaOnDutY on October 4, 2008 at 4:30pm

Wow..so I left home early am, to go to Miami, just thinking I would find some good coffee shops to spend some dinero in, boy was I wrong, however I did find 1 Shop, that was a Cuban Cafe, and also a nice Cigar shop, several Starbucks, 1 Einstien Bagels, no real mom and pops, I guess now I'm gonna have to be a lilttle more prepared.Well I now see 2 coffee shops here on the BX in Miami, as it looks I'm gonna be taking monthly trips there to try and market some of my coffee and organic business, anyone with leads to coffee shops from in FLA down to Miami on or off of highway 95 south would be appreciated. Will be posting my pics from trip later tonight once I get back home...

Chocolate Latte Recipe; Chocolate Chunk Cookie Latte Recipe

Posted by javaqueen on October 2, 2008 at 6:36pm

Chocolate Chunk Cookie Latte Recipe2 Shots Espresso1 1/4 oz Monin Chocolate Chip CookieSteamed MilkAdd espresso and Monin Flavoring Syrups Chocolate Chip Cookie to cup and stir well.Fill with steamed milk. Top with whipped cream and chocolate chip morsels.Discount Green Mountain Coffee Club

No more hot coffee

Posted by Andy Newbom on October 2, 2008 at 2:54am

So the more I cup coffee the more I am convinced that we should not be serving any coffee to customers that is over 160 degrees F. When we cup we don't even really taste anything untill it reaches below 160 degrees F. And it is best between 80 to 130F.SO I keep thinking that we have to figure out a way to have customers only drink coffee that is less than 160F degrees. Sounds crazy but the coffee tastes so much better cooler. When it is too hot people want to add cream and adulterants to cool it down and to make it have more flavor. But as it cools people don't do that.So I have not come up with a reason yet as to why I should not go ahead and only serve coffee that is below 160 degrees.Brew it at our normal 204F but then cool it somehow and then store it in the Luxus at around 160 or so.hmmm.,..

oh hey

Posted by Benza Lance on October 1, 2008 at 4:21pm

In case you haven't checked it out, I'm doin the dumb blog thing over at sosprodown.blogspot.comkeep it real.

Torani Frappe Alaska Recipe; Almond Frappe Coffee Recipe

Posted by javaqueen on October 1, 2008 at 3:30pm

Torani Frappe Alaska RecipeCouldn't help myself... With the VP debate tomorrow, I thought this might be a good coffee drink recipe to share.Ingredients:1 cup ice1/4 oz. (1/2 Tbsp.) Torani Syrups Orgeat (Almond) syrup1/4 oz. (1/2 Tbsp.) unsweetened cocoa powder5 oz. (1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp.) cold milk1 shot (2 Tbsp.) illy espresso or strong brewed illy coffeeVanilla ice cream for toppingInstructions:Combine first 5 ingredients in a commercial blender in the order shown and blend until smooth (about 20 seconds).Pour into a 16-oz. glass and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yields one 16-oz. drink.

Gingerbread Latte Recipe; Holiday Latte Recipes

Posted by javaqueen on October 1, 2008 at 3:30pm

Gingerbread Latte Recipe; Holiday Latte Recipes2 Shots Espresso3/4 oz. Monin Gingerbread Coffee Flavoring Syrup1/2 oz Monin Syrup; Vanilla Flavored Coffee SyrupSteamed MilkAdd espresso, Monin Gingervread and Monin Vanilla Coffee Flavoring Syrups to cup and stir well.Fill with steamed milk.Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon.illy Coffee DISCOUNT illy Italian Coffee FREE Shipping Over $75

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Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.