Our journey in coffee.
Good Land Organics goes to Portland (too)
Two weekends past, the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) met in Portland, OR for ‘The Coffee Event of the Year’. In our previous post (On the Ground to Portland), we spoke a little bit about the event itself, and our experience as newbie roasters to the scene. We also had the chance to play a different role at the event as well: as representatives of Good Land Organics (which is where I now work). It was an interesting experiment to gauge the interest level of coffee growing in a new region: California. And this is why: It is...
read moreOn the Ground….to Portland, OR
This past weekend, Jimmy and I made our way to our first SCAA event. SCAA stands for Specialty Coffee Association of America. Every year, individuals come from around the world to share knowledge, witness new technologies, and compete for various awards. It is at this event that an individual or company is declared the US’s best barista, cup taster, roaster, or...
read morethe ‘Goodland’
As irony likes to show itself in many forms, I was no where else but on a Hawaiian coffee farm when I realized there was a farm growing coffee…get this…30 miles up the road from my home in Goleta, CA. I was by no means bummed about being on the Big Island to jump start my journey of coffee. My progress at Big Island Coffee Roasters was well beyond what I could have asked for. But, having the chance to go see this California coffee farm when I returned home would stay on my list of ‘must-do’s. The farm is...
read moreCost of Coffee
Cost of Coffee – Our Choices Matter As a little taste of Portland, Amanda sent me the Winter edition of Edible Portland, with a wonderful article about coffee in it. Insert page: 38 to get to the front of the article mentioned. But if you want to look around, another great article is on page: 22. Jimmy met this guy a while back, so it was fun to see him in here! As always, we wanted to share. :...
read moreTasting Coffee
Ok. You get that we like coffee. But here’s one side I really want to show off: tasting. Not just drinking. But tapping into your sense of smell, taste and touch to describe a particular coffee. It’s a bit humorous to watch if its your first time, and makes you feel a bit awkward, like when your friend the wine snob sticks their nose into their glass for a full minute with their eyes shut. Welcome to what we call: ‘geeking out’. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize its just a playground for...
read moreAeropress method comparision: Verve – Elida Natural (lot B), Panama
Meet: The Aeropress This is one of the more recent brewing mechanisms that has come out. Many rave about how it makes an ‘espresso like’ cup, but without the cost of an expensive machine! It travels well, its easy to use, and the best part is, you can experiment with it too. There are many recommended ways to use the aeropress, and many people simply end up saying. ‘test it out and find what works best for your preferences’. So where to begin? This is the fun part. You now have the opportunity to make your...
read moreIt’s All in the Grind
An often misunderstood step of the coffee brewing process, the grind is something to take very seriously when crafting a perfect cup or pot of coffee. As you dig deeper into your new found love for freshly roasted, complex, and delicious coffee you find that your old “whirley bird” (see below) coffee grinder might just be what is holding you back from achieving coffee nirvana. Why is this? What makes those tall, sleek grinders found in coffee shops so much better than your “Magic Bullet” or spice grinder? Blade...
read moreCupping
What is ‘cupping’? Cupping is an experiment to comparatively analyze a sample of roasted beans against another. It is most successful when done blindly, silently, and with a partner or small group. Once everyone is ready to share their thoughts, the conversation begins. For me, as a beginner, this is where the learning begins. I find it so intriguing to hear that one coffee expressed an aroma of ‘raw sweet potato’ to one person, and ‘floral, sweet, roasted sugar’ to another. It may seem like a simple...
read moreRoasting: Q & A
Below are a few more specifics about roasting, outlined in question and answer form. I came up with a few that I thought would couple well with the previous post. But, please comment if you have any of your own! How long does a roast take? It is generally recommended that a roast take between 12 – 20 minutes depending on the roaster. For the Diedrich, a roast shorter than 13 minutes will likely have been roasted at too high of a heat, and a roast longer than 18 minutes probably over baked the beans. Negative effects of over or...
read moreRoasting: meet Diedra
Makana Garden’s Diedrich IR7 - And now for the good stuff. Don’t get me wrong: everything up until this point in incredibly important in aiding for a consistent, flavorful and aromatic experience in the cup. In roasting, we allow these characteristics in the beans to come alive. A skilled roaster will hit the intersection between acidity and sweetness, producing a cup that perfectly balances both the origin flavors and the roast profile. Before I get a bit too poetic about this, I must tell you that this is the most scientific...
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