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Moving forward in this post keep in mind that I don't have any scientific proof to back up the following arguments and comparison; it's my experience.
I find that overall "electric" grinders generate a better cup quality than hand grinders. The main difference being the speed of the grinding, it seems to enhance the vibrancy of the final cup.
On top of that, you can work a lot faster with an "electric" grinder than a hand grinder, backstage in a world competition that can make all the difference in the world. The only strong argument for a hand grinder is that it's easier to travel with - but these days I prefer to pack a few of the April Filter Drip Pack. Then I don't need a grinder.
The last years it's been a lot of EK43 hysteria and, I agree that it's a perfectly fine grinder. What has me choose the Ditting Models over the EK43 is all the alignment issues that the EK43 has, I haven't experienced that same issue with the Ditting. However, for Espresso brewing, I would still argue for the EK43.
To sum up, I like to add that I always prefer "grinding-course" for all brew methods. I believe it creates a higher quality flavor experience. I also prefer a range of particle sizes. I don't believe in sifting grounds it takes out a lot of complexity from the cup quality. On top of that, it's impossible to do consistently unless you have graded laboratory gear.
(LESS THAN) ONE MONTH LEFT.
On October 6th will take place the first round of the Italian Brewers Cup, followed by semifinals and finals in January. We started preparing the speech back in June, based on a coffee that fits the presentation structure and topic perfectly.
However, according to my very low level of luck, very soon we realized the coffee wasn’t performing as expected; plus, it didn’t fully fit the range of flavors I was looking for.
Cupping new, different coffees are obviously the answer.
In August we found a coffee much closer to my preferences, but we decided to wait a couple of weeks more for the arrival of the same estate‘ coffee, but in two better lots.
Once the coffee finally came, it needed to be shipped to Portugal from Copenhagen, which took way longer for a custom problem. But still, none of the lots showed that “plus” we are looking for.
In the beginning, we joked that we often happen to choose the coffee just a few weeks before the competition day, and I always thought this couldn’t happen to me because I need so much time… but apparently it’s going to be fun dealing with that.
I think it’s a sort of preparation for the competition day itself, where anything wrong can happen and I’ll need to face it right away.
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Water!
My roaster and I feel we have found the best profile on the Ikawa possible for this coffee. We have decided to use the Ikawa purely for it being cost-effective. But in saying that it costs AUD$9.20 every time we roast a 40g.
Now the question is where do we go?
I feel I know the coffee intimately enough now to start experimenting to find the best brew recipe.
I know this coffee is super soluble and does not need a lot of help to extract. So in saying that I know that I will need a lower (softer) mineral content water, faster brew time, and lower water temperatures.
My water recipe for this coffee is very soft, consisting of:
• 30PPM Mg (Magnesium)
• 30PPM Ca (Calcium)
• 10PPM KHCO3 (Potassium bicarbonate)
I purchased these minerals through a business here in Australia which has a guide on how to create the concentrate.
Magnesium is known to highlight fruits and florals. But when unbalanced will lead to high astringency. Using such a small amount is necessary as this coffee has a very unbalanced vinegary acidity. This small amount allows me to tame and exhibit acidity.
Calcium will help with body and mouthfeel. But in too high amounts will lead to a chalky mouthfeel, and muted acidity. This coffee has a huge mouthfeel and body, so again having a smaller amount of calcium helps showcase the mouthfeel without making it the dominant characteristic.
The bicarbonate is to bind the acids together and give the coffee structure.
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Home roasting for a competition
During my first few years competing in the Norwegian Barista Championship, I always selected my competition coffee based on whatever was in stock at whichever coffee roastery I worked with at the time. I did this out of a sense of loyalty, without ever considering that the coffees I selected were somehow not suited to a competition format. After all, they tasted good to me.
This led me to make many mistakes year after year. I was settling for less-than-great coffees because they were what I had available, trying to make the most out of coffees I wasn´t 100% happy with. Playing it safe and only having one roast profile to work with.
A few years ago, I gained some insight into how roasteries operate, and it dawned on me that the coffees a roastery selects for their espresso range are rarely the type of coffees competitors are looking for. That´s not to say they´re not good coffees, but for a competition, you will often be looking for something different, innovative and delicious, all at the same time.
This realization led me to decide to roast my own coffee for the 2019 competition season, at home on a 1kg coffee roaster. Looking for unique green coffee rather than roasted coffee from a standard retail range increased my options tenfold, and allowed me more freedom all the way up to the competition itself.
It also added a whole new dimension of stress to a competition that can already be quite daunting. I was asked by a fellow competitor why I didn´t just partner up with a roaster I trusted and let them figure out the nuances of my selected coffee so I could focus on my routine instead. The main reason was that I didn´t know what I wanted, so I couldn´t clearly describe it to anyone else, but I knew that I wanted something that I could present on the stage as my own.
Another important reason is that all the roasters I knew had either 12kg or 20kg roasters, meaning any experiment or trial roast I asked them to do would end up costing a lot of money. Roasting on my own 1kg roaster was more comfortable, as I could experiment much more without running up the costs or end up stuck with a large batch of coffee that wasn´t working for me.
On the competition day, I had three different roasts with me, and during my practice time, I tasted all three based on pre-planned recipes. The roast that performed best was selected, and the remaining practice time was spent adjusting the recipe and writing down flavour notes. This meant that what I presented on the competition day represented how the coffee was tasting that day, and not a rehearsed script.
I plan to use this same approach for the 2020 competition season. Forcing myself to be flexible and adapt every step up to the competition. This will allow me to make both big and small adjustments as necessary, and hopefully push myself to deliver better performance and produce even tastier coffees than if I was working in my comfort zone.
I want to introduce Werkudara Dripper. This dripper is a collaboration between me and Andi Widjaya from Someday Somehow Bandung. This dripper was inspired by Kalita Wave, Kaliadja Dripper made by Cubung Hanito from Wisang Kopi Jakarta, and April Dripper developed by Patrik Rolf.
This dripper has a semi immersion concept with three holes of design that can be replaced. The design was created for the flow rate needed by the brewers for their coffee extraction.
I can't talk much about this dripper because it will be used for the Indonesia brewers cup next year. Hopefully, the results will be satisfying, and I can continue to introduce them to the world stage
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When deciding to compete this year I wanted to have a lot of transparency with my competition preparation and that includes sharing information about the real cost of competing - especially as an independent.
You’re not only investing a lot your time but also a bunch of cash into your coffee, equipment, registration, logistics, etc.
For a long time the idea of putting so much money into it sort of put me off but I decided to compete with the idea that I was going to learn a lot during the whole preparation process. Therefore if you look at it this way, your competition spendings go into investing in your education - as someone with two Masters degree, education is something I value highly.
I haven’t finalized all of my spendings yet but here is my forecasted budget for the competition (all prices are in AUD, roughly deduct 40% for the EUR equivalent):
-Coffee: $1500 - that includes the competition coffee as well as a lot of coffee to practice with for the compulsory service.
-Ikawa roaster: $7150
-Brewing equipment: $700
-Flights & logistics: $2700 (flying to anywhere from Australia is awfully expensive)
-Registrations: $300 roughly
-Miscellaneous: $1000 to cover for unexpected things - training, education, water minerals, etc.
It all adds up to $13,000 but hopefully, it won’t end up being that expensive.
I’ve already reached out for sponsors and many companies seem to be willing to support competitors by offering discounts or products. Amongst them, @fellowproducts kindly accepted to help.
There’s a lot of ways you can make competition cheaper such as competing in the country you live, representing a company that could buy and roast coffee for you.
I’ll post updates on this subject I progress into this journey. My intent isn’t to scare anyone off by throwing so big numbers but more to provide with insights and transparency on a topic that often has a lot of mystery and secrets around it
Which is your favorite grinder?
My favorite grinder is the Comandante C40 MK3 because of how consistent the results are and it is very portable to carry around. The consistency of the grind is very uniform regardless of what grind size and it always brings out more complexity to the cup whether the grind setting is for pour-over or for espresso.
What do you do when you want to test different grinders?
As a roastery, we test our coffees in different grinders including the forgivable grinders in the market while using both the EK43s and the Comandante. We test it by brewing the same coffee coming from different grinders targeting the same grind size results and then we taste and compare on which grinder achieves a more complex, a more balanced cup and a grinder that can help us extract more high-quality flavors. After analyzing our results, we then test the grinder on how consistent the results are by brewing again the same coffee in numerous batches and so far the Comandante C40 Nitro Blade stands out.
What is the most important part to think about when you choose grinder?
Practicality. Consistency. Quality
By identifying where to use the grinder for, you need to be practical in terms of the target budget and the target usage and from there you can gauge on which grinder you would want to buy. It always matters that the grinder can achieve the same consistent results all over again. The quality of the raw material and the built itself matters a lot especially the wear and tear part. You always want something that is reliable for long term use.
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For this moment, I do not have a clear answer to the question "What is my favorite coffee grinder." Because I attach particular attention to the approach of championships to coffee grinders. Probably, for now, my favorite for Brewers is the EK -43. But this year, at the World Championships in Berlin, I was very impressed with the Kinu M47 Phoenix coffee grinder with its simple and at the same time correct mechanism.
Why is it your favorite grinder?
So far, for me, the Kinu is the most convenient coffee grinder. It generates a high-quality grind result and is easy and efficient to use.
What do you do when you want to test different grinders?
When I want to test various coffee grinders, I follow this instruction:
1. Coffee grinding rate
2. The quality of the issuance of the grinding (Uniformity of the fraction)
3. I use only one type of coffee
4. I use one device. This is often a clever dripper. It is in such circumstances that I can identify which coffee grinder is more suitable for me.
5. What is the most important part of thinking about when you choose coffee grinder?
An important component when choosing a coffee grinder is the accuracy of grinding. So that under any circumstances I could get a clean, bright cup without dust and compactness. This is important because the EK-43 coffee grinder cannot be taken everywhere with you. I believe my hopes for Kinu because it is possible that I will take this grinder to the championship.
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What grinder do you use?
When it comes to brewing excellent coffees I always highly value the quality of the grinder. In fact, for a long time, I’ve argued that I’d happily make compromises on the rest of my equipment (kettle, machine, etc.) but the grinder is always the centerpiece of brewing in my opinion.
At this stage, there are only a few grinders that I really love using: the Comandante C40 and Kinu M47 for manual grinders and the EK43 as an electric grinder.
I like these grinders because they grind coffee is a relatively uniform and consistent way. This means that most of the pieces will have a similar size and shape which will help to create evenness in the extraction. I always make the comparison with cooking – if I cut my vegetables in different sizes and shapes then they will cook at a very different pace. Smaller pieces will be likely to dry and burn and bigger chunks might still be raw inside. A very similar thing happens when you brew coffee with particles of very different sizes.
When I want to test a grinder against another one I don’t usually rely on figures, graphs or curves but I’d rather trust my tasting abilities. I’d generally look for balance, complexity, and clarity for a grinder – the ease of usage is also something I rate highly!
As to which grinder you should get for yourself if you want to brew awesome coffee at home, I’d say it all depends on the level of expectation that you have for your coffee but again, I would not compromise on the quality of a grinder. Before buying my first Comandante I owned 4 different cheaper, lower quality hand grinders with ceramic burrs/ They all broke within a few months and also never produced anything great as the grind was always very uneven.
My advice: do yourself a favor, spoil yourself and get a high-end grinder that will last for years.
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I haven't tried that many different grinders, but my favorite is Mahlkonig EK43.
The most important thing for me is the ease of use, and that I don't waste coffee while changing settings. With minimal changes, I can reach the result much easier. I think it is a great advantage that I can use it for both espresso and pour-over.
I haven't explored many other grinders since the EK43 is my favorite and gives me the result I want. There are a lot of different grinder options, and it's almost impossible to try them all.
I think these kinds of posts are crucial so that we can start a discussion in the industry. Knowledge can be obtained not only by trying but also by sharing, asking questions. I think testing and getting experience are two different things and, if we share that process, we will all benefit.
I think it's more important to understand the equipment you are working with. Rather than jumping between different grinders, I specialize in getting the best result out of the EK43 - and there is still much to learn.
I think the most important thing is to feel comfortable when you work with your equipment. Especially for busy coffee shops. What upsets me the most is the coffee that goes to the trash when you're calibrating. Of course, it's essential to try different recipes, but we all need to waste less!
My current favorite grinder for filter coffee is the Comandante Hand Grinder. When I first got to know the Comandante and got to handle it in the World of Coffee in Dublin a few years ago, I was surprised by how easy it was to grind (for a hand grinder it is amazingly soft and fast) and how consistent the grind was. Another factor that caught my attention is how you can easily adjust it and clean it!
When I want to test different grinders, I usually choose the same coffee and choose one recipe for the V60. I try to grind the "same" in all the grinders. After brewing, I then evaluate the result in the cup, which cup is more balanced, more complex. If I need to adjust a few things on one grinder or the other to make another test, I will do it again.
One of the most important things to think about when I choose a grinder is the quality of the grinds. This means the consistency and the precision of the grinds so I can get a quality brew and a clean cup at the end. Talking about precision, something else about the comandante that is very cool about the Comandante is the Red Clix, where you can change the axle and expand the click range! The grinder will be more sensitive, and I will have more precision in grinding!
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Currently, I have two similar recipes. They are both depended on the roast of the coffee, solubility, and freshness.
I will vary between 4 or 5 pours. Using 15g - 16g finely ground coffee. Also with water weight of 240ml - 250ml. Averaging 205ml - 215ml.
These recipes only work to my knowledge with specific coffees, due to high solubility from processing.
*First recipe*
30ml bloom wait to 30 seconds.
30ml second bloom at 30 seconds.
40ml pour at 1 minute
100ml at 1:15
50ml at 1:45
*Second recipe*
30ml bloom wait to 30 seconds.
30ml second bloom at 30 seconds.
130ml pour at 50seconds
70ml at 1:15
50ml at 1:45
Total brew time 2:10-2:20
Two 30 ml blooms allow the coffee to degas, allowing the water to fill the air pockets creating a semi-solid coffee bed. Promoting a more even extraction.
My third, fourth, and sometimes 5th pours are to control body, sweetness, strength, and balance. In that order.
1. Which is your favorite grinder?
My favorite grinder is the Comandante C40 Nitro Blade. The reason for that is that it is straightforward to use and is easy to travel with. The results of the grinder are also precise, and even I dare to compare it with EK43. This conical burr the grinder is capable of producing particles with excellent consistency.
3. What do you do when you want to test different grinders?
To compare and test several grinders, I try to brew one coffee of the same origin with almost the same grind size between each grinder and then see the results. I will choose the most exciting results with a relatively good complex level. After that, I try to make several more tests to see the consistency of the results of the grinder.
4. What is the essential part of thinking about when you choose grinder?
I have read several forums about hand grinders, and one said that aluminum is dangerous and it to use.
His statement is as follows:
"Just saying, but Comandante is the only grinder in which producers didn't use aluminum, Why? "man potential health threat and the problem is Aluminium Citrate. It can cross the blood-brain barrier, a soluble salt (the combination of Aluminium and Citric Acid). Citric acid is in the roasted coffee bean. Light roasts of high-density specialty coffee have relatively high levels of citric acid. Aluminum and its salts being a potential health threat as potent Neurotoxin and may be behind Alzheimer's, ALS." - Quote from a Forum Article (we don't have the actual link to the article).
For me, one of the things that are important when choosing a grinder is from the raw material of the grinder itself.
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I think competing is not just about focusing on winning. It's about sharing new and exciting ideas :). Above all, it needs to be honest. It's crucial to find a roaster and coach that understands you. As well as the other way around, you need to understand them.
Whatever the outcome, I think the most important thing is to compete with a presentation that feels good, is honest, happy and something you as a competitor truly enjoy. It's enough for me that the beans I represent make me feel good, are tasty, and have a new and exciting story to share.
Have fun and best luck to all competitors in the world :)
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I have always been quite flexible with my recipes for brewing, yet for the most part, I prefer to keep it quite simple. There can be a tendency to get a little carried away and I often prefer to focus on the coffee itself.
Despite this, I have lately been making a lot of Kalita brews and even adjusting my techniques because of this. For the most part, I have always been a "V60 Man" I love the cleanliness of the brew but also the ease that one can brew with it. Switching to the Kalita wave, shouldn't be that big of a change but to me it is, everything is how it pours, settles, collects water etc is very very different, yet I have been enjoying the brews that I get from it. I will say, I really need to get out of the "2 minutes and 20 seconds" thing that I have been using for easily 3/4 years now. It is almost too much of a quick fix for dialing in and I should be more open to longer brew times and courser grind settings.
Therefore in the last few weeks, I have been playing with:
11grams of coffee to 160 grams of water in the 155size Kalita.
I start with a 4 to 1 bloom (yes) and let it sit for roughly 35-40 seconds, really letting it release all those gasses. Then I aggressively pour up to 100grams of water within just a few seconds really agitating the pour. This is not an elegant looking brew by any means, because I like to add a spin at this point. After I see a drop in the level of liquid, usually by 1 minute 30 I will top up the water to its total of 160grams.
Lately, this brew has been finishing anywhere between 2 minutes 20 and 2 minutes 50 depending on the coffee I have used, and I have found the longer brews to be far sweeter with a higher depth of character than the quicker brews.
I will work and practice this some more, but I am no longer sticking in that 1/16 ratio nor am I stuck on a time zone for brew times because someone else said so.
Happy brews everyone.
The coffee that I used in WBrC 2019 is Finca Deborah Afterglow. This coffee is from
Panama, located in Boquete, Chiriqui Province. Managed by Jamison Savage as the producers. This coffee has a light roast profile and roasted for 5 minutes in ikawa with roasting development is 18%. My roaster chose this profile to balance the acidity and the mouthfeel. The longer development time helps to improve the complexity and sweetness while maintaining the floral aroma from this coffee.
The brewing device that I used is V60 Dripper, wherein the dripper can distribute water more evenly and centrally so that flavor becomes more clean, complex, and
pronounced. The dripper made from plastic does not absorb heat so the water
temperature in the dripper is still hot and also I'm using the insulated server for
temperature stability.
For the recipe, I'm using 15 grams of ground coffee with fine to medium grind size
(Click 53 on Comandante with Red Clix). The water temperature is 90 degrees Celsius, with a target weight of 230 grams of water. This recipe is chosen to create medium acidity and medium sweetness.
For the brewing methods, I separated them into three spiral pours. First, pour, is 50
grams of water with 40 seconds waiting time to making sure that water is in contact with every coffee ground to help to develop the acidity and sweetness. The second pour is 100 grams of water with 50 seconds waiting time, which function to create a body in the coffee, which in my case to creates a medium and rounded body. The final pour is 80 grams of water with 60 seconds waiting time, which aims to regulate the intensity of acidity at the medium level and to get that medium to long aftertaste.
Then, I use water that had been distilled before and then included three kinds of mineral content. The first is 42 ppm Bi Carbonate to regulate the pH level of water. The second is 20 ppm calcium to the development of sweetness and enhances the tactile, and the last is 30 ppm magnesium to lifted the acidity and extract more fruity elements in this coffee.
]]>Training for compulsory
Every month I get a new bag of April coffee.
With this coffee, it is now time for some training. In November the competition will start with the compulsory round. For this, I think it is good to do some training.
So for me, the best way to start is to find out what brewing device I would use.,
Last two years, I used Kalita wave 185 with a 1:15 ratio. I found out this worked well, and I made it into the finals two times, but I also found out that my score was not high enough.
Time for a change
This year I want to score more points, so that means I have to train more and become better in the compulsory round. A lot of competitors are using an AeroPress for the compulsory round. Now there are a ton of different recipes for the AeroPress. Different temperatures, different grind settings, the standard way, or the inverted way. Making three single AeroPress coffees in 7 minutes is not the problem. Making this consistent and tasting better than the other competitors is the challenge.
Pull vs. Push
It sounds strange, but last week I was testing coffee machines with filter coffee, I used the same recipe, the same coffee, the same grind size. Machine 1 was pushing water through the coffee, while machine two was pulling water back through the coffee. With the same parameters, I had two completely different tasting cups of coffee.
So if you start with the inverted way taking Patriks AeroPress recipe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI-HYuN8IRw
You would generally start by putting the plusher in the AeroPress. Using the full space of the AeroPress. After 1 minute you start pushing until 1.20 minute.
For the second AeroPress, I used the same recipe; only this time, I pushed the plunger deeper in the AeroPress up between numbers 2 and 3. This means you have less space in the AeroPress. At 1 minute, I started pulling the plunger back for 10 seconds. You will notice that air sucks back in again. After 10 seconds, I started pushing the AeroPress and finishing at 1.20 minute.
Taste results:
I found out that the 2 cups were tasting still a lot similar. But the cup where we pulled the plunger back had a much brighter acidity and more sweetness.
I was preparing for the competitions before without a coach, and it was really difficult, I think there should definitely be someone who will try the coffee with you, offer alternatives and different perspectives, help you get better and tell you when something isn't right. Having someone with you who believes in you and helps you make you more confident. It's actually a big responsibility to take because you don't want to screw up what the person in front of you is giving you.
Working with a coach has helped me a lot. I can say I now have a more extensive range of profiles and understanding for coffee. I guess I didn't know what I was doing before :) I obviously don't have any knowledge of roasting and the fact that my coach is also roaster gives me an advantage. I try delicious coffee, which I think is the most enjoyable part. :) and I've met a lot of new people.
I'm learning a lot of new information. I am not confident in my English skills, I find it difficult to compose the right sentences when writing presentations, and the support I receive in this regard is very important to me as well. If you look at it, it's all really valuable information, and in the end, it makes you enjoy learning that the job isn't just about competing.
I think working with a coach is a massive advantage in everything. In my country there is a saying, what's wrong with a hand there is a sound of two hands :) Thank you, Patrik. Thank You, April. I'm so happy to work with you!!
]]>In the 2018 National Barista Championship in Turkey, I used a coffee from El Salvador. It came from the farm La Esperanza in the region of Chalatenango, and was farmed by Mr. Roberto Adonay. It was a micro lot which means that instead of processing a big amount of coffee cherries at the same time as you traditionally would do, the farmer picked only the best cherries and kept those separate from all others through all the parts of the processing process. The lot was only 35 kg of green beans in total. When I brewed my espresso, I used 20 grams of coffee and 42 grams of volume. This profile gave me more sweetness, balance, and complexity. When we tasted, we reached flavors of cherry, fruit wine, and red grapefruit. The body was the medium and after taste was very long and sweet with notes of dry fruit.
When I competed at the World Barista Championship, my coffee was from a farm located in the western town of Gesha. The name of the farm was Gesha Village and since 2011, using their varietal gardens, experimental processing and attention to details in all steps of the process they have been producing some of the most beautiful tasting coffee in the world. When I brewed my espresso, I used 19 grams of coffee with 45 grams volume with 91-degree temp. This made my extraction longer, which opened up the flavors in the espresso but still kept the sweetness. I am usually letting the espresso cool down to make the flavour more intense and sweetness higher. It was giving upfront, flavors of peach & bergamot followed by jasmine. The after taste was sweet tropical fruits, especially mango. The body was light/medium, and the after taste was long, vibrant, and sweet.
The year following in my National Barista Championship where I took 2nd place, I used Nicaragua Limoncillo. It was a new style of coffee because the farmer asked himself, what happens if we instead of mixing these beans with our commercial coffee, separate them, and process them as a single lot. They did, and the result was the first-ever yellow pacamara petite. A selection of smaller pacamara beans that normally would be thrown out but when carefully selected and processed as a micro lot tasted amazing. I used 20 gr of coffee with 45 gr volume, which made my espresso sweeter and the flavors clearer. It was flavor notes of, yellow plum & passion fruit with a smooth and creamy body with a long sweet, chocolatey finish. And all the time, I focused on my technique as much as possiple. It was the most important thing to serve the best espresso for the judges.
]]>How much does it cost to compete?
This year, as an independent competitor I thought it appropriate to outlay the costs involved to compete just in the regional championship here in Australia.
I have purchased:
3 x Acaia Pearl (Black)
2 xBrewista Artisan Kettle (Matte Black)
1 x Comandante Grinder (Black)
Total: AUD $1170.58
I was lucky enough to get a discount from an online retailer here in Australia for all this equipment. I got this discount because I asked, it was roughly 25% off. To register to compete in the regional championship here is AUD $250.
Next, the cost for my competition coffee was AUD$162 a kilo, having bought 4.90kg. I am lucky enough to be sharing this with a friend. We've calculated with moisture loss, and batch size it will cost us AUD$9.20 every time we roast 40g on the ikawa.
Equipment: $1170.58
Ticket: $250
Coffee: $396.90
Total: AUD 1817.48
This does not include my minerals for creating water $50, and my drippers and decanters I have from other years. While these costs are relevant to the competition, and I can use the equipment forever, it is a lot of money to invest. If I do well enough to make it to Nationals, I will need to invest again for a new coffee, and another $250 to compete.
Because I have never worked as a barista (until now), I have never known what basic services should be provided to customers, so they feel comfortable.
And when I decided to enter the competition, I was a little confused when learning the Customer Service aspects because I had never felt behind bars before. Even friends often scare me that it will be difficult to get a good Customer Service because I have a scary face, rarely smile, like to frown, etc.
Then in order to get good results in this aspect, I tried to go around the coffee shop and sit in front of the bar to observe and learn about what the baristas were doing so that I felt comfortable in their place (without disturbing their work of course), while watching videos of the champ such as Mikaela Wallgreen, Tetsu Kasuya, Chad Wang, etc. Afterward, it will be adjusted to the "Rules and Regulations." How is the result? I managed to score nine several times in the Indonesia Brewers Cup, but I haven't gotten a high score in the World Brewers Cup, this might happen because there are cultural differences. I think it still needs to do more research for future competitions.
]]>Espresso recipe:
For my espresso recipe, I want to explore how we can go about achieving the tastiest espresso with a high brew ratio. When I first started competing, I had a minimal understanding of espresso recipes.
For my first national competition, I used a ratio of 1,6 with 18,5g in the basket and 30g yield in 30 seconds. It was a very compact espresso because that´s how I thought it was supposed to taste. It was only later that I learned that each coffee has its specific sweet spot and that a barista can alter the flavour expression of espresso simply by adjusting the yield.
From my first, syrupy espresso recipe, I´ve moved in the direction of higher and higher yield. For my 2019 nationals, I used a recipe of 20g in the basket and 46g yield, for a brew ratio of 2,3. This gave a sweeter, more complex and tastier espresso, with notes of apricot, green apple, cherries, and rhubarb.
For my next iteration, I want to go even further. I´ve had some delicious espresso with a brew ratio of close to 3. At such a large difference between dose and yield, there is a significant risk of creating a thin and watery espresso, and most specialty coffees I´ve tried at high yields have tasted just that. However, with a suitably developed coffee containing lots of sweetness and flavour compounds, a high brew ratio can allow you to taste the entire range of flavours without losing body or mouthfeel.
The secret is that the coffee needs to spend a sufficient amount of time in the Maillard stage to create a higher molecular weight. During the Maillard process, amino acids react with reducing sugars in the coffee, breaking down and creating new compounds along the way. If this process goes on long enough, it increases the complexity and body in the coffee.
In other words, high yield doesn´t work for every coffee, because a quick roast will not have sufficient molecular weight to give the espresso body, and a long or dark roast might produce more bitter compounds that will unbalance the espresso. This is why the relationship between roaster and barista is so essential. To maximize the potential of a coffee the barista needs to communicate to the roaster what they want to achieve, and the roaster needs to advise the barista on how the coffee is behaving post-roast, and where they think the sweet spot is.
It´s through this relationship that it´s possible to produce the tastiest high brew ratio espresso.
]]>My first introduction to competition was the 2017 Irish Brewers Cup Championship in Dublin Ireland. While I never placed in this competition, it was a strong introduction to what it takes to be a champion. I will always remember the performance by Stephen Houston, his presentation and his performance while brewing but also his humility and friendliness offstage. One of the significant reflections on my first run at Brewers Cup was the financial investment that is required. I recommend all who wish to compete to consider the financial elements of this event. I often found myself in a constant state of catch up. “How much can I spare this week?” was a common question.
For me, the investment was not only equipment but also travel, as I lived in Berlin at the time and the competition required traveling with coffee, brew equipment and so much more. At the time I worked for Roststatte Berlin, who were kind enough to support me with brewing gear, v60s, the use of scales, and even helped with my competition fee. We bought cute ceramics and even some spares.
They sponsored me a coffee, a Level Up Washed Ethiopian that was so elegant and sweet. The highest cost then was travel and accommodation: Ryanair flight + Luggage 222.32 Airbnb 3 x 68euro SCA Membership: 100 On top of this were things like brewing water, papers, my grinder, and many many small things. The Canadian Coffee in Good Spirits, though was a completely different venture. Luckily I used a relatively affordable coffee. My sponsored coffee from Sey (New York) was held up in customs. With some quick thinking and some minor recipe adjustments, I managed to use a natural process Rwandan coffee provided by The Barn. The cost of Cigs comes from the alcohol, and the number of ingredients you will use for your recipe to put it together. I must have bought at least six different spirits (not affordable in Canada) before settling on a small few. Boxcar Social was super kind of supporting me with some costs, and the use of a very particular whiskey (Ledaig 10) and with glassware and a lot of cocktail gear.
On the other hand, I found myself buying a lot of whiskeys to try and create the perfect Irish Coffee for my recipe. In the end, my costs ended up something like Bushmills 10: 49 dollars West Cork 10: 44 dollars El Dorado Rum 12: 59 dollars 45% Non Homogenised cream 12.99 x 3 With coffee in good spirits, I had costs that I don’t even remember. It is a situation of spending an endless amount of cash on ten minutes of your life.
That being said, I loved every minute. For me, the competition was an investment in my self. I put myself out there, I competed in something that I love and respect and went for it. Where I placed was inconsequential to the challenge I made against myself to try and do something more. And I would, and I am doing it again. The cost can be perceived in many ways, but for me, the cost of not doing it was even more.
]]>In the past weeks, I’ve been training on different recipes, identifying the following variables:
coffee/water dosage
Water temperature
Total brew time
Grind size
Method
Number of pours
Water quality
I’ve been using the same coffee for all the training, in order to have always the same taste reference as a base, also, the same water, method (v60) and roast profile. The only variables changing were the dose of coffee and water, grind size, water temperature, and total brew time.
The starting point for every recipe was to decide which variable gives strength and which gives clarity to my coffee: Where does the strength come from? Where does the clarity come from? I’ve been practicing with a Colombian Pink Bourbon from Round Hill Roastery and I absolutely wanted to highlight its high sweetness and juiciness; the strength traits have been enhanced by the dose.
I used 16gr of coffee for 250gr of water; this proportion allows me to have a not too diluted cup. The pours. 100gr in the preinfusion, using circular pours for 10”; at 1’ 50gr poured in 5” against the walls of the filter to extract all the grounds; ultimately, at 1’30” the last 100gr of water poured in 10” again in circular movements. This recipe allows me to pour always when the previous brewed water drained all the way into the server.
Also, it intensifies the viscosity and the structure of the coffee. The next step is to identify what brings clarity to the cup: The grind size is medium/large, which brings brightness and cleanliness. The water temperature (the variable together with the grind size I play the most with) is set at 88 degrees Celsius.
This low temperature enhances the acidity and the juiciness of this specific coffee. Last but not least, the total brew time is of 2’30”, which makes for a smooth and incredibly sweet, long aftertaste.
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