Civilian Coffee Stamp
Having completed distribution of my second roast, and bagging the third now, packaging and roast are under constant evaluation. The first roast was balanced, with no qualities stealing the stage, but none particularly negative either. Of the coffee professionals who have offered feedback, those one would expect to suggest darker did so, those hat take their own roasts lighter suggested their preference as well. Overall it seemed a balanced roast with a few roasty notes. … Read entire article »
Bend, March 2012
A couple weeks ago, I made a return visit to Bend for the weekend. Of course, this meant catching up on the coffee scene. A stop by Back Porch Roasters found their Newport Avenue café open for business and running smoothly. It is a modern feeling café, plenty of white walls, light woods, and clean lines. You may remember them from my post last summer when Marrow Magazine also did a write-up about their cold … Read entire article »
Upcoming Production – Mexican Bourbon
I’ve recently purchased my largest quantity of green coffee ever. Splitting a bag with a local coffee cart owner, I now have 50 pounds sitting in the pantry. Recently, I spent some time with Trevin of Mr. Green Beans getting trained on the 25 pound Diedrich coffee roaster he rents out time on. Over the upcoming weeks I will begin roasting three separate batches, with about 1/4 of the volume pre-sold already. My introductory pricing will be only $8 per pound, but still requiring a very high sell-through to reach my breakeven point. A stamp is on its way from Atlas here in Portland so the Civilian Coffee logo will appear on each bag along with the roast date. The coffee itself is a Mexican Bourbon from the Chiapas region. It was … Read entire article »
Home Roasting Setup
I’ve been roasting coffee for over two years now, and would like to share my set up with you. It all centers around the Behmor 1600 electric drum roaster. While the manufacturer says it is capable of up to a pound, I would recommend staying under a half-pound to avoid baking the coffee. The pre-set roasting profiles range from full power; a variety of incrementing power percentages; one starts high, drops low, and increases near … Read entire article »
Cupping at Stumptown Annex
Not having visited the Stumptown Annex in months, it was time for a visit and cupping. Arriving early I passed the time sipping on a pour over of their El Salvador Kilimanjaro, a blend of Boubron and ESL28 varietals. In total it has three varietals, using three processing methods. The blend lead to a nice creamy milk-chocolate dryness, that when combined with the wild fruit notes hinted at raspberries. A very nice morning cup. Since my last … Read entire article »
Coffee Fest – Latte Art Throwdown
After a long day at Coffee Fest, I wanted the full experience. So having seen a latte art throwdown and after-party posted on Barista Exchange I knew it was a must see. When I arrived, the Victrola cafe was brimming with baristas, roasters, and other coffee fanatics. As the event drew near, the brave began practicing their craft on the two espresso machines available. Since a photo says a thousand words, I’ll let them do … Read entire article »