Brief Bio we put out in the cafe!



Sure, we roast the coffee, but there’s so much more to it! It’s easy to care about the quality of your work, when you care about what you do. Roasting is a constant challenge, a balancing act between art, science, and all of the chaotic love standing between them. Every morning we are smelling, slurping, and taking notes on our coffees in the cupping room. It’s not enough to offer a consistent product; moreover, it has to be consistently great. Let’s face it, coffee is the way we start our mornings, or that deep breath we need to take mid-day; these things are important! We have committed ourselves to the fine-detailing, nit-picking, and hair-splitting so that you don’t have to. Sometimes it’s nice to sit back and let somebody else drive. Coffee is what we do. Every day we learn more about this beautiful industry, about ourselves, and about you, our customers. We want you to be happy, and we want you to drink good coffee. As luck would have it these things go hand in hand.
Here’s hoping you enjoy this as much as we do!
- Jill & Karen -

Drum roasting vs Fluid bed Round II: The musical

So Lately Karen and I have been talking a lot about what it means to really "nail" the perfect roast. The only thing I've really been able to compare this whole process to is music. As a Music Major drop out this analogy seems the most fitting to me. One of the first things you learn as a classical musician is the nature of "perfect pitch". Essentially the idea is this; each note has a flat side and a sharp side and all kinds of layers of in between, but there is only one, true tonal center of that note. So, I feel roasting follows the logic of music in this way. Any coffee's true, resonant nature is there, waiting to be struck and it is only with practice, patience and determination that the roaster can really hit the magic center. Cupping every day and working on the Diedrich has really brought this home to me. Like any scale, sonata, or symphony each coffee demands lots of time and attention if one hopes to get it right. We are currently working hard to create the perfect experience for our palates and for our customers as well. Like a musical piece, each and every roast is still a challenge to control and perform. Just because we get it right once, doesn't mean things will go the same next time. But I guess that is where the fun lies, the rhythms and dynamics never get old! So drink up kids! We're slaving away because we know that coffee is a work of art. One which we consume and cherish every single day! Forever and ever amen!

Season of Change

Training under Jill and cupping every day, I can recognize that my palate is developing and maturing. Of course it still has a lo-o-ong way to go, but part of the thrill is that there isn't really an end point to learning. And lately I've been more and more appreciative of these heightened senses, not just when it comes to coffee, but in the ways it helps me to experience the world. Last night when that heavy rain rolled through around 10:30, the smell of that water on the pavement still hot from the afternoon sent me spiraling into nostalgia. It's all right around the corner, warm spring evenings, street tables filled with happy bikers and pedestrians throwing back cold beers and good coffee, the slow down and deep breath of our collective heart. It seems every year when spring arrives, I give it the same acceptance speech. You were worth waiting for.
The cafe has been under new management for about 6 months now, and things up front are looking better than ever. Our manager, Mike, came in on a mission to unite our team and get us all on board for change. A simple goal in theory, but a task that not just anyone could achieve. It can be a jarring experience when someone new comes in with the blatant intent of steering your ship into unknown waters. But his positive attitude became contagious, and it's apparent now more than ever how much, everything depends on attitude. The more I talk to him, and come to understand his philosophy, the more I appreciate every little thing that he does. From starting every staff note with "Hey Team," to his devout willingness to listen to our concerns and take action.
And now with the warm weather, we are finally able to roll out some of our big changes. Starting today we have a fridge full of chilled pint glasses and cold bottled beers, a solid diverse selection to get us on our feet. We have red and white wine and are hoping to secure some more outdoor seating. We have some new employees up front, a very welcome addition to our team, and moral seems to be high all around. Do yourself a favor in the next couple weeks and stop into our shop on NW Glisan & 18th. Introduce yourself to our new and old staff. Sit down and enjoy a drink. Warm weather is knocking at the door. For a moment or two we might scramble about before we let it in, but we greet it the way we always have, and say to Spring, to change, and to our new manager Mike, you were worth waiting for.

Happy sipping,
- Karen

Drum vs Fluid Bed Roasters Round 1

One thing I've definitely been finding about the nature of the coffee industry is that it adheres to that tired old adage that the only constant is change. It seems like technology and technique is constantly being reviewed and revised and finally made obsolete...sort of. Trends come and go, the changing of the seasons, match maker match maker, yadda yadda yadda and on and on it goes. One endangered species that we at world cup specialize in is the Fluid Bed Roaster. I had one roast-curious customer ask to view our facilities in the hushed and awed tones that one would think should be reserved for the last unicorn or dodo bird. This attitude seems strange to me because I know other fluid beds are out there, and they do their jobs, they really do (and a fine one at that if you ask me!). Having said all that the specialty coffee industry (in terms of micro roasters...at least from what I can tell)loves the drum roaster. So here we are, just getting started roasting on our Diedrich IR-12, so far it has been a very interesting experience. The hardest part was realizing that I didn't understand the roasting process the way I thought I did. Let's just say there have been many humbling experiences so far where things just plain got out of hand. From grossly under roasting some coffee to charring another batch and all the seesawing back and forth between extreems the process has constantly pushed me to become a more attentive roaster. I love the idea of trying to master a new piece of equipment because it will only make us better at what we do. We've been gingerly roasting a coffee here and there putting them out on the sly for customer consumption shyly hoping they will like it but afraid to entirely make the switch. My goal for the next month is to get at least half of our production on to the new roaster. I feel that this is a good time as new crop centrals should be coming in soon so in away it is kind of like the coffee new year or something like that (opa!) Anyhoo...I hope to post a couple of times a week with our progress and painfully earned insights I have no doubt. Right now I feel about 1 part shaken and three parts stirred to greatness! (aha see what I did there!) To being a better person and reaching for the stars and winning one for...that guy!


Sincerely,
Jill

A Sun Lamp and the Doldrums of Winter

Well, we have officially hit that sad no-mans land in between Jan 1st and the first day of spring. It's rainy, cold and often just bleak out. In the coffee world too things feel sad and tired. Colombia has announced that they will most likely have a smaller crop than expected due to rains during harvest season, thus causing turmoil in the c-market. Brazil's and Indonesians are trickling in but other than that most coffees won't be coming back around until March. My Guats are baggy the Costas flavors are sagging and flat, my year old PNG has settled into a funk thus screwing with my espresso blend....it's enough to make a girl want to tear her hair out and then go tear it up in a bar somewhere:(. Luckily, we at world cup have had the good fortune (with the assistance of the wonderful folks at Royal Coffee Importers) to stumble upon a wonderful Rwandan Bourbon coffee put out by a co-op that only produces 5 containers a year. The coffee is sweet, nutty and bright and every time I make a delicious pour over drip of it I feel like I am cradling a liquid sun lamp between my hands. Drinking it always cheers me up and reminds me that winter will be on it's way out in a matter of weeks and new central americans will be on their way in! Also, this is the first coffee we have roasted on our new Diedrich IR-12 circa 2000. This coffee was definitely improved by being roasted on a drum, I don't know if it's the control you are allowed or maybe the difference in heat source (infared burners) but it's been so fun to play with it each time we roast. That being said I guess this blog is really about trying to shake it up, even in a time of stagnation. It's a time to remember that even through the fog and rain and never ending damp that in coffee there is always something to be excited about, always something to care about, a dimly percieved warmth to be drawn to. That's what's getting me through this dreary wheather, well that and the Mighty Boosh. Cheers!
Roaster Jill!

Zen and the Art of Pour-Over Drip

When I think back on my experiences with coffee, a few magical moments come to mind. Moments where the world slows down like a Wes Anderson scene with some obscure Velvet Underground or Simon and Garfunkel song playing. My first sip of "cowboy coffee" on a cold Wyoming morning, setting up a cook-out breakfast as the sun rose, lingers in. This memory only trumped by my first single origin ristretto shot. It was ethiopian, full of blueberries and mystery. And, just when I thought I couldn't be seduced by coffee anymore, I had my first pour-over drip. So simple, hot water poured directly over freshly ground coffee dripping into the cup that I was going to drink out of. The zen-like care of technique that went into the pour capturing my attention. And the taste; that clean and crisp feeling on my tongue, the flavors only becoming more exotic and distinct as it cooled. I had a crush.

This crush quickly turned into a love affair. With it's accessibility, ease of use, and low price point, the pour-over drip method is by far my favorite way to enjoy the best micro-roasted coffee at work and home. These drippers can be set directly on a cup or you can get creative and build a drip station. I built the station at World Cup's 18th and Glisan location for about $60.00 in parts and a rainy weekend in my garage. There are many options for the beginning coffee connoisseur ranging from around $3.00 for a plastic Melitta dripper and getting a little bit pricier (around $20.00) for a porcelain model from either Hario or Beehouse. I personally recommend going for a ceramic dripper. There is always a possibility they could crash to the tile floor of your kitchen and cause a mess...but with a little care, they will last forever, look great in your kitchen, never give an off-taste to your brew, and retain heat a lot better during the brew process.

Step 1: Acquire a nifty little dripper and appropriate paper filters.
Step 2: The Brew

When using a pour-over dripper, an important thing to remember is that with such a simple method of coffee extraction, every attention to detail you can put into the process will pay off in taste. The most important factor is freshness!! (Think Slick Rick type of fresh.) Coffee is perishable: The fresher the coffee, the better the taste. For a 12 ounce cup of coffee, I am using 23 grams of coffee. If you don't have a gram scale at home, this is a little more than a 1/4 cup of whole beans. However, if you decide to get more serious about your morning cup of joe, I'd recommend picking up a basic digital gram scale for around $25. *Don't grind your coffee yet* For optimum freshness, only grind your coffee immediately before extraction.

The next step is to prepare your dripper by either placing it on your cup or drip station. Insert a filter and pour through a little hot water to "wash" the filter and preheat the dripper. There are different theories on whether it is important to wash the filter or not, but in my opinion it ensures that there won't be any off taste from the paper. When everything is hot and ready.... grind away.

*A note on grinders*
There are a lot of grinder options out there for home use. This is the point where you decide if you want to enter into the world of being a coffee geek or not. With that said, there are more and more options for people who want to get serious about coffee at home but don't want to break the bank. Hario makes a few models of hand-operated burr grinders that are very affordable and very well made. With a burr grinder you are able to get an accurate and consistent grind size. With a blade grinder, you will end up with an uneven grind resulting in an uneven extraction. The grind consistency should resemble a course beach sand (or an artisanal salt...for the fooodies out there).

Once your coffee is ground, place it evenly in the filter and pour a little bit of hot water (around 195 degrees Farenheit) over the grinds to pre-soak and bloom the coffee. MAKE SURE YOUR CUP IS UNDER THE DRIPPER BEFORE YOU POUR. This sounds obvious but it is important for the overall taste of your cup that you don't let this part of the extraction run down the sink. The bloom acts as a way to prep the coffee for the full extraction. The grinds start to open up, releasing carbon dioxide making the coffee rise and "bloom". Allow the coffee to bloom for 20-30 seconds.


When trying to master a pour technique it is helpful to have a kettle with a directed spout such as the Buono kettle from Hario. The long spout will allow you to have a more directed stream of water and more control in the speed of the flow. This element of control is where the Zen element of pour-over drip brewing really comes into play. Like a game of GO or Backgammmon, it is easy to learn but takes a lifetime to master. The pour is the personal element that allows you to control the level of turbulence in the brew process. Here at World Cup Roasters, we are using the Hario V-60 drippers that have directional ribs in the cone shape and a single large hole in the bottom. While pouring, we make small concentric circles in the middle of the grinds in the direction of these ribs. A moderately slow but steady pour ensures a nice even extraction and helps the dripper do it's thing with the ribs. In my experiments with other drippers, I've found that following the shape of the dripper with the pour allows gravity to work best and results in a great cup of coffee. Despite varying techniques, the one consistent element is a slow but steady pour in the center of the dripper. As well, you can stop pouring when you see your cup fill to about half way. In total, the brew process should take about 2 minutes.


Now put on your favorite vinyl, do the crossword, and enjoy your tasty brew.

Also, swing by our 18th and Glisan cafe and try our craft roasted coffee in a pour-over from one of our coffee pros.

Love,
Ryan Donaldson
Your friendly neighborhood barista trainer

coffee varietals and effects on cup character (coming soon)

So, I am fairly new to the world of coffee roasting and I thought that the best place to start would be at the beginning, a very good place to start (ooh I'm channeling Julie Andrews now!) In the following week I hope to post some info about the main coffee varietals and any information I can dig up about their influence on cup character. There is an excellent article in Roast magazine that I will be starting out with. My goal is to inspire a discussion on even this very basic aspect of coffee as a plant, ( a fact which many of us forget) and to hopefully expand my education in a way that will make me a better roaster.

Here's looking at Monday!
Jill