(See previous posts for upcoming references.)
Chewbacca has now been flying solo for a while, roasting a mean bean and will be using this blog to sassily write about what is going on in the world of Bittersweeet coffee (and barely operable machinery in the warehouse).
I have to give much thanks to Ian for giving me the skills to do something I love. Roasting makes not only me happy but all the people who need to get their fix, I mean daily cup of coffee. So thanks Ian for the training and mentoring. You have been an invaluable asset to not only me but Bittersweet as well.
News...
We will be holding public cuppings on Friday afternoons at two o'clock here at the cafe. I will be taking this opportunity to showcase one of the coffees that we are currently offering, while hopefully giving out some good information about each selection, teaching people how to cup, and why cupping is important.
On the shelves is a new Yemen Mocca Sanaani. This is a limited run so... come in while we have it! I know that many people will miss the Bali as one of our single origin offerings but the Yemen is a strong stand alone contender. Give it a try. This is a natural processed coffee and every one who has tried it has liked it very much, each for different reasons. Pretty good for being sun-dried and sorted on a Yemenese roof top!
Onward to the land of barely operable machinery...
Rebuilding steam wands seems straight forward enough, however, in the land of "barely operable machinery" this becomes a challenge like many others. These things have been the bane of my machine repairing experience since I took over the coffee program. There are only a handful of small parts but each one is apparently essential to the proper working of the steam wands and by that I mean not leaking, or spitting hot steam all over your hands. Unlike other projects where a left over bolt is no big deal, these things are picky.
After rebuilding a couple of wands I was getting rather good at it, or so I thought. They come apart easy enough and go back together easy enough, but in the end after installation and some high pressure steam, small leaking prevailed, proving that easy is not always the case. Espresso machines (I have learned) need constant love and care. Like a puppy they demand attention and if they don't get it they can become annoying in little ways. So the wands still puff out a little steam, minor in the grand scheme of things, but annoying none the less, and I only have one rebuild kit left so... wish me luck.
So there you have it my very first blog post ever. I am sure that you will be seeing more and maybe giggle while learning something along the way.
