#coffeetalk

Readying for Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival

Roasting a batch of Orangutan Sumatra. It is not from Orangutan scat. It is a traditionally processed Coffee Arabica. The name comes from the efforts to preserve the Orangutan and Sumatra Leopards that allowed humans to farm their lands. This Sumatra is raised at 1600-2000 meters above sea level. The Island of Sumatra has competing agricultural interests with palm oil being predominate. The palm oil industry is fairly ruthlessly mono cropping where they can wiping out rain forest ecology when they ” develop” an area. The bean is roasted past first crack and is full-bodied even at this roast level.

Roasting vintage coffee

Today I am roasting Honduras ” Paca Vita” organically grown Arabica from the 2015-16 crop.

This bean has been stored since 2019 by me and I want to move it along for sale. This roast cycle is hedging on the lighter roast side – so first crack only. Mild flavor low acidity, typical Honduran terroir. Unsweetened cocoa and black tea overtones cocoa at the beginning tea like at the end of each sip.

Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival 2022

Coffee news : The Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival dates are April 2-3 , 2022 to be held at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds ( ” New Mexico Expo”) . My slot -space has been reserved and I am getting my coffee menus ready for the show. This year I have added a theme for my space at the Show. ‘Coffee Lovers Love Coffee”. I am returning with several of my favorite low – acid coffees , Celebes and Sumatra. The Celebes will be a dark roast- as close to French Roast as I will admit, and the Sumatra will be a medium roast . I will also have Uganda Organic Fair Trade rain forest friendly as a dark roast. a Columbia coffee will be the featured coffee as a medium roast.

This coffee comes from the Cundinimarca Prefect District just outside Bogota. The coffee was raised at elevation of 1750 meters above sea level. The flavors are close to apple and kiwi overtones with a vanilla and cocoa scent or nose . The back story is even richer, in that the couple restoring the finca ( or coffee farm ) are from two distinct geographies. The gentleman in the relationship is a Vermonter and the gentle lady is a Columbia native raised in ….wait for it……Socorro, Colombia! Since I roast in Socorro, New Mexico, I could not resist this Love Story! The origin is one farm in Colombia and is harvested in February of each year. This roast is from the 2020 crop.

My hope is that you cup some with me at the Socorro Farmers Market ( Saturdays 9-11 at the Socorro Teen Center 1105 Ake Street Socorro, Cross Street Bullock Ave. ) or at the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival April 2-3 in Albuquerque. Cheers.

COVID-19 coffee sales

We are selling at the Farmer’s Market, Online, though I like personal contact best. I do take the time to deliver locally in a contact free way. Postage varies though I can ship anywhere. I do NOT add nitrogen to my bags , yet, though I might if the net result is better storage.

Please feel free to let me know if you want some beans.

Year Two

Dear Friends,

I am starting year two in the coffee business. I am reviewing givens and druthers, things done and left undone, goals met and unmet.

I have had many thoughts , ideas , visions, goals. This coffee roasting enterprise is just one of them . I used to discuss my education ideas with my brothers, Tad and Paul.

I dreamt of an enterprise that would allow for experience , ( work experience ), education ( degree or certification – accredited ) combined with community and family.

I was disappointed in finding out it had been done before. ” Pygmalion in the Classroom ” . The Rubric of experiential education ( a la Mike Rowe ), Northeastern University’s Work/Study/Degree program , Outward Bound , of which I am a proud graduate of the HIOBS winter 1975 program , ( Hurricane Island ). Synanon, The Taize’ Communities , Packard Manse , the Christian Communes of the 1970s in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California and the Shaker communities of New England and the Ohio River Valley.

Then while married to Sally , in honor of learning to live anew and eager to learn, I thought about forming a healing corporation named The Pink House Foundation. I thought of using her brother as the P.A. for our clients . The Foundation would have served homeless , hard – to – house folks , young adults with few practical skills, turning hard to employ folks into taxpayers and successful business folk.

Then I started to learn to roast coffee….

The rest is history…….

More next time……

Cheers , and Happy New Year! ,

Brewster