Just wanted to share this…
Never in my time as a trainer have I seen a pour like this. New barista, first time pouring and this is what comes out… Reckon she is doomed or something?!?!
baristaman
barista, barista trainer and coffee geek… Paul Asquith
Tagged with coffee …
The coffee tattoo project…
Ever since I was in my 20′s I wanted a tattoo. The only problem was, I didn’t really know what the tattoo would be. At the time I thought of the cliché tattoos (please don’t be offended if this is what you have) of Japanese script meaning faith, hope & love. Then I thought about a cross but could never really decide on what sort that would be.
As the body clock rounded the 27 mark, I had a bit of an idea of what I would eventually get. A coffee tattoo… what that was going to be then took another couple of years until I had conceptualised, sketched and decided exactly what I wanted in a tattoo. At 30, my friends decided to give me the final push and fund part of my tattoo. Here is stage 1…
The ink bit… well at least the initial drawing and conceptual design I had come up with.
So this is when it became real… No turning back!!!
The shading of the handle. It hurt a little more. Doesn’t look too good at this point!
… and here is the finish of stage one.
I’ll keep you posted. Colour is booked in for the 20th of December. Mick is too popular for me hahaha!
2010 was good – 2011 will be great!
Cliche much?!?!?
I have to ponder at this time of year and think about all the good, bad and potentially ugly things that have happened. I’m going to spare you all the pain of the bad stuff but good stuff…
1. Getting a multi-national company to re-think their freshness standards and espresso machine and grinder choice
2. Securing a brilliant new role in at Grinders Coffee as their national training manager
3. Challenging old espresso drinkers to look at other brew methods, try different origins and cup!
4. Learning that blogging regularly is not an easy thing to do
5. Discovering coffee; again and again and again
So in 2011 I really hope there are more great things ahead. I really think that it is going to be a defining year. In fact, I just turned the big 30 and this should be a profound year… shouldn’t it?
Top 5 things I would like to achieve in 2011
1. Launch a range of filter roast coffees
2. launch a national accredited training academy to match, rival and be the best
3. Take a trip to another country and discover coffee in a new light, maybe even tack on a trip to origin
4. Do this blog thing a bit better. Smaller, structured blogs… A little more interesting too!
5. Learn…
So thank you for a good 2010. I’m looking forward to 2011 and the goals to kick. For those that read this blog, I would love your thoughts in the comments below. What would you like to read? What will make you come back for more and more?
Espresso
I’m currently toying around with espresso and all the variables in making that really great shot. Yesterday, I looked at a pour and thought to myself, “no way, that’s too fast!” You know what? It was perfect. I tried it again, again another good shot. What did I change to make this such a great espresso? This is the problem!
At the time, I was just mucking around so I don’t really know what variable I changed to pull this super sweet shot. I’ll figure it out but it does make me wonder. How many times have we said, “this is how you make a good shot” and ended up with something that is not so perfect? If I had Mojo and was getting yields and stuff, then I would probably be able to do the percentage and be really on it but for now, I have to make do with the original mojo, my tongue!
On other espresso related notes. I have been using blends with robusta. To be honest, when I first started, that was all I could smell, but now, I finally see why it has played such a prominent part in so many blends. Given the right balance, a good quality bean, I’m finding it has a place.
So now I wonder. What am I going to do to make my competition roast? Another post maybe?
Coffee and Milk
So much has been said about the negative impact milk has on coffee. How it takes away from the true nuances, how it makes a great beverage average. If that is so, why do so many people like milk with their coffee? Why is it that 95% of coffee in Australia, and probably a very high percentage around the world, are supplemented with milk? What is it about us that made us get coffee so wrong? Or right?
Lets look at the history pages a little. It is believed that in 1675 The Turkish Army surrounded Vienna. Franz Georg Kolschitzky, a Viennese who had lived in Turkey, sliped through the enemy lines to lead relief forces to the city. The fleeing Turks leave behind sacks of “dry black fodder” that Kolschitzky recognizes as coffee. He claims it as his reward and opens central Europe’s first coffee house. He also establishes the habit of refining the brew by filtering out the grounds, sweetening it, and adding a dash of milk.
Was Kolschitzky on to something. Or did he get it all wrong? It’s a proven fact that milk in coffee doesn’t affect antioxidants but it also believed that it slows the effects of caffeine in the system too, not that we really care.
What I want to know is people’s impression of milk in coffee. Let’s face it, most people just care about the taste. I think that milk certainly has its place. Each year a bunch of baristas and roasters create blends specifically to go with milk as a cappuccino for barista comps or competitions like ‘Golden Bean’ and really, these are great tasting coffees with milk. You look for a blend that is going to balance out with the body of the milk, create some sweetness and maybe some toasty overtones. When it’s right, its right!
The of course there is latte art. Without the milk, we would have none of this and may make for some boring visuals. There is a whole world championship based around the addition of milk to coffee. This can’t be wrong. Saying this, put a drop of milk anywhere near my Yirgercheffe filter and I will hurt you! I know there are even some people out there that don’t believe milk should go anywhere near coffee.
The truth is, I drink more coffee without milk than I do with milk at the moment. It’s what I have started to really love. It helps that I’ve had some great filter and siphon brews lately, with coffee that doesn’t belong anywhere near milk.
I do have a soft spot for the cappuccino though!
I think there is a place for both, but please comment below. Are you a pro milk, anti milk, fence sitter or what? I am interested in hearing it.
