Choosing a Coffee at CoffeeCON

Specialty coffee pioneer George Howell has been talking to an audience of over 100 about how to choose a coffee, but more importantly how to experience a coffee. He should know, he started The Coffee Connection in the 1970s when the only game in town was grocery store coffee.

"Coffee choices are more complex," Howell says. During his talk he breaks down coffee into these categories:

Blends - this is more a spotlight on the roaster
Roasts - There are levels of caramel in taste of the coffee. The roast effects that taste. Lighter roasts can be sour, darker roasts can be bitter. Yup, there's a difference.
Country - Specifically which country does it come from.
Regional - like a Kona of Jamaican Blue Mountain
Grade - this is the size of the coffee
Certifications - is it Fair Trade? Organic? Direct Trade?
Single Estate - the craftsmanship is high at the farm level.
Packaging - FYI those bins of coffee in finer stores is rapidly de-gassing, becoming oxidized.

How to experience coffee from hot to cooler.

Coffee when it is immediately done should be at 200 degrees. We typically drink it at 185 degrees. At this point the aroma is at its peak. At 135 degrees we taste the sweetness. As the coffee cools, we notice more the acidity, flavor, body, balance and then the aftertaste.

At his point the group began to do a series of tastings, so Howell could better demonstrate his talk.

Charlie

Good Morning from CoffeeCON 2013

Morning everyone! People are beginning to file into the IBEW Building. Coffee companies are setting up, and all looks ready to go. I have already been handed my first batch of whole bean coffee from Bodum!

Charlie's CoffeeCON Schedule

Tomorrow is the big day. At last CoffeeCON 2013 will be here. Earlier in the week I Kevin Sinnott suggested a plan of attack for the day. He talked about picking one main lecture, and then dividing time among the demonstrations. Since I am blogging all day long, I wanted you all to get an idea of what I will be doing.

My morning will be mostly taken up by the talk George Howell will give. Howell founded The Coffee Connection in the 1970s, and is a pioneer of the specialty coffee industry. After selling his business to Starbucks in the 1990s, he went on to found the George Howell Terrior Coffee Company, and is an expert on single-origin coffee.

Lunch will be with the folks from Kitchen Aid. My afternoon will include: a talk by Christy Thorns of Allegro Coffee, who Kevin Sinnott thinks may have one of the best taste buds in the industry, a couple of brewing technique classes, some demonstrations by BUNN, talking to some of the home roasters, and just taking in all I can.

It's a full day to be sure. My experience begins tonight with a reception hosted by BUNN.

I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts, some pictures, maybe a video if I figure how to use the smartphone properly(a 5 year old can figure it out in 10 seconds, the 50 year old - not so much.).

Charlie

What to Expect at CoffeeCON

Tomorrow I head off to CoffeeCON 2013. The actual event is Saturday! What am I expecting on my first visit to the consumer coffee show? My answer can be broken down into 3 parts: coffee, coffee brewing and people.

The coffee is part is a slam dunk. I Have a Bean, Metropolis, Fresh Ground and Counter Culture are just some of the specialty roasters who will be in attendance. Home roasters will demonstrate the variety of ways they roast coffee.

There will also be coffees from all over the world. Turkish, Cuban, Vietnamese, Viennese, Colombian, Honduran, Rwandan will be represented. Sounds like a "It's a Small World" of coffee.

There will be more ways to brew a cup of a coffee than anyone can imagine. Siphon, French Press, Aero Press, Chemex and of course Drip will all have their moments. Think of this as a large party, and you can sample how coffee tastes from various methods.

I am looking forward to meeting the people the most. This is a gathering of coffee lovers. We all share a passion, and we all come to it from different places. Some are pioneers in the industry, who just wanted people to have a good cup of coffee. Some are out there working to provide better fair trade for coffee growers. Some are brewing experts who love to share their knowledge. Others are just folks like you and me who love coffee, and have taken the next step - roasting their own. Everyone has a coffee story, and I am looking forward to hearing those stories.

The best part of this experience is that I will be sharing this all with you. I will blog periodically during the day, live from CoffeeCON. A day of coffee, people and sharing our passions; now that sounds like a good time.

Charlie

J'accuse

Yesterday I was accused of being a coffee snob. The person speaking to me(who shall remain nameless), said that because I don't like coffee from places like Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's then I "must be a snob." Let me state and re-state - I am not a coffee snob. Someone who appreciates good coffee, and takes the time to learn the ins and outs of coffee is not a snob.

I like to grind my own beans, as opposed to buying pre-ground, and not so fresh coffee. I do this, because it tastes better to me. Now I understand that most people don't care if their coffee is fresh. They want a cup of joe, and they are happy with what is served them. That's great for them. More power to them.

Dunkin Donuts makes donuts. McDonald's makes burgers. Starbucks makes coffee. Each company has something they do "well" and branching into other areas does not mean they will be good at it.

I also believe in supporting the smaller specialty coffee places over a place like Starbucks. The local roaster is going to have high quality beans. They will take the time to roast the beans. This translates into a fresh, and very satisfying cup of coffee.

At DD and MickeyD's, you have no idea how long the coffee has been ground and in the bags. They also leave coffee out for a significant portion of time, meaning, when you get it, the flavor of the coffee isn't what it should be. However, you will get a decent donut, or a Big Mac.

Instead of hurling the accusation of snob at me, why not try a local coffee roaster's coffee. Try it side by side. I bet you will taste and appreciate the difference. It doesn't make you a snob. It makes you a coffee lover.

Charlie

Suspended Coffee

NPR has been looking into the world of coffee recently. One of the stories which caught my eye was about "suspended coffee." No, this isn't coffee which has been naughty in school. "Suspended Coffee" is another way to say, "Pay it forward."

(http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/04/24/178829301/eu-embraces-suspended-coffee-pay-it-forward-with-a-cup-of-joe)

This practice began in Naples, Italy. The idea is simple. A person pays for a cup of coffee for a person who can't pay for a cup themselves. The custom was that someone would pay for a cup of coffee for someone who couldn't, and the barista would keep a tab of the suspended coffees. Then a person would pop their head in, and ask if there were any suspended coffees. The barista would then provide them with a cup.

Now this old tradition is making a come back in Europe. In these hard economics times, it's nice to know there is a movement a foot to make sure someone gets a cup of coffee. Cafes around the EU are banding together to make sure someone can have a cup of coffee. 

I have been the beneficiary of a pay it forward. While I could pay for the coffee, twice I have gotten to the cashier and was told, "The person ahead of you said it was on them." Maybe it's time for the U.S. to have this practice. Sometime this week, I encourage you to suspend a cup of coffee for someone. 

Charlie

Countdown to CoffeeCON - Kevin Sinnott

CoffeeCON is the first, may be the only consumer coffee convention out there. Coffee lovers from all over gathered last year in Warrenville, IL for the first CoffeeCON, and now we are days away from the second annual event. Would you believe the idea for this incredible gathering of the coffee world actually was inspired by two very different events? More on those later. 

Kevin Sinnott, creator of CoffeeCON is well known in the coffee world. He has written two books: "Great Coffee" and "The Art & Craft of Coffee." He has produced a DVD on coffee brewing. He started writing reviews of coffee makers back in the 1990s as "The Coffee Companion." I spoke with Kevin about the upcoming CoffeeCON

1. How did CoffeeCON come about? 

Kevin says,  "Well this is a first for consumers. I had gone to specialty coffee trade shows. I had such a passion for coffee. You're not always welcome at trade shows. They are industry driven, and not at my level of coffee passion. They're trade driven.

Kevin found he liked being around the coffee industry, but the topics and demonstrations weren't always what he was looking for. Point of Sale machines wasn't his cup of coffee.

Granted, because he was "The Coffee Companion" he was able to meet people who were making the brewing machines and developing techniques. There was, though, another type of event, which really excited him - CamJam. 

"I have a passion for audio," Sinnott admits. CamJam is a place where audio aficionados gather and talk and live headphones. He continues, "This really appealed to me. I had a ball. I really enjoyed it. It was great to meet the people whose names I knew from the internet. It was so interesting to finally meet them"

Sinnott realized that there was no place for coffee people to meet, sample coffee, and just talk coffee. He wanted the coffee community to come together. "I did it for myself," Sinnott says, " We get to do next to each other what we like to do. It's like having a meal together." 

CoffeeCON came together after he applied for a micro grant from the city of Warrenville, to generate an event which would bring people into the town. "I went for broke," Sinnott says, " I invited only players, not the marketing folks in coffee. I'm not sure what they thought it would be like - poetry readings and music?" 

Sinnott knew he had something special when he invited specialty coffee pioneer George Howell to last year's event, and no one left the 2 1/2 hour talk. No one was bored. Kevin knows the people coming are true coffee lovers. "This attracts people who really want to come and be a part of something," he says, "Where else can you go where local coffee roasters can compare beans from different regions and brewing styles?" 

2. How should someone plan their day at CoffeeCON?

"Well," Sinnott admits," You can't see everything; you have to decide what you want to see." Other than George Howell, Kevin is looking forward to Christy Thorns of Allegro Coffee. Kevin says, "Christy has some of the best taste buds around. She knows coffee. She is extremely knowledgable about the coffee and their regions. Trust her to give you the skinny on issues, i.e. coffee rust. She's a real straight shooter. I respect her.

Whether you are sitting in on Howell's or Thorns, or Oren Bloostein's presentation, Kevin suggests,

"Attend a main presentation. Look at the various class schedules. We have made them open so people can wander in and out. Leave plenty of time to walk the exhibit floor. Check out each roaster. You may find some beans from the same region, maybe even the same kind of beans, and see how different roasters roast them. There will be food as well. Food Trucks will be outside for people to enjoy. "

On CoffeeCON's website is a list of all the classes and lectures. Kevin hinted though there is more, "Even on that day, we will add some people and classes I am still putting together," he says.

3. Who should come to CoffeeCON?

"This isn't just for hipsters," Kevin says, "What is hip is hipsters and non-hipsters together." In other words, if you love coffee, this is the place for you. Kevin adds, "The trade didn't think of it. This addresses the needs of people who love coffee." 

4. What are you looking forward to?

Kevin laughes, "That's a great question. I'm looking forward to tasting different brews from different brewing methods; comparing with someone else the brewing. We'll have almost all the different brewing methods, and I want to experience all of them. This is a great chance to introduce new brewers  to people, and they'll be excited about the different methods. I'll also get to meet other enthusiasts and that is exciting too." 

This is a labor of love for Sinnott. "I don't know why it hadn't happened before. If we aren't the first to do it, then we are practically first. 

As CoffeeCON grows closer, I will share more of my talk with Kevin Sinnott. If you haven't gotten your tickets for CoffeeCON 2013, what are you waiting for?

www.coffee-con.com

Charlie