Coffee roasting soon passed the hobby stage, skipped the business stage entirely and entered directly into the obsession stage. My wife (and reluctant business partner) and I drove to Washington, DC to attend CoffeeFest, a coffee trade show. We attended classes, drank lots of coffee and rubbed elbows with professionals and fellow coffee geeks. And we got lost in DC looking for a place to eat, but hey, that’s another story.
While in DC, I decided to test my barista knowledge and skills by challenging the International Association of Specialty Coffees barista certification exam. This exam tests the sweetness of your barista skills by requiring you to calibrate an espresso machine and to make three drinks to perfection. There is also a written test that asks questions on the history of coffee, questions on the preparation and quality control questions. Well, I passed the skills lab, but didn’t even come close to the written exam.
Uncertified but full of caffeine, and loaded down with industry contacts, we left DC with a strong desire to open our own coffee house. Timing would be an issue, though, as at the time, I was a full time graduate student as well as a full time member of the work force. That didn’t stop us from dreaming and planning. I started doing some preliminary research and wrote an initial business plan. Tempting fate we looked at empty businesses and asked “what if” questions. We spoke with realtors, small business administration counselors and with friends and family. We started thinking seriously about a place in downtown Potsdam, and when it fell through, we decided that maybe the timing wasn’t right. On a whim, we stopped at one more place, a tiny, odd shaped business which had been empty for a while. It had never been an establishment that served food, but it had potential.
We spoke with the landlord who immediately saw the potential. His excitement fueled our own, and I started crunching numbers and drawing floor plans. We brought our ideas and numbers to the bank, and found a receptive ear. Within a few weeks, we were in more debt than we had ever been in before, but on our way to owning our own coffee house.
Soon we were deep in dust and debris. We had a lot of work to do to get the building up to code. Lots of hours, lots of late nights and lots of help from friends finally transformed this place into what it is today… the only specialty coffee house in Potsdam that roasts its own coffee. We have lots of machines with knobs that turn and tubes that hiss, and we have the monstrosity in the front that belches smoke scares little children, but makes wonderful coffee.
We opened our doors on a cold, nondescript December day. Since then, we have been serving coffee and making friends. Stop in and say “hi”, and let us serve you the best coffee you have ever had.
We love coffee. You probably got that from the beginning. But coffee isn’t our only passion. We also love people. For us, coffee is a means to an end. You may not know this, but most coffee farmers make less than 20 cents for every pound of coffee they produce. 20 CENTS! That’s not a lot, and we are aware of that. Let’s be honest…we are in this business to make money. But we can’t ignore the fact that the people whose labor allows us the opportunity to make a decent profit are poor. In recognition of this, we look for opportunities to help individuals in coffee producing countries but donating to them a portion of our profits. It’s a lot, but it’s a start.
We are also passionate about community. We want Jernabi to be a “Third Place”- a place that isn’t home or work, but a place where you can come and be yourself. Traditionally coffee houses have been places to meet and discuss current events. That’s what we want to become…so if you visit, feel free to join a conversation or be prepared to have someone join yours. And don’t be alarmed when our 3 year old comes up and asks what you are doing.
So that’s our journey, at least that’s the beginning. Hopefully, our journey will be a long one. I hope we see you along the path.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Blogger Strikes Back
Part three. You can read parts one and two first, if you want. They are before this one. At the bottom of the page, or archived. You'll figure it out.
Ok, I finally have finished reading the last fan letter. Although I wasn't what you would called inundated with letters, I did recieve one or two, and my fans DEMAND that I finish the story.
So we last left the story, Cliff(the doctor) was telling Jules (the nurse) that he couldn't be with her because Miles (the administrator)was jealous of Emma (the patient). So Jules was going to throw herself off of the helicopter pad, but no one took her seriously, because after all, the helicopter pad is on the ground. And besides, Jules was a bit of a drama queen anyway.
Let see, do I have the right blog?
Right, coffee.
I bought my first coffee roaster 2 years ago. It was a Gene Cafe... a small electric roaster capable of roasting 1/2 poiund at a time. That worked well, but in my insatiable desire for coolness, I craved more. In an incredible act of inventive logic, I presented my wife with an inarguable reason why she should let me upgrade to a bigger roaster. I don't actually remember what that reason was, but it was a beauty. Soon, I was in possession of a 6 pound RK Drum roaster. In one fell swoop, I increased my roasting capability from 1/2 pound to 6 pounds. That's something like 3 or 7 times the capacity, and my coolness level increased respectively.
Now I am roasting for friends and family member that pay, and for a coffee house in Massena. I am learning the nuances of temperature control, and controlling the roast based on the smell of the roasting coffee, the sound of the coffee (coffee 'cracks' as it roasts), the amount of smoke and the time in the roaster. The next step is to open our own coffee house/roastery, which we are in the process of doing. If you want to check out our coffees, check out our other website: www.jernabicoffee.com.
So this picture is how you should NOT roast coffee. Almost lost the house in that one. oops.
And you may want to check back here to find out what is going on with Jules, Miles, Cliff and Emma.
Next post: Coffee with a Conscience
Ok, I finally have finished reading the last fan letter. Although I wasn't what you would called inundated with letters, I did recieve one or two, and my fans DEMAND that I finish the story.
So we last left the story, Cliff(the doctor) was telling Jules (the nurse) that he couldn't be with her because Miles (the administrator)was jealous of Emma (the patient). So Jules was going to throw herself off of the helicopter pad, but no one took her seriously, because after all, the helicopter pad is on the ground. And besides, Jules was a bit of a drama queen anyway.
Let see, do I have the right blog?
Right, coffee.
I bought my first coffee roaster 2 years ago. It was a Gene Cafe... a small electric roaster capable of roasting 1/2 poiund at a time. That worked well, but in my insatiable desire for coolness, I craved more. In an incredible act of inventive logic, I presented my wife with an inarguable reason why she should let me upgrade to a bigger roaster. I don't actually remember what that reason was, but it was a beauty. Soon, I was in possession of a 6 pound RK Drum roaster. In one fell swoop, I increased my roasting capability from 1/2 pound to 6 pounds. That's something like 3 or 7 times the capacity, and my coolness level increased respectively.
Now I am roasting for friends and family member that pay, and for a coffee house in Massena. I am learning the nuances of temperature control, and controlling the roast based on the smell of the roasting coffee, the sound of the coffee (coffee 'cracks' as it roasts), the amount of smoke and the time in the roaster. The next step is to open our own coffee house/roastery, which we are in the process of doing. If you want to check out our coffees, check out our other website: www.jernabicoffee.com.
So this picture is how you should NOT roast coffee. Almost lost the house in that one. oops.
And you may want to check back here to find out what is going on with Jules, Miles, Cliff and Emma.
Next post: Coffee with a Conscience
Friday, February 1, 2008
The story continues
This is part TWO. Read the post below first, if you want this to make sense.
I left that first exposure to barista prepared espresso drinks impressed and curious, so I started researching the internet. Of course, if it is in print on the internet, it HAS to be true, right? Here are some of the things I learned:
• Espresso is a drink created first by the Yeti as a way to put identification
markers on their llamas.
• It is a concentrated essence of coffee goodness.
• Drinking espresso will make you smarter and will give you the ability of
supersonic flight.
• Single Girls in MY area are WAITING for ME to make them an espresso.
• After drinking his first shot of espresso, Willis of Diff’rent Strokes fame
ran around the set yelling “I’m talkin’ about THIS! Foo’!”
Of course with all of this new information, I had to experience more. So I bought a small espresso machine. Now, at this time, I was still calling it an expresso machine, which just goes to show you that I didn’t know what I was doing. But after hours of reading and researching, I dropped the ‘x’ and replaced it with an ‘s’. Immediately, my appreciation of espresso increased, and soon I was impressing friends and family with my sweet barista skills.
Jumping ahead a bit…
I upgraded from my first “Easy Bake Oven” espresso machine to a 50 pound chuck of chrome called an Andreja Premium. This is the cat’s butt. It has knobs, tubes, switches, and not one, but TWO pressure gauges. Needless to say, my coolness level took a MAJOR step upwards. But I wasn’t satisfied just maintaining my coolness level. No. I wanted more. I wanted to be über-cool. So, I started reading about roasting coffee. I mean, if I am going to go through all the trouble of pulling my own espresso, I might as well guarantee that the coffee I use is fresh. So I started reading about it.
What I learned scared me. Did you know that there are different types of coffee? I’m not just talking about regular vs. decaf or even good vs. bad. There are different species and different grades. There is something called Specialty Coffee. And then there is Industrial Coffee. This stuff is sold by the ton to the Big Coffee People, who shall remain nameless. This coffee is NOT the cat’s butt. (Although there is a coffee that comes OUT of a cat’s butt.)Where Specialty coffee is carefully grown, processed and tasted, Industrial coffee is non-discriminating. Rotten coffee beans? Unripe/Overripe coffee beans? Rocks? Sticks? Bugs? Throw them in. Here is a picture of bad coffee.
Pretty gross, but if you are drinking Industrial Coffee, stuff that you would find in motel room and out of vending machines, there is a good chance this is what you are drinking. Even if you aren’t, most coffee that you buy from the grocery store is under-roasted and stale. Try this: Buy some coffee from a specialty coffee shop (NOT Starbucks) Somewhere that roasts the coffee fresh. Pete’s Coffee is one. Brew up a pot and brew up a pot of the stuff you are drinking, and compare them. You will taste the difference. It might be a little strong for you when you first try it. Unfortunately, our tongues have been trained think that the stale coffee served today is what good coffee tastes like. Coffee has FLAVORS…without adding flavors to it. You can taste spices, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, cinnamon and a slew of other flavors in coffee. Specialty coffee is like fine wine, where Industrial coffee is like…Mad Dog 20 20.
Ok, I’ll give the soap box a rest and finish the story later…
I left that first exposure to barista prepared espresso drinks impressed and curious, so I started researching the internet. Of course, if it is in print on the internet, it HAS to be true, right? Here are some of the things I learned:
• Espresso is a drink created first by the Yeti as a way to put identification
markers on their llamas.
• It is a concentrated essence of coffee goodness.
• Drinking espresso will make you smarter and will give you the ability of
supersonic flight.
• Single Girls in MY area are WAITING for ME to make them an espresso.
• After drinking his first shot of espresso, Willis of Diff’rent Strokes fame
ran around the set yelling “I’m talkin’ about THIS! Foo’!”
Of course with all of this new information, I had to experience more. So I bought a small espresso machine. Now, at this time, I was still calling it an expresso machine, which just goes to show you that I didn’t know what I was doing. But after hours of reading and researching, I dropped the ‘x’ and replaced it with an ‘s’. Immediately, my appreciation of espresso increased, and soon I was impressing friends and family with my sweet barista skills.
Jumping ahead a bit…
I upgraded from my first “Easy Bake Oven” espresso machine to a 50 pound chuck of chrome called an Andreja Premium. This is the cat’s butt. It has knobs, tubes, switches, and not one, but TWO pressure gauges. Needless to say, my coolness level took a MAJOR step upwards. But I wasn’t satisfied just maintaining my coolness level. No. I wanted more. I wanted to be über-cool. So, I started reading about roasting coffee. I mean, if I am going to go through all the trouble of pulling my own espresso, I might as well guarantee that the coffee I use is fresh. So I started reading about it.
What I learned scared me. Did you know that there are different types of coffee? I’m not just talking about regular vs. decaf or even good vs. bad. There are different species and different grades. There is something called Specialty Coffee. And then there is Industrial Coffee. This stuff is sold by the ton to the Big Coffee People, who shall remain nameless. This coffee is NOT the cat’s butt. (Although there is a coffee that comes OUT of a cat’s butt.)Where Specialty coffee is carefully grown, processed and tasted, Industrial coffee is non-discriminating. Rotten coffee beans? Unripe/Overripe coffee beans? Rocks? Sticks? Bugs? Throw them in. Here is a picture of bad coffee.
Pretty gross, but if you are drinking Industrial Coffee, stuff that you would find in motel room and out of vending machines, there is a good chance this is what you are drinking. Even if you aren’t, most coffee that you buy from the grocery store is under-roasted and stale. Try this: Buy some coffee from a specialty coffee shop (NOT Starbucks) Somewhere that roasts the coffee fresh. Pete’s Coffee is one. Brew up a pot and brew up a pot of the stuff you are drinking, and compare them. You will taste the difference. It might be a little strong for you when you first try it. Unfortunately, our tongues have been trained think that the stale coffee served today is what good coffee tastes like. Coffee has FLAVORS…without adding flavors to it. You can taste spices, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, cinnamon and a slew of other flavors in coffee. Specialty coffee is like fine wine, where Industrial coffee is like…Mad Dog 20 20.
Ok, I’ll give the soap box a rest and finish the story later…
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Journey to Jernabi. Part 1.
I love coffee. I am a self described coffee geek. I drink it, brew it, extract it, wear coffee oriented clothes, and roast it. I attend coffee trade shows like a Trekkie would attend a Star Trek Convention. I trade blending recipes and talk with others about roasting profiles.
I wasn't always this way. I honestly didn't like the stuff, and not too long ago. I'd drink it, but not willingly.
Enter a friend I'll call Dave. (His real name). Dave is compulsive in his passions. Sailing, kayaking, book binding (book binding?), coffee. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing to perfection. I admire that about him (he's a looney). One day, Dave bought an espresso machine. Not a $100 StuffMart Special. I fancy-shmancy espresso machine with knobs to turn and tubes that hiss, and supplies that fit neatly into his numerous color-coded and inventoried action packers. (did I mention that he was looney?) Dave asked me if I wanted him to make me something he called a latte. "Sure, what the heck. What do I do with it?" was my reply. "You drink it", Dave replied with a petulant sniff. I answered with a look of dubiousness and a non-commital shrug of my shoulder, which I hoped was bohemian enough to impress him
So here's Dave. He grinds some coffee, and puts it into this small think that looks like a metal cupcake tin with a handle. He pushes it down with a wooden handled tool, and brushes off the crumbs. He puts it into the espresso robot, and sets up his timer. He has a timer, did I mention that? I have since realized that timers are essential tools for looneys. He pushes a button, and makes the tubes hiss and watches his timer. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he mutters something, shakes his head and takes the cupcake holder out of the robot and discards the coffee grounds. Now he adjusts the knobs on his grinder. Yes, his grinder has knobs, too. He makes what looks like a 1/360 degree adjustment, puts more coffee in the cupcake holder, smashes it down and puts it into the robot. Next the timer. Next the awkward silence and yep, the muttering. He does this three or four times.
I'm starting to wonder if he is punishing me. Am I to be like Sisyphus? You know, the guy who has to spend eternity rolling a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll down the other side? Will Dave just make coffee, only to throw it away?
Finally, he hands me a cup of velvety-smooth steamed milk, espresso and caramel. Here is where I am supposed to say that from that point on, I became a coffee drinker. Well, that didn't happen. In fact, when he wasn't looking, I dumped it into the sink. (Sorry Dave).
But it got me curious...
Stay tuned for Part Duex
I wasn't always this way. I honestly didn't like the stuff, and not too long ago. I'd drink it, but not willingly.
Enter a friend I'll call Dave. (His real name). Dave is compulsive in his passions. Sailing, kayaking, book binding (book binding?), coffee. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing to perfection. I admire that about him (he's a looney). One day, Dave bought an espresso machine. Not a $100 StuffMart Special. I fancy-shmancy espresso machine with knobs to turn and tubes that hiss, and supplies that fit neatly into his numerous color-coded and inventoried action packers. (did I mention that he was looney?) Dave asked me if I wanted him to make me something he called a latte. "Sure, what the heck. What do I do with it?" was my reply. "You drink it", Dave replied with a petulant sniff. I answered with a look of dubiousness and a non-commital shrug of my shoulder, which I hoped was bohemian enough to impress him
"Look, are we going to trade obscure body language, or are we going to drink coffee?" Dave inpatiently asked.
"Oh, sorry. Please continue." I saidSo here's Dave. He grinds some coffee, and puts it into this small think that looks like a metal cupcake tin with a handle. He pushes it down with a wooden handled tool, and brushes off the crumbs. He puts it into the espresso robot, and sets up his timer. He has a timer, did I mention that? I have since realized that timers are essential tools for looneys. He pushes a button, and makes the tubes hiss and watches his timer. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he mutters something, shakes his head and takes the cupcake holder out of the robot and discards the coffee grounds. Now he adjusts the knobs on his grinder. Yes, his grinder has knobs, too. He makes what looks like a 1/360 degree adjustment, puts more coffee in the cupcake holder, smashes it down and puts it into the robot. Next the timer. Next the awkward silence and yep, the muttering. He does this three or four times.
I'm starting to wonder if he is punishing me. Am I to be like Sisyphus? You know, the guy who has to spend eternity rolling a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll down the other side? Will Dave just make coffee, only to throw it away?
Finally, he hands me a cup of velvety-smooth steamed milk, espresso and caramel. Here is where I am supposed to say that from that point on, I became a coffee drinker. Well, that didn't happen. In fact, when he wasn't looking, I dumped it into the sink. (Sorry Dave).
But it got me curious...
Stay tuned for Part Duex
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