We, at Roast, have been thinking a lot about strength, yields, and brew ratios. These are the truths about brewed coffee. It is the core to making really, really good coffee. There are a lot more variables to take into account, but these are the main factors to focus on.

The Golden Cup Standards helped us learn through objective analysis. It’s incredibly interesting to understand where we were in relation to where we should be. What’s even more interesting, from a business prospective, is how much Roast could save by reducing the dose and maximizing coffee strength by making the grind finer. The result to the bottom line? $1,000’s of dollars in cost savings per year. The results to the coffee? Something that tastes burnt, bitter, and rendered undrinkable. We can’t bring ourselves to do…we have standards and we are standing by them.

Marketing ads don’t give truths about coffee quality. One can’t hide behind objective analysis. They say you can taste the quality in the cup. Truth be told, we, as the general coffee drinking public, have come to believe bad coffee is good coffee. The tests and standards we’ve implemented Roast will give you a cup that is brewed to exact standards. There is no hiding behind a cup of coffee that is over extracted, under extracted, weak, or bitter. That we know for sure.

It is our obsession for learning and acquiring information that have lead us to this point. It is the World Barista Competitors that are blogging, writing, researching, and helping with product development that is pushing the industry forward. It is the specialty roasters who are sourcing better coffee. It is manufactures that are developing equipment that is more concise and directed to the needs of coffee professionals.

I write this because Roast will be making a few changes in the near future…mainly with the addition of a manual brew bar. The focus will be on properly preparer coffee that highlights the changes in our coffee program.

It’s exciting, we know. We’ll let you know when we get closer to implementation.

Roast had a breakthrough this week with our brewed coffee program.  We’ve brewed, tested, adjusted, retested, and achieved the parameters for the Golden Cup Standard of Brewed Coffee as determined by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).  What is the Golden Cup Standard you ask?  The Golden Cup Standard is the most comprehensive market research test conducted by the SCAA on taste to determine the preferred extraction ratio for coffee.   There is a lot of information so let me explain.

Back in the late ‘60’s and early 70’s, the SCAA conducted taste tests on brewed coffee to determine a standard for optimal flavor balance.  What was discovered is the preference for brewed coffee is a ratio of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) between 18%-22% of the original coffee weight.  In order to achieve this ratio, several variables must be taken into account including the amount of water and coffee used along with grind setting.

Roast’s breakthrough occurred when we began analyzing our coffee’s TDS ratios.  Although we’ve felt our coffee has always been really good, we thought it could be better.  We were searching for a standardized process to help with the objective measurement of flavor profiles.  The Golden Cup Standard helped us understanding the triggers between TDS, grind setting, water quality, equipment performance, and roast degrees to brew better coffee. Knowing these relationships has lead to the ‘Wow!’ improvements on our brewed coffee program.

I’m simplifying the details of the process for fear of boring you to tears.  Just know our discoveries have lead to a substantial taste improvement with our brewed coffee program. Come in and have a cup.  You’ll taste the difference!

Do you play the guitar or some other instrument? Are you looking to play out? Roast wants you to play in the café on Thursday nights. Drop off your demo CD to either Jeremiah or Ryan. First opening is September 30th.

We got them…their here…the ‘Support Your Local Coffee Shop’ buttons!  For a mere $0.25, you can add it to your collection of hipster buttons.  Come on in and check them out.

PS, new t-shirts are coming soon!

Roast is out and about now that the semester has started. You can find our Street Team handing out flyers, coupons, T-shirts, and some other goodies. It’s not spam…it’s the good stuff! We’re hitting it hard because we’re the only place you need to know for great coffee around UW-M!

When you see our street team, they have a bunch of different deals. Check it out:

• Buy one, get one free
• Free mug with purchase of a breakfast sandwich
• Free drink with purchase of a lunch sandwich
• 50% off any drink
• Large drink for a small price

Free Wi-Fi, lots of seating, and plenty of outlets…how can you not make Roast your study destination!

This Friday, June 25th, is the Milwaukee Barista Jam, hosted by Roast Coffee Company. There is a full schedule, packed with some pretty amazing coffee and fun. Coffee will be arriving from around the country from some of coffee’s most progressive roasters. On the table, we will have coffees from:

Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Four Barrel Coffee, MadCap Coffee, Paradise Coffee Roasters, PT’s Coffee Roasting Co., Rishi Tea, and Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters.

There will be lots to play with…we will have an alternative brew bar set up with siphons, French presses, Auro presses, Chemexes, Harios, pour overs, and the coolest, the Bunn Trifecta. Additionally, we will be raffling off a year subscription to Barista Magazine and a year membership to the Barista Guild of America.

Finally, there will be a Barista Throwdown! Action will be a little different then in past events…we’ll be taking a page out of Octane’s playbook. The Throwdown will be team oriented, not just individual pours. You’ll work together with your team to win!

So come join us Friday stating around 5pm. We’ll be jamming well into the evening. Any and all are welcome to attend so we hope to see you there!

We will be hosting our fourth annual Barista Jam Friday June 25th at 6pm! We enjoy hosting Barista Jams at Roast! Barista Jams are fun ways to get our friends together and learn more about coffee.

Here’s what we do: we talk to some of the most progressive coffee companies in the country and have them send samples of there coffee to us. We brew these coffees to exact specifications and taste ‘em. It’s much like wine tasting, but with coffees. After we get jacked up on a bunch of coffee, we throw $5.00 in a hat and have a Barista Jam. Basically, its where coffee people get to show off their skills. The winner of the Barista Jam gets to take home some money!

If you’ve ever wondered why our coffee is so good, it’s because of events like this.
So, you’re invited to join us! We would love to see you come and participate or just hang out and watch. We’ve also been known to have beer at these events too!

(Did I mention it’s free…doesn’t cost you anything…and you’ll walk away with a greater appreciation for coffee. )

See you June 25th!

Hope exams are treating everyone well.

We want to get your thought on how we are doing! As the summer approaches, there will be a lot of changes happening, including a remodel!

Take a couple of minutes to fill out the survey. It will help us serve you better and give us an idea of how we are doing

www.surveymonkey.com/s/roastsurvey

Thanks everyone!

Roast is honored to have this Chicago Indie Folk group to grace our “stage” Thursday May 20th at 2pm for an intimate afternoon show! Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/thekuhls and take a listen. Hope to see you there!

John Ketterhagen is back for another night, FRIDAY, FEB. 12th from 7-9pm so stop in and enjoy some great live jams with a great cup o’coffee!