Brewing Coffee Manually

Better coffee. One cup at a time.

Category: General Coffee (Page 8 of 29)

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92 Days Later- Where did John go? (Excuses, Summaries and a Fresh Start)

March 26, 2017 / / 11 Comments

Well, It’s been over three months since I have posted something on my blog. That is a long stretch. The Brewing Coffee Manually blog has fallen into a lull that is quite common in the blogging sphere. Some blogs emerge from the lull rejuvenated and spur onwards with content creation. Some blogs never recover from their lull, post a few more times and gently succumb to burnout and a blog that has run its course.

I’m hoping the Brewing Coffee Manually blog is going to fall into the rejuvenated category. Blogging has been an enriching experience so far, although it must be obvious by now, I am finding it harder and harder to make time to write.

I have some exciting ideas for posts but before I attempt to return to a regular posting schedule, I thought it would be good to give a synopsis of the last three months of my coffee experiences.

Excuses and Explanations

It’s been a busy three months and I haven’t had much time to create meaningful coffee content. This doesn’t mean I haven’t tried. I have several posts that are nearly completed (they are just waiting for finishing touches and a picture).

The truth is, I am having a hard time balancing it all. I’ve stepped back from blogging to focus on some more important things. I have also shifted some of my free time focus on to regular exercise (a new bike trip approaches) as well as taking some classes to pursue other creative interests.

This year I’ve been trying to focus on simplifying and decluttering all areas of my life. I am not sure exactly how coffee blogging fits into this.

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Don’t Stress About the Coffee this Christmas

December 23, 2016 / / 7 Comments

With all the Christmas festivities and holiday gatherings at hand, the traffic to my post about the best grocery store coffee has skyrocketed. I can almost feel the angst behind this relatively marginal, yet ever-present issue. “Will the coffee I have be good enough for {insert “coffee snob” name here}?”

The funny thing about this question is that there is a lot of angst on both sides of the coin. The host wants their guests to enjoy the fare that is provided. The guest wants to be gracious and not put up a fuss about a simple cup of coffee.

Thinking about that forlorn host searching google for the perfect coffee inspired this post, but I also couldn’t help thinking about the coffee lover, bemoaning a silly cup of coffee.

Here are a few thoughts on how the coffee question can go from an awkward situation to a non-issue or even something that brings community and enhances the festivities.

For the Host- Don’t Stress about It, It’s Just Coffee

If you are hosting a gathering, realize that there is really no reason to stress about the “coffee snob” (I prefer coffee enthusiast) that is coming to your party.

Most coffee lovers wouldn’t want someone to go out of their way or make excuses all day for “bad coffee”. Trust me, if coffee is that important to them, they will probably just bring some.

Please do not be offended if someone brings coffee to your gathering. This is not a slam on you as a host but merely an assertion of preference. Most coffee enthusiasts have a hard time keeping their love of coffee to themselves and thus will probably want to share a coffee they have been enjoying.

Some Simple Action Steps for the Host

If you don’t know much about coffee but want to accommodate your coffee loving guest, ask them about it. Don’t waste your time guessing what coffee they would like and fretting about it. Get them on the phone and ask them if there is a particular coffee that they enjoy and where it can be found.

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What is Cascara? – Exploring Coffee Cherry Tea

November 3, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Cascara (a.k.a. coffee cherry tea) is something that is picking up steam in the craft coffee world. A few years ago, I would hear some mentions of it here or there but would have had to actively search if I wanted to find some (let alone a recipe for brewing it up). These days, I see cascara in many coffee shops and online roasters. If you have questions about this trending fruit tea, here is an informational and brewing guide.

What is Cascara?

A brief history

Coffee is the seed of a fleshy, cherry-like fruit that grown primarily between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn (you can read more about green coffee here). In most cases, the flesh of the coffee cherry is removed and discarded during coffee processing. This discarded flesh from coffee processing can be a nuisance and can even create a pollution problem if it is not dealt with properly.

WARNING: Do not confuse cascara made from coffee cherries with Cascara Sagrada. Cascara Sagrada (sacred bark) is the dried bark of the cascara buckthorn plant that grows in the Pacific Northwest. It has an extremely bitter taste (allegedly) and is known for its laxative properties.

Traditional consumption of coffee cherry tea is thought to be even older than roasting the coffee seeds (beans). Legend has it that coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian herdsman (Kaldi) and his goats. He began making a caffeinated tea out of the fruit (which eventually morphed into roasting the seeds themselves). A drink made from the coffee fruit has been consumed in Yemen (called qishr*) and Ethopia (called hashara) ever since. Cascara is also consumed in Bolivia under the traditional name of sultana.

The credit for the recent rise of cascara’s popularity has been given to Aida Batlle, a renowned coffee grower from El Salvador. It is said that during a cupping, Batlle made an infusion out of some discarded coffee cherries and coined the phrase cascara (which means skin or husk in Spanish) because coffee pulp wasn’t a very marketable name.

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