Syphon At Toby's Estate

Food Hotel Asia 2012

Was an eye opener for me this year, As I attended Food Hotel Asia 2012 in a different perspective. I was there gathering resources and inspiration to set up a future coffee place. Could be an academy, cafe, showroom, warehouse/ coffee roasters like Intelligentsia Coffee, a retail place like "Seattle Coffee Gear" or a brewed coffee room like "The Steeping Room" and "Sensory Lab"

What are the potential cafe names? "Black Ink", "Coffee Stains", "The Black Room"?

I'm still keeping my options open, I may even be working for a company for the time being before setting up a place of my own.

Estimated to open one when I hit my 30s (i'm 23 right now). So follow me on my blog for updates and my Facebook page, "Freelance Barista Singapore" and subscribe to my Youtube Channel, " Noribsham's iPhoneography Channel".

On the same Impromptu night

I was so called requested to brew some drip coffee.

Impromtu Latte Art Throwdown at Stranger Reunion

So so so long i've pour with my heart. A few more months till i get back to the industry, well...Maybe.

I am rather a fast learner so I'm not so worried much. Happy Coffee-ing guys, i'll be back to camp next week.

Toby's Estate Coffee Degustation #02 -Coffee Processes

I didn't sit in for the degustation for too long but i manage to get a taste of the features coffee for that night; Brazil Santa Alina, Sumatra Lintong and Ethiopia yigharcheffee peaberry.

Barista for hire

I was a Barista-for-hire with another friend of mine, at a two day Rugby event. I was very excited to be making coffee again.

Been a long while that i pull shots in Volume rather than Quality. ( you should know how events are like). I was trying to get the understanding of how events works for some personal/ business related reasons.

Through out my journey, this is the one of the few events and such that I was involved in.

Machines, coffee beans and other supplies was from Phive International. During those two days with just a two-men team, we manage to churn out 1170 cups of coffee and tea!(mostly coffee)

A very different atmosphere;everyone appreciated coffee.

Delicious @ Scotts Square

My very first visit to Delicious. The best dish goes to the rendang. Its a blog about coffee and will remain as one.

A traditional way of making a cappuccino. The price doesn't really match the quality since them place is considered as a cafe according to Patrick.

I swear this was the first time i reject a cup of coffee. I'm sorry to do so but I heard a lot of good reviews from
peers. So the expectation was higher.

On the brighter side, the chocolate cake was delicious, just like the name of the place (pun intended).

The World As I See it @papa palheta

Through the eyes of a Barista

Thanks to the existing company for the readily aalaible subtances for my contents. Really appreciate the involvement of every single one in our society.

Passe.Presente.Futuro

The past, present and the future of my coffee journey.

My home roasting experiences

The first thing you might notice when you go to a coffee shop is that there are light, medium and dark roasts . What's the difference? Roasting is what makes green coffee beans into something you would want to brew. The heat of the roaster causes a series of chemical reactions; the end products are the aromatic compounds that give coffee its distinctive aroma and flavor. The longer you roast the beans, the darker the coffee gets.

Different blends work best with particular roasts (strong, medium, light). It is the roasting which brings out that wonderful aroma and rich taste that pcoffee lovers seek. These small, gas-fired horizontal drum roasters are normally used by the smaller coffee specialists who need a great deal of experience and even instinct to attain the exact desired roast, using sight, taste, smell and the sound of the beans crackling as they're tossed in the revolving drum. There are a few rosters in Singapore that you can view.One of them is definitely Cuppachoice at Temple Street, we also have Highlander at kampung Bahru and Papa Palheta at Hopper Road.

Temperatures for roasting range from about 193 degrees (about 380 Fahrenheit) for a light roast, through about 205 C (about 400 F) for a medium roast, to about 218 C (about 425 F) for a dark roast. Once the roasting is completed, the beans are transferred to mesh trays for rapid cooling which halts the roasting process. I've viewed several live roasting already.

During the roasting process the beans pass through different stages. Firstly the water contained in the bean evaporates. Then the bean swells to twice its original volume which causes the silvery coloured skin to break and fall off (this is the chaff that is removed from the roaster at the end of the roasting process). The colour of the bean changes from light green to yellow, to yellow-brown, to light brown and then to dark brown. The coffee aroma develops from a series of chemical reactions as the bean is roasted. In its green form the bean has virtually no aroma.

There are many different roasts of beans available on the market but the following guide lists the main categories and their common names.

DARK ROASTS (14 MINUTES)

The darkest roasts such as Italian Roast are also known as "Heavy Roast", with beans roasted nearly to jet black giving a smoky well roasted taste which masks the natural flavours of the coffee bean.

MEDIUM DARK ROASTS (12 TO 13 MINUTES)

Medium dark roast is when the beans are roasted for a long time at a high enough temperature to bring the natural oil of the coffee to the surface.
Some examples of medium dark roasts are:

French Roast - which is also known as "Dark Roast". French Roast beans are often used to make espresso.

Continental Roast - which is slightly lighter than French Roast but with spicy body.

Viennese Roast - which is roasted a little longer than regular American roast and has rich chocolaty body.

Full City Roast - which is even darker than City roast.
MEDIUM ROASTS (9 TO 11 MINUTES)

Medium roasts balance body with flavour.
Some examples of medium roasts are:

Breakfast Roast - which is a bit sweeter than a light roast.

American Roast - which is not as dark as any of the European roasts but has a good aroma.

City Roast - which is darker than the standard American roast.

LIGHT ROASTS (7 MINUTES)

A light roast gives a very subtle light bodied flavour.
Some examples of light roasts are:

New England Roast.

Half City Roast.

Cinnamon Roast - where the surface of the bean is dry with no oils present and flavour is light-bodied.

This is what I think, Light roasts retain more fruitiness and the subtle more complicated aromas. Because they have a weaker flavour they can be made very generously for a creamy cup, provided thay are not too acidic.
A medium roast is more general purpose, producing a stronger coffee flavour. Acidity becomes tang (or bite depending on your choice of language) while the smoother types of coffee gain a general strength without becoming bitter.

My second Yahava Koffeeworks visit.

Heya,went to Yahava Koffeeworks last Saturday to add a cafe photo album. There was a particular post sometime back when the company posted about freshness of coffee. Let's sidetrack a little bit, a few weeks before, I was there with a old friend, apparently the coffee beans were store in open containers directly below some lightings. So this was the reason that triggered my comment. I felt bad but at the same time I know that I was saying the right thing.

That have change. Now with covered lids and dimmer lights.

Eco-friendly keepcups, and now I feel like having a cup of coffee while I'm blogging this entry. See ya at Toby's.

 

Just the way i like it..

It's a very rare occasion that i have coffee at Jimmy Monkey Cafe & Bar and it no longer will be that way. One reason being, the coffee impression I had during my very first visit , the Espresso is really sharp on the palate, i really don't prefer costa rican beans as an espresso. The blend was over extracted as a latte. Nevertheless the Barista and I were acquaintance and now friends. That experience will no longer be that way. Let me share with you.

Recently had a cappuccino on the eve of good friday, I was very surprised that Asyraf(pics below) made a bloody proportionate cappuccino in that big sized cup. Often other cafes, focus much on the latte art and forgotten the proportion aspect.
This dude here, just set a benchmark for my tastebuds. I love the "bite" of foam on the cappuccino.

I'm very particular about the coffee I'm having but at the same time I do not want to reject a badly done ones. Rejected coffees will be eventually thrown away, why waste when there are severely malnourished kids in Africa, even the homeless and the uncared aged folks in Singapore. The milk as well as the coffee, hard working farmers harvest, grows and groom the plants diligently. All their effort will be wasted. Consumers have be aware that it's a tedious process to get that cup of coffee. I've been through financial difficulties and I know how it feels like.

So Baristas out there, practice hard on your set of skills and minimise your wastages. Never ever overlook your skills. The cost of every wastage, could actually feed the poor.

Yahava Koffeeworks Singapore

Sample Roasting and a little about me.

My favourite coffees are from the African region. The pictures above are sample roasts of unwashed Ethiopian beans by Suhaimie Sukiman from Toby's Estate.

The first African coffee I had was from Starbucks, a blend actually. The blend is called "Arabian Mocha Sanani", and it's not a blend of 100% African. Go figure ;)

i still could remember that I used to really know Starbucks' Coffee in depth that I did coffee tastings on the days that I'm working. (which is almost everyday). I knew the food pairings that each coffee goes well with, the fun facts and the meaning of the stamps on the packaging. I didn't memorised so hard because I understood the coffees which make it easier to explain to customers and fellow partners.

I was moving too fast as a Coffee Master that I completed 6 coffee passports (not done blindly); a small pocket book that has the whole list of Starbucks SG coffee offering. It was my responsibility to spread the passion to the other partners and I enjoyed it even though some are reluctant to taste the coffees. It's just another part-time job for them where it became a livelihood for me until now. I went on to pursue my path as a Shift manager and later on, I got the chance to work with my "Mentor" again.

I dare say that I am the most Passionate Coffee person/ Barista in Singapore to a certain extend, even though I don't have the certificates and trophies to prove it. But the on-going things I did, contributions that I want to input into our coffee society shows my "ever-ready" passion. By changing the mood of another Barista; uplifting their passion it motivated me further.

I took this thing called Passion to another level by opening up an unplanned idea of a Facebook community page,"Freelance Barista Singapore".
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freelance-Barista-Singapore/295074717179054

To share and promote the culture here (100% free of critics by me). Previously helped to set up "i am a Barista in Singapore" blog and designed the winning logo for the page and the blog.

I took it up a notch higher by doing up informatials and short films on Singapore coffee scenes. A recent hobby and its quite addictive I tell you. Here's the link to my Youtube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/Noribsham

Honestly, i knew nuts about editing videos and how the arrangements of a proper films are like. Nevertheless I continued, watching videos on youtube as self learning and practice makes perfect.I was inspired to do so by other productions and channels that i follow youtube. They are Zsiti, MunahHirziOfficials, WongfuProductions and jinnyboytv.