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Coffee Tips : How to Brew Coffee - Part I

BREWING COFFEE

Just like in our coffee grinding blog, there are some basics we have to go over first. So, before we get into how to brew your own “just cup”, let’s go over those basics. I’d also like to thank the many Thanksgiving employees who contributed info from past articles so that we could have this educational piece on brewing delicious coffee: Jacob Long, Marchelo Bresciani and Paul Katzeff.

1. Coffee to Water Ratio

“What? I’ve just been pouring copious amounts of grounds into a filter and adding a few cups of water.” I’d like to think we’ve all been there. At least I have, before I started working at Thanksgiving Coffee Company. But hopefully we caught you early enough to steer you in the right direction. 😉

Using the correct amount of coffee will ensure that your coffee is brewed to strength, without over-extracting or under-extracting the coffee to compensate for an inappropriate dose. While we do recommend weighing 2 grams of coffee for every fluid ounce of water, we understand that not everyone has a scale at home. And if you don’t, just estimate about 2 heaping tablespoons of ground coffee for every 5 ounces of water used to brew.

2. Grind Size (yes, this again)

This is one of the most important steps in coffee brewing. In general, a finer grind will produce a more intense brew and a coarser grind will produce a less intense brew. At the same time, a grind that is too fine will produce an over-extracted, astringent brew, and a grind that is too coarse will produce a weak, under-extracted brew lacking flavor. In pour-over methods, grind size also affects the rate of extraction, as water will pass more slowly through a finer grind, and more quickly through a coarser grind. We strongly recommend burr grinders over blade grinders. For more information on this, see our last blog “How to Grind Coffee“.

3. Water Temperature + Quality

This one is a little bit more straight-forward. Water temperature dramatically affects the extraction of coffee’s flavor during brewing. We recommend brewing with water at 200° Fahrenheit for best results. Using fresh, clean, chlorine-free water is essential.

4. Coffee Freshness and Storage

Coffee is very sensitive to heat, moisture, and oxygen. It should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. For best results, grind coffee fresh, just before brewing.

Staling is caused, in order of most harmful to least harmful

Exposure to air (Oxidization)
Exposure to heat
Exposure to moisture
Exposure to light

…and, if you address the problems of Air, Heat, and Moisture correctly, then Light will have little effect on your coffee. Read more about storing your coffee here.

5. Cleaning

This is the last one – of the basics – and it’s pretty easy. Because coffee contains numerous oils that build up over time, we recommend thoroughly cleaning your brewing and grinding equipment after each use. This guarantees the best, freshest cup of coffee every time.

So… we covered all the basics. I know it’s a lot, but we still have all of the brewing methods to cover from stovetop espresso to cold brewing. Stay tuned for part two, and we’ll help you discover which method is best for you and why.

brewing

Coffee Tips : How to Brew Coffee - Part I

BREWING COFFEE Just like in our coff...

Taste of Mendocino

This past weekend, Thanksgiving Coffee had the opportunity to sample our coffees at the Taste of Mendocino event in San Francisco! This annual event highlights the many wineries, resorts, restaurants and food producers of beautiful Mendocino County. No Mendocino foodie event is complete without Thanksgiving Coffee, and we were happy to be among fifty of the best food and drink purveyors of Mendocino County.

A few of the restaurants and hotels featured at the event also happen to serve Thanksgiving Coffee at their locations:

Kemmy’s Pies

299 E Commercial St
Willits, CA 95490
(707) 367-5498
www.kemmyspies.com

Inn at Newport Ranch

31502 CA-1
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 962-4818
www.theinnatnewportranch.com

Mendocino Botanical Gardens (Rhody’s Garden Café)

18220 CA-1
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 964-4352
www.gardenbythesea.org

Noyo Harbor Inn

500 Casa Del Noyo
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
(707) 961-8000
www.noyoharborinn.com

Winesong

September 7 and 8, 2018
www.winesong.org
Winesong is an annual charity auction and tasting at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, featuring local restaurants and vendors! Check out our Winesong 2017 blog post for more information on how Thanksgiving Coffee participated.

Thanks to everyone who came out for Taste of Mendocino 2018. We were honored to participate, and we hope to see you all when you visit our fine Mendocino coast.

bay area

Taste of Mendocino
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Pi(e) Day

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812848111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692346034861045432664821339…

Nope, that’s not the pi(e) that we care about. The pie we care about is filled with sugar and fruits, and wrapped up in a warm yummy crust. We’re talking about pie. It may be Pi Day (3/14), but we’re celebrating good old pie today.

You can find Thanksgiving Coffee at two different pie shops in Northern California, Petaluma Pie Company and Kemmy’s Pies! Both of these companies are blow-your-mind good, and use organic, local, wholesome ingredients. Plus, they can serve you a cup Thanksgiving Coffee alongside a slice of your favorite pie.

Visit Kemmy’s Pies in Willits, in the Skunk Train Depot, and Petaluma Pie Company in downtown Petaluma, in the Helen Putnam Plaza.

Petaluma Pie Company is open from 9am to 7pm on 3/14: 125 Petaluma Blvd. N. Petaluma, CA 94952

Kemmy’s Pies is open from 6am to 2pm on 3/14: 299 E Commercial St, Willits, CA 95490

cafes

Pi(e) Day
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Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time began on Sunday, and we are feeling it. If your office is anything like the Thanksgiving Coffee headquarters, there will be a lot of coffee consumed this week to make up for that lost hour.

Need that extra kick of caffeine? Our Pony Express is called The Jackhammer of Coffees for a reason. Pick up a bag, and get ready to take on your day with a lot more gusto.

caffeine

Daylight Savings Time
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World Wildlife Day Coffee

March 3 is World Wildlife Day

This Saturday is the perfect opportunity to spread the word about how wildlife inspires you. It’s also a chance to raise awareness for organizations that are doing the work to protect these creatures. Because of your support, we are able to partner with these groundbreaking non-profits, who are making a difference for wildlife all over the world:

Click the links below to learn more about each of these organizations:

American Birding Association

American Wild Horse Campaign

Baby Rhino Rescue

Defenders of Wildlife

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

Friends of the Earth

Need some coffee? Head on over to our World Wildlife Day coffee category to order a bag of coffee benefiting one of the organizations above!

association

World Wildlife Day Coffee
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Solar Eclipse 2017

Cities and communities across the line of totality have been preparing for a once in a lifetime experience: a coast to coast total solar eclipse in the United States. From West Coast to East, the line of totality touches Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina. The last time we had a total solar eclipse this viewable from North America was in 1918. It’s been almost a century, and folks have been waiting for this event for a long time. Do you have enough coffee to get you through the two minutes you’ll be in complete darkness? (we suggest a light roast to balance out the event)

(We had a little bit of fun creating a coffee bean eclipse below… enjoy! If it isn’t loading for you, you can view it on YouTube)

Foggy in Fort Bragg

Here along the Mendocino Coast, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for blue skies. We’re dead in the middle of Fog-ust (that’s coastal living for you!), so we’ll get the darkness, likely without that view of the ring around the sun. Below is a shot of a partial solar eclipse (which is what we’ll have here in Fort Bragg), in foggy Austria back in 2011.

Cristaudo’s in Carbondale

We have one account that is exactly on the line of totality, in Southern Illinois. As one of the best spots for viewing (the longest duration and most perfect eclipse), Cristaudo’s Cafe in Carbondale is preparing for a crazy weekend ahead. If you’re traveling that way to view the eclipse, be sure to stop by and grab a cup of coffee! They’ve stocked up on adorable eclipse-themed cookies, and have a great selection of Thanksgiving Coffee to offer.

Good luck out there!

carbondale

Solar Eclipse 2017
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Roasters Guild Retreat

In the heat of Northern Georgia, the coffee roasting world is coming together for 18th annual Roasters Guild Retreat! We sent our Roastmaster Jacob Long, Roaster Joshua Long and Roastmaster Emeritus Paul Katzeff to the Lake Lanier Islands for a four-day roasting event.

Learn more: www.roastersguild.org

We’ll upload more pictures as the event continues. You can follow along on Instagram at the #RGRetreat hashtag, or on the @RoastersGuild Instagram page!

Category_From the Roastery>Events

Roasters Guild Retreat
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Fourth of July Mendopendence Parade!

We had so much fun participating in Mendocino County’s Fourth of July parade! Check out a couple shots of our piece of the parade, and a few photos of the day…

A great drone flyover video of the July Fourth parade in Mendocino, from California Poppy Films. What a crowd!

The photos below of our Thanksgiving Coffee families were captured by Sam Koski Jones – thanks for sharing!

4th of july

Fourth of July Mendopendence Parade!
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National Trails Day at Pelican Bluffs

This weekend is the 24th annual Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, and it’s one of the Mendocino County events that is not to be missed. As you’re driving to and from the festival and need a coffee fix, here are a couple places to stop by and grab a cup of Thanksgiving Coffee!

BOONVILLE

Lizbby’s Restaurant and Bar
Anderson Valley Market
Redwood Drive In

PHILO

Stone and Embers
Lemon’s Market
The Bewildered Pig

NAVARRO

Navarro General Store

YORKVILLE

Yorkville Market

CLOVERDALE

Dahlia and Sage
Eagles Nest Deli

The Upsetter (Espresso)

Did you know that our Upsetter Espresso Blend is a reference to one of our favorite reggae artists? Lee “Scratch” Perry will be performing at Sierra Nevada this year. The label design on our Upsetter (a light roast espresso blend) is a reference to his label: Upsetter Records. Can’t wait to see him perform this weekend!

Have fun at Sierra Nevada… maybe we’ll see you out there!

award winning

Boonville Coffee for Sierra Nevada!
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ONCE IN A LIFE TIME AWARD

We are beyond excited to announce that we have been chosen as the 2017 Macro Roaster of the Year! This prestigious award is chosen through a vigorous process by Roast Magazine, and we are so honored to have been selected.

Pictured Below: The Thanksgiving Coffee team outside our Fort Bragg headquarters

Roaster of the Year Selection Process

The selection process at Roast Magazine is truly impressive. In order to apply, the team at Thanksgiving Coffee compiled a 30 page booklet, outlining some of the most fascinating aspects of our company:

Our humble beginnings in 1972, along the Mendocino Coast.

The history of the causes we’ve supported over the past 40+ years.

Farms and co-ops that we’ve worked with for decades.

Our certifications we have acquired over the years.

Pictured Below: CEO Paul Katzeff at the original headquarters in Noyo Harbor

Choosing the Coffee: Blind Tasting

Being Roaster of the Year is not just about what we've done or where we came from… it’s about the coffee. After choosing the finalists from the information submitted to them from coffee roasters around the globe, Roast Magazine does a blind taste test. More from Unpacking Coffee Video

Pictured Below: Roastmaster Jacob Long in the Roastery

For this test, they asked each finalist to submit three roasts, and our roastmaster Jacob Long made the decision:

“This is an international competition, we were competing against the best artisan roasters from around the world. With so many great coffees to select from, I chose to present the judges with a few of our freshest coffees with amazing flavor profiles, vibrant and rich Kenyan Peaberry, floral Ethiopian Gedeb, and the beloved fruity-chocolatey Paul’s Blend.”

These coffees were sent to two separate cupping labs for the blind tasting. The judges at these labs scored all of the coffees presented by the finalists, and then combined those with the scores from the written submissions. The top rated coffee company is then selected as Roaster of the Year.

Each of these award-winning roasts is available through our Thanksgiving Coffee online store!

2017 Macro Roaster of the Year

The Roaster of the Year announcement was made at the Let’s Talk Coffee conference in Puerto Vallarta, where our Vice President Jonah Katzeff accepted the honor. During this event, Jonah also had the opportunity to meet with the great people of Sustainable Harvest, the Specialty Coffee Association of America and so many more movers and shakers in the coffee industry.

Pictured Below: Vice President Jonah Katzeff accepting the award at Let’s Talk Coffee

We want to say THANK YOU to our fans, our friends and family, and everyone who has supported us over the 44 years of coffee roasting. This is such a huge honor, and we can’t wait to share even more of our coffees with the world over the next year!
Awards

Roaster of the Year: Thanksgiving Coffee Company
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A celebration of International Migratory Bird Day

Here in the United States, we sometimes claim a cultural ownership of beautiful birds like the Baltimore Oriole, perhaps forgetting that the very same species could just as easily be named the ‘Panama Oriole’, or the ‘Nicaraguan Oriole’, as it spends half it’s life in Central and South America. IMBD is a reminder that the health and abundance of these birds that are so much a part of our heritage does not stop at our own backyard feeders. If we wish to enjoy their beauty and their songs for generations to come, we must care for them and their well being across all borders.

The growing demand for coffee, and the rise of the mono-cultured full sun coffee plantations, has demolished much of the wintering habitat for iconic birds like Orioles. In fact, many of these species are now referred to as ‘Coffee Birds’ because the only forest home left to them are the shade-grown coffee farms that preserve the jungle canopy.

For over 20 year, Song Bird Coffee has been a leader in supporting the farmers who protect their native forests by growing delicious coffees under the jungle canopy, preserving priceless habitat and biodiversity. This year, on International Migratory Bird Day, we hope you will join us in protecting our precious songbirds, just by enjoying a great cup of shade-grown coffee.

american birding association

Flight Beyond Borders
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Thanksgiving Coffee Company has created Bee Bold Coffee, made a commitment to our bees, and is ready to share it with Mendocino.

In October, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op (UNF) had their grand re-opening. After 39 years they remodeled their store, and we thought it a perfect time to introduce Bee Bold Mendocino, a local movement to save the bees. So Paul Katzeff, Co-Founder & CEO (pictured in the middle), Jonah Katzeff Vice President (below right) , and myself, Lavender Cinnamon, Community Development (below left), all went to UNF to represent Thanksgiving Coffee and share our commitment to the bees.

Bee Bold Mendocino came about when Friends Of the Earth (FOE) asked Paul for a donation. He offered instead to create a source of ongoing support for their environmental work. As the partnership began to take shape they said, “help us fund our Bee Bold project “. Paul did just that and created #Bee Bold Coffee. The project went straight to his heart, and so did the bees. (link)

When I joined Thanksgiving Coffee Company this past year, this partnership with FOE was just taking flight, and it took hold of my heart as well. It has instilled in me a deeper understanding for this delicate balance of life that we all share, and inspired me to become a steward of the bees. "Everything the bees do is about relationship with one another. The story of colony collapse is a story of how the relationships have been broken, contaminated, or subverted. It is a story of ignorance, thoughtlessness and selfishness- qualities we humans bring to far too many of our relationships, from the most personal and intimate, to the most global and insitutional" Jacqueline Freeman – The Song of Increase (link)

There are many factors at play regarding the health of the bees, however the three main reasons for the decline in the bee populations are; systemic pesticides – neonicotinoids, malnutrition, and disease/mites. The latter being a result of the first two; if your system is poisoned and not properly nourished, your susceptibility to disease is drastically increased. (link) This is what modern farming practices are doing to the health of the pollinators. If we do not learn from this now and change the way we relate to our food, we will not have healthy food left to eat. The simple truth is, do not poison the land, do not poison the water, use the plants as medicine, and grow healthy nourishing food.

As an advocate for Mendocino’s bees, Thanksgiving Coffee Company is committed to educate, gather support from our community, and create an advisory committee to pass a local ordinance that will ban these neonicotinoids (bee killing pesticides) within Mendocino County. This is why we said “yes” to be a part of Ukiah Natural’s event. This is why Thanksgiving Coffee joined the movement to help save the bee population, and this is how Bee Bold Mendocino was created. (link)

There is no way to do this alone. We need to work with the knowledge of those who are already engaged with bees and pollinators. So, we reached out to the community to join us, and we had a wonderful response that included; 2 local bee keepers, 2 farmers, and a table set up to create your own pollinator seed balls.

Our beekeepers came from inland and the coast. Jonathan Hunt (on left) is part of the 4-H bee keeping program in Ukiah. He contacted me and said he would love to come participate. He brought with him his delightful enthusiasm and knowledge of bee keeping, as well as some wild crafted seeds he had collected for people to take and plant.

Elliot Brooks (on right) came with a top bar hive, he had built himself, and his entire bee keeping gear. He also brought some of the honeycomb from his hive that the bees had made for people to see, and touch the magic of bees wax. It was an absolute delight to spend the day with them.

With the help of UNF a table was set up for people to come, get their hands dirty, and help create pollinator seed balls. These pollinator balls included: clay, fertilizer and native wild seeds. They are a way to help provide the necessary diversity of food sources the bees need for optimum health. Once you made the seed balls, you could to take them home for your own yard, or throw them into an open field or empty yard.

This idea for the pollinator seed ball table came from Tiffany at FOE when asked for suggestions on how to engage children into the wonderful world of bees. We all thought this was a great way to offer a hands on experience .

These seed bombs originate as a fun and friendly tactic for “guerrilla gardeners” to throw balls of seeds and fertilizer into fenced-off spaces that are otherwise neglected, or land in zoning limbo. We wanted to offer something for people to take home that can make an immediate difference. It was wonderful to see the hands of so many people making the seed balls, knowing that they will offer a great food source to our bees.

Speaking of dirt and seeds, Tim Ward joined us. He works as Director of Fundraising and Programming at the Grange Farm School. Grange Farm School logoI came across their website when I was doing research on different organizations in Mendocino County we would like to help and to promote their work. It was very exciting to discover this school right here in Willits dedicated to “improve agricultural literacy, food security, and ecological stewardship in our community and beyond.” I love how they teach someone to be a complete farmer, taking into consideration all of the skills one needs to be a sustainable food producer. (link)

The School began in 2014 and operates on 12 acres of the Ridgewood Ranch, and is supported by a wide network across the region, state, nation, and world!

The Farm School recognizes the immediate need to train the next generation of farmers to support themselves, with a focus on production and distribution methods that emphasize long-term environmental responsibility.

The School builds on the rich agricultural heritage of Mendocino County and the Grange in its diverse and holistic educational programming for farmers, aspiring farmers, and youth. The Grange has been dedicated to serving the cooperative farming movement since 1867! And yes, the Grange Farm School cares for our bees, and cooperation, which is an amazing skill the bees teach.

We would be remiss if we did not have representation from the wineries. Mendocino County has over 17,000 acres of vineyards. It is essential that we help educate the vineyards and those who buy wine to the importance of the bees, even if grapes themselves are wind pollinated. Today 25% of Mendocino vineyards are growing certified organic grapes, with the Frey family’s winery being the first Organic winery in Mendocino County, and the Nation, back in 1980. If your wine is not organic, please ask if the winery uses neonicotinoids on the grapes. Help educate the wine industry on how to help keep our pollinators alive.

We had the pleasure of Mendocino County’s oldest winery joining us, Parducci Wine Cellars (Certified organic). They understand the value and benefit of the bees. Jess Arnsteen came with Erin Ravin to share their organic, pollinator friendly practices. Parducci was the first carbon neutral winery in the country (2007) and in recognition of their continuing dedication to social responsibility and environmentally sound practices, they received California’s highest environmental award, the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award. They are also leaders in water reclamation and water-conservation program.

Jess works as Manager of Edible Ecosystems where he tends his flock of sheep, and a 15-acre garden that feeds over 60 employees from Parducci . Jess is very involved with the chain of pollinator to food, he understands the importance of our pollinators and came with arms full of pollinator food/flowers to share with us. (link)

The entire event was a true pleasure, from the collaboration with Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op, who have been one of our loyal customers for over 38 years. It just felt like home.

Pictured here is Mary Anne Cox, Ukiah Natural’s Marketing Manager (on right) she was a real treasure to work with, and Lori Rosenburg (on left) Ukiah Natural’s General Manager was a wonderful host. We were graciously welcomed by the entire crew from UNF.
“Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op was incorporated in 1976. By serving the needs of our diverse membership, we have grown through the years. Our current store has more than 6,800 square feet of space, and we serve over a thousand shoppers each day.”

It seemed only natural to introduce our #Bee Bold Coffee at their re-opening event, as we work together towards the health of our community and our bees in Mendocino. If you are in Ukiah go on in, say hi, and pick up some of the #Bee Bold Coffee in their store.

Our most recent and exciting news since this event, is that Noyo Food Forest has joined us as the fiscal sponsor for Bee Bold Mendocino.

The Noyo Food Forest is a non-profit that grows community, as they say “one garden at a time”. They teach the value, and satisfaction of growing one’s own food, while giving support to local food sovereignty and independence. We are extremely grateful to Noyo Food Forest for all of their wonderful work. (link).

I leave you with one more quote from The Song of Increase.

“Evolution isn’t random. We all work together. The act of working together IS the evolution. Cooperation between us accelerates development of each species. The way we hold and support ourselves and each other advances our shared evolution”

For current news and developments of Bee Bold in Mendocino you can visit www.facebook.com/beeboldmendo

If you want to participate please call Lavender Cinnamon 707 964-0118 ext. 107 or email me at lavender@thanksgivingcoffee.com

bee-bold-alliance

Our 1st #BeeBold Event
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