Whether you’re new to specialty coffee or a seasoned barista, understanding why coffee tastes the way it does is essential to brewing it well. To help you level up these coffee skills, we’re offering two classes at The Lab this August: SCA Sensory Skills Foundation and Homebrewing Coffee Workshop. While SCA Sensory Skills helps you identify aromas, flavors, and taste qualities in coffee, the Homebrewing class shows you how to apply that knowledge when brewing different coffees. Learn more about these upcoming courses with RNY Lab guest instructor Thomas Ameloot!
Coffee Sensory Skills
I’ve been working with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in sensory education for over ten years. It was my honor to serve as Chair for the Sensory Education Committee and help shape the curriculum still used today.
One aspect I love about the SCA Sensory Skills courses is how they connect us with our senses in a way that can enrich our lives. We better understand each smell and how simple tastes interact with each other, and interact with our sense of smell, to change our perception.
Connecting Sensory Skills & Coffee
First, what is specialty coffee? Well, it’s coffee that scores 80 points or more on a 100-point scale and is free of primary defects. In this class, we will define, describe, and differentiate between specialty and non-specialty coffees. Plus, we’ll explore the differences between the arabica and robusta species.
The SCA Sensory Skills Foundation course is a great step towards comprehending the sensory analysis of a coffee. During the course, we focus on exercises to build our aromatic memory and understanding of tasting. We use tools like Le Nez du Café, the Flavor Wheel, and the Coffee Sensory Lexicon. While these tools help us build our automatic memory, they also help us appreciate the aromatics of coffee in a deeper way. If you understand how to use these internationally recognized tools, you can collaborate with other coffee professionals and have deeper discussions about the coffees you serve, sell, and/or buy.
Lastly, we focus on the protocol for cupping coffees. Learning a standard for preparation is important for consistency of evaluation around the world.
This class is intended for those that are new to coffee, interested in starting a career in the industry, and general coffee enthusiasts—no experience necessary!
From Sensory to Coffee Brewing
“Am I brewing my coffee correctly?”
“Why is the coffee at the coffee shop better?”
“What makes a good cup of coffee?”
“Can I make my coffee better?”
“Should I brew different coffees differently?”
If you’ve found yourself asking any of these questions, then the Homebrewing Coffee Workshop is for you!
Did you know that you can make your coffee taste sweeter, stronger, more bitter, fruitier, or sourer? In this class we will give you some simple tips to find the best brew for each coffee, whether at home or at work.
Each coffee brews differently. First, we will peek into the science behind brewing, including extraction and strength. Then, we’ll identify each major step in making sure your coffee tastes the best—to you.
Why take Homebrewing?
This course is especially helpful for café owners, lead baristas, and/or whoever is choosing the recipes and brewing the coffees at your café. It’s important to spend the time adjusting brew recipes for each coffee you roast. For example, if we have a new Colombian washed coffee on the menu, what’s the best way to brew it? Should we use a French press, or a Hario V60, or an Aeropress, or something else? What about a batch brew—what recipe (coffee to water ratio) should we use?
We will discuss and experiment with the essential brewing elements. These include: roast level, coffee origin, recipe, grind size, water temperature, and more. You will have a chance to brew some amazing coffees using equipment like a Chemex, V60, Aeropress, French press, and a Fetco brewer.
When you finish this workshop, you will have a solid understanding of how to brew your coffee to better fit your tastes.
About the RNY Lab
Royal New York has a great location for learning: The Lab. It’s just 35 miles from New York City and 26 miles from the Newark Airport! In fact, we’ve even had people commute daily from Philadelphia. The Lab has tons of space and never a shortage of equipment. While you’re there, you can tour their green coffee warehouses and meet some of the trading team as they pop in to welcome you to the facility. Join us at The Lab and keep the learning going all summer long!
