The AeroPress Competition

There has been a lot of talk about Barista Competitions in the industry lately. Some complaining that it is outdated, not relevant to a working environment and that there are […]

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There has been a lot of talk about Barista Competitions in the industry lately. Some complaining that it is outdated, not relevant to a working environment and that there are no longer any real baristas competing in the modern competition. Then there are others who still believe that it has relevance in terms of setting standards for inexperienced baristas or selecting specialty coffee ambassadors. I am not going to view my opinion on this however, I must add that there is a time and a place for every competition and each deserves its own credit.

This brings me to the AeroPress Competition. The next South African competition is taking place on the 02 July 2017 at Espresso Lab Microroasters and I will be judging. After winning last year’s competition and having a whirlwind experience in Dublin I’m very eager to be sitting on the other side of the bar and being a part of choosing our next champion. Not to mention the fact that she or he will be joining me in Seoul later this year.

AeroPress_Competition_Poster

The AeroPress Competition gets me excited. In my opinion it’s as much about community as any of the other competitions, maybe even more than the rest. And this is important because it’s not often that we get together as coffee professionals on a social level. And, although it gets pretty social and festive, it does still remain coffee focused.

For those of you that don’t know the AeroPress rules stipulate that every competitor uses the same coffee. This levels the playing field and also requires each competitor to produce their own unique recipe to make the coffee stand out when placed in front of the judges. Competitors have a certain amount of time to do this and there is no form of speech or presentation required. Very simple. And short. With the exception of the winner this competition gets straight to the point and elimination happens with a few minutes after brewing your AeroPress.

In my opinion and to put things in perspective in cricket terms, the AeroPress competition is to the Worlds Brewers Cup what T20 cricket is to test match cricket.  It’s much more of a crowd pleaser and this is important to maintain balance in the national coffee community. I look forward to tasting some amazing coffee this upcoming weekend but also handing over the golden AeroPress to our next Champion.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: THE SOUTH AFRICAN AEROPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP IS HAPPENING ON SUNDAY, 2ND JULY AT ESPRESSO LAB, 11AM AT THE OLD BISCUIT MILL, CAPE TOWN.

Winston
I’ve been working as a full time barista at Origin for two and a half years. I’m a Civil Engineering Technician by trade but after completing a barista course at Origin in 2013, I decided to pursue a career in coffee after completing my studies. Since then I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best coffee professionals in the country, tasted the most amazing coffee all over the world. I also won the National Aeropress Competition in 2016 and the Western Cape Barista Championship in 2017.
Reflections of an Origin National Barista Champion

“The journey is more important than the destination. The challenges and lessons learnt during the build up to competition is what it’s really about.” I’ve repeated this to so many […]

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“The journey is more important than the destination. The challenges and lessons learnt during the build up to competition is what it’s really about.” I’ve repeated this to so many people since winning. And it is true, I find value in the competition because of this but I have to admit it does feel damn good to win. I’ve been on the opposite end of the stick and it is not easy. That being said having won the competition I worked so hard for means that I have the privilege to represent this amazing coffee community at the World Barista Championships.

It is has been a year since my trip to Dublin, joining Wayne (2016 SA Barista Champ) and the rest of team SA for his (major) comp and my (minor) comp. The trip that changed my life. I was able to see the level of preparation and standards for a world competition. As well as meeting some of my coffee heroes.

I remember meeting Colin Harmon for the first time. We walked into the new 3fe Sussex Terrace showroom shortly after arriving in Dublin after long flights and my legs became weak at the thought of meeting one of my coffee inspirations. I’ve downloaded and watched his 3fe bio video at least 20 times (you can watch it here https://vimeo.com/86231546). He wasn’t around when we first entered so I quickly went to the bathroom. As I returned I found Wayne and the rest of the crew chatting to Colin and my heart dropped. I awkwardly greeted him, trying to play it cool and introduced myself but after Wayne mentioned that I was the AeroPress Champion he bowed. Game over. I told myself the next time I meet Colin Harmon after Dublin I want to introduce myself as the Barista Champion of South Africa.

Baristas brewing at 3fe Sussex Terrace

Upon my return I realised I had to work. If I was going to win this competition I had to treat regionals as if it were nationals and nationals as if it were worlds. I was very fortunate to have a variety of amazing coffees to choose from at Origin and naturally, as I’ve done for all of my competitions to date, I chose an African coffee.

Once I had my coffee I began with ideas for my theme. It took me a few weeks to build on something that would be meaningful on stage and something I believed in. After the theme was settled I began to develop my signature drink and tie the other pieces of my set together. One important factor in preparing for competition is planning and purchasing all equipment weeks in advance. We often take this for granted and end up buying most of it at the last minute, but this can affect you and your set in many ways. I managed to win Regionals by quite a few points but I still felt like I could’ve done better.

Nationals preparation followed suite in the same way but with a higher intensity, attention to detail and practise. Many late nights training and polishing glasses and cups. Countless espressos and milk steaming. Listening my playlist to a point where, whenever I hear one of the songs playing I would immediately start thinking of the competition and being on stage. And then I also won nationals. The point difference between myself and second place was 83, quite a gap as far as barista competitions go, but still I feel like I could’ve improved. I try not to be too critical of myself but I believe that this is a positive mind set to adopt as a competitor.

Looking back I’ve realised that my Nationals preparation began as soon as I stepped off the plane in Dublin last year. And to think about how much my life has changed since then is surreal. It gives me so much inspiration to try and provide a similar life changing experience to my customers and my peers. Whether it be the coffee I make, the knowledge I share or even the warnings I may or may not sign to my barista team, it is extremely important that I do it in a meaningful way. A way that will bring about some form of change.  I look forward to what lies ahead and I’m extremely excited to make this coffee community proud.

Winston hosts regular Origin Home Barista courses & Origin Professional Barista Courses in Cape Town and Maboneng  – click here for more info.
Winston
I’ve been working as a full time barista at Origin for two and a half years. I’m a Civil Engineering Technician by trade but after completing a barista course at Origin in 2013, I decided to pursue a career in coffee after completing my studies. Since then I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best coffee professionals in the country, tasted the most amazing coffee all over the world. I also won the National Aeropress Competition in 2016 and the Western Cape Barista Championship in 2017.
New Release: Colombia Finca Veracruz

Colombia Finca Veracruz- Santa Barbara Estate Santa Barbara Estate is composed of 5 sister farms that lie across three neighbouring regions – Santa Barbara, Fredonia and Amagá. Finca Veracruz is […]

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Colombia Finca Veracruz- Santa Barbara Estate

Santa Barbara Estate is composed of 5 sister farms that lie across three neighbouring regions – Santa Barbara, Fredonia and Amagá. Finca Veracruz is a small farm that was established in the high Andes of a region called Antioquia (Pronounced: Un-Tee-Oh-Kee-Ah)as part of Santa Barbara Estate. Diverse microclimates, volcanic soils and a perfect altitude spectrum characterize this region. Veracruz has become an experimental farm in many ways.

In the cup:

Juicy and slightly winey with notes of berry jam, black grape and passion fruit. This coffee is very versatile.

A quick look at the specs:

Farm:  Finca Veracruz,  Santa Bárbara Estate.

Varietals:  Colombia & Caturra.

Processing:  Extended Fermentation, Washed (wet processed) and dried on raised beds.

Altitude: 1,650 metres above sea level.

Owner: Echavarria Family.

Town: Amagá.

Region:  Antioquia.

Total size of farm:  20 hectares.

Area under coffee: 16 hectares.

 

What’s unique about this coffee?

Veracruz lots consist of  between 3 to 5 days pickings. Every day, a freshly picked batch is pulped and added to the previous pulped batch in the fermentation tank. Each consecutive addition raises the ph level  of the fermentation tank, allowing longer fermentation times. This slows down the possible excess production of acetic acid (Vinegar) in the batch due to various bacteria and yeast-strain activity.

Longer and slower fermentation times also means longer contact time with the fruit flesh(Mesocarp/Mucilage). But at the end of the process, the sticky mucilage is still broken down in the fermentation tank by these bacteria and yeast strains.

The result is a coffee that has the characteristics of a Natural processed coffee as well as a wet-processed coffee. You can expect the fruity/winey/juicy character of a ‘Natural’ with the clarity, complexity and versatility of a ‘Washed’ coffee

The inspiration for the process was taken from small farmers throughout Antioquia and Huila, who often have two or three day fermentation periods as their farms are so small that one day’s picking is often not sufficient to make up an entire lot. The team at Veracruz have perfected the process and adapted it for larger-scale production.

Conclusion:

Colombian coffees have carved a secret space in my heart, especially of late. I think it’s because I’m aware that Colombia has become one of the most progressive Coffee farming countries globally, particularly with regards to innovation in processing, as well as varietal development and selection in the face of the multitude of ecological effects created from the ongoing climate change issue we’re facing.

Definitely one of the most interesting coffees this year.

Kudos to the Echavarria Family for this magnificent gem.

Enjoy the brews

Mike
I’m the Head Roaster at Origin. I joined the company in 2008. My primary focus is on developing roast profiles for the diverse array of great coffees that we purchase throughout the year. I am interested in understanding what makes coffee special, such as processing, varietals and anything else pertaining to geographical distinction.

In my spare time, I focus on something a little different. I am an aspiring mycologist and nutrition enthusiast focusing on gourmet and medicinal mushrooms and the human microbiome. I also dabble in fermentation from time to time.

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