Kopi-Luwak-Producer
In addition to being one of the perfect places to grow coffee, Sumatra is home to a little creature called a Paradoxurus or luwak (Asian palm civet). The little creatures are especially fond of coffee cherries which cover the coffee beans. According to Wikipedia the luwaks are skilled in picking the sweetest and most ripe coffee berries.
After making their coffee berry selection, the luwaks eat the coffee berries. The coffee beans ferment in their stomachs and then exit in whole coffee bean form. Supposedly the pass through the luwak's insides eliminates the bitterness commonly found in coffee.
Locals collect the beans, clean them and then lightly roast the beans. Needless to say, the amount of coffee is limited so the coffee is expensive from $100-600 per pound. Wikipedia estimates only 1000 pounds are found and roasted each year. Not every local coffee shop is apt to carry this exotic coffee. The taste is supposed to be earthy, musty with caramel or chocolate.
As the supply is limited chemically treated coffee has been developed to reproduce the Kopi Luwak coffee taste. I'm not sure if I want to try either the original or simulated Kopi Luwak coffee experience.
Not the usual grind,
The Coffee Guy
Filed under coffee news by 
Headed to New York City tomorrow for fun, business and some good coffee. Have been noticing more and more coffee shops in New York are limiting the use of free wi-fi.
Some people head into the shops first thing in the morning and leave around 5pm. And all they buy is one latte?
I can understand why shop owners are changing the rules. After all their shops are a business, not a non-profit organization.
I was taking a friend to lunch at one of the local coffee shops here in San Antonio. We couldn't find a table except outside. With the 100 degree weather here recently outside just wasn't one of our choices. But what amazed my friend was a number of the people in the coffee shop had packed their own lunch. These same individuals were eating their lunch without the shop owner getting a thin dime. Not fair, folks.
Found some good suggestions for laptop etiquette in the Houston Examiner from Becky Lam.
I. During the café’s peak hours, grab a latte or cup of coffee with a little something to munch on. It’s not exactly polite to stake out that entire table for an hour or more with only a 12 oz. drip or glass of water while lunchers wait around for seating.
II. The coffee shop is not a charging station. If you are plugging in, it better be because your laptop’s battery life is nonexistent. It’s a sign you are staying too long if you’re running through a fully charged battery.
III. Treat your local cafés as though they were your neighbors. They are giving you a place to get away from distractions at work and at home while letting you use their wi-fi, no less. Return a friendly favor by getting to know your baristas and cleaning up after yourself.
IV. Don’t forget to buy something. Being the most obvious point, these coffee shops survive to serve you and your laptop thanks to your patronage. Keep them going.
V. And as a side note, ask for a “for here” mug as well. It automatically shows your intention to stick around and produces less waste too!
Good tips and a way of thanking the shop owner for providing the service. Buy more than just one latte and keep wi-fi going.
Not the usual grind,
The Coffee Guy
Filed under coffee by
Is your coffee pot slowing down? It seemed to take forever for the coffee to drip out every morning. Now I admit I'm not the one to go looking for problems, but this time it was there in front of my eyes. My coffee maker was caked with white crusts. The water is full of minerals here in San Antonio and those minerals just accumulated over time.
If this happens to you here's a possible solution.
Try this:
- Fill your coffee pot with cold water.
- Add two tablespoons of vinegar.
- Start your coffee pot.
- After it is finished percolating, rinse it with cold water.
- Now add cold water again and start your coffee pot.
- After it is finished percolating, rinse it again.
- Now it should be ready to make coffee.
You may need to do this regularly depending upon the amount of minerals in your water. So check for calcium deposits frequently and clean as needed.
Not the usual grind,
The Coffee Guy
Filed under coffee by
