As you may know, I received a home coffee bean roasting machine (Behmor 1600) from my former boss at Blue Haven Pools and Spas. For the last two months, I’ve been roasting my own coffee beans (on the back porch, since I smoked up the house on my first attempt). I’ve been using the original beans that came with the roaster.
So, yesterday I set out to find raw coffee beans here in Denver. After a bit of research on the Internet, I found Kaladia Brothers Coffee near Denver University. It’s a small shop that roasts its own beans in-house. They also sell the same beans raw and unroasted (green beans, but not those green beans).
I have found my coffee roasting destination. The guy behind the coffee didn’t seem bothered by my questions; in fact, he lit up and seemed genuinely engaged. He walked me through the different kind of beans and how they react to roasting. He knew about points of origin and how to handle different regions and countries.
Another employee was listening to our conversation and chipped in from time to time. As I went to pay for the beans, this same fellow followed me up to the counter and said, “I will talk your ear off about roasting coffee beans.” I wanted to say, “You’re my man!” He explained to me about what percentage of water different beans contain and how much they lose during roasting.
If it wouldn’t have seemed weird, I would have asked him to come over to my house and let me learn at his feet.
I love people who love what they do. The two guys at Kaladi Brothers had an unmasked passion for coffee, especially for roasting coffee. When they talked about first and second cracks, they spoke of nuances and how beans from Bolivia make a different sound than beans from Costa Rica. Passion!
As a pastor, I hope that I bring that same passion and enthusiasm for the message of Jesus to those whom I come into contact with. Love what you do. Do what you love. Live with passion.
And go to Kaladi Brothers Coffee and order a drip coffee of Peruvian coffee.