4th in the World Coffee Roasting Championship 2016, Shanghai

I just placed forth in the World Coffee Roasting Championship in Shanghai, China. 

Placing third in the world in the world in 2014 (Rimini) and second in the world 2015 (Gothenburg) the expectations were very high. However, this is nothing we're disappointed in at all.

This is actually the best competition I've done so far. I was super happy with how I presented the single (Panama), reminding of strawberry lemonade and citric. The blend I created with 80% Santuario from Cauca since it simply was stunning; vibrant, juicy and a surgery sweetness. For the rest of the blend I was using 10% of the Guatemalan and 10% of the Chinese coffee. 

I was focusing on finding the right airflow and drum speed on the training part. Since I wanted to work with the actual gas pressure I was changing this directly connected to the drum and not using the percentage panel used on the Giesen control panel. This meant that during the competition part I could focus on the exhausted temperature and the gas amount given. 

My business partner Stephen Leighton was my coach, great in giving me hours away from my email and assisting with the flavor notes and inspiration for building blends. 

I'm most proud of that this is the first year I'm having full score sheet in technical points,  meaning Agatron number, weight in and out and temperatures, were not close but exact. 

The roaster was a W6 Giesen, see the roasting curves here: https://www.cropster.com/en/news/news-detail/news/world-coffee-roasting-championships-wcrc-2016/

Huge congrats to Rumania for their first World Champion title!  

/Joanna Alm, 
Drop Coffee