Since its debut in 2013, the World Espresso Roasting Championship has grow to be one of the vital anticipated competitions within the trade. Testing roasters’ expertise to grade inexperienced espresso and develop a roast profile that finest accentuates a espresso’s traits, the occasion serves as an necessary platform to recognise and rejoice excellence in specialty espresso.

The competitors depends on sponsors to offer important funding and help, together with supplying gear. On 16 January 2024, the SCA introduced Stronghold Expertise because the Official Manufacturing Roaster Sponsor for the 2024-27 World Espresso Roasting Championship. The corporate’s S9X machine will probably be offered for the 2024 competitors, which is able to happen from 27 to 29 June at World of Espresso Copenhagen.

So contemplating that completely different manufacturers and fashions of machines have a huge effect on how a espresso must be roasted to spotlight its finest qualities, opponents have to know as a lot details about sponsor machines as doable earlier than collaborating.

To be taught extra, I spoke to Jason Woo, founder and CEO of Stronghold Expertise, and Stefanos Domatiotis, founding father of Create Espresso Roasters. 

You may additionally like our article on the way you roast espresso for barista competitions.

What’s the World Espresso Roasting Championship?

Yearly, roasters from all over the world participate within the World Espresso Roasting Championship (WCRC), which is organised by the Specialty Espresso Affiliation. The competitors is break up into three levels:

• Pre-roasting stage – which incorporates inexperienced espresso analysis, pattern roasting, open cupping, and roast planning for each a single origin espresso and a mix
• Manufacturing roasting stage – opponents have half-hour to roast the only origin espresso and an hour for the mix
• Manufacturing roast analysis stage – the judges cup and rating all roasted coffees to find out a winner

Jason Woo is the CEO and founding father of Stronghold Expertise, a roaster producer that has sponsored the WCRC and a number of other nationwide Espresso Roasting Championships since 2015.

“Over the previous decade, we now have witnessed the transformative energy of competitions in shaping the specialty espresso trade,” he says. “These championships function platforms for innovation, the place expert members can showcase new ideas, applied sciences, and methods.”

Sponsors play an enormous position in establishing competitions just like the World Espresso Roasting Championship by offering mandatory funding, gear, and help. Merely put, it might be unimaginable for organisers to host the occasion in a unique nation yearly with out them.

One of many key types of sponsorship for the WCRC is offering the gear, together with a very powerful piece of equipment: the roaster. In an effort to be chosen as a certified sponsor, roaster producers should meet a sequence of rigorous necessities. A few of these are:

• Adjust to a variety of technical specs, corresponding to a 3 to 6kg batch capability
• Meet varied country-specific certifications and installations
• Carry out to a constantly excessive customary for a contest setting

“Many worldwide espresso champions have used the S9X not simply in competitions, but additionally for business roasting,” Jason says.

Furthermore, he explains how necessary it’s for sponsors and organisers to share comparable values, as that is additionally a vital facet of the choice course of.

“As a part of our ‘Help, Join, and Encourage’ ethos, we’re dedicated to participating with the espresso group, fostering connections, and pushing for additional innovation, so our strategy aligns with the SCA’s mission and goal” Jason provides. “For instance, in recent times, we now have transitioned to zero-to low-carbon emission electrical roasters to enhance our sustainable practices.”

What do roasting opponents have to learn about sponsor machines?

Whether or not in a business or aggressive setting, roasters have to be acquainted with the machines they’ve to make use of. If not, they run the chance of negatively impacting espresso high quality and dropping extra of the fascinating traits.

In a contest setting particularly, this, after all, can hinder a roaster’s likelihood at successful. So what are a very powerful components they should contemplate?

Stefanos Domatiotis is the founding father of Create Espresso Roasters in Athens, Greece. He’s additionally a seasoned espresso competitor – he received the 2014 World Brewers Cup and positioned within the finals of the 2010 and 2012 World Barista Championships.

“In the beginning, opponents want to know how they’ll create and modify roast profiles when utilizing a particular machine,” he tells me. “To do that, they need to familiarise themselves with variables like temperature management, airflow changes, and complete roast time to calculate constant and exact outcomes.”

He provides that opponents also needs to practise in accordance with advisable batch capacities for sponsored machines to make sure even warmth distribution and constant outcomes. For example, because the Stronghold S9X has a batch capability between 3kg and 8kg, opponents shouldn’t roast above or beneath this vary per batch.

Follow makes excellent

It goes with out saying that roaster opponents are extremely expert and skilled, so analysing and customising key roast profile metrics comes as second nature to many. But when a WCRC sponsor machine operates otherwise than one {that a} competitor is extra acquainted with, understanding easy methods to monitor and alter variables is significant for fulfillment.

One instance that Stefanos mentions is realizing easy methods to use the machine’s interface and management panels, which solely comes with steady apply.

“You must be comfy with navigating completely different settings, adjusting parameters on the fly, and troubleshooting any operational points which will come up throughout apply periods,” he tells me. “Primarily, you must be sure to can constantly replicate optimum roast profiles.”

As a part of the WCRC, opponents are supplied with inexperienced espresso and a set of knowledge, corresponding to origin, altitude, processing technique, and selection. Utilizing this knowledge, along with their data and experience, roasters are in a position to create optimum profiles in a a lot shorter area of time.

What’s extra, roasters additionally obtain devoted lab time to measure variables like display screen measurement, density, moisture content material, and any defects, so understanding easy methods to use sponsor machines in step with these components can also be crucial.

Lastly, Stefanos mentions that the machine’s cooling system will have an effect on opponents’ closing scores and efficiency. 

“An environment friendly cooling process is essential to forestall over-roasting and obtain optimum flavour growth,” he explains. “I counsel roasters to practise utilizing the machine’s cooling cycle to attain their desired roast degree.”

Understanding what competitors judges are on the lookout for

As with every espresso championship, roaster opponents have to familiarise themselves with the principles and scoresheets, and at all times preserve them in thoughts when creating roast profiles.

“The judges will count on a balanced flavour profile that highlights the distinctive traits of the offered espresso,” Stefanos says. “This requires skillful manipulation of assorted roast parameters to deliver out the extra fascinating flavours.”

WCRC judges additionally assess a large variety of components to find out a winner, corresponding to bean color, aroma, sweetness, and physique. It’s subsequently essential that opponents pay shut consideration to even the smallest particulars of how sponsor machines work. In flip, they’ll exactly management completely different variables to attain the very best outcomes doable and improve their possibilities of success.

Utilizing sponsor machines to your benefit

For apparent causes, in depth apply with sponsor machines previous to competitions means roasters will really feel extra assured and ready beforehand. In flip, this locations them in a greater place to carry out nicely and obtain greater scores.

Though all opponents might not have equal entry to sponsor machines, it’s necessary that they’ll grow to be as acquainted as doable to allow them to use machine options to their benefit.

“Completely different coffees require particular roast profiles to deliver out their finest qualities,” Stefanos says. “The S9X’s triple warmth system – which makes use of convection, conduction, and radiation warmth technology and recirculation – permits opponents to tweak roasting parameters in accordance with the distinctive traits of every espresso.

“This maximises the potential for distinctive expression of flavour,” he provides, additionally mentioning that roasters are in a position to obtain extra balanced and constant outcomes.

As the recognition of roasting competitions has soared in recent times, the World Espresso Roasting Championship has been a pioneer of those occasions – serving to organisers to innovate and form the broader trade, too.

Gear sponsorship additionally performs a elementary position in these competitions. So if roasters need to obtain success, they should perceive how sponsor machines work.

However maybe extra importantly, they should really feel comfy utilizing these roasters. In consequence, they’ll get the very best out of their competitors coffees and improve their possibilities of successful.

Loved this? Then learn our article on whether or not co-roasting areas will grow to be extra fashionable in specialty espresso.

Picture credit: Stronghold Expertise, Specialty Espresso Affiliation, World Espresso Occasions

Excellent Every day Grind

Please be aware: Stronghold Expertise is a sponsor of Excellent Every day Grind.

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