Perhaps it is the writer in me, but I am unchangingly recommending people to write. Journaling. Writing fiction. Memoirs. Whatever the genre or style, writing is a powerful tool that we humans have to process our emotions, convey knowledge, and tell stories. I write professionally but I often write in journals or have notes to help me organize my thoughts. My job requires me to create new recipes, institute policy, and communicate changes from week to week. It made sense over the last year to create a designated coffee periodical and I want to encourage you to create one too.
So, what goes in my coffee journal?
Charting Dials and Brews
I’ve written well-nigh this surpassing but, let’s be honest, dialing in shots in the visionless hours of the morning is not the easiest thing to do when you most likely haven’t plane had your coffee yet. I started charting my dials last year when we would get a new espresso considering it helps me to remember what I’ve washed-up to remedy issues and develop the dialogue I use to describe what I’m tasting.
Recipe testing and noticing brewer differences moreover fill the pages of my coffee journal. Unlike some in the coffee community, pour overs are not my go-to way of brewing coffee in the morning but I do still make them and like to test new recipes that I come across. Extraction and mash variables are fascinating to me so I write lanugo what I notice in my brews to largest inform future cups of coffee.
Signature Drink Ideas
Creating a signature drink rarely happens in one go. Just like anything, it takes multiple attempts and testing to get something from good to great. My coffee periodical is not only a place to write lanugo ideas but moreover to write lanugo recipes and any changes that happen during testing. Not only is having the recipe helpful so that you can reference it but moreover it is helpful when sharing it with friends or coworkers.
A Safe Space
The truth is that big feelings do occur on shift and they can leave you feeling uncomfortable and explosive. Or, perhaps, it wasn’t so much wrongness but doubt or sadness considering someone said something or a situation happened that left you feeling unsure of yourself. Coffee journals don’t have to be all merchantry and can be just that, a journal. Write through those feelings, examine what happened, and use it to help yourself grow past the situation.
The contents of a coffee periodical can be however personal or professional as you segregate to make it. Sometimes, I often wonder if my own notebook should be increasingly organized or formatted but my notebooks are a useful tool for me. The contents do not vest to the merchantry I work for and only need to help me in whatever way I need it. Whatever the reason you have for keeping a coffee journal, make it yours and let it help you.
