Not Caffeinated Enough Podcast

Have you ever tasted Black coffee that tastes like brownies? How about Reeses? Purple nerds? Nacho cheese? If you’re like me, the flavor of bergamot a mystery, but orange Kool-Aid is familiar. Or maybe the more than 80 flavors on the Specialty Coffee Association's flavor wheel are intimidating as hell because you experience your coffee notes as musical notes or believe a poetic phrase would better capture your brew’s flavor. In this special mid-season-break event, the OG NCE Flavor Squad & I talk about making the flavor wheel and conversation surrounding it more inviting. Hear the perspectives of coffee people at all levels, from barista to at-home coffee lover to green bean importer to coffee educator. It's pretty dope.

It's the Season Finale! In lieu of a coffee experiment, Marvin Duncan (@marvinlikescoffee) tells me what he's learned about the bypass method and extraction in general as part of his Ask Me Anything open invitation. And he's got his receipts, so when he starts talking coffee, I tend to listen up. Theme Song by kidmental

Tiani of Coffee & Tax and I freeze our coffee beans to find out what's so special about doing so. Some folks swear it makes for longer-lasting coffee, some show it results in a higher level of extraction. But bump all that, how's it taste?? We're about to find out. We also talk about how we're doing and practice a little self-validation...but on each other? Theme Song by kidmental kidmental.com

Just a little compilation of a few other conversations with a few guests--including a fun Instagram Live with Melissa (@elevate_the_mind).  Theme Music by kidmental http://bit.ly/NCE-theme-song-creation-kidmental

The last 2 episodes of Black History Month will be compilations of my favorite NCE moments with the guests.  Theme Music by kidmental

Hannibal (@TheBlackBeanNYC) and I make a discovery during this Moka Pot experiment in which we compare a brew in which the espresso bed has been "tamped" to one in which it hasn't. Talk about Breaking News! We also chat about how dang hard it seems to be find coffee shops that truly makes us feel comfortable to sit and sip in. Music: Shade by Bartholomew Jones

TaTeona Hughes (@xtrasyrup) and I try to figure out how much a virtue patience is when it comes to the French Press brew suggested by YouTube coffee broseph, James Hoffman. We also talk about how it's about time for Black Women in coffee to feel like themselves at work. Because it's exhausting to be someone else all the time, ya know? Music: No Sugar No Cream by Bartholomew Jones (feat. Renata Henderson, Kara Rodgers, and TXMMY RXCK1T)

Kelin Bradley and I experiment with the effects of sifting our coffee before brewing it pour over style. How much does it affect the clarity? The experience? The TDS? The discussion on this one cannot be defined, so I'll just let you watch and enjoy and hopefully feel as though you can be apart of the conversation. Music: Energy by Bartholomew Jones

A trip to the ER and life in mini-crisis put a hold on a new episode coming out. Instead, I've put together a little appreciation shout-out to my Patreon supporters! New episodes will be back on track soon!

Erica Jackson (@blkcoffee4life) joins me once again to experiment with Aeropress brews. Blooming your coffee has been shown to increase its extraction in all kinds of brew methods--including immersion. But how does extending the bloom time in an Areopress affect the taste? Erica and I get similar, yet different results (again). We also talk about how we all could sometimes use some help--for work stuffs and emotional support alike. Music: Cxnnect by Bartholomew Jones of CxffeeBlack

In this episode, Marvin Duncan (@marvinlikescoffee) and I experiment with pour over pour speeds. We also talk about overcoming the biases set against us as Black folks, the support that the less visible yet highly active Black Coffee community can provide and more that will have even me re-watching this a few more times. Music: I Got F8th by Bartholomew Jones

Korie Pickett (@hoosierqueenkp) and I see how we feel about cold brew brewed cold and “cold brew” brewed…not so cold. We also talk about the feels of working with other folks that look like us, other entries into coffee, and the racism in customer service that we definitely do not miss. Let’s see if we can’t get caffeinated. As is clear when you look into my eyes later in the episode, I am clearly not caffeinated enough.   Music: Down Down by Bartholomew Jones feat. Demire & Renate

What happens when you take a tiny little bloom time of 30 seconds and double or quadruple it? The founders of Three Keys Coffee, Tio and Kenzel Fallen, and I endeavor to find out. We also discuss a number of things, including how the duo has used their roaster in the name of inclusion. Their coffee business is not only for the passion--it's for the culture. Also, what the hell is a peacherine? Let's find out. You probably can't tell, but don't mind my odd(er) mannerisms and random voices in the intro. My roommates are just arguing in the background, no big deal.   Music: Be Free by Bartholomew Jones (@abartjones) of CxffeeBlack

In this episode, Kelin Bradley (@blac.koffee) and I do a little science with the Moka Pot and test what kind of difference it makes to start the brew off with cold water vs hot water. We even get to test how much total coffee stuffs (TDS) is extracted from each brew. Dope. Plus, we talk about Black culture in coffee, adjusting to the White culture of coffee (or vice versa), and... Well, quite a few other things. Stay tuned. Music: Be Free by Bartholomew Jones (@abartjones) of CxffeeBlack

I didn't originally intend for this to be a podcast. I just wanted to experiment with coffee and chat with Erica Jackson about the obstacles we've faced being Black specifically while working in coffee, and maybe put a short vid of it out for posterity. But I liked the convo and brew too much to cut down. And so the idea of this coffee video podcast was born. Welcome to Episode 0. Erica Jackson (@blkcoffee4life) and I see what kind of difference it make to brew with an Aeropress using single vs. double filters. Plus, we talk about how we deal with The Man trynna keep us dow.