Is My Coffee Too Fresh?

Welcome to the first in our new series: Infrequently Asked Questions. This is not an issue that comes up given the general lack of availability of freshly roasted beans in the current market, but coffee needs at least 24 hours and more usually 48 hours rest after roasting to lose the “grassiness” caused by the off-gassing of CO2. Most coffee takes somewhere between three to five days to peak in flavor, although that can vary quite a bit. Some beans, especially if dark roasted, can peak within a couple of days of roasting, while light roasted coffee may take up to a week. Of course, none of this is really relevant in a marketplace where coffee usually sits on the shelf for weeks, or gasp months, before making it into consumers hands.

Roasting as a Spectator Sport

It seems like a lot of people who come into Qualia for the first time have never seen unroasted coffee before, much less observed the roasting process itself. While many people peek in the back to admire the machinery, watching the actual roasting process is a lot like watching laundry dry. However, I had an unusually interested onlooker during today’s roasting session.

Peeping Mantis

I hope he was preying for a good roast.

The Long View

DC contractors recently cut back the tree in front of Qualia revealing a pretty stunning view of the National Cathedral.

The National Cathedral is well over 2 miles from the shop.

Drink and Ride

Is there a more natural combination than coffee and bicycles? Well, maybe, but they still go damn well together.

For the past couple of Saturday’s, Qualia has been host to a free bicycle maintenance and repair clinic sponsored by the Bike House, a Petworth-based bicycle coop. Here are some pictures from this past weekend.

When It Rains…

Qualia is featured in a column in the August issue of Washingtonian. Unfortunately, the magazine doesn’t have the column on-line, so I will have to paraphrase it for you: We Rock!