Profs and Pints 2

Last night was the second of Scitech's Profs and Pints evenings. While considering the issue of security and limitations on freedoms there was a broad range of topics discussed from biowarfare, computer security and technological developments. The last included a really cool demonstration of a surveillance drone and I managed to capture some images of this on video:

http://yfrog.com/f1vidmp4yz

Or at YouTube:


Discussion was not as focussed on the topics as I would have liked but it was still a great evening of learning for all.

Moon Shot

I took the junior Grendels out for a bit of moon gazing during last night's partial eclipse. We have a very basic telescope, a Galileoscope bought last year, but they love using it. I made about 20 attempts to take a photo by holding a camera behind the eyepiece, a supremely difficult task at 3 degrees C.

I did manage a reasonable image but I need to buy another tripod!




Click image to enlunarge...

Indonesian coffee

Coffee, as a crop is subject the conditions under which it is growing, meaning that no year will see a crop from a growing region that is exactly like the previous year.

2010 is seeing some truly great coffees from the various regions in Indonesia and I am beginning to develop a much greater appreciation for Sumatran, Balinese and Sulawesi coffees.

There has been a marked improvement in the processing of coffee from Indonesia in recent years as the industry there increases it's sophistication, and this in a country that has been a world leader in production for hundreds of years. The increasing specialty coffee market appears to be of greater benefit to countries such as Indonesia that have a range of quite different productions regions, a long history of production (along with the deep store of coffee knowledge that entails) and a range of varietals to use as a base for future developments.

I've been sampling coffee roasted by Five Senses and Fiori over the last few weeks and Australian roasters seem to have an affinity for Indonesian beans. Our geographic location, particularly in Perth means that in theory at least we should get Indonesian coffee at it's freshest.

The team from Five Senses have been in Bali at Kintamani helping out with some development work that should bear fruit (literally as well as figuratively) over the next few years. They have a great series of blog posts, along with photos well worth catching up on.

I'm thinking that while 2009 for me was learning about El Salvador coffee, 2010 may be the Year of Indonesian coffees.

Apple day at Tiger Tiger

Tiger Tiger cafe tweeted about the opening of the Apple store last night so we had to drop into the Apple store and Tiger Tiger. Mushroom soup is superb! Brownies disappeared in under 2 minutes, I never even got to try them!

I am going to have to come here with just my partner one day as it always feels too rushed with the junior grendels along.

Gorgeous flat white but I could do with another and it is just not going to happen.







- Posted at TigerTigerCafe using BlogPress from my iPad

A morning wonder

Ok, no wonder to many and an annoyance to more when there is too much for too long, but for two days in a row we have had a diamonte encrusted car with frost all over it.

Pretty, but dreadful on the garden. We are having a very very dry winter here in Perth, not a good thing. They dryer air results in much colder days than you usually get with lots of clouds to hold the warmth in.

Mitsubishi diamonte guarantee

I stepped out the front door at 5.40 this morning into a wonderland, at least by Perth standards.

My Mitsubishi was ennobled by a magnificent glittering rime of ice rarely seen at these latitudes.

It looked as if someone had sprayed the car with a fine mist of diamontes.

Departure was delayed by the need to remove enough of the layer to see to drive safely and for the first time I have seen in Australia the car flashed up an icy road warning. I didn't even know it had that feature!

In Pranzo this morning I can feel the warmth from the heater around neck level but there are progressively cooler layers and around ankle level it is positively icy as the cold air from outside does battle with the cafe.

Swapping tea for coffee

So the big news out of Canberra this morning is the election unopposed of Julia gillard as the new leader of the Labor party, and as a result, also the new Prime Minister of Australia.

Back at the time the Labor party was elected to Government I voiced concern that Rudd was more of a 'Lipton' guy and that we might see an insipid policy basis as a result. I'll leave that last half for others to judge but I would like to note that Gillard is indeed a coffee drinker of some repute, at one point even having to cut back her consumption on doctors orders.

Now, I don't genuinely believe that there is a correlation between coffee drinking and policy outcomes from government, but at least I'd have a frame of reference I am familiar with and if she suddenly popped in for a chat about the state of the nation I could offer her a coffee without having to scrabble around for a stale teabag.

Ok, if she popped around for a chat about the state of the nation I would probably be sitting there with a glazed look wondering what other universe I had dropped into until long after she had given the idea up and wandered next-door to see if they had any insights.

They only have instant though.

Spring Surprise

Right now I am eagerly awaiting a syphon Ethiopian Kokei at Spring Espresso. Every time that I come here I get to experience coffee in a new way, or at least a new coffee. Definitely a favorite stopping point of mine but I am in the area far too rarely. I think this is only my sec d visit for 2010 and I had the kokei lat time I was here but as a ristretto so the different style will be interesting.

Perth coffee, love it.

Location:Subiaco

Coining a new term

In my last post I used the term 'ANZies' to jointly refer the Australian and New Zealand competitors at the world barista championships. Apparently I've coined a new term (ore so Google says). I do for see some problems, it rhymes with pansies and that may discomfort some people, and it is an anagrams of 'nazis', which could lead to the invocations of Godwin's law far too frequently, but still it is a better term for contemporary collective reference than ANZAC which I feel strongly should only be used the refer to the original source, the Australian New Zealand Army Corp.

I think I need a new tag "odd things that occur to you late at night when avoiding turning the TV on due to potential national embarresment"

Perhaps I should have had the second glass of port after all, one just makes me think weird things and not mellow things.

Pegged it

Ove the last twelve months I have been learning lot more about coffee by trying coffee from different roasters who are skilled at developing profile for a bean to deliver a particular result. This has include coffee roasted by Fiori, Five Senses and Ristretto Espresso but a few other notables as well. As a result I have been encouraged to take a few more risks in my own roasting, however that process is hampered somewhat by the fact that I have less control over the variables with my roasting arrangements. Still, I have enough control to nail it from time to time and the blend we are drinking this weekend is exactly what I was aiming for, so I am pretty happy about it. I wanted coffee that worked well as a pour over with enough acidity to show the full fruit of the three beans I used but I also wanted to be able to use it in espresso and was hoping for some rich warm carob notes.

I got all!

Okay, there is a good chance that getting it right was a fair proportion of fluke, in fact I am pretty certain that is the case, but since the result is what I was aiming for I am pleased nevertheless.

With the World Barista Championships looming it is nice to have a good blend on hand to enjoy while following the podcasts and news from the Australian representatives there.

One thing we know for sure is that those who win in the WBC will be winners as a result of hard work and attention to detail rather than a fluke. Best of luck to all the competitors, but particularly the Aussies and Kiwis. Go The ANZies!

Twitter, NOW I get it!

It took me the purchase of an iPad to figure twitter out but since I have not had a mobile device that can send and receive tweets there has probably not been much point. Consequently this morning I have finally signed up to follow as many interesting Perth Coffee people as I can find. If you consider yourself an interesting Perth coffee person and I haven't found you yet (and if you don't mind me following) let me know.

Twitter, who knew?
(Apparently everyone else!)

Profs and Pints

Tonight I am having a night out at an event sponsored by Scitech - Profs and Pints. I have always thought that cerebral entertainment is best accompanied by the fruit of the vine or the product of the brewing kettle an d tonight would seem the be an exemplary opportunity to test that theory.

I am driving home so I must necessarily be at least somewhat abstemious in my drinking habit d but all the same I have a warm glow from the half-pint that I have had to start the evening off.

Being Scitech, the tech gods themselves are here and the event is being streamed live, a great dew given that the venue is. Relatively small and there are a lot of people outside Perth who can now attend, in a way.

They do have an advantage over me there, they can drink without consideration of a drive to follow!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:The Flying Scotsman, Perth

Perth Blog Roundup

The big news this week (if you did not get the tweet) is that Matt from top Perth blog of gastronomic delights - Abstract Gourmet, is engaged. 

Congratulations Matt!

Abstract Gourmet has been a constant source of ideas, reviews and stunning photos for a long while and it is great to see that Matt has not neglected to have a life (unlike some of us geeks!)


A quick round-up of other blogs:

Tenina of Steamovencooking has a great recipe using my favorite winter vegetable, the leek. Unfortunately the recipe requires a thermomix, and tennis is the second person this week to remind me just what I am missing as Pete at Pranzo was showing me some of the greets recipes that he has for his TM.

The WinoSapien has been exploring some interesting wines including a fascination Shiraz/riesling blend that seems almost beyond comprehension. I am going to try it for myself as it sound like a great dinner party wine. Rather wishful thinking on my part there that perhaps the purchase of this wine might generate sufficient activity on my part towards a social activity!

Unlike our next great Perth blogger Tannic Teeth who has been out and about socializing in style and Tasting the Turkish treats from Farmer Jacks in Girrawheen.

Also, I am probably among the last to notice that Hold the Beef has moved from their old blog host over to their own domain with WordPress. I will have to review my sidebar links and update them all!

Finally this week the Food Pornographer has whipped up a traditional Swedish dish usually prepared at the end of a long day building flatpack furniture using only diagrammatic instruction sheets, yes she has prepared the favorite dish of Junior Grendel Number Two - Ikea meatballs and creamy gravy.

I love Perth blogs, so much diversity and quality, but sadly I know I have already missed so many posted this week that I just never got time to read.

This sunrise was taken from my office window this morning:

Coffee blogging with the iPad

I wrote this post a week ago while in T5 Espresso, but at the time had neglected to discover how onw uploads images from the iPad. I have now discovered an easy means and the full glory of the phrase "there's an App for that!"


While I officially turned 40 nearly two months ago I don't consider that it actually occurred until yesterday when I got my present - an iPad.

I have heard plenty of reasons why NOT to buy an iPad but sitting here now in a cafe blogging with the device I find most of the reasons have little relevance once you actually have one.

I am in T5 Espresso Joondalup, a bastion of coffee in the North of Perth. And this is my first ever use of the device for blogging purposes. It is holding it's own and far superior to dragging a laptop or even a net book around. It is a bit odd typing on a glass screen but i find that I am quickly becoming used to it. I imagine that if I had long finger nails I might not be so sanguine about the experience as these would seem to have potential to impede typing on a flat surface.

As. For the lack of camera, that was never an issue for me as the last thing I need is one more pinhole camera. I bought the camera adapter and will shortly be adding some photos to this post using my panasonic LX3 - far superior to anything mounted in a phone, or potentially in an iPad.

and there the post ends - and as you can see blogging was not quite as simple a I imagined, nor is it that difficult and we are taking the junior grendel's out later today where I hope to liveblog the joyous event of cake.

IFO over Australia

So, while I have been to 'busy' (ahem) with the iPad to get around to much blogging I am finding that tweeting is the dream communication method from the iPad and I can kept up to date with all the latest coffee and astronomy news - which brings me to the title of this post. There was a strange spiral light reported over Australia this weekend and the media are STILL reporting this as a "UFO" even after it has been clearly shown to be the still-boosting Falcon 9 rocket which was launched from Cape Canaveral.

Phil Plait over at Bad Astronomer has even posted a helpful tracking map - which I have replicated below.



I guess a rocket is just not as much fun for the media as a UFO!