Our comprehensive course methodically takes you through the lifecycle of coffee from seedling to processing, to the basics of roasting, and to profile roasting. Every coffee is unique. The varietal of the coffee, the elevation where the coffee is grown, cultivation techniques, processing methods, bean size and density, soil composition, and moisture content all contribute to the taste and aroma of the final product.

With hands-on roasting you learn the fundamentals of coffee roasting and the fine points of developing roast profiles. A refined roast profile brings out a coffee’s true expression and fulfills our responsibilities, and to those who grow coffee and to our customers.

After achieving a level of comfort with controlling the roast, attendees participate in a methodical step-by-step process of roasting and cupping, evaluating every aspect of a coffee’s flavor profile in a structured process of determining the best roast profile for an individual coffee.

Instruction given by a qualified Green Bean Importer and other Diedrich personnel.

Sessions normally run 9:00 a.m. to 5:30-6:00 p.m. each day. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

Sorry, no cameras or video recorders in the warehouse or on the shop floor please.

We are an SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Certified Campus offering paid courses for individuals working in the specialty/craft coffee industry who wish to become SCA Certified Baristas and Coffee Roasters, as well as various courses and one-on-one education to improve overall skills and understanding for devoted coffee enthusiasts.

SDCTI is the first SCA campus in San Diego and the only in the country that is also a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. One hundred percent of the tuition fees paid by students taking any of our offered courses are used to fund the programming costs for students from various vulnerable and at-risk populations in the San Diego area, including youth aging out of foster care, homeless adults and teens, and individuals recently released from incarceration.

In addition to immersive coffee education and highly-regarded SCA certifications for these marginalized populations, the non-profit program also assists with job placement, through our strategic partnerships with other local community-organizations, and supplies each of these individuals with general workforce skills that help them retain employment in the coffee industry or any hospitality-related industry.

Our program is a very comprehensive course methodically taking you through the life-cycle of the coffee from seedling to the processing to the basics of roasting and most importantly profile roasting.

Every coffee is unique, as noticed from the varietal to the elevation at which the coffee is grown, cultivation techniques, processing methods, bean size and density as well as moisture content. Every coffee has its own distinctive characteristics. In recent years, both growers and mills alike have been experimenting with innovative new processes which are changing the world of coffee. The greater selection of estate coffees, micro lot and Cup of Excellence coffees are the results of these efforts. With hands-on roasting you will learn the fundamentals of roasting and the fine points of developing roast profiles. A refined roast profile brings out a coffees true expression, which the producers so diligently work to achieve.

• GROWING AND PROCESSING METHODS.

  You will gain an appreciation for the care and the hard work that goes into every step of the process and understand the relevance of a roast profile.

• THE FUNDAMENTALS OF COFFEE ROASTING.

  You will learn the fine points of controlling the coffee and the stages of the roast which are critical. You will learn techniques to enhance a coffees flavor and how to identify roast imperfections and avoid them.

• ROASTING SYSTEM THERMODYNAMICS

  In the Diedrich roasters, you can fine-tune the balance of convective, conductive heat throughout the roast. You will learn how these distinctly different types of heat are adjusted and when to adjust them during the roast, to best suit the coffee.

• THE COFFEE’S THERMODYNAMICS.

  Applying heat to coffee starts an extremely complex chain of chemical and physical changes. How these chemistries transform and react is dependent on the type of heat and the rate at which heat is applied. You will learn about the factors which affect how the heat migrates into the bean and how the coffees react to heat

• DEVELOPING A ROAST PROFILE.

  You will learn how the flavor nuances change when manipulating the chemistry in different ways. By methodically experimenting with roast color, time to the color, varying temperature profiles and how much air is drawn through the drum at different stages of the roast, you refine the roast profile and the coffees flavor profile.

• BUYING COFFEE AND WORKING WITH AN IMPORTER.

  You will learn how to work with an importer to ensure that you are buying the best beans for your customers. You will learn the ways to purchase your beans including the spot market and forward purchasing. The majority of the time of our program is hands-on roasting and cupping. Attendees will first get acquainted with the roaster and the fundamentals of roasting, then progress to keeping the coffee on a profile. We have an IR-5 in our training room so you will have ample opportunity to test and develop your skills.

• CUPPING BASICS.

  You will learn the fundamentals of cupping coffees to be certain that you can pinpoint the best green beans from your importer and growers as well as monitor your profile development to capture your coffee’s perfectly nuanced flavors. Find out availability and further details by clicking your desired seminar session.

• ROASTERY OPERATIONS.

  You will learn about a typical day in the life of a roaster including forms and documentation, time management, working with your customers, and other essential elements for success.

Our program was designed to introduce the student to core roasting skills and equipment with a special emphasis on the Diedrich Roaster.  Students will be able to describe the various stages of roasting using up-to-date terminology and technology.  The goals of this program are to provide a more detailed understanding of the roasting process and the different kinds of heat transfer at work.