Consulting

First Crack offers consulting on every facet of coffee: roasting, roastery design and layout, equipment selection and operation, green coffee sourcing, cafe training, business of coffee, tasting, brewing, barista training, blending, coffee at altitude, and more. Custom curricula can be designed around your interest, needs, budget and time availability. Learn in your own facility or at First Crack. Email for details and a quote. 

Buhler RoastMaster and Proaster Special Coffee Roaster certified roaster courses:

On behalf of Bühler and Proaster, First Crack has created 16-hour courses complete with official certification from the manufacturer of your roaster. The comprehensive courses expose students to cutting-edge approaches, brand-specific roasting methodology, up-to-date industry knowledge, and current 'best practice' strategies for every facet of coffee. 

Topics include (but are not limited to): cupping; roasting basics; cleaning, maintenance, safety and operation; phases of the roast; roast variables; profiling; roast defects; heat transfer; green varieties, grading, defects, seasonality, certifications and sourcing; storage and freshness; sample roasting; brewing basics; roasting strategies for non-standard coffees; roasting for espresso; blending, decaffeination and flavoring; profiling software; transferring profiles across machines of different make and size; maintaining consistent profiles with different batch sizes; coffee history; branding; roastery design; goals for your business; and more. 

The hands-on courses have students roasting, cupping and brewing from day one. The courses have been taught to hundreds of students ranging from absolute beginners to seasoned coffee professionals alike. Students receive an enhanced eBook including text, videos, photos and graphics, a study guide, practice test and answer key. Upon successful completion of the tests, students receive official certificates. Graduates leave with the ability to step into almost any roasting job conceivable on their respective equipment. Learn in your own facility or at First Crack (or, if available, at the manufacturer's lab). $1,050 for a group of up to five from the same business. Travel expenses may apply.