Recycling coffee chaff is a way Dockyardcoffee Roasters is adopting sustainable practices and contributing back to the community and environment. We strive to reach out to more communities hoping to spread the word around
]]>When coffee beans are roasted, a husk, akin to a dried skin, is shed. This is chaff, and though it is often discarded as waste, it provides nutrients for plants. When added to compost, it introduces nitrogen and enriches the soil for the healthy growth of plants. Besides recycling a waste product that would otherwise be thrown away, it’s a cheap and effective alternative to soil supplements.
Every month at Dockyardcoffee Roasters, we roast about 500 kilogram of coffee beans, producing about 15 kilograms of coffee chaff as a byproduct that is typically discarded.
Recycling coffee chaff is a way Dockyardcoffee Roasters is adopting sustainable practices and contributing back to the community and environment. We strive to reach out to more communities to spread the word about how coffee chaff can be recycled for a good use.
Today, we are provide coffee chaff and coffee grounds to Hillview Connections Neighbourhood Committee (NC) for their community garden. Mr LeeKZ, a leader of Hillview Connection NC Community Garden, shares, “I am very appreciative of the coffee chaff donated by Dockyardcoffee Roasters, and really look forward to see the plants flourish at the community garden.”
Her are some photos we took during our visit to his garden.
The NC garden measures approximately a size of a basketball court, 15m by 30m. We rarely see such beautiful garden growing about 100 different types of plants. This garden is run by Hillview Connections NC with apporoximate 25 members. Egg plants, bananas, cucumbers, hydroponic leafy plants and even guppies are grown at the garden.
Organic cucumber
Water drawn from the nearby drain goes through a simple filtration system to supply water to the garden.
Founder of Dockyardcoffee (right) with Mr Lee KZ.
Visit the beautiful Hillview Connections NC Community Garden on weekend mornings to watch some of the gardeners in action and the flourishing plants - with Dockyardcoffee's recycled coffee chaff playing a part in it!
For anyone who will like to recycle your coffee grounds, please reach out to admin@dockyardcoffee.com.
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Dockyardcoffee (DYC) charges affordable prices that are comparatively lower than average roasters in Singapore because we:
1. own an independent space, huge roaster and all other related facilities that manufacture good coffee,
2. buy a certain direct trade coffee as well as responsible produce from the Singapore Green Coffee Trader,
3. only allow a certified barista with shared beliefs of DYC to roast, hence limiting mass or random employment and keeping overheads low,
4. do not sell coffee which bears an acidity score below 80 points.
At DYC, our mantra is grounded in the love for coffee. We wish to offer good coffee at affordable price; one likeminded café at a time. It is widely known in the community that our coffee bears an acidity level higher than usual but is priced lower than most.
The common practices in market now conflict with that of DYC. When roasters have no ownership over working premises and equipment, when greens are sourced indirectly, when the “roasting hands” are not professionally trained or keep changing, the price of the coffee inevitably gets driven up. This result of engineering price is logical when all other factors do not matter. To weed out competition, the other sensible move is to offer consumers coffee, aged over a year, at a heavily discounted price.
Your support in DYC’s practices will ensure that we continue to offer the blends with the great taste, with the right notes, at the best price, in Singapore. Do not settle for anything less because good coffee should taste like this.
]]>The first thing I hear from most coffee drinkers - "They prefer their coffee dark roasted" or “I like mine medium roasted”. Many focus on the taste and most assume coffee is a health booster, in which case, it is frequently considered an antioxidant. Hence to infer coffee possibly causing cancer almost always invite aghast.
The going assumption has been darker roasted coffee means burned coffee, which in turn means stronger coffee. This is not a good thing. Not health wise at least.
“Research has shown that if food is burned or heated excessively then a certain group of carcinogenic substances are released which are known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)." These PAHs will circulate throughout the human body, intoxicating the bone marrow, reproductive organs and liver, as well as suppressing the immune and cardiovascular system. The intended harm is great. <source:DietHealthClub.com>
The burned taste in dark roast coffee is popular. For commercial reasons, even certain light roasted coffee can be burned to achieve this taste.
A quick check for burned roast includes watching out for the top and the bottom ends of the whole bean or even splotched surfaces that clued being burned. At times the taste or smell of burned coffee is detectable from drinking or grinding the coffee beans. Take note of the color of the coffee you are purchasing. From Picture 5 onwards, the color of the coffee is obviously too dark for consumption.
In the following are some coffees roasted at certain degrees from Probat.
Picture number 1 : 196 degrees Cinnamon Roast
Picture number 2 : 205 degrees New England
Picture number 3 : 210 degrees American Roast
Picture number 4 : 215 degrees City Roast
Picture number 5 : 220 degrees City Plus
Picture number 6 : 225 degrees Vienna
Picture number 7 : 230 degrees French
Picture number 8 : 235 degrees Italian
Many studies have proven that coffee, like most foods, is carcinogenic when burned. Dark roast profile like City Roast or City Plus are indeed extremely enjoyable. However, the word "dark" does not mean burned and it most certainly does not mean "strong". Most Singaporeans lean towards a medium to dark roast for their coffee. Few realized that it is light roasted coffee that gives the characteristic of its origin. A good, medium roasted cup of coffee has more body and less acidity, hence a more balanced brew. On the other hand, a dark roast gives remarkable body but subtle flavor - zero character of its origin.
In short, coffee can either hurt the human body or provide healthy antioxidants while assuring an amazing taste. A good dark roast taste can be healthy too! Choose your coffee and master roaster wisely.
Sourced at Coffee Auction event, December 2016, this selection has since become a bestseller for 2016 - 2017. Last lot of 10kg went to us.
This coffee has travelled to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, receiving rave reviews from customers.
Cupping notes of pineapple, mango and jackfruit.
www.dockyardcoffee.com
Known for her amazing banking district marina skyline, diverse shopping environment, and unique street food, Singapore has also been named by CNN as one of the eight global cities that hosts a vibrant coffee scene. In this crowded space, one roaster manages to emerge quietly as a coffee champion: Dockyard Coffee.
Inspired to learn more about the craft of good coffee during a 2013 vacation in Australia, the founder and owner of Dockyard Coffee Riyan Lee took himself to task, learning all that he could about the growing specialty coffee movement in Singapore.
Starting out as a novice with no skills in coffee craft is tricky. Lee quickly pursued the mentorship of numerous certified experts in the industry. From Q and R graders in Brazil to veteran roasters at Market Lane Cafe, Melbourne, Lee was taught by willing masters who wish to see a progressive development in coffee appreciation. He then began experimenting with all that he had learned by roasting with just a pan. When confidence eventually meets good inner circle reviews, Lee started marketing his offerings – mainly beans and automatic coffee machines – to food and beverage establishments, home consumers, and corporate clients.
“Modesty aside, I think what differentiates Dockyard Coffee from other roasteries is the quality of coffee beans we use and the level of attention we applied to every batch that we roast. We aim for consistent produce every time and a taste that must satisfy and be memorable.” explains Lee. He points out that Dockyard Coffee focuses on supplying coffee beans, and naturally, as a supplier, they can tweak roasts and flavor profiles to match offerings perfectly to what consumers want. “Another advantage Dockyard Coffee has over competitors is our one-stop coffee solution proposition. We sell premium coffee machines, then coffee beans and powder which these same machines grind and brew. The same person will be assigned to service or repair these machines. Because different roasts react differently in different machines, so understanding each coffee machine brand well allows us to create the most suitable roast profiles that bring out the best flavors of the beans.”
Whether it’s for specialty grade coffee or a gourmet brew, Lee considers these factors when selecting the beans: acidity, aroma, balance, body, year of harvest, and the price. Dockyard Coffee purchases beans from a number of farm lots, going on expeditions to farms abroad personally to learn and witness responsible practices, authentic claims on yields and credibility of planation owners.
“Understanding how the beans are grown is crucial. The climate, drying methods such as patio-drying, the soil quality, the distance from other coffee plants, the heat in the atmosphere, and the shipping process – we promise every factor defining the coffee's entirety will be expressed in every batch that we deliver,” assures Lee.
Coffee education is also key. Dockyard Coffee organizes regular cupping sessions whenever new beans are available, or when customers are curious to learn how to contrast a good cup of coffee from another.
Now an international coffee award winner, Lee maintains that the specialty coffee landscape in Singapore has only become more competitive than ever with operation costs increasing at rapid pace. “My business remains online and I intend to grow my digital capabilities…cafes, even well-known ones, have been closing down. In spite of visible foreclosures, newcomers keep entering the market to roast and supply. This makes an already competitive space even more challenging to scale; but such a market trend also confirms the demand that never gone away.” explains Lee.
Other challenges Lee speaks about include the small segment of consumers that prefer the local traditional coffee, aka “kopi”. This more once reverberates that preferences can mean different things to different people. He also addresses the trend of Instagram-friendly beverages that usually have no great differentiating flavor. “Yes it attracts the younger crowd but likely only for one time.” Lee guesses.
Lee hopes to see, in time to come, a greater appreciation towards the quality of coffee in Singapore. Judging by having regulars who claim they are addicted to blends offered by Dockyard Coffee, one can only say his hopes might not be too far fetched.
Visit Dockyard Coffee for more information or to view the beans on offer.