Is it really Organic?

[cuppacoffee]

A while ago someone suggested to me that having a range of roasted Organic coffee would be a great idea - its all the buzz...I could charge more...yada yada.

Having just the one roaster I never took up his suggestion. To my way of thinking if I were to do this then I would need to use Dudley exclusively for organic beans, and not run the risk of tainting the drum with other beans that may have been exposed to synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers.

Am I being over the top or do you agree with my decision? Id be interested to hear your views...

[mwatt]

Re: Is it really Organic?

Is there not some kind of standard you can check Den, to see what you need to do for certification to be maintained/given/whatever they do so you can put that little sticker on it?

I would think that Dudley gets hot enough to burn off any nasties, but maybe there are some kind of regulatory standards etc?

[jimmyb]

Re: Is it really Organic?

over the top.

[Dimal]

Re: Is it really Organic?

Hmmm,

I dont think that the word "organic" automatically translates to better coffee in the cup. Lots of coffees are already organic by virtue of the isolated regions they are grown in (PNG Wahgi Valley for example). The claim of organic grown isnt used but the coffee sure is great.

Personally, I would always be focussing on the results in the cup rather than the so-called virtues of various certifications. If you find a great coffee that also happens to be organically grown, Rain-Forest Certified, Free Trade or what ever else there is out there well then, thats also great. The final decisions should always be based on the quality in the cup though.

Maybe you could scape some of the "seasoning" from Dudley Dennis and have it tested for the presence of compounds that would defeat an Organic Roasted application mate. Maybe theres nothing there that would be any cause for concern? :-?

Cheers,
Mal.

[mwatt]

Re: Is it really Organic?

Hmmm,

I dont think that the word "organic" automatically translates to better coffee in the cup. Lots of coffees are already organic by virtue of the isolated regions they are grown in (PNG Wahgi Valley for example). The claim of organic grown isnt used but the coffee sure is great.

Yeah, agree completely Mal.

I buy a lot of (certified) organic produce but fuss much less when it comes to coffee.

[cuppacoffee]

Re: Is it really Organic?

Agree totally that organic or certified organic doesnt mean its good, yet I see that as a different discussion. Maybe Im just taking it all too far, but this little voice at the back of my head keeps niggling away. Testing would certainly be an option, though I imagine it would be a very expensive exercise.

I know I wouldnt be happy if I went out for a meal, ordered something from the menu that was organic, and then found out it was prepared with other non-organic foods.

[TC]

Re: Is it really Organic?

Agree totally that organic or certified organic doesnt mean its good, yet I see that as a different discussion.  Maybe Im just taking it all too far, but this little voice at the back of my head keeps niggling away.  Testing would certainly be an option, though I imagine it would be a very expensive exercise.

I know I wouldnt be happy if I went out for a meal, ordered something from the menu that was organic, and then found out it was prepared with other non-organic foods.

Yep- agreed Dennis,

I recall when I was involved with bg&d, the bean alliance had to go through a whole heap of hoops to get organic certification.

Roasterwise, I gather that they have to run a superheat process prior to roasting. In the plant, much more was required and the process took ages. There were even specifics of what is allowed to be stored on site.

I think that unless you went through the whole certification process, the best you could really hope to put on a bag is that it contains organically grown beans.

For mine, Im with Mal though. Id prefer a great cup.

One would think that trying to create an organic blend must be like blending with one hand tied behind your back  :-/

[Thundergod]

Re: Is it really Organic?

A quick Google confirms your suspicions Den.

"Organic coffee beans must meet full organic standards right up until they land on store shelves at the local market or grocery store to be ready for consumers to purchase."

http://2btr.com/blindguy/blog/2008/09/24/How-a-coffee-product-becomes-Certified-Organic

And a quote from a non-sponsors site:
"The coffee is organically produced, transported and processed in accordance with the guidelines of certifying bodies that are recognised by the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA)."

The BFA could point you to a certifying body.

[cuppacoffee]

Re: Is it really Organic?

Thats an interesting article TG - have always put a lot of faith in my instincts and good to get some affirmation from time to time.

And of course, agree with both Mal and Chris as to whats in the cup.  As for blends, I have 3, and they are constantly changing, either as i make a slight variation to roasting methods, or different crops come along and find it a continuous but rewarding task as I try to improve each one.  Thats quite enough work for me!

I can imagine the packaging though..."Organically grown beans, roasted non-organically, packed in one way valved bags that are a vivid blue, but not organic..." ;D

[Andy]

Re: Is it really Organic?


...well for CoffeeSnobs Brown

"Organic at Origin" is what I have used in the past to indicate that at the point the beans left origin they had not been grown or sprayed with "nasty stuff" (per the bean growers organic certified body)

Some of the brokers in Australia separate the organic from non-organic beans, not all.

I keep the organic beans away from the non-organic ones and use an organic cleaner on (nearly) all contact surfaces before roasting them.

We also keep a paper-trail to prove what we have tried to do to meet the expectations.

I also try not to use as much baygon or DDT on them <---joke.

So yeah, CoffeeSnobs Organic contains 100% beans that were certified organic at origin and have been transported, stored, roasted and packed using best effort.

PS: Dont work off USA organic documents, its a different kettle. There are also differences between our own states and label laws.

[cuppacoffee]

Re: Is it really Organic?

thanks Andy!