+Paul Hunnisett this is running with regular green coffee beans instead of the processed ones they recommend (Sumatra in this case). Not as bad as it could be, mostly the mess stays on and right around the machine. Columbian beans are the same. I haven't tried my Kenyan yet, which has a bit more chaff, but overall I'm ok with this

Found this lovely 1920s era beer stein at the Tiergarten flea market today. And I'm finally trying a Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey. Back in the US, the Dominican Hoyos were my favorite, so I was especially excited for this one. It's every bit as good as I hoped it would be!

Perfect roast on the default middle setting, no fuss. I fully expected to have to step in and cancel before the machine over-roasted the beans, but let it go and was pleasantly surprised. Will have to try out the lowest and highest settings, just to get a feel for the range possible without fiddling. Then I'll be able to start dialing in exactly which setting to use for a given type of coffee.

I foresee that 25 pounds of green beans disappearing a lot faster now than it used to with my old tiny roaster...

Y'ALLS! I had to get a new coffee roaster. The cheap FreshRoast machines are not available over here (wrong voltage, too). All the machines that are the next level up in the US are available here, but ridiculously expensive.

Then I found this, designed and sold by a company in Bremen. Never seen anything like it. Reasonably priced, roasts a good amount of coffee at once. And looks like Star Trek came calling. About to try it with 12 oz. of Guatemalan coffee (one of four types that came with it). It's my least favorite kind, so perfect for trying the thing out.

When a beer claims to be the best in the world, it sounds like it's trying too hard. When it can back that up with three World Beer Cup Gold Medals in the last 14 years though, maybe one should at least try it. Especially when it comes from "the oldest cloister brewery in the world," founded in 1050. Still. That's a lot to live up to. Can it really be that good?

The answer is yes. Yes it can. It's ridiculous, in fact. It's the perfect mix of an English brown ale and a stout. If you like those things, I highly recommend giving it a try

That moment when it's a quarter to five in the morning. And you're walking to your bus stop to go home. And the REALLY good burger joint is open. But you know you won't appreciate it enough, so you keep walking...

I just bought a half liter bottle of Budweiser. It was 80 or 90 cents.

I'm excited to see why the Busch guy thought it would be a good name to steal.

View from the east side of the office, Hardenbergplatz, Berlin.