The Bean There Course
Lesson by lesson. A coffee amateur's honest walkthrough.
Foreword
I'm a coffee amateur. This deck is my honest walkthrough of the course that switched my coffee brain on — the one Bean There taught in Johannesburg in 2026. I've kept it as I heard it, not as I'd polish it.
Who it's for
Home baristas and curious beginners.
What it isn't
A manual. Not a certification. Not gospel.
What it is
A study aid. Notes I wish I'd had on day one.
- Fully washed — clean, predictable, the workhorse of specialty. Fermentation runs 48–72 hours to strip the mucilage.
- Natural — dried whole, cherry on. The fruit ferments around the seed and leaves its signature — berry, wine, sometimes rum.
- Semi-washed — pulped, mucilage stays on for the dry. Splits the difference — body of natural, clarity of washed.
- Drying takes 2–3 weeks on patios or raised beds, whichever method you choose.
- South Africa went from 3 to 7 Q Graders in five years.
- Q Graders work in panels of three or more — tasting is a team sport, not a solo flex.
- After milling, the bean still wears parchment and a thin silver skin.
- Watch for the potato defect — a single bean from a bad lot can ruin a whole shot.
- The job is mostly stripping certainty away. You learn what coffee isn't.
My goal
I want to qualify as a Q Grader.
Eight Things for Home Brewers
Skip the rest of the deck, keep these. They're the rules I actually use.
Credits & Thanks
The Course — I took this at Bean There Fair Trade Coffee in Johannesburg, in 2026.
The Brew Ratio — Framework as taught at Bean There Fair Trade Coffee, 2026.
The Flavour Wheel — Concept adapted from the SCA Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel and the World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon; redrawn in colour for Coffee Journal SA under fair educational use.
The Publisher — Coffee Journal SA · Learning Bean by Bean · coffeejournal.co.za
The Invitation — If you want to learn this hands-on rather than read about it, book a course at Bean There. The instructor is Marcus — tell him Bibi sent you.
Published by Bibi Burness · Coffee Journal SA · Learning Bean by Bean