Q Grader in Laos, Day 5: Calibration and Assessment

Day 5 of the Laos Q Grader course combined assessment with calibration. The group worked through a second olfactory attempt, triangulation and roast identification, including examples described as baked, scorched, too dark or too light.

Students also practised running a complete coffee evaluation table. Dosing, grinding cup by cup, preparing water and managing time were assessed alongside tasting. A five-cup setup arranged in a single line gave the group another way to organise the workflow.

For the triangulation exercise, black cups and a darkened room helped reduce visual cues. Discussion returned to the purpose of each activity: finding an odd cup asks a different question from describing the sensory characteristics of a coffee. Understanding that purpose helped students connect the tools with the task.

The day ran from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thank you to Abile, Khoon, Slurp and Pi-Cafe, and to the students for their persistence through a demanding day. The original album below shows the work at the tables.