Dates: 10th Nov – 28th Nov (3 hours guided class daily / rest → student practice + tasking)
Day 1 – 10 Nov
Introduction to Specialty Coffee. Understanding Specialty definitions, SCA standards, and the Kenyan Value Chain. Practice: Identify 3 coffees in the lab and write sensory expectations.
Day 2 – 11 Nov
Green Coffee Sensory Foundations. Focus on origin, terroir, variety, processing impact. Practice: Compare 2 washed and 1 natural Kenya.
Day 3 – 12 Nov
Brewing Theory Essentials. Extraction, TDS, EY, grind theory, water. Practice: Brew same coffee with 3 different grind sizes.
Day 4 – 13 Nov
Manual Brew Methods I – V60 skill development. Practice: Do 3 pours and adjust flow profile.
Day 5 – 14 Nov
Manual Brew Methods II – Kalita and Aeropress methodology. Practice: Design your own Aeropress recipe.
Day 6 – 15 Nov
Espresso Fundamentals. Dose, yield, time and puck prep science. Practice: Dial a baseline house profile.
Day 7 – 16 Nov
Espresso Profiling & Dialing-In. Taste mapping of shots and adjustments. Practice: Create 3 shot curves.
Day 8 – 17 Nov
Milk Chemistry & Milk Steaming. Microfoam science and dairy vs non dairy performance. Practice: 5 perfect silky microfoams.
Day 9 – 18 Nov
Latte Art I – Basics. Heart and tulip foundations. Practice: 6 clean hearts minimum.
Day 10 – 19 Nov
Latte Art II – Advanced. Rosetta and combinations. Practice: 3 clean rosettas.
Day 11 – 20 Nov
Café Menu Design – Specialty Focus. Signature drink construction principles. Practice: Draft 2 signature drinks.
Day 12 – 21 Nov
Sensory Mapping & Cupping Techniques. KCS / ABCVA cupping + aroma lexicon use. Practice: Cupping session plus scoring.
Day 13 – 22 Nov
Water for Coffee and Filtration. Why water matters and simple filtration options. Practice: Measure and record TDS.
Day 14 – 23 Nov
Equipment Handling and Calibration. Hand grinders and espresso machine cleaning. Practice: Full machine prep and backflush.
Day 15 – 24 Nov
Workflow & Speed. Station set-up and ergonomic flow. Practice: Make 3 drinks in 2 minutes.
Day 16 – 25 Nov
Bar Customer Experience. Specialty café interactions and guest education. Practice: Script table-side coffee explanation.
Day 17 – 26 Nov
Competition Style Service. Rules, scoring style and 7 minute service run. Practice: Run mock competition routine.
Day 18 – 27 Nov
Final Evaluation and Assessment. Practical, sensory, technique, workflow. Practice: Final cup + signature drink.
28 Nov is reserved for closing ceremony, student showcase and certification sign-off day.