Brewed Behavior and Probat Burns Announce Roaster Training Partnership

Probat Burns training lab in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Probat Burns.

Full-service coffee consultancy Brewed Behavior and commercial coffee equipment manufacturer Probat Burns have announced a partnership to provide roaster education and training at Brewed Behavior’s lab in Kansas City, Missouri, and at Probat’s lab in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Probat’s appointment of Brewed Behavior as its “official U.S. partner” follows years of collaboration between the two companies to “elevate roasting skills and standards for the specialty coffee industry,” according to a joint announcement this week. For the partnership, Brewed Behavior has developed the roasting methodology and course curriculum, which includes lectures and hands-on training, exclusively for Probat Burns.

“Brewed Behavior’s theory of precision roasting is the ideal fit for us,” said John Fortin, president of Probat Burns. “We believe we make the world’s best roasters, and to bring out the best in the machine and the roasting professional, we want to offer the best training possible. Brewed Behavior provides it.”

Brewed Behavior, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has been a long-time advocate of Probat machines. Past SCAA President Tracy Allen, president and founder of Brewed Behavior, said of the machines, “Probat roasters are the benchmark of precision in the field, and we love roasting on them.”

The education program will include lessons on roasting — sample, profile, and production — as well as roaster maintenance and coffee evaluation, including cupping basics, defect cupping, and green defects.

“We aim to take the guesswork out of every stage of coffee roasting, to maximize the success roasters will have at their craft,” said Allen. “I’m thrilled to start this new phase of our relationship with Probat, as we enter our second decade of helping roasters and retailers bring the best possible coffee to market.”