After a restful summer Pascal’s Coffeehouse is once again open for the school year. Do stop by to grab a coffee on the go or sit and enjoy a delicious drink away from the rain and thick humidty. We’re still serving up Sweetwater Organic Coffee and now offer two different brews to choose from. Marianne Greig’s photographic display, “Take a Walk with Me” has colored the walls here at the Christian Study Center. There are over 60 framed pieces of her photography.

Although Pascal’s closes at 6pm Monday through Friday, the building is a great venue for concerts or receptions. Contact the manager at 377.5480 for more information on how to reserve the Christian Study Center.

Summer Hours

Monday – Thursday : 9am-5pm

Friday: 9am-1pm

If you’re missing our specialty drink offerings, be sure to be the first in the door on August 23rd when we open up a full espresso bar.

Contact Laurie Goddard at manager@christianstudycenter.org for more information or questions.

Also, don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of Pascal’s history. Our t-shirt design contest is under way and it is your chance to be immortalized in cotton and ink. For years to come Pascal’s minions customers will proudly display your design on their body for the world to see. Also, there’s free coffee in it if you win it. Email your submissions to me at Nick@christianstudycenter.org no later than the stroke of midnight on March 19th.

Coarse grind is typically used with your French press or press pot coffee maker. This is the brewing method with a container (often glass) with a filter/mesh plunger to force grinds to the bottom of the container, allowing for a clean poor with no debris (hopefully!)
 

 
Medium Grind

Coarse grind should be used for brew processes such as pour over (like the coffee maker you have on your kitchen counter). This is the process where water is dispensed at a given flow rate and volume over loose grounds, usually in a coffee filter.  Notice the difference in size from the coarse grind.
 

 
Fine Grind

Fine grind is your espresso grind. Fine grind exposes more surface area to water, allowing the water to pull more of the oils from the coffee. Though this opens up a whole new level of aroma and flavor profiles in the cup, the fine grind also increases the likelihood of over-extraction, leading to harsh and bitter flavors in the cup. In the espresso process fine grinds or tightly compacted in the portafilter to slow the passage of water through the grinds and allow the optimum amount of time for oil transfer. Think of it like sand vs. rocks. Water will pass more quickly through rocks (the coarse grind) than it will the sand (the fine grind). If you happen to use the Turkish method or hear of a place serving turkish coffee, the beans are ground to an even finer particle than what you see below.
 

 
Finally, here’s a side by side comparison of all three types.
 

 
A Final Note on Grind Quality

Remember that these are starting points, not set-in-stone standards. Play with the grind coarseness or fineness to see what different flavors are extracted. Coffee is a finicky substance and really needs to be experimented with to get the best flavor from your beans. Some coffees may benefit more or less from a change in grind quality, volume of water, speed of extraction, etc. Coffee is a science. A delicious, delicious science. So keep experimenting, and let us know what you find!

Monday- Sarah Hammersma “Why economists need people of faith and why people of faith need economists” (8pm, Study Center Classroom)

Tuesday- Byron Johnson, criminologist “The Faith Factor in Criminal Re-entry and After Care” (Criser 201A, 10:00 am)

Wednesday- Byron Johnson “Is faith a reasonable approach to rehabilitation?” (7:30 am, Rion Ballroom)

Byron Johnson “Is Religion Losing Its Relevance Worldwide?” (7:00 pm, Rion Ballroom)

Thursday- Drew Trotter, Executive Director of the National Coalition of Christian Study Centers “America at the Movies: A Look at the nominees for Best Picture and how these movies both reflect and shape our society” (7:00 pm, Christian Study Center Classroom)

Paper Route- Absence (they have an awesome website)

Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest

Heartless Bastards- The Mountain

Phil Collins- …Hits (how can you not love Phil Collins?)

The Swell Season- Strict Joy

The Black Keys- pretty much any album they’ve ever released

And while speaking of music, don’t miss Hoyle Tuesday night at the Atlantic downtown. Nathan Beam and Kevin O’Keefe played here for our inaugural First Friday series and are playing their first official show tomorrow with the full band. It promises to be a good time so don’t miss it.

Any music recommendations for us, all of you out in the magical land of cyber space?

-Nick