MADISON, WI—The Wisconsin roasting community is in shock today after local roaster Mark Hule blamed his machine’s temperature probe for his consistently underdeveloped roasts and was actually right.
When Hule brought up the issue to the small roasting company’s owner, Lars Denton, he was immediately brushed off. “That’s what roasters always say when you criticize their coffee,” said Denton. “I never, ever expected him to be right.” He brought in roasting veteran Sam Preety to help Hule recalibrate his style and address the issue, only to have his friend corroborate Hule’s story.
“I don’t know how this is even possible, but somehow the probe was actually the cause of the entire issue,” Preety told our reporters with a shocked expression on his face. “I mean, you would think that even with a flawed probe, a good roaster could just compensate for the gap in info, but somehow the temp probe itself is truly causing the underdevelopment.” His face was pallid as he relayed the details. “I’m genuinely shaken by the results.”
Though we currently understand little about this unlikely event, the Coffee Roasters Guild has launched a thorough investigation. “I can’t speak on record, but I want to warn roasters to be extra careful during this time,” said an anonymous member of the investigative team. “You might be having a very real issue with your probes.”
This story is still developing.
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