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well as the principles of presentation, development and repro-
duction, all led me to have more or less all kinds of melodic
and harmonic relationships in my mind when making each
blend of coffee. While listening to the record of ‘Voltava Riv-
er’, the two musical images at the beginning inspired me to
create the coffee Morning Dew.”
In 2014, Uncle Bean’s coffee brand was gradually on the
right track with the inclusion of Tmall flagship store, with over
30 orders every day. Five years later, “Uncle Bean’s Coffee
Flagship Store” ranked in the top three in the Tmall coffee
bean category; In the first half of 2021, it was listed as a key
business by Tmall, with daily sales close 1300! During this
period, Uncle Bean adjusted the business concept to “IGNIS
However, the popular Nordic shallow roasting method
PURGATORII”, meaning excellent roasting makes coffee more
was too advanced for domestic coffee practitioners and even
valuable. He wishes to express the flavor characteristics of
consumers. Uncle Bean thought maybe the popularization of
coffee of different origins.
coffee knowledge was the right way of his brand. In 2010, he
However, the process is more like Sisyphus rolling a stone
began to sell group coffee roasting classes, with 10 yuan per
up the hill.
lesson, attracting many young hipsters and coffee insiders. In
Around March in 2021, the roastery in the Sixth Ring
one casual chat in the class, some students proposed that Horst
was ordered to move and rectify because of illegal construction.
was not easy to remember as a brand name, and began to use
“We were told to move out within three days. Auntie Bean
his nickname Uncle Bean. Gradually, everyone only remem-
advised me not to give up, and I was also ‘too intoxicated’.
bered the affectionate name of Uncle Bean. “In front of a great
Therefore, I gritted my teeth and continued this unprofitable
difficulty, I had to turn from a coffee roaster into a coffee
career.” In the same year, Uncle Bean changed the brand con-
knowledge sharer. This name came up in this fallout.”
cept for the third time to “Roast Coffee You Love”, hoping that
In 2011, Uncle Bean found a new road when the store
the products focus on the real needs of consumers.
was struggling. He listened to the advice of some guests, and
registered a store on Taobao with the domain name of 8837,
the last four numbers for the then phone number of the offline
store. Follow the requirements of setting up online stores, he durability, concentration, the ability to capture details and pay
launched 10 products, and opened the “Uncle Bean coffee attention to signs before something happens. These traits that
Taobao flagship store”. The familiar customers who participat- were originally grown in Uncle Bean’s spirit have been con-
ed in the offline 10 yuan sharing class became the first batch tinuously amplified in his life after 35.
of loyal users. Gradually, Uncle Bean’s coffee business also “I have used all my organs above my neck, except for my
expanded to provide coffee roasting services to some small eyes, to roast coffee.” Through listening and calculating, along
specialty stores. This is the first year that Uncle Bean opened with constantly practiced and strengthened memory, Uncle
Taobao store, getting 5 orders a week. Bean has created a set of “coffee roasting curve listening algo-
In 2012, when the store in West Third Ring faced dem- rithm”, so that roasting evolved from “visual work” to his unique
olition, Uncle Bean had to move his roastery to a factory area “brain work”. He can listen to two 60 kg roasters at the same
on the Sixth Ring in Beijing, a transitional space for rural to time, relying on the temperature and color information record-
urban. Since then, his friends have had fewer and fewer op- ed by his assistant at key points, to form a bean temperature
portunities to see him roasting. He joked, “I’m starting to live curve and temperature rise rate curve in his mind, complete his
a life of retreat.” understanding of the roasting parameters suitable for each bean,
and leave the extracted aromatic flavor in the cup. Once you can recognize
Nurture and Bud When the beans leave the roaster, Uncle Bean’s roasting
operation is still not completely finished. He has to give each coffee beans roasted
Uncle Bean spends over 10 hours a day, 300 days a year, bean a more vivid and vital name, such as Vincent’s Sunflow-
at his coffee roastery. During the rest of the time, Auntie Bean er; Camel, Flying Birds and Fish; Flying over the Rainbow Si- by Uncle Bean, then it
accompanies him to coffee estates to select beans, and also damo; Fireworks; Encounter Florence; and Bremen’s city
goes out to find every opportunity to learn new industry musicians ... would be my ideal stage
knowledge. “My tiny knowledge of music inspired me a lot later on
In Uncle Bean’s opinion, a qualified roaster needs more when I started coffee roasting. Especially in espresso blending, of “leaving the roaster”.
than techniques. Basic personal qualities also matter, such as the interweaving and weaving of different musical images, as

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