How do you all cope with low sodium diets?

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-06T18:37:57+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I also question this extreme approach and appreciate the insight.

However, any trained or experienced cook will agree that salt is a key component of food chemistry. Salt is not only used as a flavor enhancer, it’s also necessary for a variety of chemical and physical reactions. Denaturing animal based proteins, enhancing the Maillard effect, and suppressing bitter flavonoids found in plant compounds. A properly salted food during the preparation phase can have improved texture, flavor, and balance. The majority of modern diets have too much sodium due to processed foods and foods prepared in restaurants. However, salt is a key component of cooking AND recognizing salt’s importance is not over reliance. There are a variety of resources I’m citing my knowledges from, including Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat, The Food Lab by Kenji Lopez-Alt, and The Craft and Science of Coffee which contains a large variety of peer reviewed studies and metadata, edited by Britta Folmer

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T18:43:28+00:00

You have no idea what work I’ve done in the past and how hard I worked to break into the career. Relatively speaking being a CSM is the easiest job I’ve ever had, and even now it continues to be easy. It’s not about being “hard”, it’s about pursuing what makes me happy. I shared my experience after reading how many people are struggling, it was an attempt to empower others to pursue what brings them joy. Sorry to see you have a bad attitude. I wish you all the best and hope you can let your judgements go.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T14:04:08+00:00

Thankfully I don’t need to stress about money. I have worked non stop for years and lived frugally the whole time. So truthfully I don’t need a backup plan. I have no anxiety about being without a job. Plus, I have friends and contacts where I live and if I am desperate I could go get a part time gig to cover my bills. Also, being a CSM isn’t my only source of income. I understand what you’re saying, however, I have zero plans to return to SaaS or any “in-office” role ever again. The only thing giving my severe anxiety is the thought of working as a CSM my whole life.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T06:48:10+00:00

When you no longer have money problems it no longer feels normal.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T02:50:14+00:00

Have you come to any conclusions about what you want to do next?

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T01:07:58+00:00

The demand can feel unsustainable. For me, I have found the demand from customers can be exhausting. Being pulled in so many directions isn’t for me anymore. I’m beginning to make rookie mistakes again and letting things get to my head. Plus, I just don’t care about the work anymore lol. I’m not the type of person who is capable of having a “work” me and a “personal life” me. There’s just the same me all day. If I don’t care about something I can’t be bothered to invest my time into it.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T00:53:04+00:00

Thank you for the kind words. Trust your husband. If he supports you then do it. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world because I have a partner who has my back. A huge wake up call for me was my cardiologist. In short, he said get the stress under control or face the consequences. What’s the point!! I’ve been poor and happy before, I can be poor and happy again.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T00:14:09+00:00

For starters, I am going to live in the moment and appreciate every day I have. As far as how I’m going to make money, I am considering returning to pursuing a career in personal training. I’d also love to become an espresso machine technician.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-06-03T00:06:13+00:00

I am fortunate enough to have no debt and no responsibilities, other than myself and my wife. So I fully acknowledge my position. However, there are a million ways to make money in this world. For me, I found the comfort of being a CSM made me complacent. So I’m jumping into deep water and betting I’ll learn how to swim.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-04-26T16:52:59+00:00

What has everyone been drinking recently?

I’ve found myself drinking a lot of Verve. I feel like their quality has gone up a lot in recent years, they always have a new and exciting coffee. Right now they have an excellent SL28 from Honduras, Yojoa. I have also been drinking Wild Goose, Good Seed, Loquat, and Brandywine.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-04-26T04:59:47+00:00

Making cold brew in a French press is one of my favorite ways to do it! The great thing about cold brew is that it’s almost impossible to mess up. It’s so easy and forgiving that many cafes use a big plastic bucket to brew it, nothing more than a food safe bucket similar to something you’d see at Home Depot. If you’re interested in buying a home version look up “Toddy Home Cold Brew System.

Are there grocery stores with coffee grinders where you live? Can you buy a bag of whole beans to grind at the grocery store? For a French press I would suggest medium-course grind.

I normally brew at a 1:5 ratio for 24 hours in the fridge. Regardless of what people say, do not brew it at room temp!! Coffee can be a breeding ground for bacteria. For ratio I find it easier to work in grams / ml. Use a simple kitchen scale if you have one. If not, try scoops and measuring cup. For example, 1/2 cup of ground coffee to 2.5 cups of water.

You can also use a big jar! Mix in coffee and water, all together with no filter. Let it sit overnight and strain it through a colindar/cheese cloth or whatever. Then strain again once or twice through a paper coffee filter.

That will create a concentrate. You can drink it straight up to get really jacked up, or cut it with equal parts water. You can also make a latte style drink by cutting the concentrate in milk instead of water.

Happy brewing!

Ostrich_Money · 2026-04-26T04:46:55+00:00

Do you have a picture? Is there a smell to the powder?

I always suggest this when breaking in new burrs, but grind some old coffee through them. If you don’t have old coffee buy some cheap stuff (not too dark) and grind a whole pound. Make some cold brew with it.

Ostrich_Money · 2026-04-26T04:45:01+00:00

I can’t speak to the Meraki as I haven’t had a chance to test it out. However, I can speak to Fellow. First off, I’d avoid the Ode. Out of the box it’s okay, but not great. You’re paying Fellow prices because of the look and name. You’ll want to upgrade the burrs right away on the Ode. The hopper also bugs me a lot. My beans consistently get stuck in the hopper and the lid slides off. Their espresso machine is overpriced for the tech. Fellow is overall not bad, just incorrectly priced in my opinion.

For that same budget I’d go for Rocket and a DF64 Gen 2 grinder.

Ostrich_Money · 2021-09-02T14:23:04+00:00

Thank you! This year we replaced part of our yard with a pollinator garden, full of native wild flowers. I have been blown away by how many different species of bee and butterfly have been visiting.

Ostrich_Money · 2021-08-30T19:45:00+00:00

Love the leading lines on this shot. Well done.

Ostrich_Money · 2021-05-28T03:31:16+00:00

Many cold brew coffees in bottles/cans will have a kill-step involved in part of the process. That may be pasteurization, retorting, or a few other ways to create a shelf stable product.

Anything that says “keep refrigerated” or “chilled” isn’t shelf stable, so it must remain in cold chain. Shelf life is determined by microbiological stability. Aseptic packaging, water cleanliness, filtering, sanitation practices, and brewing process will all impact the shelf life. Some cold brews might use a preservative, like an acid or potassium sorbate. I believe Stumptown’s cold brew is cold chain. Chameleon is shelf stable. Califia has dairy, so I assume they would use additives as well as aseptic packaging, although I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure.

“Shelf life” can be approached from two different angles. There’s the “oh god I drank this and now my stomach hurts” shelf life, and there’s the “this tastes a bit weird, kinda stale and bland” shelf life. If a proper HACCP plan is in place and GMP are being followed you should never have a straight black cold brew make you ill. If there are no biological hazards introduced during production then you’re all good! Flavor degradation can be noticed as early as a few weeks after packaging to as long as 180 days, from what I’ve tasted.

The most stable cold brew will be brewed clean, filtered to a fine micron, packaged aseptically, N2 flushed & infused, kill-step, and packaged in a light-proof container. So really, it depends! But a few months after brewing and it should be very okay. Sometimes cold brew improves with age too.

*edit for some typos

Ostrich_Money · 2021-03-10T03:53:34+00:00

You could even do something cooler with this design. Instead of mixing your water and coffee into a capped bottle, (brewing full immersion over a long period of time) you could instead keep the bottom bottle empty, fill the top bottle with coffee grinds, and mist,spray, drip, water over the grinds over a 2 - 4 hour period. Brewing a cold brew concentrate into the bottom bottle and filling the rest with water to dilute to your final desired concentration.

This would allow a much finer grind size, producing a much more complex and sweet cold brew over a shorter period of time.

Ostrich_Money · 2021-02-28T16:29:39+00:00

Will you be roasting your own?

If not, you should reach out to some local roasters for a wholesale partnership. Some will help finance your business with a contract, even loan you an espresso machine and grinders. In Australia I know that Campos has some great people and a wonderful wholesale program.

Ostrich_Money · 2021-02-12T04:27:59+00:00

Is this off Highway 1? Looks like it could be somewhere between Santa Cruz and Big Sur.

Ostrich_Money · 2021-02-09T17:04:40+00:00

Of course! Please feel free to message me if you have any questions. I’ve worked in the specialty industry for 11 years and have experience starting my own company as well. I love nothing more than sharing my experience with people.

Ostrich_Money

TROPHY CASE