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B A R I S TA M A G A Z I N E P R O U D LY P R E S E N T S REVIEWING NEW RULES THE B Y H E AT H E R R I N G W O O D A N D K A R I G U D D E C K LET THE COMPETITIONS BEGIN! The United States Barista Championship (USBC) regional competitions kicked off at the end of November with the Southeast Regional Barista Competition (SERBC) in Atlanta, Ga. (after the Northeast Regional Barista Competition [NERBC] was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy). As the rest of the country's baristas prepare their routines and wait for the announcement of dates and venues for their regions, we urge you to take a close look at the rules, regulations, and score sheets, as this year brings several changes to them, as well as a new look for the documents themselves. These changes closely follow the World Barista Championship's (WBC) lead and have been approved by the Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) Competition Committee. Baristas who learn and follow the USBC's rules and regulations (which can often be a good training tool even for noncompeting baristas) should have the background necessary for world competition. 54 barista magazine G R I N D E R M A N D AT E S One of the latest changes involves the all-important grinders. The rules and regulations now state: "At the regional level, competitors have the option of using the official USBC grinder that is provided, bringing their own grinder(s), or using both the provided grinder and their own grinder. However, at the National Level Competition, competitors must use the grinder(s) of the official USBC Grinder Sponsor. They may use personal grinders, as long as they are still from the same manufacturer as the official USBC Grinder Sponsor (or some combination of the two). The USBC-provided grinder has a fixed technical configuration and cannot be opened/altered internally by the competitors. Competitors may adjust the grind particle size and dose from the external controls. The grinder will be calibrated to the following specifications: All provided grinders will be equipped with new burrs and be set internally to calibration reference point Red Mark 2." So, you'll definitely want to familiarize yourself with 2013 USBC grinder sponsor Mahlkönig grinders, specifically the