☕ Coffee ☕: Ingredients, Roasting, Grinding, Brewing, and Tasting

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I'll let you know what the cost to swap is. Frankly, if it's more than $100 incl shipping, I don't think I'd do it, as I can already easily measure the beans per brew and I'm not sure the convenience factor is worth more than that.

I'm more interested in getting into roasting. I did some more beans in the air popper and I really like the smoothness in the coffee. I so far have not particularly enjoyed the green Kenya beans however.
 
I have a confession: I've been using a blade grinder the past few years.

I know, I know. It's basically as sinful as pitching yeast into 90 degree wort, but hey, the wife had a good point: "why buy something when what we have works just fine?" Well, she didn't understand it didn't work just fine, but I digress. It seems funny to be roasting up some really good coffee but milling it up unevenly with a blade.

So yesterday she says, "okay, go ahead and get the burr grinder". And guess what: just like clockwork today, the blade grinder appears to be on it's last leg. It's ironic timing, but I'll take it.
 
HarborTownBrewing said:
I have a confession: I've been using a blade grinder the past few years.

I know, I know. It's basically as sinful as pitching yeast into 90 degree wort, but hey, the wife had a good point: "why buy something when what we have works just fine?" Well, she didn't understand it didn't work just fine, but I digress. It seems funny to be roasting up some really good coffee but milling it up unevenly with a blade.

So yesterday she says, "okay, go ahead and get the burr grinder". And guess what: just like clockwork today, the blade grinder appears to be on it's last leg. It's ironic timing, but I'll take it.
Click to expand...

Very suspicious timing. I suspect foul play.

I'm still using a blade grinder too. I noticed a Vario pop up two days ago on craigslist. Hmmm...
 
I had posted the other day about an Ethiopian I took a little too far into 2C. Tried it today (a little more prematurely than I would have liked), and it was really really good. Not wholly complex in flavor, but had just an incredible berry flavor - I was afraid this would have been lost in roasting it as far as I did. Looking forward to letting it rest a few extra days to see if it becomes more complex.
 
You don't need to wait for your spinning blade coffee grinder to die, just put a sticker on it that says "spice grinder", then point out that you don't actually have a coffee grinder and need to go get one!
 
TallDan said:
You don't need to wait for your spinning blade coffee grinder to die, just put a sticker on it that says "spice grinder", then point out that you don't actually have a coffee grinder and need to go get one!
Click to expand...

Haha, I also uses mine to grind spices. I just ground a mess of peppercorns and coriander for a pastrami. That taste will now be in my coffee for the next week, but I kinda like it :)
 
TrickyDick said:
I'll let you know what the cost to swap is. Frankly, if it's more than $100 incl shipping, I don't think I'd do it, as I can already easily measure the beans per brew and I'm not sure the convenience factor is worth more than that.

I'm more interested in getting into roasting. I did some more beans in the air popper and I really like the smoothness in the coffee. I so far have not particularly enjoyed the green Kenya beans however.
Click to expand...

Kenyans are the most acidc and difficult beans to roast. I felt the same way about them for a long time.

Once i "cracked the code" on them, they are easily my favorite. The secret is a long stretch with a low rise.
 
Ahhh. Well darn! They are one of my favorites in the commercial beans I've had. I'm not currently equipped to roast them so I'll hang on to them for now. You mentioned Central American and South American beans if I recall as being easier to air roast with a popper. Any specific beans among those that does best in an air popper roaster?
The other bag I got, Ethiopia sidamo is quite smooth, but perhaps too much so. I'm not really a connosieur at this point but I know what tastes good to me. Seems my roast lacks body and/or complexity perhaps.
I can see the argument to SWMBO. Need that 1200 dollar roaster so I don't have to waste the 9 dollars I spent on those green Kenya beans!! LOL!
 
Guat's are like Kenyans little brother.

They both have impeccable processing and dense bean structure. Guat's tend to be a little less acidic and more "rounded". This makes them easier to roast and might be a great compromise in the cup for you. The juejeutenango's (way-way-te-nang-go) and pacamara's from this region are excellent choices if you find some that sound interesting.
 
jammin said:
Kenyans are the most acidc and difficult beans to roast. I felt the same way about them for a long time.

Once i "cracked the code" on them, they are easily my favorite. The secret is a long stretch with a low rise.
Click to expand...

When you say, "long stretch with a low rise", do you mean long 1 Crack, and a slow rise in temp to get to 1C? Or maybe a long 1C and then come out of 1C slowly?
 
^good question. roasting terminology is pretty confusing, even amongst "serious" enthusiasts


The "stretch" is 3rd and final phase of the roast. It's start is indicated by the onset of 1C (first crack) and is terminated when you dump the roast.

So if I hit 1C at 9:00 and dump the beans at 12:00, I had 3 minute stretch.


Kenyans shine with a long stretch with a modest rise in temp from the temp at which 1C starts. A good RoR (rate of rise) in the stretch can be anywhere from 3-10 degrees per minute depending on desired outcome and intended brewing method.

So for me, I like to stretch a Kenyan a good 3 minutes with 3-5* RoR for a nice, balanced cup without puckering acidity. YMMV of course based on taste and bean selection



PS - it should be noted that Kenyans actually hold up quite well to darker roasts! I'm no expert on technique for this, but I would lean towards a higher RoR in the stretch for best results
 
Sounds like you are the Obi Wan of coffee roasting and I am not yet even a Padawan!
Can that HotTop roaster give a precision stretch rise over time like that, or do you need a rig like that one you use?
Any details on that rig you're using? Those HotTop roasters are pricey, sort of wondering if a DIY roaster could be built inexpensively with a. RPi, thermocouple, low RPM motors, old popcorn popper parts or Quartz heating elements..

TD
 
TrickyDick said:
Can that HotTop roaster give a precision stretch rise over time like that, or do you need a rig like that one you use?
Click to expand...

I'm no Jammin' as he's definitely more invested and experience in this than I am, but from a budget conscious point of view I would just briefly mention you don't NEEEEEED to spend a ton of money to roast great coffee. And I say that with absolutely nothing but respect to Jammin'.

As I lamented earlier today, my wife gives me a hard time about spending any money (I mean, seriously: we'll spend $100 on dinner but I can't have a nice grinder for a little more??!!!), so I had to be cost conscious when buying by roaster (Behmor) but I love it. Sure I would have loved to throw down $1,000 for a roaster, but it didn't make sense - especially since I've only been at it for half a year.

Anyways: just thought I'd jump in with this. Take it for what it's worth, but thought I'd mention it since it's a lot of money to spend on a "new" hobby. :rockin:
 
Last edited:
No doubt the Hottop can produce superb results. It's a beautifuly simple machine and can do nearly anything you'd ask of it.

Best part is, the learning curve is very fast.



If you're willing to tinker, a stir crazy/turbo oven isn't much of a challenge to build. They are quite nimble with producing any desired roast curve. Capacity is good too. 10-12oz are a reality.

I've built a couple bread machine/heat gun rigs and have had terrific results there as well.


Of everything I've roasted on, the Hottop gave me the best results with the least amount of effort/skill.
 
Speaking of roasting, I better get with it today!! My grinder is riding on fumes


My green coffee stash is also on fumes. I haven't seen anything worth buying at Sweet Maria's in quite a well. I have my on eye on a couple recent offerings over at Roast Masters though. Their prices are usually a little high, but their coffee is always quality
 
Just want to jump in & say hi. I just joined HBT in Jan. & haven't looked at the coffee threads until today. The talk about the grinders made me want to relate my experience. I've been roasting for about 3 years & I'm no expert. I only roast to get a fresh product. when I started roasting I bought a Brazen coffee maker & was grinding with a Cuisinart burr grinder that I already had. After about a year I bought a Preciso. The morning I first used it. By the time I sat down with my cup of coffee I had forgotten about the new grinder & was wondering why my coffee was so very good that morning. When I finally remembered the new grinder I was really sorry I hadn't done it sooner it was the single biggest improvement to my morning brew.
 
1975brewer said:
By the time I sat down with my cup of coffee I had forgotten about the new grinder & was wondering why my coffee was so very good that morning. When I finally remembered the new grinder I was really sorry I hadn't done it sooner it was the single biggest improvement to my morning brew.
Click to expand...

That's it - you sold me. I'm going to get that dang grinder today!

Welcome to the thread!
 
I'd love to give that preciso a week or two on my counter. It's burr geometry is very unique and has high praise from those in the know.


I can say Virtuoso produced the best press pot grind of any grinder I've owned. If I were to buy a grinder for single dose grinding (weigh dose and grind), that would be it
 
Here is today's roast. These beans were vac sealed at least 3 years ago I want to say so I knew their quality would be good, but questionable.

Here is the roast curve - I am pretty happy with this one. Came in at just the right roast level (I hope) with an ample stretch for this highly acidic coffee. I only have 8oz left - it's one of the best Kenyan's Ive ever had
2a0hyqx.jpg


Here is the label SM's sent out - if this doesn't make your mouth water, I don't know what will. Tom has a way with selling points, so i take what he says with a grain of salt - but this is exactly the lines that catch my eye.
vfe7et.jpg



Not that you can really tell much about a roast from a pic, but here is one anyways. Perfect City+ which you can distinguish by the slight wrinkling on the surface of the bean, semi-tight seams and still somewhat sharp edges.
11iirzn.jpg
 
After I roast mine I leave them in an open gallon jug in a cabinet in the garage. When I can smell them they are ready, anywhere from 24-36 hours, at that point I seal them in a mason jar. I typically roast 2 12 oz batches on Sunday afternoon and start using the beans on Tuesday morning. SInce it's just my wife and I living here and we each just drink one big cup per day that schedule works almost perfectly for us. By Tuesday I usually have less than 1/2 cup of beans left from the previous batch.
 
HarborTownBrewing said:
I have a confession: I've been using a blade grinder the past few years.

I know, I know. It's basically as sinful as pitching yeast into 90 degree wort, but hey, the wife had a good point: "why buy something when what we have works just fine?" Well, she didn't understand it didn't work just fine, but I digress. It seems funny to be roasting up some really good coffee but milling it up unevenly with a blade.

So yesterday she says, "okay, go ahead and get the burr grinder". And guess what: just like clockwork today, the blade grinder appears to be on it's last leg. It's ironic timing, but I'll take it.
Click to expand...



Growing up I remember going over to my friends place to find his dad drilling 1" holes in a railway tie pushing his drill motor as hard as possible. He said his wife wouldn't let him buy a new one if the old one still worked. So, moral of the story, time to grind up a years worth of cinnamon until that bad boy burns out. Or just run it until the over temp circuit trips and show your wife how it doesn't work before it cools back down.
 
new to the forum, but not new to forums. Glad to find a coffee thread here too.

I own a variety of coffee making devices:
Aeropress - for when I am on the go
French Press - for when I know I am going to sit around and drink a bunch of gooooood french press
Bonavita Drip Machine (thermal carafe) - for when family or friends stay over (or when I am feeling lazy)
Moka Pot- for daily use. I make "Cafe Zorro" in the morning, basically a strong Americano, I think

Grinder:
Baratza Encore- conical burr, can do a wide variety of grinds, works for everything

Beans:
West Coast Roasting is my go to guy. Nate is awesome. He can serve a wide variety of buyers, but his prices are steep. I don't recommend going to them unless you seriously want to step your coffee game up. His beans are always roasted to perfection and then shipped to my door. They normally arrive within three days of being roasted. His beans change on a weekly basis as well.

I haven't found anyone else who is that high of a quality. All my local roasters over roast their beans, and who knows how long they sat after roasting? Most beans I get local also taste stale, so I decided to fork out the extra dough for premium coffee (from West Coast Roasting).



I highly recommend the Bonavita if you need a drip machine. It is easy and actually BREWS the beer at 195 F.



Note: I am not affiliated with WCR or Bonavita. I just like good stuff.
 
I roasted a Huehuetenango Guatemala last night that I had ordered a few months ago. I had a roast profile figured out ahead of time, but screwed it up a bit and accidentally turned off the heating elements before 1C, only to realize I wasn't actually in 1C. Ended up getting to 1C and drew it out to about 2 or 2.5 mins, but my heat elements were all over the place leading up to and during 1C.

FORTUNATELY the one thing I did was take good notes of which buttons I hit at which times, but if this roast turns out fantastic it's going to be difficult to replicate because I was allllll over the place haha.
 
Patiently waiting for roaster.
Been reading a lot about coffee freshness. Feels like the allegory of the cave about now.

What's the scoop on brewed coffee? How long will it stay "fresh" after brewing? I need to come up with a way to enjoy fresh coffee while at work. I'm coming up blank. I've been bringing a thermos and an insulated tumbler, enough to store one pot of brewed coffee poured into preheated tumbler and thermos just before I leave for work. Takes about 15 minutes to get to work. Usually don't drink much on drive, as its a little too hot to sip without burning my tongue. From what I've read it's already started to go stale. I've read a little about cold brewing and that the cold brew process will extract fewer of the compounds that turn bitter over time in the hot brew. It is recommended to brew it very strong using cold method then blend with hot water to dilute to desired strength and make it hot again so it can be enjoyed at usual serving temp.

Any merit to this plan? Any science that backs it up? I can't find much one way or the other.

Alternately, I'm dragging my grinder to work to grind and brew on the drip BUNN machines at the office, or another brewing apparatus, which seems a bit ridiculous.

TD
 
TrickyDick said:
Patiently waiting for roaster.
Been reading a lot about coffee freshness. Feels like the allegory of the cave about now.

What's the scoop on brewed coffee? How long will it stay "fresh" after brewing? I need to come up with a way to enjoy fresh coffee while at work. I'm coming up blank. I've been bringing a thermos and an insulated tumbler, enough to store one pot of brewed coffee poured into preheated tumbler and thermos just before I leave for work. Takes about 15 minutes to get to work. Usually don't drink much on drive, as its a little too hot to sip without burning my tongue. From what I've read it's already started to go stale. I've read a little about cold brewing and that the cold brew process will extract fewer of the compounds that turn bitter over time in the hot brew. It is recommended to brew it very strong using cold method then blend with hot water to dilute to desired strength and make it hot again so it can be enjoyed at usual serving temp.

Any merit to this plan? Any science that backs it up? I can't find much one way or the other.

Alternately, I'm dragging my grinder to work to grind and brew on the drip BUNN machines at the office, or another brewing apparatus, which seems a bit ridiculous.

TD
Click to expand...

Well, I work from home most of the time, so I don't have this particular challenge right now. When I did work in an office regularly, i did the same as you, brew at home and bring in a vacuum insulated travel mug. I'm not willing to go through a ton of effort to have fresh coffee at work, so I accept that by late morning it's not quite as good as it was hours earlier. Even three hour old good coffee is better than crappy office coffee and that's good enough for me during the week.

I've worked with people in the past that have kept a french press at their desk and either also had a small electric kettle or used hot water dispensed from the breakroom coffee maker. I'd consider this if i worked in an office. It's easy enough to do without much hassle or cleanup at your desk and grinding at home in the morning and brewing at the office would be a step up in freshness over bringing brewed coffee from home.
 
Yeah, not to get overboard with a wooden barrel martini set worn as a dog collar but instead for coffee, but...

It's either, continue as I've been doing,

Consider an aero press or french press for work, or cold brew and dilute with hot water at work.

Not much published about the cold brew methods and curious about what the consensus is here.
I fiddled with it a while back when cold brewing for a imperial stout recipe. I liked it, but I don't think I had the dilution and brew strength correct.

I agree that just like flat warm beer as with drinking coffee brewed in the morning in the late afternoon, if your going to drink it, it's better when the beer is better to begin with.

TD
 
Fresh coffee at work is a tough one. I bought a few 1/4 lb one-way valve bags from Sweet Marias, and I normally grind up coffee before I go to work and pack it in the 1/4lb bags. I picked up an electric water heater for my desk, and a $5 pour over cone. Some people use a Cleaver, which I kind of wish I had gotten instead.

It's not jaw dropping coffee each time, but it beats any bagged beans I put in a coffee pot. And it's affordable.

What kind of roaster did you end up going with, TD?
 
TrickyDick said:
Not much published about the cold brew methods and curious about what the consensus is here.
I fiddled with it a while back when cold brewing for a imperial stout recipe. I liked it, but I don't think I had the dilution and brew strength correct.
TD
Click to expand...

Check out http://brewmethods.com/. They've got a few cold brew methods posted. They're out there for sure. I worked in coffee (primarily roasting) for a while and never had a fondness for cold-brewed coffee, and even less so for hot coffee with ice. To me it lost way too much of what the coffee had to offer.

As far as the office coffee thing goes, I've had various methods. I had a fairly large kitchen at one of my old jobs, and could hide a press-pot or v60 in there pretty easily. I've got a tiny american weigh scale that worked well, and luckily the office had an electric kettle and a decent grinder (after the old one burned up 3 times I got my way!). You can always pre-grind some coffee in the morning into a ziplock and brew using that. (edit - like HarborTown said) I feel like you're losing more by having the brewed coffee sitting around than the ground coffee, but ymmv.
 
HarborTownBrewing said:
Fresh coffee at work is a tough one. I bought a few 1/4 lb one-way valve bags from Sweet Marias, and I normally grind up coffee before I go to work and pack it in the 1/4lb bags. I picked up an electric water heater for my desk, and a $5 pour over cone. Some people use a Cleaver, which I kind of wish I had gotten instead.

It's not jaw dropping coffee each time, but it beats any bagged beans I put in a coffee pot. And it's affordable.

What kind of roaster did you end up going with, TD?
Click to expand...

What is a Cleaver (other than an actual meat cleaver?)

I work at a variety of locations over the course of a week - 5 offices/2 hospitals (mostly just one though, and mostly offices). At the offices I could stash a few things, particularly where I spend most time. Not feasible to have stuff at all locations.

I think the small amount of ground coffee even if 4-5 hours old since grind, but stored in an o2 proof bag, would be better than 4-5 hour old coffee from a thermos. Would need to brew, but would have access to hot water without a need to heat. Small Aeropress might be best idea.

I ended up ordering the hottop basic roaster.

TD
 
maffew222 said:
Check out http://brewmethods.com/. They've got a few cold brew methods posted. They're out there for sure. I worked in coffee (primarily roasting) for a while and never had a fondness for cold-brewed coffee, and even less so for hot coffee with ice. To me it lost way too much of what the coffee had to offer.

As far as the office coffee thing goes, I've had various methods. I had a fairly large kitchen at one of my old jobs, and could hide a press-pot or v60 in there pretty easily. I've got a tiny american weigh scale that worked well, and luckily the office had an electric kettle and a decent grinder (after the old one burned up 3 times I got my way!). You can always pre-grind some coffee in the morning into a ziplock and brew using that. (edit - like HarborTown said) I feel like you're losing more by having the brewed coffee sitting around than the ground coffee, but ymmv.
Click to expand...

Good info here! I'll check out that cold brew site later and see how it works for me.

Thanks

TD
 
if you put freshly brewed coffee into a vacuum bottle it seems to hold up pretty well. IMHO - there is nothing like fresh brewed though.

I only drink 1 nice mug of coffee in the morning. This keeps my tolerance low and I don't overwork my adrenal system (leading to the 3 o'clock blues)
 
For work I bring beans and grind them right before I brew in my Aeropress. I have a small Hario grinder that I motorized with an electric screw driver. It turns out a really good cup. I also have a Chemex but it's way to much grinding unless I'm showing off a new roast with workplace proximity associates.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 

Similar threads

T
Brewing darker beers with corn roasted in a home coffee roaster?
Replies
6
Views
808
cmac62
cmac62
beersk
Domestic Ingredients
2
Replies
54
Views
2K
beersk
beersk
hoppyhoppyhippo
How Brewing Gave My Restaurant Amazing Cold Brew
Replies
1
Views
715
IMGator
I
madscientist451
Barley Coffee Beer
Replies
2
Views
1K
madscientist451
madscientist451
Nick Poggetti
Clone Beer Coffee & Cigarettes - Cloning Cellarmaker's Smoked Porter with Coffee
Replies
5
Views
3K
janeront
J

Latest posts

Back
Top