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

[BrewinHooligan]

that is pure homeROASTER ingenuity there. the homeroasting community is just as savvy and talented pound for pound as the HB crew; if not more so.


edit: if you want to build one, google SC/TO roaster. there are several great guides on builds.

An alternate route would be a BM/HG roaster. I've built a couple and they work great. The stir crazy is a bread machine (BM) in this case, the turbo oven is a heat gun (HG). You'll want a variable heat gun for this application for max control of the roast.

Here is a shot of the HG/BM i was using while deployed to Baghdad. Notice the bean temp probe on the side of the roaster. You can use any cheap BBQ thermometer for that and it add whole new (very valuable) dimension to your kit. This is *slightly* more difficult to install in a SC/TO

I remember you posting up the BM/HG combo. This thread is full of awesome if you ask me. I have some research to do so I can build something to give me better results. Thank you for the advice and also for your service brother!

 

[passedpawn]

no, not directly at all. you disregarded my advice when i first gave it to you. fun to look back on it though and see it was spot on and verbatim to what you're finally figuring out 7 months later

Hey, back off (WTF?). I didn't disregard anything. I posted links to a Turbo Crazy before your post there.

But yes, you were right, the stir crazy alone didn't work well, but it was the first part I bought and I tried it out. That's how we do it in the DIY world.

 

[passedpawn]

The ingenuity of home brewers never ceases to amaze me... That roast looks really solid too. Let us know how the coffee brews! I may have to make a frankenroaster like yours. I'm too cheap for a drum roaster and my Whirly popper is a bit of a pain. What's your max batch size in that?

I'm drinking it now. It's great! That's a bean from El Salvador.

I do 1# batches in my contraption. I've got the temperature dialed in to give me a very even roast. Right now it is exactly 20 minutes. I'd like to dial the temp up a little and speed it up, but I tried that before that the roast was a little uneven. I'm gonna revisit though.

You can get a good look at the beans and the piece of ductwork at about 3:10 here.

 

[jammin]

Hey, back off (WTF?). I didn't disregard anything. I posted links to a Turbo Crazy before your post there.

But yes, you were right, the stir crazy alone didn't work well, but it was the first part I bought and I tried it out. That's how we do it in the DIY world.

turbo crazy? turbo OVEN is the bottom. stir CRAZY is the top. (to help clarify for those newbies you might be confusing).

in the time period i was referring to, you were only using the S/C and stated you didn't need the T/O.

here is the 2nd time I advised you to deploy a T/O. when you didn't reply (for the 2nd time in a row), i stated that you disregarded my advice (today) as that is what it seemed like.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=452446&page=27


for me, it's annoying when you're passionate about something and try to help somebody (who needs it) and they ignore you. i find it ironic that you could have had the same great results you're boasting about today 7 months ago when originally tried my best to assist you. That is what is the fun part of this forum for me; giving and receiving helpful advice.

 

[passedpawn]

I'm not ignoring you! I'm all over this thread. But I've got my pace. I've got a lot of hobbies/interests (beside my own business and 3 kids in college and a wife and house/yard/pool and dog and cat and fish and the rest of the train I'm pulling all the time). I've got my oldest boy in med school, a girl 3rd yr nursing, and my youngest boy 3rd year pre-med at Univ FL.

So yes, the turbo oven absolutely makes it better. WAY better. I would have done it sooner, but this life of mine only lets me move forward so fast on the hobbies. Anyway, I'm loving this new setup. I think I've dialed it in now. When the kids are all off the dole in a few years, I'll get one of those super roasters. Until then, I'll keep slowly, incrementally improving my ghetto roaster.

Thanks for keeping this thread going with your enthusiasm

 

[Bensiff]

So yes, the turbo oven absolutely makes it better. WAY better. I would have done it sooner, but this life of mine only lets me move forward so fast on the hobbies. Anyway, I'm loving this new setup. I think I've dialed it in now. When the kids are all off the dole in a few years, I'll get one of those super roasters. Until then, I'll keep slowly, incrementally improving my ghetto roaster.

Thanks for keeping this thread going with your enthusiasm

Right there with you. I have had a BCS-462 for I don't know how many months sitting in a NEMA enclosure with a handful of other components waiting for me to get around to figuring out what else I need to buy to start assembling...just no time. I would also like a different roaster that has more bells and whistles. But, for the time being my Gene Cafe has been running solid without a hitch for over 5 years and, while I can probably make better coffee with better temp control, I again don't have the time to deal with researching and buying when I rather enjoy the very consistent results I have now.

 

[TallDan]

Right there with you. I have had a BCS-462 for I don't know how many months sitting in a NEMA enclosure with a handful of other components waiting for me to get around to figuring out what else I need to buy to start assembling...just no time. I would also like a different roaster that has more bells and whistles. But, for the time being my Gene Cafe has been running solid without a hitch for over 5 years and, while I can probably make better coffee with better temp control, I again don't have the time to deal with researching and buying when I rather enjoy the very consistent results I have now.

Personally, right now I don't think it's the roasting equipment that's holding me back. I think it's mostly ape running the roaster. Of course, I'd consider a nicer roaster, but i can't see going for it for a while. A book on roasting or some time spent on some roasting forums would probably get me much farther toward better coffee than a more expensive roaster right now.

 

[Bensiff]

Personally, right now I don't think it's the roasting equipment that's holding me back. I think it's mostly ape running the roaster. Of course, I'd consider a nicer roaster, but i can't see going for it for a while. A book on roasting or some time spent on some roasting forums would probably get me much farther toward better coffee than a more expensive roaster right now.

I guess it all depends on what type of equipment you are using along with your knowledge base. You can have all the brewing knowledge in the world and have equipment incapable of holding mash or ferment temps and not make quality beer for the life of you....or you can have awesome equipment and no knowledge and still get bad results. I think with coffee I'm somewhere in between. The Gene Cafe is pretty fool proof as far as getting a consistent roast for all the beans in the batch. However, my little bit of learning about roasting has helped my roasts some too. If I had the time I would also like to spend some time on a roasting forum...but, I just don't have that much time to invest. Maybe a good book on the subject matter is in order.

 

[TrickyDick]

Personally, right now I don't think it's the roasting equipment that's holding me back. I think it's mostly ape running the roaster. Of course, I'd consider a nicer roaster, but i can't see going for it for a while. A book on roasting or some time spent on some roasting forums would probably get me much farther toward better coffee than a more expensive roaster right now.

I have yet to find that right book. I read the Rao book, and I think that there is some significance of what he writes, but mostly theory with only anecdotal personal experience given as evidence, and with zero practical skill application lessons or guidelines. I'm thinking the willem boot boot camp program may be the best, but certainly too much for me to spend. He has a free mini email boot camp that I joined. Lots of articles from roast and other mags. Some advice is impractical for home roasters (like measuring the moisture content with a $900 instrument). I think that this is all part of the big mystique of coffee roasting, that the information is passed from person to person, and you learn by doing, and by "cupping". I think that there is some good information in this thread too.

As an aside, was searching for some feedback on my Hawaiian bean dilemma. How to complete drying within 5 minutes without scorching....

TD

 

[TrickyDick]

I guess it all depends on what type of equipment you are using along with your knowledge base. You can have all the brewing knowledge in the world and have equipment incapable of holding mash or ferment temps and not make quality beer for the life of you....or you can have awesome equipment and no knowledge and still get bad results. I think with coffee I'm somewhere in between. The Gene Cafe is pretty fool proof as far as getting a consistent roast for all the beans in the batch. However, my little bit of learning about roasting has helped my roasts some too. If I had the time I would also like to spend some time on a roasting forum...but, I just don't have that much time to invest. Maybe a good book on the subject matter is in order.

Again, I don't think that there are many/any definitive scientifically based books, at least not that I could find. I find that the traditional advice to looks, smell and listen just isnt't enough. It can be hard to tell what color the beans are, assuming they can be seen at all. Sounds are muffled, and smell, well... To me is mostly smells like fragrant smoke and difficult to discern discount aromas. More importantly however is, what do you do with that information? How do you translate a perception or temperature display into an action on your part to make adjustments in your roasting process, and also why are you doing that, having knowledge of what it's going to accomplish to the final product.

It is both simple and challenging.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'm giving a presentation tomorrow, for a class at work, and decided I'd take the opportunity to inform the audience on the effects of roast level in regards to flavor.

Pan roasted a batch of Harrar and dropped beans throughout the process to illustrate unroasted, browning, city, and starbucks...I mean, Vienna roast. Should be interesting.

Roasting in a pan reminded me of my whirlypop days. It's a fun way to really observe the process through sight and smell, but getting a consistent roast is tough.

View attachment 1438116980634.jpg

 

[passedpawn]

I'm giving a presentation tomorrow, for a class at work, and decided I'd take the opportunity to inform the audience on the effects of roast level in regards to flavor.

Pan roasted a batch of Harrar and dropped beans throughout the process to illustrate unroasted, browning, city, and starbucks...I mean, Vienna roast. Should be interesting.

Roasting in a pan reminded me of my whirlypop days. It's a fun way to really observe the process through sight and smell, but getting a consistent roast is tough.

Cool. Let us know how that goes.

BTW, somebody posted a link to a Joe Rogan podcast that had a ton of GREAT information on the history of coffee. I'll see if I can find that. Some great trivia there that might "perk up" your presentation.

[edit] here's the show. BTW, jump to 6:30 to skip the odd herbal snack stuff that Joe hawks at the beginning of the podcast.

 

[Bensiff]

Again, I don't think that there are many/any definitive scientifically based books, at least not that I could find. I find that the traditional advice to looks, smell and listen just isnt't enough. It can be hard to tell what color the beans are, assuming they can be seen at all. Sounds are muffled, and smell, well... To me is mostly smells like fragrant smoke and difficult to discern discount aromas. More importantly however is, what do you do with that information? How do you translate a perception or temperature display into an action on your part to make adjustments in your roasting process, and also why are you doing that, having knowledge of what it's going to accomplish to the final product.

It is both simple and challenging.

I haven't found one either the few times I looked. Completely agreed that looks, sound, and smell isn't enough alone. I can easily see my beans as they roast so I can see the changes so know by looks (based off my handy SM's reference card) where they are at, I then cross that data with my knowledge of how much more the beans will coast when they cool so I can shut it down and reliably get the roast level I want. However even that isn't enough like you said. It would be really nice to have a book that breaks down exactly what is going on in the roasting process, what makes up coffee, how those components are impacted by roasting, and what a roaster should do to maximize/minimize the characteristics of those components when roasting. I see it like trying to brew beer with no knowledge of hops other then if you boil them it makes the beer bitter. Anyway, yeah, someone needs to venture out there and write that first quality book on home roasting coffee.

 

[TrickyDick]

Saw the email from Klatch about the seraphim coffee brewing machine. Tried to look up some details, and seems like it's for professional coffee shops and probably costs a fortune.

TD

 

[jammin]

^ive seen so many new coffee gadgets released over the years. I just roll my eyes now b/c none of them have lasted or lived up to the hype.

The only exception has been the clover, and even that fizzled out due to its outrageous price tag.

I had a Bunn Trifecta HB for a while and that was sweet too... alas I sold it b/c brewing by hand is so much more rewarding


All in all, I doubt anything will ever replace my press pot or chemex... I'm fine with that

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Coffee presentation went well; very very interested group and they loved the four samples. Lots of great questions too, and Ahha moments. Fun to open other people's minds just a bit.

 

[Bensiff]

Coffee presentation went well; very very interested group and they loved the four samples. Lots of great questions too, and Ahha moments. Fun to open other people's minds just a bit.

Ahha moments huh? There's some familiar corporate lingo. Makes me wince every time I hear someone at work say it. Good that it went over well. More future home roasters to be had.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Ahha moments huh? There's some familiar corporate lingo. Makes me wince every time I hear someone at work say it.

"At the end of the day"

"Throwing good money after bad"

"Think outside the box"

And my personal least favorite,

"It is what it is".

I should have thrown all these into the presentation to see if anyone got it. Next time, for sure!

 

[TrickyDick]

Viz a viz
Apropo
Milieu

Three winner words to try to fit into every presentation...

 

[TrickyDick]

Drinking the Kona coffee I bought in HI, roasted. Yuck. Unevenly roasted and tipping and scorching is worse than what I had done to the beans!! Even some craters. It tastes a little like an ashtray.

TD

 

[Bensiff]

Time for a new coffee order. Anyone thinking SMs has anything interesting at the moment?

 

[TrickyDick]

No suggestions for you Bensiff.

I will tell you though, that my self-described "****ty" roast on the Hawaii beans, was TONS better than the crap that the Kona estate roaster/grower was selling. His stuff tasted like a dirty ashtray. The Scorched Maui Mokka was pretty dammned great stuff!

TD

 

[jammin]

Time for a new coffee order. Anyone thinking SMs has anything interesting at the moment?

What are wanting? Something dry processed and fruity? Bassy and smooth? Acidic and intense?

 

[TrickyDick]

Totally unimpressed with the Kona beans I bought. Even in spite of my mild scorch job, not much going on there in terms of flavors. Smooth with medium body, little acidity at all. Boring.
The Maui, which I thought were more scorchy (tipping and also some silverskin scorching) didn't taste very smoky or scorched. Lots of fruit notes, medium acidity, and overall a fantastic coffee.

Going to roast some of the GCC ethiopian and a Kenya bean from SM. By the way any great Kenya beans from SM that folks have tried? I'm looking to buy a pile of great Kenya beans. They have a AA bean there now, but wondering how good it is. Anybody tried it?

Today I get to roast indoors! Had a hood installed in my walk-out storage basement last week. Planning to convert from propane to electric homebrew system this year. Here is pic mid-install. Outdoor mushroom fan is seen. Need to convert the on/off to a variable speed. Not as noisy/loud as I thought it would be. Sorry for the sideways picture. Awful glare from the Fluorescent light directly in front of the hood.

TD

 

[jammin]

ive said Kona is just a fancy name for Brazilian now for years.

glad to hear the MM is working out well. it's usually regarded highly for espresso, havent heard any traditional brew reports besides yours

 

[Bensiff]

What are wanting? Something dry processed and fruity? Bassy and smooth? Acidic and intense?

I'm not usually a huge fan of dry process, all too often it smells like over ripe bananas to me and I'm not a fan of over ripe bananas. I have been drinking some pretty acidic coffees of late so maybe bassy and smooth. Good malty sweetness, nutty, chocolate. Yeah, that sounds nice right now.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

By the way any great Kenya beans from SM that folks have tried? I'm looking to buy a pile of great Kenya beans. They have a AA bean there now, but wondering how good it is. Anybody tried it?

TD

I bought some of this a few weeks ago and I REALLY like it a lot. https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/kenya-kiamabara-kii-peaberry

I'm going to roast up some more this week just to confirm my feelings, but I plan to place a larger order of it soon. I was able to get a lot of sweetness and sugar, so it honestly tasted like a hard citrus candy.

 

[TrickyDick]

So did you actually end up buying that small stainless pour-over Kalita brewer #jammin ?
Did a couple roasts last weekend and both turned out very nice. Guatemalan and Kenyan. I think that I find I enjoy most of the coffee I've been roasting after at least 5 days of rest following roasting.
Might try the Yemen beans and some Columbian beans this weekend. About two roasts on the weekend gets me through the week. Any suggestions for roast profile on these beans?
Are the Columbians Hard/Dense like the African beans & Guats? I think I read somewhere that most Latin American beans Medium density as opposed to the Harder Guat & Kenyans
Haven't heard anything about the Yemen density.

TD

 

[jammin]

^no kalita for me yet on my next order probably - which will hopefully be quite a while from now haha


I've been noticing my roasts peaking at 5-7 days as well. I think lighter roasts really need the extra time. I've been trying to be more proactive about roasting in advance.



Good luck with the Colombians! Keep the roast light and try for a 1.5 - 2 minute stretch. Maybe even slightly shorter.

 

[TallDan]

Hmm, most of my coffee is gone in 5-7 days. I need to get better about planning ahead.

...says the guy who has no roasted coffee in the house and needs to roast so that he has coffee to brew in the morning...

 

[TrickyDick]

Yeah, I um, wasted mostly the whole weekend on Marvel Heroes. addictive.
I ended up sharpening the kitchen knives after dinner, and just realize now that I didn't roast yet. Looking like I'll be roasting tomorrow. Maybe I do three batches and do the Yemen stuff so it'll have plenty of rest time.

TD

 

[jammin]

^cateful w/the Yemen. They're super dry and can roast very quickly. That said, they can stand up to darker roasts quite well at times.

I often wonder what I'm missing out on giving them a delicate, light roast

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'm having a hard time roasting these last few weeks with the weather finally heating up. Lots of demand on the grid here, and my voltage at home is suffering because of it.

Normally if I roast closer to 5 or 6PM I can get 116 - 118 Volts. Lately though I've been lucky to get 115. After 7PM it's not worth trying to do it.

Anyone else struggling?

 

[TallDan]

I'm having a hard time roasting these last few weeks with the weather finally heating up. Lots of demand on the grid here, and my voltage at home is suffering because of it.

Normally if I roast closer to 5 or 6PM I can get 116 - 118 Volts. Lately though I've been lucky to get 115. After 7PM it's not worth trying to do it.

Anyone else struggling?

Haven't had the kill-a-watt on it, but i noticed that one of my recent roasts took a bit longer than other batches of the same bean in the past. Might have to at least make sure that my AC isn't running while the roaster is.

I'd not be the least bit surprised if it's a bigger issue in the city than it is for me out in the burbs though.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

It's killin' my efforts at getting a super acidic Kenyan! Oh well.

I bought some Brazilian from Bodhi Leaf for about $3/lb a few weeks ago so I may try those for a change. All I've been roasting is Ethiopian and Kenyan since about May, so I'm ready to switch it up.

 

[jammin]

@harbortownbrewing - that is exactly why I've recommended employing a Variac in conjunction with a kill-a-watt on multiple occasions.

I know they are spendy, but the combo is sure make your roasts more consistent and save you A LOT of frustration.


I used this combo on my old hottop and it felt like the roaster was super-charged! Made the roaster more responsive and made the adjustments much more predictable.


My Quest M3 has one built in already and I adjust power by how many amps I'm sending through the element. It's more direct approach to the variac/KAW combo.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Yeah the idea of the Variac sounds good...I'm battling for any space I can find at home right now between all the hobbies, so the wife has put the kibosh on anything non-consumable for a little while.

It's my own fault. Brewing, roasting, guitar, golf, hockey, humidors, mountain biking, fishing...these things apparently take up too much space, or something

 

[TrickyDick]

I thought the newer hot top had built in variac? I have a few power regulators /conditioners (couple of super heavy cyber power units and a PSaudio generator) in my home that can boost the AC line voltage when it drops. There are a few times when it drops a few volts (I have never seen more than a 3 volt drop), but typically this is during afternoon hours. I have not seen it doing much most evenings. For this reason I have not bought a kill a watt to see what the line voltage is, and for that matter could also use my multimeter.

 

[TrickyDick]

Oh WOW!
Roasted that Ethiopian bean that was from the green coffee coop. First roast of the 15# I bought. Wish I had bought more. This is fantastic stuff!! The blueberry flavor and aroma is definitely in there. I might have taken this a bit too dark, but even still, fantastic. And as an aside, I got th bill for the gutter work and hood install. Yipes!! I can imagine what it'd have been without the friends and family discount.

TD

 

[TallDan]

Just roasted the co-op Ethiopian this morning and made a couple espressos with it this afternoon. Honestly, with no rest after roast, I had no expectations of greatness, but it was pretty good. We'll see how it does over the next few days drip brewing.

When I lived in Indiana, there was a bakery in Michigan (http://www.bitofswiss.com/) that worked with a local grocery store and had a bunch of things for sale there. One of the things they sold was biscotti. I've never had biscotti from anywhere else that I really cared for, but really liked their almond biscotti with my cappucino, so it was a staple in my house. After moving to Illinois, I haven't found another biscotti that I liked as much anywhere else (and I've tried about as many as i can get my hands on). A couple years ago, we were back in Indiana, went back to that grocery store and although the bakery was still there, they weren't selling the biscotti in that store anymore. Well, last week was my birthday, and last weekend a friend of my wife's happened to be in Michigan, so she asked the friend if she'd be near the bakery and might be able to pick up a bag of the biscotti. Just had one with the espresso, and it's just as good as I remember. Not as dry and bread-like as most biscotti, and much smaller pieces. So good... The only other thing that's ever been close for me is when my wife made mandel bread.

Anyone else have a regular treat they like with their coffee? Any biscotti fans?