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

[TallDan]

Hmmm.......I think I'll cold brew some coffee and try adding different measured amounts to my IPAs on tap to see what might work. I'll keep notes and let y'all know what works and doesn't.

You can also cold steep a glass for a few minutes. I was surprised how much coffee flavor you can get that way. You'll have to use much more coffee than you would with a longer steep, but it should give you a clue as to how the flavors will work together.

Pour a glass of beer, put some ground coffee in a filter and twist the top of the filter tight and maybe hold it closed with a clothespin, then just put the filter (with coffee inside) into the glass and let it steep for 5min or so.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'd like to get some of your opinions.

I'm gifting and selling a Christmas Blend this year. In many cases this means the coffee will not be consumed for 10+ days...which sort of sucks. On my labels I have a note that says something to the effect of, "this is best between 2 - 14 days of it's roast date". I put this on there because people have a tendency to save it for a special occasion, but then it's not as good.

So the question:
-Do you think I should remove this 2-14 day suggestion because most people will be getting the coffee toward the 10+ day mark?
-Or leave the 2-14 day note to suggest them to drink it as soon as they can?

 

[pshankstar]

I would leave it on there and maybe type up a note that you can print out and include with them easily. Something simple about why coffee should be consumed fresh. Just my opinion on how I would do it if I were in your shoes.

Good luck and great idea for Christmas!!

 

[Inkleg]

Agree, leave the day information with some extra information to please enjoy now.

I roasted 5 pounds in 1/2 pound batches and took them to thanksgiving to give to new family on my sons girlfriends side. Not knowing how everyone bought their coffee I left the beans whole and had them in 8oz coffee bags.
After finding out who wanted coffee I'd ask if they bought whole bean or ground. If the answer was ground the next question was how did they make their coffee...drip, pour over, espresso....all were drip so I set my grinder and ground it for them. I poured it back into the bag and handed it to them. I ask them to enjoy the aroma before they sealed the bag and let them know that was the freshest it was ever going to get and the clock was ticking on its best by date. From the feedback I've gotten nothing lasted past the following weekend and a grinder has been put on at least one Christmas list.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

See that's fantastic. Show people the potential in coffee and they are changed forever

 

[Inkleg]

See that's fantastic. Show people the potential in coffee and they are changed forever

No sh*t and I'm holding y'all personally responsible especially that @jammin fellow for my current state!

 

[applescrap]

You can also cold steep a glass for a few minutes. I was surprised how much coffee flavor you can get that way. You'll have to use much more coffee than you would with a longer steep, but it should give you a clue as to how the flavors will work together.

Pour a glass of beer, put some ground coffee in a filter and twist the top of the filter tight and maybe hold it closed with a clothespin, then just put the filter (with coffee inside) into the glass and let it steep for 5min or so.

Heard a person who won espresso maker of year award (sp?) say up to three weeks so I think leave it and agree with special occasion issue. I would say best between 3 and 21 days freeze for prolonged use. [emoji85] [emoji3]

I'd like to get some of your opinions.

I'm gifting and selling a Christmas Blend this year. In many cases this means the coffee will not be consumed for 10+ days...which sort of sucks. On my labels I have a note that says something to the effect of, "this is best between 2 - 14 days of it's roast date". I put this on there because people have a tendency to save it for a special occasion, but then it's not as good.

So the question:
-Do you think I should remove this 2-14 day suggestion because most people will be getting the coffee toward the 10+ day mark?
-Or leave the 2-14 day note to suggest them to drink it as soon as they can?

 

[Ruint]

highly recommended...take 5 or 6 coffee beans of your favorite roast (more if you are serving more than 1 person), grind at a setting that will produce a fine powder, sprinkle generously over some plain old vanilla ice cream.....Enjoy!!!

 

[jimyson]

I'd like to get some of your opinions.

I'm gifting and selling a Christmas Blend this year. In many cases this means the coffee will not be consumed for 10+ days...which sort of sucks. On my labels I have a note that says something to the effect of, "this is best between 2 - 14 days of it's roast date". I put this on there because people have a tendency to save it for a special occasion, but then it's not as good.

So the question:
-Do you think I should remove this 2-14 day suggestion because most people will be getting the coffee toward the 10+ day mark?
-Or leave the 2-14 day note to suggest them to drink it as soon as they can?

I just read someone make a comment about “the rules of 15”. Green beans last 15 months, roasted coffee lasts 15 days, and ground coffee lasts 15 minutes.

You may want to put something to the effect of, “Do you want to know more about coffee freshness? Ask me about the rules of 15”. It not only gets the point across that there is more to Coffee in regards to freshness, but also gets them to engage with you.

 

[TallDan]

highly recommended...take 5 or 6 coffee beans of your favorite roast (more if you are serving more than 1 person), grind at a setting that will produce a fine powder, sprinkle generously over some plain old vanilla ice cream.....Enjoy!!!

Or add some milk, put it in a blender, and enjoy a fantastic milkshake.

 

[applescrap]

Its my understanding green coffee stored right will last years, roasted at least 3 weeks for top quality and ground one minute or two. As a barista champ was talking she threw a shot out. She said to a lot of us that would seem weird but she used a banana and how quick it deteriorates as an example. I would personally not throw out a shot if it sat 2 minutes, but I would if I was serving a serious critic.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Anybody ever make a coffee stout with their home roasts? I was wondering if anyone has a particular coffee they recommend.

I make a big 13%abv ris that gets coffee and bourbon soaked cacao nibs. I used a Tanzanian peaberry one year and that was fantastic. Some people like to add a cold brew, I do not, it thins the beer when you add enough to get the flavors to come through. My best success was with a 2/3 blend of Guatemalan and Tanzanian. Low acidity like @jammin stated, it has a heavy body to match the beer, and lots of rich chocolate and raw sugar flavors. Instead of adding brewed coffee to the beer, I add very coarsely cracked beans directly to a keg that I use as secondary and keep at fridge temps. I let that sit for a week, but start pulling samples at day 4 to check progress, but 7 days has been the magic number for me. I use 1lb of coffee for a 5 gallon batch. Some people and commercial breweries (Surly comes to mind first) don't even crack the beans, they add the whole bean to secondary.

 

[jimyson]

Let’s see if my order from Happy Mug last night gets delivered before my Cyber Monday order at Red Beard. Heck, I’ll go one step further to say that it may arrive before Red Beard puts it in the mail!

Well, my Happy Mug order did come first. Boy did it have a tough ride. That or @Inkleg cat got a hold of the box before it made it to my house.

 

[TallDan]

Ouch! Did you weigh it yet? Lose much?

 

[jimyson]

I haven’t checked yet. My scale only goes to 12 lbs so I need to split it up. If I were to guess, somewhere between 1-3 lbs lost.

It was 18 lbs. so maybe Happy Mug needs to evaluate their packaging procedures with higher weight orders.

 

[jimyson]

I just split it up and measured.

Surprisingly, the loss was minimal for the amount of damage, at >.25 lb. That’s also a guess because I measured 18 lb 6 oz which is over my 18 lb order. But, I’d say I lost that carrying the package in the house and opening it. I’m not sure how much extra they put or how out of calibration my scale is.

It’s an inexpensive bean too. Colombia Reserva Del Patron. Not too much lost.

 

[TallDan]

It was 18 lbs. so maybe Happy Mug needs to evaluate their packaging procedures with higher weight orders.

Maybe, but to me that looks more like a package handling issue than a packing issue.

I just split it up and measured.

Surprisingly, the loss was minimal for the amount of damage, at >.25 lb. That’s also a guess because I measured 18 lb 6 oz which is over my 18 lb order. But, I’d say I lost that carrying the package in the house and opening it. I’m not sure how much extra they put or how out of calibration my scale is.

It’s an inexpensive bean too. Colombia Reserva Del Patron. Not too much lost.

OK, that's not bad then. Based on the pictures, i expected you to say that you ordered 18 pounds and received 13.

 

[jimyson]

Likewise. There were multiple holes on the bag inside and the gaping hole on the box. Seems like the post office caught it fast, added a bandaid, and let it go on its way. They could ha e easily tossed it In the trash and let the sender know.

 

[jimyson]

Not a good day today. My Red Beard order came in too. Unfortunately, this one is 8 lbs short because of the damage. The Guatemala Geisha is safe though.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

So, how much does usps suck? Honestly I despise them. I'd tell stories, but... Repressed memories

 

[jimyson]

Seems to be a flaw with the Priority boxes maybe? It’s BS for sure. Both orders were 18+ lbs so maybe it’s just that amount of weight in the priority boxes is a no no.

 

[Inkleg]

Damn man sorry about that! Hope it gets worked out for you with minimal trouble.

There's a good possibility my asshat cats are responsible for one package, but they weren't out of my sight long enough for both...........wait.......where's Bella?

 

[jimyson]

Damn man sorry about that! Hope it gets worked out for you with minimal trouble.

There's a good possibility my asshat cats are responsible for one package, but they weren't out of my sight long enough for both...........wait.......where's Bella?

Ha. I will say that Nathan from BL/RB emailed within 5 minutes letting me know they will replace the lost beans and requesting the pictures so they could file a USPS claim.

 

[Inkleg]

That's good news you can't beat that for customer service. I've already received the pound of beans that was missing from my RB order.

 

[jimyson]

Yes, the order took a bit longer than expected but that is likely because they got flooded with orders and it just takes some time to get every order fulfilled. It’s after the order that really counts for me. They have definitely gone up in my rating. I just wish they weren’t in CA. The shipping is expensive.

 

[Kealia]

Wow, sorry to hear about the packing issues. Who is in CA? I looked up Red Beard and it shows Chicago? Is there another option here? I'm familiar with Sweet Marias, Roastmasters and now REd Beard (but maybe there is another Red Beard?)?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I finally finished the exhaust for the Behmor,and ran a couple roasts through it. Wow what a huge difference. In the past my little roast room would just fill up horribly with smoke but there is NONE in there now.

Very simple configuration, nothing fancy but it does the job. I can give more detailed pics if anyone cares to see how I did it.

Highly recommend if you have a way to vent it.

 

[jimyson]

Wow, sorry to hear about the packing issues. Who is in CA? I looked up Red Beard and it shows Chicago? Is there another option here? I'm familiar with Sweet Marias, Roastmasters and now REd Beard (but maybe there is another Red Beard?)?

Red Beard order came out of Orange, CA. Yes, others are closer and I do shop at various establishments. The Red Beard in particular had such a good deal that I couldn’t pass it up.

 

[Inkleg]

I think Red Beard and Bodhi Leaf are one in the same and BL is in CA.
https://www.bodhileafcoffee.com

 

[Inkleg]

I finally finished the exhaust for the Behmor,and ran a couple roasts through it. Wow what a huge difference. In the past my little roast room would just fill up horribly with smoke but there is NONE in there now.

Nice mod! I just have a fan set up and open the window when roasting, but I really like this.

Very simple configuration, nothing fancy but it does the job. I can give more detailed pics if anyone cares to see how I did it.

Are you really going to make us ask?

 

[jimyson]

I finally finished the exhaust for the Behmor,and ran a couple roasts through it. Wow what a huge difference. In the past my little roast room would just fill up horribly with smoke but there is NONE in there now.

Very simple configuration, nothing fancy but it does the job. I can give more detailed pics if anyone cares to see how I did it.

Highly recommend if you have a way to vent it.

View attachment 549075View attachment 549076

I ABSOLUTELY want to see and hear more. I have a 6” exhaust fan that I can hook into with mine.

Other than smoke, any differences in your roast profiles?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Here's a few more pics of the set up at the roaster. While I am a woodworker, be advised I'm not a metal worker and that part looks horrible.

I just cut a circular ish piece and drilled four holes in the same spots as the manufactured piece so it would attach to the roaster. Then I cut out a square where the exhaust air comes through. I bought a connector which I glued on with gorilla glue. The flex simply fits over that. Then I bought a white vent piece like are normally located outside dryer vents. Pretty much everything I did was the same as that guide I had posted a couple weeks ago.

I think I have about $14 in it, tops. The hardest part was flexing the duct properly and then cutting out the vent in the 1x12 I mounted in the window.

In terms of the roast I have done two and didn't notice any changes but I'll have a better idea tomorrow when I do a few more. My wife said when she walked up the the house she could definitely smell it outside.

I saw where some people mount an in line fan in the duct, and wire it through a dimmer dial. But, when you add a fan it pulls more air through the roaster. That could be worked out to your advantage though, as it could give more control of the roast. I might do that in the future.

 

[Schmoogdaddy]

You know, I lost that big blueberry in my cup today. It was there during the grind, but I felt it dies down once brewed. I tried both with Aeropress and pout over.

I'm going to try this https://legacy.sweetmarias.com/library/node/9698

As for temps, I don't track them. I usually hit fc between 210-220 on B temp though.

I should also add that my last profile charged it after a 160F preheat.

I am slow to reply, but I did roast the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Dumerso using the above technique and got all kinds of blueberry. As it would turn out, now that I have the berry I was seeking, I find that's not really what I want in a coffee. BUT...this method has really upped my game with other roasts. I was resistant to only doing 1/2 lb. roasts for a couple years just for the sake of time invested vs. total output, but now I'm hooked on the results of 1/2 lb. roasts.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I am drinking a botched roast of the Ethiopian Konga this morning. I had a cold machine and it never really got as hot as usual so I figured it would taste like cardboard. Nope! It's like a freaking chocolate milkshake with some intense blueberry.

Not sure I can replicate this but if I can, it will be my method for the remainder of the ten pounds I have.

 

[TallDan]

Woke up about an hour ago, turned on the espresso machine as usual. Just now realized that i have no roasted coffee.

So now I decide if i roast and immediately brew or go out for coffee this morning.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Woke up about an hour ago, turned on the espresso machine as usual. Just now realized that i have no roasted coffee.

So now I decide if i roast and immediately brew or go out for coffee this morning.

Come on over! It's only.. What, an hour drive haha

 

[jschm19]

First roast this morning using one of the samples that came with the Behmor. Did 1/4 pound on P1, hit the Rosetta Stone button at 1c and then cool as soon as I heard 2c (14 seconds left on the timer). I guess I'll find out if it's decent in a day or two.

 

[jammin]

Woke up about an hour ago, turned on the espresso machine as usual. Just now realized that i have no roasted coffee.

So now I decide if i roast and immediately brew or go out for coffee this morning.

What are you gonna roast for espresso?

I am drinking a botched roast of the Ethiopian Konga this morning. I had a cold machine and it never really got as hot as usual so I figured it would taste like cardboard. Nope! It's like a freaking chocolate milkshake with some intense blueberry.

Not sure I can replicate this but if I can, it will be my method for the remainder of the ten pounds I have.

So what did the profile look like? Long dry/short finish?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Everything was real slow, I got to first crack a good minute later than normal. It had the lowest heat the first 4 minutes though then I sped it up to get it going. Dropped it about 30 sec after 1c ended

 

[TallDan]

What are you gonna roast for espresso?

Roasted some Guatemala El Socorro Maracaturra from Roastmasters. I've played around with the roast for it a bit and got some different flavors, but am consistently happy with that coffee.