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

[HarborTownBrewing]

I got the Aillio all set up last night and ran it for a bit to see if any adjustments needed to be made. Just about everything ran smoothly but I did have to make a couple tweaks which got me inside the unit. It's very well made, really nice looking.

Compared to the Behmor, it's just a different beast all together. I knew this...but it still surprised me. I connected it to the computer and got it up and running on the software and it's so cool to be able to modulate the heat, drum, and fan all by clicking around on the laptop.

Hoping to pick up some needed duct work tonight so I can actually do a roast on it tonight. Once I get it set up I'll have to post a few pics.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

I got the Aillio all set up last night and ran it for a bit to see if any adjustments needed to be made. Just about everything ran smoothly but I did have to make a couple tweaks which got me inside the unit. It's very well made, really nice looking.

Compared to the Behmor, it's just a different beast all together. I knew this...but it still surprised me. I connected it to the computer and got it up and running on the software and it's so cool to be able to modulate the heat, drum, and fan all by clicking around on the laptop.

Hoping to pick up some needed duct work tonight so I can actually do a roast on it tonight. Once I get it set up I'll have to post a few pics.

Tease

 

[applescrap]

That roaster sounds sweet harbortown. Glad to hear its well made. Cant wait to see it in action, you have the patience of the dali lama. That was arches np and this is cedar breaks nm. Drinking guat and kenyan.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Got everything connected last night and ran 1lb of seasoning beans through it. Everything went smoothly for the most part... Have a slight adjustment to make but it purred along without issues as far as I can tell. The cooling system, even with a smallish looking fan, worked wonderfully.

I wanted to run this a couple days ago even though the duct I had didn't work, and I'm glad I waited until I got a new duct. The amount of smoke coming from the roaster was... Unhealthy,at least if it weren't ventilated. I will say that the Behmor afterburner does a great job now that I've seen what happens when there isn't an afterburner.

My conundrum now is, do I want to learn to roast on this in Fahrenheit or Celsius. Most people seem to roast on the Aillio in C,likely because many of them are overseas.

 

[jammin]

Probably one you don’t want to miss -
https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-guji-hambela.html

I grabbed 10lbs

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Probably one you don’t want to miss -
https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-guji-hambela.html

I grabbed 10lbs

Wow! Thanks for pointing that out, that's a good looking coffee and only $5.70 a pound with 10 lbs. I got 10 of that and 10 lbs of Tanzania Tarime Town, which I've really enjoyed in the past.

 

[ba-brewer]

Probably one you don’t want to miss -
https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-guji-hambela.html

I grabbed 10lbs

like clockwork, just made an order 2 days ago

 

[HoppyDaze]

Those coffees sound great jimyson. If they are tasty and make you happy, thats what its all about. Also, they are great if you are still dialing in your roasts. I am not going to let a few dollars a pound keep me from what I want anymore. That thinking (which seems ubiquitous) that I (many) were raised with I believe, has diminished my life. Im going to veer off a little here. Note, if you look back in this thread you will see where i bought only bl sale coffee.

I am also very forth coming in offering that thinking to anyone. Often met with unusual responses at best. My friend will start using cars as comparison. Clearly a 40k difference in cars is not the same as avoiding kroger cheese. That thinking permeated everything in my life. Electronics, hotels, cooking, etc. I feel like I was freed up a little. I get around my brother, sister, well most people the discussion is often how cheap that is or what kind of a restaurant deal this is. I only go out to eat like once a month at the most. So when I do I'm not looking for the cheapest meal I can get for a deal. My brother and Mom wanted to go somewhere I can't remember where. I suggested we go to my new favorite burger place. It's amazingly beautiful inside with an awesome Colorado patio looking over the Platte river. By Colorado patio I mean people walk-in, bike in from all over the place, dogs, etc. Anyways they have something like 80 or 90 beers on tap. The whole time until the food came had to hear about how cheap it was somewhere else. It's like 950 for a basic hamburger in there. The food comes out and it's amazing. They're real fries with skins and I think they put truffle oil and parmesan or something on them. It's like really good buns and the food is amazing there. And my brother's going, this is so good, this is so good. I wonder if in all his lust to save $0.30 here and there if he hasn't had anything that tasted that good in a while. He also makes a ton of money and I dont know why, but hearing him want to cheap everything in his life even though he does really well is annoys me for some reason. Just my 2c. I read this over and over and hope I am not insulting anyone. I learned this thinking here from Jammin and others. And have many times over stated how much better and tastier my life is.

Amen brother! Life is much too short to be a cheap skate. That doesn't mean go out and buy frivolous BS you can't afford or don't need; it simply means spend money on the things that make you happy or things you use the most. For me, where I tend to splurge is on experiences...like going out to a concert or comedy show, vacations...etc and other things we use all the time like we bought the top of the line mattress, built a deck in our yard (we use every evening) out of hardwood instead of cedar or that fake plastic stuff. Once I adapted this mindset I've felt so much better. I have some cheap friends and family who are just non-stop deal hunting and it's almost sad to watch and it's definitely a bummer when we're doing things together when both side have to throw down money. I'll be in Minneapolis next month and we want to go to a Twins game; the in-laws do too but they don't want to spend much money. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I WILL EVER GO TO A TWINS GAME! So now I'm thinking about just buying their tickets so I don't have to sit in the nose-bleeds. lol

 

[applescrap]

@HoppyDaze exactly. So well said. I used stubhub for rockies tix and i bet you will get a killer deal on twins. I am usually cool if i am first row or two anywhere on the field. My fil rocks tix were 15th row behind home plate. Was fun. You pointed out a huge area where being cheap was not wise. The meaningless savings at times has left us with bad pools, hotels, experiences, etc. The deck is amazing for sure. My speakers, these roasters, quality is surely worth saving for. Damnit if I can only save!

Ok everyone please let me know how the coffee is soon. Im almost out and dont want to jump in blind.

 

[Inkleg]

Ok everyone please let me know how the coffee is soon. Im almost out and dont want to jump in blind.

I might question some people on this forum about beer brewing, but if @jammin says anything about a coffee I just get it and thank him later.
I just ordered 7 lbs.
I still have 10 lbs of the Banko that I'm going through in numerous ways. I roasted and cold brewed a pound and put it on nitro for the wife. That was a huge hit!

 

[TallDan]

I might question some people on this forum about beer brewing, but if @jammin says anything about a coffee I just get it and thank him later.
I just ordered 7 lbs.
I still have 10 lbs of the Banko that I'm going through in numerous ways. I roasted and cold brewed a pound and put it on nitro for the wife. That was a huge hit!

Agree with this 100%. @jammin has not steered me wrong at all.

 

[applescrap]

Oops, i dont think that was received in the spirit that i meant it. Obviously I trust jammins taste. Not sure he has tasted this one yet. The banko was crown jewel iirc, i am willing to wait for something like that. If this is that hope you all will let me know, i dont get paid till the end of the month so i have some time and it makes sense to me to see what you all think. Cheers!

 

[jammin]

^Apple - if SM’s sells out, Coffee Shrub has 50# bags. I receive some this Tuesday & I’ll roast it right away. If it’s as good as I suspect maybe we can grab a box from them & split it up with the gang.
.. In the words of the great Snoop Dog, “it ain’t no fun, if the homies can’t have none”

 

[applescrap]

Sounds super good, thanks as always. You have me really excited to get some fresh good Ethiopian! Hell any Ethiopian would do. Problem is it has been to easy to get spoiled. This really nice guat has been awesone, fruity and good. But man had some good kenyan this morning that gicherori and wow. Even though i don't care for it that much it is so superior in quality. Less defect or off flavor. Just stupid high quality. No real distinct flavors but definitely bright with peaches, dark cherry, and carmel maybe. Burmans has some new 2018 Ethiopians as well.

Speaking of ethiopians, took a ride with an Ethiopian uber driver. He got super intense and passionate about the subject. Said they all drink coffee together, never alone, never alone he emphatically repeated. The neighborhood that is. If someone can hear the hand grinder being banged they are on their way over. They take turns whose house serves, one for the am, another for lunch and someone elses house for dinner. They make the coffee three x he told me. ALWAYS. ALWAYS 3X.

abol is the first runnings and strong, tona is the second and berka is the third runnings. Roasted in a pan over a coal fire right before brewing. Just enough for the ceremony (?). Seems very ceremonial. Inspired found a little more info online, that they drink half export half. Iirc 500 million pounds for 100 million people. Kids are served it too i think. The whole community is very involved. Drinking it is a ritual that involves talking with friends. Made in a jebena and served in mugs without handles. Pretty cool.

 

[Kealia]

Probably one you don’t want to miss -
https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-guji-hambela.html

I grabbed 10lbs

Cool, thanks for the pointer. I was ready to order coffee already so I grabbed a couple of pounds to try this one out.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

This morning I'm drinking my first product of the Bullet, post seasoning. I was a little nervous because in my seasoning roasts I really struggled to hear 1C and it took a while to get to it. However, I was using a Robusta bean and my research also suggested that the longer it takes to get to 1C, the softer the crack will sound.

So for my first real roast I used Colombia La Plata. I bought 10 lbs of it to play around with on the roaster and try a few different things so I can get a feel for how it roasts.

The first roast I did went according to plan. I started with high heat, and at yellowing I dropped the heat down a little bit every minute. I entered 1C around the 7:30 mark; 1C ended about 8:45, and I dropped the roast about 45 seconds later.

The second roast also went according to plan. I did NOT drop the heat at yellowing, I just kept it on high the entire time until 1C happened, then I dropped the heat down significantly.

What was interesting is both roasts hit 1C and ended 1C at nearly the same time. I would have thought there would be a difference. I have roast curves but I don't really know what to look for in them...yet.

Anyways, I'm trying the first roast right now (only been about 18 hours since I roasted it) and it's actually pretty good! Nice body, good level of acidity. Maybe a little jammy with a hint of caramel, but it's early.

 

[jammin]

Probably one you don’t want to miss -
https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-guji-hambela.html

I grabbed 10lbs

This sold out over the weekend. I heard it was 13,000lb allotment.

 

[TallDan]

This sold out over the weekend. I heard it was 13,000lb allotment.

Wow. I got 5lb. Was tempted to get more, but I know many more great coffees are coming over the next several months.

 

[ba-brewer]

This sold out over the weekend. I heard it was 13,000lb allotment.

Thanks for keeping an eye open for interesting coffee. I looked after you posted and 5lb bags were already out of stock. I am glad I ordered some then.

I know there is a time of year when Ethiopian dry process coffee is harder to find so I normal will get a couple pounds of it when ever i make a order.

 

[Inkleg]

This sold out over the weekend. I heard it was 13,000lb allotment.

Thanks for having our backs!

 

[Aaron Goldberg]

I'm a coffee addict, and I bet a lot of other members here are also. I LOVE a rich cup of coffee.

I was just thinking how much similar the art of coffee and beer are. Buying raw ingredients, roasting, milling, sparging, tasting... pretty close to what we are doing with our beer obsession. And, it's funny that very similar equipment is used by electric beer brewers and coffee makers (check out Auber Instruments offerings). Even the nuances of coffee and beer tasting are analogous.

I'm just now thinking about getting into it. What do you guys use for roasting, etc? What equipment? Where to you get your beans? Do you filter water? What temps?

Any good sites out there?

I don't roast, but as far as the biggest bang for the buck In brewing equipment, I go for the Aeropress. Easy to use, easy to clean, and makes a better brew than many of the more expensive machines. ( Great for coffee or an Americano, but not quite espresso)

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

My Colombian has sat for a day and a half now. It's good, nice and citrusy with a good little bit of acidity. If it were Kenyan I would be quite pleased. Problem is, it's Colombian I don't really think it should taste that way - I expected more caramel and cocoa.

Anyone have any input? Maybe stretch out the roast a bit for more development? I believe I hit 1C in about 7.5 mins and dropped the roast about 45-55 secs after 1C ended.

 

[applescrap]

I can't believe how awesome your guys' roasters are? Hittig 1c and all at 7 or 8 minutes without scorching. That video from rao, iirc, he said that the faster you roast the brighter and more acidic the coffee will be. I think that is true. At first I wasnt sure i liked it always. Now i want and expect it. Did the behmor give you that taste?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I got citrusy, acidic coffee (Kenyan and Guat mostly) on the Behmor, but never with a Colombian like this is. I also would never imagine hitting 1C in the Behmor in less than 8 mins unless I was roasting 1/4 lb.

I think I need to slow it down a bit, maybe aim to hit 1C around 10 or 11 mins. It's still a good coffee...just not what I want it to be, nor what it should be.

 

[jammin]

Anyone have any input? Maybe stretch out the roast a bit for more development? I believe I hit 1C in about 7.5 mins and dropped the roast about 45-55 secs after 1C ended.

I think you’re on the right track to stretch the ramp to 1C. 10 minutes is more than I’d suggest, esp for a drip roast. Sounds like you had a decent development phase if you’re going nearly 1 minute AFTER 1C ENDED. I’d speculate that’s over 20% of the total roast time spent in development. Pushing 1C start out to 9min should be plenty. From there, shoot for 90 seconds development with +10 to 15 increase in bean temp.

 

[applescrap]

This little impromptu side trip might delay my coffee buying even more! Had this liquid folgers today and it was drinkable, for sure. I think it is roasted and brewed fairly fresh. Then factory sealed until opened. The jar stuff is ground and packed in jars and by the time one buys it let alone finishes it, it is bad. This colombian wasn't bad. I think people are using it at home somehow. After a few cups it started to taste concentraty and was less pleasant. Jammin i cant seem to be able to navigate all the choices and info at crown jewels, but it seems if we got 133 pounds we could get a great rate.

 

[applescrap]

Oops, here is the folgers.

 

[ba-brewer]

Jammin i cant seem to be able to navigate all the choices and info at crown jewels, but it seems if we got 133 pounds we could get a great rate.

This is not part of the crown jewels, and I think it is still in transit, but if this is a fruity year I would be interested to get in on a group purchase of this coffee.
https://royalcoffee.com/products/42500/

I dont know what this years will be like, but maybe 4 or 5years ago I got some Bali natural coffee that was really fruity. It smelled a bit funky while roasting but it had a really nice strong apricot flavor. It had a decent body like a Sumatran, but without the earthy flavor. Sweet Maria's had some a I think last year or the year before but it was not as good, well not as fruity.

As a side note I have seen that some of the civet cat coffee, Kopi Luwak, come from the Kintamani area where this coffee is grown.

 

[applescrap]

So it hits me instantly, just all of a sudden, boom.....Chocolate! Anyone ever give it a whirl. Seems a little more involved with the roasting part being the easiest.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Apple if you check around the web you'll find some people who roast cocoa in a Behmor. Supposedly it's actually a pretty good machine for it. Some also roast almonds in their machine.

http://chocolatealchemy.com/behmor-1600-gourmet-coffee-and-cocoa-roaster/