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

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Now onto grinder selection. Uuuuugggghhh! It will be focused on strictly doing grinds for espresso. I can't afford the monolith...for quite sometime!! I am down to deciding between the sette 270Wi or the niche zero I think. I would need to keep the ceramic burrs in the sette I think for espresso grind or am I confusing that with the vario? I expect to have to verify calibration and alignment on either one I end up getting. Any hacks to be considered for either???
 
Been a anxiety filled week for roasting. I dropped my MacBook Pro which broke the screen. This was about 20 minutes into warming up the roaster. Dropped it off for repairs the next day but they quoted a week+ and that was all i needed for an excuse for a new machine. This led to a new problem .. the 2019 MacBook Air’s only have USB C ports so couldn’t plug in my Phidget data hardware and I don’t roast blind w/o Artisan anymore.
So finally back in business tonight. 3 roasts in a row & all went great including my last pound of Banko. Did a pound of Hangadhi along side it which should be fun to cup side x side.
 
jammin said:
Been a anxiety filled week for roasting. I dropped my MacBook Pro which broke the screen. This was about 20 minutes into warming up the roaster. Dropped it off for repairs the next day but they quoted a week+ and that was all i needed for an excuse for a new machine. This led to a new problem .. the 2019 MacBook Air’s only have USB C ports so couldn’t plug in my Phidget data hardware and I don’t roast blind w/o Artisan anymore.
So finally back in business tonight. 3 roasts in a row & all went great including my last pound of Banko. Did a pound of Hangadhi along side it which should be fun to cup side x side.
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Oh man bummer, but sounds like you figured out a good solution.
 
I had an unsuccesful roast of the Yemen a few months ago and decided to give it another try. This one was going better but again I didn't get much of a crack. I have read that this bean tends to roast unevenly and can be challenging so that might be it, but I'm not sure. I guess I'll have to see how it tastes in a few days.

Next I tried the Ethiopia Hangahi for the 2nd time and I had a better roast than my first but still screwed this one up a little by not getting on the heat enough up front.

I'm in a bit of a roasting funk right now, at least with new beans. My brain comes up with a game plan but I fail to execute it in real time. I think part of it might be lack of practice, because I had a stretch in early May where I had about 5 lbs of roasted beans to drink (for a variety of reasons) so I have only roasted twice in the last month (including last night).
 
Well....I have the 270wi inbound. Reading on the indiegogo site, the part that says you aren't guaranteed product (niche zero) even though you pledge, kinda made me think twice! That and coupled with no definitive shipping date other than maybe this month....just didn't cut it with me!
 
Ruint said:
Well....I have the 270wi inbound. Reading on the indiegogo site, the part that says you aren't guaranteed product (niche zero) even though you pledge, kinda made me think twice! That and coupled with no definitive shipping date other than maybe this month....just didn't cut it with me!
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My research told me the Sette series is phenomenal as an espresso-oriented grinder. I'm sure you could also grind successfully for a V60 or Melitta as well if you ever felt like getting wild. But for an espresso-only grinder, I don't think you can go wrong. Plus it's gorgeous.
 
Ruint said:
Well....I have the 270wi inbound. Reading on the indiegogo site, the part that says you aren't guaranteed product (niche zero) even though you pledge, kinda made me think twice! That and coupled with no definitive shipping date other than maybe this month....just didn't cut it with me!
Click to expand...

That’s indiegogo’s standard wording. Why they’re still using that instead of any normal online storefront is beyond me.
 
Second roast in the cast iron was way better than the first. Had less charred beans, but man it would be nice to use convection like you all, instead of conduction.
D26DBCAF-D747-4B39-A66B-4B557400386F.jpeg
 
That’s the only way to learn. I burned through about the same learning about my roaster & seasoning the drum before I even kept a batch. It’s fun knowing you’re not gonna drink the coffee so can push the limits. Hit 1C in 6 minutes, run it out to 2nd crack - all the stuff I normally don’t do
 
I did that already...learning the machine thing....todays' coffee is planned to be kept and used! Time put into roasting was about 3 hours. I have some folks that like to get their coffee from me, plus, I have been going thru more in the attempts of learning better espresso shots...lol
 
Only do some at 1kg. The R-1 does have it's limits pushed a little bit with those size batches. I pushed even harder today with a 1052 gram drop...lol. I have not had a bad one yet, but don't want to push it too hard, too often. I usually run with 600 to 900 gram batches without any problems and nice control. Need to do a good thorough cleaning session on it, as my drum and bean temps are getting really, really close. Good thing I use my nose and sight experience still!!!:D


to date, I have a total of 34.61 kg roasted, recorded, since getting the bullet
 
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Still a wee bit bitter. Ran out of stepless adjustments so went up one more notch on the stepped adjustment. Have to wait till tomorrow to taste test anymore!!
IMG_20190610_180255.jpeg
 
Ruint said:
Let us know how that coffee is Inkleg. Very curious if it is all they say it is, at least for the crema.
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Sorry, I completely forgot you ask about the Lavazza Super Crema.
I make coffee for myself and one friend at work (a year ago I weened him from cream and sugar to black coffee and he has become quite the coffee connoisseur). I ground some, took it to work and made it in a Behmor drip without saying anything to him. He came to me after pouring his cup mentioned that the coffee tasted burnt. I agreed and told him that it wasn't mine and what coffee it was. The twist to this is when I got home that night my wife said she made her coffee that morning using the same bean and mentioned to me that it tasted burnt and that she would stick to my roasted coffee (she makes espresso, but is no expert). I agree with both of them. It's not horrible..."Oh I can't drink that", but it leaves something to be desired.
 
jammin said:
Been a anxiety filled week for roasting. I dropped my MacBook Pro which broke the screen. This was about 20 minutes into warming up the roaster. Dropped it off for repairs the next day but they quoted a week+ and that was all i needed for an excuse for a new machine. This led to a new problem .. the 2019 MacBook Air’s only have USB C ports so couldn’t plug in my Phidget data hardware and I don’t roast blind w/o Artisan anymore.
So finally back in business tonight. 3 roasts in a row & all went great including my last pound of Banko. Did a pound of Hangadhi along side it which should be fun to cup side x side.
Click to expand...

I think that there are USB hubs for USB C machines that will allow legacy USB connections.
 
Inkleg said:
Sorry, I completely forgot you ask about the Lavazza Super Crema.
I make coffee for myself and one friend at work (a year ago I weened him from cream and sugar to black coffee and he has become quite the coffee connoisseur). I ground some, took it to work and made it in a Behmor drip without saying anything to him. He came to me after pouring his cup mentioned that the coffee tasted burnt. I agreed and told him that it wasn't mine and what coffee it was. The twist to this is when I got home that night my wife said she made her coffee that morning using the same bean and mentioned to me that it tasted burnt and that she would stick to my roasted coffee (she makes espresso, but is no expert). I agree with both of them. It's not horrible..."Oh I can't drink that", but it leaves something to be desired.
Click to expand...
Yep, burnt isnt quite as good as it used to be after lighter home roast. I have a theory and I have to test it. My theory is that if I burn toast through and through it might taste similar to a burnt coffe if brewed. I mean some of this stuff tastes like flat carbon to me.

I have been drinking the hanabongi. It is a nice Ethiopian for sure. Really nice body and mouthfeel. The guat geisha, has also been more enjoyable to me this roast. I like the apricot flavor. I must have taken the roast to far but I got no fruit on the hanabongi. Next I will go real light. If I didn't have some like it I would be kicking myself for not getting 10 pounds at that deal. Makes a perfect daily drinker or inbetween new roasts. Have been doing pour overs with blade grinder, ugh, argh, damn.
 
applescrap said:
Yep, burnt isnt quite as good as it used to be after lighter home roast.
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CSB time: Before I started home-roasting, I almost always bought French roast. At the coffee shop, in store-bought beans, K-cups, etc. It was my go-to. I had had lighter roasts before, of course, but I always seemed to gravitate to the dark roasts. Then I started to roast my own--first doing a couple dark roasts (which were disasters, as that level roast with a heat gun is seconds away from becoming cinders, and I ended up with enough scorched beans to ruin the batch). But I started experimenting and went to what near as I could judge was a Vienna roast, then full city or so. Roast the beans brown, not black. Stop just on the verge of 2C and cool quickly. The coffee really started to grow on me. And fresher, too. Haven't tried making a light roast yet, but that's on the horizon once I get more confidence and skill. Anyway, I popped a K-cup of some Caribou French roast into the Keurig a few days ago, just because I was out of home-roast at the moment, it was 7AM and I just wanted a cup of joe. Yuk. It was like drinking charcoal water. Couldn't finish it. I got in the car and drove to a nearby Dunn Bros. (our local chain) to get one at the drive-thru.

Maybe this is what BMC drinkers go through when they discover craft beer.

/CSB
 
I have to admit, I do not know and can not find what CSB stands for.

Only thing that comes to mind is Canada Breakfast Stout, but that does not quite seem appropriate!
 
Roasted back-to-back batches again, first ones since changing the probes, the front drum bearing, oiling the chain, and generally cleaning things up and adjusting the drum a little. Roaster is noticeably quieter now, not that it was loud before, but there was some noises from the chain, the bearing, the inside of the drum axle rubbing the fan speed controller and a slight squeak from... somewhere, that is all gone now. Went with higher charge temps and got to 1c much faster than before. Second batch was 230g of decaf, probably went a bit too fast...

upload_2019-6-12_19-3-50.png
 
Stopped in to Mill City Roasters to pick up 10 lbs. of Colombian. Two of the staff spent a few minutes talking with me, and gave me some helpful advice for the type of roasting I do. Nice to see that they take the time to sell 40 bucks of beans to a DIYer, and they said how they support home-roasters. Nice showroom with some roaster bling set up on display (and for training).

20190613_133723a.jpg


20190613_133801.jpg
 
I have to kill a few hours at Starbucks today (need internet and parking for a trailer...so...this is my only option where I am). You thought their coffee was bad? NO! That's actually not the worst part. The worst parts of SB:

1) The music they play. It is the type of music that gets you hyped up to punch puppies. It's loud enough that everyone in the shop is talking loud to be heard, until the blender is going...then people are yelling at each other.

2) Speaking of blenders...why does a freaking coffee shop have a blender.

3) Another note on blenders and music: The blender is the exact same sound and frequency as Lady Gaga's voice in that song Narrows or Shadows or whatever bs crap song that is. They were both running and it was a perfect harmony.

4) No matter where you sit, there are people. Why is a guy standing over my shoulder treating his bag of chips like a stress ball? Can you imagine what that sounds like? This makes me want to punch kittens, and I genuinely adore kittens.

5) They have officially removed the sizes from the display boards. I never did understand Mandarin or whatever language the sizes were before, but I could at least take a stab at it based on their order on the display board. Now? Nothing. So I ask, "could I just get, like, a medium or whatever you all call it?" and I'm met with a fake smile and a stare that makes you want to retreat to the woods. To be fair, they probably also get tired of Lady Gaga's blender voice.
 
HarborTownBrewing said:
I have to kill a few hours at Starbucks today (need internet and parking for a trailer...so...this is my only option where I am). You thought their coffee was bad? NO! That's actually not the worst part. The worst parts of SB:

1) The music they play. It is the type of music that gets you hyped up to punch puppies. It's loud enough that everyone in the shop is talking loud to be heard, until the blender is going...then people are yelling at each other.

2) Speaking of blenders...why does a freaking coffee shop have a blender.

3) Another note on blenders and music: The blender is the exact same sound and frequency as Lady Gaga's voice in that song Narrows or Shadows or whatever bs crap song that is. They were both running and it was a perfect harmony.

4) No matter where you sit, there are people. Why is a guy standing over my shoulder treating his bag of chips like a stress ball? Can you imagine what that sounds like? This makes me want to punch kittens, and I genuinely adore kittens.

5) They have officially removed the sizes from the display boards. I never did understand Mandarin or whatever language the sizes were before, but I could at least take a stab at it based on their order on the display board. Now? Nothing. So I ask, "could I just get, like, a medium or whatever you all call it?" and I'm met with a fake smile and a stare that makes you want to retreat to the woods. To be fair, they probably also get tired of Lady Gaga's blender voice.
Click to expand...
Are you talking about that Lady Gaga duet song? It is really awful. In reality, everything else in that sbux, including the coffee, was probably fine. It's just that the song is SO bad that it made the entire experience bad.
 
Yeah, that one with Bradley Cooper I think. I honestly can't believe how horrible a song it is...like, was it a joke? I'm afraid not!
 
HarborTownBrewing said:
I have to kill a few hours at Starbucks today (need internet and parking for a trailer...so...this is my only option where I am). You thought their coffee was bad? NO! That's actually not the worst part. The worst parts of SB:

1) The music they play. It is the type of music that gets you hyped up to punch puppies. It's loud enough that everyone in the shop is talking loud to be heard, until the blender is going...then people are yelling at each other.

2) Speaking of blenders...why does a freaking coffee shop have a blender.

3) Another note on blenders and music: The blender is the exact same sound and frequency as Lady Gaga's voice in that song Narrows or Shadows or whatever bs crap song that is. They were both running and it was a perfect harmony.

4) No matter where you sit, there are people. Why is a guy standing over my shoulder treating his bag of chips like a stress ball? Can you imagine what that sounds like? This makes me want to punch kittens, and I genuinely adore kittens.

5) They have officially removed the sizes from the display boards. I never did understand Mandarin or whatever language the sizes were before, but I could at least take a stab at it based on their order on the display board. Now? Nothing. So I ask, "could I just get, like, a medium or whatever you all call it?" and I'm met with a fake smile and a stare that makes you want to retreat to the woods. To be fair, they probably also get tired of Lady Gaga's blender voice.
Click to expand...


Can't have a good Starbucks-bashing without this gem. Sure the character's being kind of a d-bag, but it's still funny.

 
Hi All,

I placed an order from Royal for a 22lb box of their recent Kenyan offering: Kenya Nyeri Ichamama Triple Washed Red Cherry Crown Jewel

They loaded 4 new Crown Jewels today, 3 Kenyans & 1 Ethiopian. All are washed so no Dry Process Ethiopian Berry bombs in this update. All sound amazing and it was difficult to pick which Kenyan of the 3. The AB jumped out at me right away as last year's crop was comprised primarily of AA (large screen/bean size) offerings and I have best luck with the AB's for some reason. So I called up Royal, had a good chat and went with the Ichamama. Due to it's very high density & slightly lower moisture content it's a somewhat intimidating coffee but I was assured this is one of the better Kenyans to come across their table and most importantly for me, a standout in the sweetness department.
 
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jammin said:
Hi All,

I placed an order from Royal for a 22lb box of their recent Kenyan offering: Kenya Nyeri Ichamama Triple Washed Red Cherry Crown Jewel

They loaded 4 new Crown Jewels today, 3 Kenyans & 1 Ethiopian. All are washed so no Dry Process Ethiopian Berry bombs in this update. All sound amazing and it was difficult to pick which Kenyan of the 3. The AB jumped out at me right away as last year's crop was comprised primarily of AA (large screen/bean size) offerings and I have best luck with the AB's for some reason. So I called up Royal, had a good chat and went with the Ichamama. Due to it's very high density & slightly lower moisture content it's a somewhat intimidating coffee but I was assured this is one of the better Kenyans to come across their table and most importantly for me, a standout in the sweetness department.
Click to expand...
If you decide to split this I’m in please!
 

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