applescrap
Be the ball!
Wow, light roasted Kenyan. Curious what you are tasting.
☕ Coffee ☕: Ingredients, Roasting, Grinding, Brewing, and Tasting
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applescrap
Be the ball!
Drank through one pound of the banko. Week one it had, maybe, the strongest chocolate flavor and smell ever. Week two, degraded more than most coffees do in one week. I may have been congested, but it seemed to lose a little pop week 2. Yesterday roasted some more and I think lighter. It started one loud crack at 1030ish and then I felt it started later. Pulled 30 seconds after that under a minute from first crack. Didnt heat down at that point so I think some tipping occured. I think I am congested still but cant wait to try it as I dont smell chocolate!? Hopefully I didnt leave any green hiding in it.
applescrap
Be the ball!
Doh!
I am hoping to roast that Banko again today as well. I’d like to get the roast done in under 8 minutes. I’m not satisfied with the amount of berries I’m getting so far and almost feel as if this coffee wasn’t quite as advertised. I have been getting some good milk chocolate notes like you as well, Apples.
Went old for this mornings cup & busted out the paper Chemex filters. Rinsed then like crazy bc they really pack a punch if you don’t. Total brew time w/30s bloom was 3:43 which I was happy with.
Went old for this mornings cup & busted out the paper Chemex filters. Rinsed then like crazy bc they really pack a punch if you don’t. Total brew time w/30s bloom was 3:43 which I was happy with.
applescrap
Be the ball!
Ok I am going to go brew some because this coffee is surely light. I'll report back. I think it is a little more flavorful then the average but berry overrated in that regard. See what I did there.
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
I've been pretty absent and bad about checking in around here lately. I haven't had too much excitement but did have a bit of a roasting breakthrough recently. I started playing around with slowing down my development just a tad and then getting on the heat once the beans have hit the yellowing phase. This has really improved my roasts on the fruitier coffees, bringing out more floral and fruit flavors in the Ethiopians and other African coffees I've been roasting.
It's easy to get set in your ways once you have a process down (which I did) but a little experimenting can change everything. I just have to remember to leave my comfort zone every once in a while.
Current coffee I've been digging is from Rwanda (Bufcafe). It's nice and winey, like a silky cabernet.
It's easy to get set in your ways once you have a process down (which I did) but a little experimenting can change everything. I just have to remember to leave my comfort zone every once in a while.
Current coffee I've been digging is from Rwanda (Bufcafe). It's nice and winey, like a silky cabernet.
I finally got around to taking a photo of the grind I’m getting. Now I realize that I should have put in something for scale...
Is it normal to get this much variation from a burr grinder?
Is it normal to get this much variation from a burr grinder?
I don’t think so but I’m no expert. Is that grind for a French Press or something else? My Encore bought used in great shape is very consistent.
What burr grinder are you using?
It's a Mueller hand grinder that I use for cold brewed coffee. I filter through a Wilserbrew hop sack after steeping in the fridge for 24 hours.
applescrap
Be the ball!
I have only heard good things about hand grinders. That grind is pretty coarse so it is hard to tell for me.
I’m going to say no. Is it possible that you just have it set way too coarse?
There are good and bad hand grinders. Nothing about a hand crank makes it better. They have a good reputation because there are some very well made hand grinders available for reasonable prices. That does not make all hand grinders good.
applescrap
Be the ball!
Reporting back on banko. I know it's a good fruit roast. I know it. Right on the edge of green. I just didnt get much.
So the pot sits cold in the office, I turned off junky mr coffee hot plate on coffee second it's done or it ruins it. And it sits an hour or so. Buddy comes down I say try this, it's supposed to be blueberryish. And he starts going whoa man blueberry for sure. Heavy blueberry. Unmistakable. Wow this is so good. So there you go. To me I get the rare and pleasurable tea like quality in the light roast. Floral, earl gray tea maybe. After writing this I reviewed the burman notes. And it makes more sense now. I am not convinced the chocolate covers the fruit. I think it frames it in actual fact and brings out a nice red fruit jammyness. I must not have gone light enough for the lemon acidity. But if you have never had a dp really light they can be like a lemon bomb.
This coffee is fun. Darker and chocolatey or lighter and tea like. It can go so many ways. I am addicted to chocolate and the word shouldnt be used in my presence. I am going that route again. I am certain this is the chocolateyist coffee I have ever smelled or tasted.
So the pot sits cold in the office, I turned off junky mr coffee hot plate on coffee second it's done or it ruins it. And it sits an hour or so. Buddy comes down I say try this, it's supposed to be blueberryish. And he starts going whoa man blueberry for sure. Heavy blueberry. Unmistakable. Wow this is so good. So there you go. To me I get the rare and pleasurable tea like quality in the light roast. Floral, earl gray tea maybe. After writing this I reviewed the burman notes. And it makes more sense now. I am not convinced the chocolate covers the fruit. I think it frames it in actual fact and brings out a nice red fruit jammyness. I must not have gone light enough for the lemon acidity. But if you have never had a dp really light they can be like a lemon bomb.
This coffee is fun. Darker and chocolatey or lighter and tea like. It can go so many ways. I am addicted to chocolate and the word shouldnt be used in my presence. I am going that route again. I am certain this is the chocolateyist coffee I have ever smelled or tasted.
That’s awesome, Apples! Great feeling to get feedback like that. Also a great reminder how much the cup can change as it cools. I’ve found this coffee to be fun, challenging & somewhat frustrating. Similar to how you feel after a great shot on the golf course, I’m anxiously looking forward to giving it another try!
i installed a 48,000 grain water softener in the house a couple days ago. this morning is the first cup brewed with the softened water. seems like there may be a slight difference in the cup, perhaps a little smoother/sweeter. could be placebo who knows. looking forward to seeing how the kettle fights off scale moving forward. same for washing the chemex & other glasses.
anyone else running a whole house water softener? our municipal water is about 8 grains in my area. what are you dealing with?
anyone else running a whole house water softener? our municipal water is about 8 grains in my area. what are you dealing with?
There's a bullet for sale over on h-b if anyone's in the market for one:
https://www.home-barista.com/buysell/bullet-r1-roaster-t60354.html
https://www.home-barista.com/buysell/bullet-r1-roaster-t60354.html
Get some cheap beans to do a few roasts with first. This way if you over or under roast them it won’t be so bad. My first couple of batches were all over the place.
Congrats.
I still have about 2 lbs of the Honduras and the Behmor came with an 8 lb sampler so I think I have room for error
. Any tips on roasting?
I still have about 2 lbs of the Honduras and the Behmor came with an 8 lb sampler so I think I have room for error
The automatic modes never seemed to work for me so I always use the manual mode for better results.
I haven’t maxed it out at a full pound, 3/4 of a pound is the largest amount of green beans I’ve roasted.
Preheating the unit seems to help in the cooler months.
If I can think of anything else I’ll let you know.
With the behmor, I never did batches bigger than 1/2lb. Much of what I read about it said that was best, but I never experimented myself with bigger batches. I started with the programs to get used to it, but switched to manual mode. I remember following some getting started type guides, maybe sweet maria's?
Best tip I have is to keep a shop vac nearby to clean up the chaff that will get everywhere. I have one of the really small ones that stayed in the kitchen for this purpose when i had the behmor, and still stays by my roaster now.
On another topic:
I'm kind of tempted by this new grinder by option-o:
https://www.option-o.com/lagom-p64
Best tip I have is to keep a shop vac nearby to clean up the chaff that will get everywhere. I have one of the really small ones that stayed in the kitchen for this purpose when i had the behmor, and still stays by my roaster now.
On another topic:
I'm kind of tempted by this new grinder by option-o:
https://www.option-o.com/lagom-p64
Damn ... that is straight up IP theft from KafaTek.
That said, SSP makes a heck of a 64mm flat burr if theirs aren’t up to snuff
That said, SSP makes a heck of a 64mm flat burr if theirs aren’t up to snuff
Not sure i'd agree that it's IP theft. I actually think looks a little closer to the niche than the monoliths. Both are kind of a "leaning tower" design and rounded. The kafateks have a more substantial base and are boxier.
Seems to me like the redspeed upgrade for $110 is a no brainer if you're spending the ~$1500 on the grinder. At least it would be for me.
Honestly the industry is so far behind on Single Dose grinders that its refreshing to see more options popping up. The absolute fever/craze for Monoliths is a solid indicator how dialed in the Home Barista is currently. Folks have recognized the value of instant grind adjustment feedback. Even with the On Demand, doserless/hopper fed grinders, you have to waste a lot of coffee to adjust the grind & get your shot to flow to taste. The grind paths on these commercial units hold so much ground coffee that you'd have to make 2 or 3 shots to see what adjustment made. Ive seen countless Mazzer-E's on the BST that are essentially brand new after the rich barista finally realizes how inefficient it is in a home setting.
I spent years "thwacking" away on the doser of a behomoth Compak K10 PB (had 2 actually). For what it was, it worked really good. Shots were exceptional. At the time, the only single dose option on the market was the Versalab M3. I swooned over that thing for a very long time but couldn't cough up the dough for it's extraordinary price tag. If it weren't for all of it's early problems with belt slippage & sweeper alignment, etc I surely would have got one. It's still a very attractive piece of kitchen jewelry IMHO; that Red knob just sells the whole thing.
So i've always wondered, where is Baratza in all this? They cater specifically to the higher end home user and yet they don't have a purpose built, espresso forward single dosing grinder. I realize the cut of the 270's jib falls squarely in this space but it built to be hopper fed. I'd really like to see a sub $500 unit made by them. Flat burrs, metal collar adjustment (no plastic shives), solid porta-filter holder, low height/counter+cabinet friendly that's reasonably fast & quiet. Couple the majority of those items with the best burr set you can squeeze in (75mm Mythos ideally but 64mm Mazzer would work) and you'd have production lag for a few years straight
I spent years "thwacking" away on the doser of a behomoth Compak K10 PB (had 2 actually). For what it was, it worked really good. Shots were exceptional. At the time, the only single dose option on the market was the Versalab M3. I swooned over that thing for a very long time but couldn't cough up the dough for it's extraordinary price tag. If it weren't for all of it's early problems with belt slippage & sweeper alignment, etc I surely would have got one. It's still a very attractive piece of kitchen jewelry IMHO; that Red knob just sells the whole thing.
So i've always wondered, where is Baratza in all this? They cater specifically to the higher end home user and yet they don't have a purpose built, espresso forward single dosing grinder. I realize the cut of the 270's jib falls squarely in this space but it built to be hopper fed. I'd really like to see a sub $500 unit made by them. Flat burrs, metal collar adjustment (no plastic shives), solid porta-filter holder, low height/counter+cabinet friendly that's reasonably fast & quiet. Couple the majority of those items with the best burr set you can squeeze in (75mm Mythos ideally but 64mm Mazzer would work) and you'd have production lag for a few years straight
Re: Banko 19' roast n' learn
cracked the whip on another batch last night which is perhaps my 5th attempt? this bean is quite reluctant to take on heat during the browning phase. as a general rule i like drying% to be > brown%. while this batch doesn't meet that benchmark, it IS a sub 8min roast which was my other goal.
I brewed a cup on the Aeropress (2min steep -> press) after a short 24hr rest and it's unquestionably my best roast. Loads of sweetness, mild acidity & very clean/light/sugar cookie fruit essence in the cup. If anyone is looking to give this bean a different angle, i'd encourage going faster than you're used to and ending the roast shortly after the first few snaps of first crack:
cracked the whip on another batch last night which is perhaps my 5th attempt? this bean is quite reluctant to take on heat during the browning phase. as a general rule i like drying% to be > brown%. while this batch doesn't meet that benchmark, it IS a sub 8min roast which was my other goal.
I brewed a cup on the Aeropress (2min steep -> press) after a short 24hr rest and it's unquestionably my best roast. Loads of sweetness, mild acidity & very clean/light/sugar cookie fruit essence in the cup. If anyone is looking to give this bean a different angle, i'd encourage going faster than you're used to and ending the roast shortly after the first few snaps of first crack:
I think baratza might just say that you can easily single dose any of their grinders. They are at the higher end home user market, but really aren't in the hardcore espresso enthusiast market. I'm sure they sell more grinders in a week than kafatek sells in a year. It would be interesting to see what they could do if they introduced a $1500 halo model though.
Third cappuccino of the day while cooling wort.
Whatcha brewing?
I’m roasting some Ethiopia Dry Process Guji Hangahi (GCX-6039). I need to find time to start brewing beer again.
This is similar to how I roasted my last test of this bean, too. Trying it tomorrow.
Had a terrific cup of Hangadhi myself this morning - great stuff!
Brewed an American Amber.
Now coming full circle and matching you. HB American Wheat while getting ready to roast!
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
If anyone is interested, Aillio posted an update about what they are doing as a company (as well as some roaster specific stuff). Some of you might be interested even though you don't have their roaster: https://mailchi.mp/2c7828bcc676/aillio-news-the-big-issue-office-move-and-more?e=d8106c3f8c
I've started to see a couple Bullets hit the second-hand market - more so than a 6 or 12 months back. Most cases seem to be of, "It worked for my shop when I was first getting started but now I'm upgrading to a 5kg roaster."
Speaking of capacity, yesterday I pumped out a very sloppy, chunky feeling 7 lbs in 2 hours. I made a mistake which caused a delay and I was not in the mood to roast but I had to. It's that whole thing where sometimes the hobby isn't fun if it's making you money. Ehhhh.
I've started to see a couple Bullets hit the second-hand market - more so than a 6 or 12 months back. Most cases seem to be of, "It worked for my shop when I was first getting started but now I'm upgrading to a 5kg roaster."
Speaking of capacity, yesterday I pumped out a very sloppy, chunky feeling 7 lbs in 2 hours. I made a mistake which caused a delay and I was not in the mood to roast but I had to. It's that whole thing where sometimes the hobby isn't fun if it's making you money. Ehhhh.
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
Last night, out at the bar with a few people my wife declared we needed a new coffee maker. At first I was offended; then I realized she wasn't talking about me but about our drip machine.
So, with her blessing I will now be upgrading from our 9 year old Cuisinart to...probably a Behmor Brazen. It used to be you could get one at Bed Bath Beyond with the 20% coupon, but it looks like when Behmor released version 2.0 they only sell them at Roastmasters, SM's, and related coffee places. I'm really surprised by this - there seemed to be a big market from non-roasters for these brewers but the average person is going to have a hard time finding it. I also noticed they are out of stock in a few places so maybe they just haven't made enough 2.0's to distribute as they had the first time around.
Anyone have any input to steer me a different way? I am pretty set on the Brazen but open to listening.
So, with her blessing I will now be upgrading from our 9 year old Cuisinart to...probably a Behmor Brazen. It used to be you could get one at Bed Bath Beyond with the 20% coupon, but it looks like when Behmor released version 2.0 they only sell them at Roastmasters, SM's, and related coffee places. I'm really surprised by this - there seemed to be a big market from non-roasters for these brewers but the average person is going to have a hard time finding it. I also noticed they are out of stock in a few places so maybe they just haven't made enough 2.0's to distribute as they had the first time around.
Anyone have any input to steer me a different way? I am pretty set on the Brazen but open to listening.
I liked the crazy cheap behmor brewer (same brewer, different controls from the brazen, iirc) I got off ebay until it proved why it was crazy cheap and stopped working. I think it made great coffee.
The only thing I could say that might steer you a different way, is that if you want a brewer that will likely last the rest of your life, consider the technivorm. The behmor made better coffee with less work, but the technivorm has proven itself to really be built to last.
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
I just found a Behmor Brazen Plus a little ways away from me for $50. The lady says she bought it but it was too confusing so she's never used it. From the pictures it looks like it's never been used, either. For $50 it probably would be worth trying; the new model is going for $159 which is kind quite a bit of money.
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That’s the coffee maker I have and use at work. Love it! I don’t use any of the timer controls. I sent the temperature to 202° hit start and make a pot of coffee.
applescrap
Be the ball!
For me, any brewer I buy I want to be on the reccomended sca brewer list. Iiac, they test them and have standards that must be passed (money kickbacks? Idk). Anyways they used to only have a few,but now there are more. I think for 50, if that heats to proper temp sounds like a great deal. Atk has tested brewers 2x, iirc, and technivorm has won every time. It is hand made by the Dutch iirc. What stands out to me in test after test, is that some brewers rate higher than others, but all blind taste test under manual brewing. Thus, I cant help but feel the big jump is from brewer to manual brewing.
applescrap
Be the ball!
Update, the Behmor brazen and connected are on list, here they are for the good of the cause. I see the oxo and I know passed loves his, so there are some good options. Good deal on cl used would be a quality I would enjoy as well.
We have the Bonavita and love it. It’s our daily workhorses/c I’m too lazy and always rushing in the morning with the kids. Their support is top notch too.
Good luck @HarborTownBrewing!
Good luck @HarborTownBrewing!
HarborTownBrewing
Well-Known Member
I'm currently waiting for a response from my random Facebook marketplace seller. I love deals but honestly, people generally suck at selling things haha.
If this Behmor doesn't work out I'll expand the search. No hurry but we'll see what happens.
If this Behmor doesn't work out I'll expand the search. No hurry but we'll see what happens.
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