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

[HarborTownBrewing]

I definitely went too light for my tastes. Now to finish this 1/4 pound so I can roast more a little darker.

Or, if too light for your tastes, roast up a darker batch and blend the two. You'll have yourself a black and tan.

Orrrr, give it another 5 or 6 days and try it. Some light roasts take 7 to 10 days to develop actually.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I've been so busy with my house remodel (redoing the second floor - surprise:there's plaster under the drywall of the 5 walls I'm taking down).

So I officially ran out of home roast from December and today I made a starbucks Ethiopian in the chemex.

Now I get tired of all the starbucks bashing but this stuff is horrible. It says it's a medium roast but it's definitely a French roast. Describes berries and dark cocoa - Nope'i get campfire ash flavors.

Can't wait to finish this remodel and get back to the good coffee

 

[1977Brewer]

I've been so busy with my house remodel (redoing the second floor - surprise:there's plaster under the drywall of the 5 walls I'm taking down).

So I officially ran out of home roast from December and today I made a starbucks Ethiopian in the chemex.

Now I get tired of all the starbucks bashing but this stuff is horrible. It says it's a medium roast but it's definitely a French roast. Describes berries and dark cocoa - Nope'i get campfire ash flavors.

Can't wait to finish this remodel and get back to the good coffee

All Starbucks aside from the green roast tastes like burning. Stuff sucks. I've really been enjoying Trader Joes Costa Rican blend, until I got my toaster. Don't think I'll be buying store roast at all anymore. I've even started a blend jar of all the leftovers from other batches, and that even makes a better cup than anything I've bought.

Thinking about cleaning up the old Moka Pot and trying some poor man's espresso in the morning with the blended stuff. It's got three origins and at least four different roast levels, makes for a real interesting French press.

 

[TrickyDick]

For a nice roast from a commercial roaster, try some stuff from Klatch, from Blue Bottle, or from George Howell (thanks a lot Jammin... This stuff is like crack, but costs more!)

I am taking a short break from home roasting while I brew through three 12 oz pouches I bought from George Howell. I got a 20% off coupon for my next order too. Was like $80 with two day shipping. The columbian la Esperanza is fantastic! There are two Kenyans I bought also and are very nice. All are lighter roasts and tons of flavor and aroma from these that keeps going even after the coffee has cooled. Particularly the columbian.

TD.

 

[JonW]

Now I get tired of all the starbucks bashing but this stuff is horrible. It says it's a medium roast but it's definitely a French roast. Describes berries and dark cocoa - Nope'i get campfire ash flavors.

There's a reason they've earned the nickname "Charbucks".

 

[DrunkleJon]

Roasted another batch last night. This mornings cup is so much better. It looks more like coffee. It smells more like coffee. It tastes more like coffee. I think with my first batch I must have ended up with a light city roast. This time I actually could differentiate the cracks from each other.

 

[ChefRex]

I made a big enough dent in my supply that I can play with my roaster this weekend.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Roasted up some Tanzanian tonight - this was my first roast in 3 weeks. Sure felt good and the smells were great.

 

[TrickyDick]

Roasted up some Tanzanian tonight - this was my first roast in 3 weeks. Sure felt good and the smells were great.

Don't think I've had Tanzanian before, no, scratch that, Peaberry roasted by Peet's. I recall I liked it.

I've been trying to dial in my Kalita pour over with the George Howell coffee I treated myself to as a Christmas gift.

This morning I used 27.7g ground coffee. Same issue. About half goes through fine, the other half is like a stuck sparge. Maybe I don't know all the tricks to pour over brewing to avoid this. Maybe my grounds are too fine (though I doubt). I wonder if the channel at the bottom of the cup gets bogged down with sagging filter material? I think what I might try is to use one of those SS screens I ordered to modify my HotTop, and cut a circle to fit the bottom of the Kalita, then report back.

TD

 

[passedpawn]

Don't think I've had Tanzanian before, no, scratch that, Peaberry roasted by Peet's. I recall I liked it.

I've been trying to dial in my Kalita pour over with the George Howell coffee I treated myself to as a Christmas gift.

This morning I used 27.7g ground coffee. Same issue. About half goes through fine, the other half is like a stuck sparge. Maybe I don't know all the tricks to pour over brewing to avoid this. Maybe my grounds are too fine (though I doubt). I wonder if the channel at the bottom of the cup gets bogged down with sagging filter material? I think what I might try is to use one of those SS screens I ordered to modify my HotTop, and cut a circle to fit the bottom of the Kalita, then report back.

TD

I use the SS Kalita every day and it drains fine. It does slow down at the end of my 30g/500ml sparge. I'd say my grind is slightly more coarse than a commercial grind (pre-ground coffee from the store).

I've been pouring with a new Kalita gooseneck I just got (thanks for the recommendation @jammin). It's so much lighter than the VERY heavy cast iron thing I was using before. I love it.

 

[TrickyDick]

How long does it take for you to brew? I didn't have this problem with my home.roasted coffee, which makes no sense to me. I'll adjust the grind and brew another cup to see where that takes me.

 

[passedpawn]

How long does it take for you to brew? I didn't have this problem with my home.roasted coffee, which makes no sense to me. I'll adjust the grind and brew another cup to see where that takes me.

I think it's about 3m. I haven't timed it, but I'm going to make another bit right now and I'll post back.

 

[passedpawn]

Woops. It's 6m (for 500ml). Slows down quite a bit at the end. So, it was almost done at 4m, and the last 100ml or so took a while.

I felt my grind vs some commercial grind. Mine felt like coarse sand, and the commercial felt like fine sand. So mine is a bit coarser than the commercial.

 

[ChefRex]

Finally got to roast a couple 1/4 Lb batches,
El Salvador Finca Monte Verde,
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1452450613.534080.jpg and
Colombia Huila Sepremo,
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1452450682.503444.jpg

 

[passedpawn]

I'm buying more beans this wkend, so I'm looking back through this thread for suggestions.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Tricky, have you tried pouring more into the center of the cone rather than the outside? Maybe the finer grinds are flushing to the base of the filter.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Following up on the Tanzanian:

The wife made statements such as, "It's unlike anything I've had before" and, "I'm not saying it's bad".

To be honest, it was a little unique. One sip would taste like roasted barley (making me want to brew a beer), and the next would have bakers chocolate. I had an interesting mishap with the roaster where it went into Error and skipped the cooling cycle, so when I checked on them 10 mins after dropping the roast, the beans and roaster were still very hot to the touch, so I'm wondering if they had some sort of kind of baked effect.

Time will tell, and I'll try another roast of it soon enough.

 

[ba-brewer]

I had an interesting mishap with the roaster where it went into Error and skipped the cooling cycle, so when I checked on them 10 mins after dropping the roast, the beans and roaster were still very hot to the touch, so I'm wondering if they had some sort of kind of baked effect.

It is funny that the roaster does not just switch to cooling mode instead of just sitting there stewing if you dont hit the start button.

I had a few roasts terminated early because I was not watching close enough. I now have a kitchen timer I set to go off a few seconds before the behmor wants you to press start again.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

It is funny that the roaster does not just switch to cooling mode instead of just sitting there stewing if you dont hit the start button.

I had a few roasts terminated early because I was not watching close enough. I now have a kitchen timer I set to go off a few seconds before the behmor wants you to press start again.

I had actually dropped the roast and was in Cooling mode, just like normal. But at some point, I'm thinking about 3 mins into cooling mode, the roaster went into "Err 7" if I remember right - which I hadn't seen before. Before I get excited about it, I'll assume it was a fluke and see if it happens again. I am going to need to watch it more closely during Cooling mode though just to be sure it doesn't happen again.

 

[TallDan]

I had actually dropped the roast and was in Cooling mode, just like normal. But at some point, I'm thinking about 3 mins into cooling mode, the roaster went into "Err 7" if I remember right - which I hadn't seen before. Before I get excited about it, I'll assume it was a fluke and see if it happens again. I am going to need to watch it more closely during Cooling mode though just to be sure it doesn't happen again.

Strange. I usually walk away during cooling.

 

[banesong]

Okay, downside to the new roaster. Head gets hot + cold outside = brittle glass. Feck.

View attachment 1452553937724.jpg

 

[ChefRex]

Okay, downside to the new roaster. Head gets hot + cold outside = brittle glass. Feck.

That sux, I assume it's available as a replacement?

 

[banesong]

That sux, I assume it's available as a replacement?

Yeah, at 20$. Gonna contact the manufacturer and see what they say.

Really, heat, cold, brittle, crack. Really?

 

[jammin]

Yeah, at 20$. Gonna contact the manufacturer and see what they say.

Really, heat, cold, brittle, crack. Really?

should have told them you only roast in a temp controlled environment and not have even felt the least bit guilty. thats garbage they wont send a free replacement.

fix and put it up for sale on coffeegeek or home barista. it will get snapped up quickly.

take the money and buy a used bread machine on craigslist (or steal the one your mother inlaw doesnt use) and pair it with a heat gun. alternatively, a stir cray/turbo oven combo is very capable and probably the best home made roaster out there.

^either one of those options will give you larger capacity (roughly 12oz green) and greater control over the roast.

 

[ChefRex]

@banesong ,by any chance you want to go with the stir crazy option, I have a base I started modifying you're welcome to.
I started on it and got a defective convection oven, stalled and bought the Behmor.

 

[banesong]

@banesong ,by any chance you want to go with the stir crazy option, I have a base I started modifying you're welcome to.
I started on it and got a defective convection oven, stalled and bought the Behmor.

Thanks. I like the FreshRoast, but want to give the manufacturer a chance. Given that it was a Christmas gift, this sucks.

 

[DrunkleJon]

It is funny that the roaster does not just switch to cooling mode instead of just sitting there stewing if you dont hit the start button.

I had a few roasts terminated early because I was not watching close enough. I now have a kitchen timer I set to go off a few seconds before the behmor wants you to press start again.

I hate that catch you not paying attention 'feature'. I am sorry, I am ADD. I cant pay attention that long to counting down numbers.

Okay, downside to the new roaster. Head gets hot + cold outside = brittle glass. Feck.

That is a lotta suck. You are welcome to borrow mine some time.

How do you all store your green beans? Coffee beans that is. Do they need to be stored specially.

 

[1977Brewer]

How do you all store your green beans? Coffee beans that is. Do they need to be stored specially.

SM says they're fine in the bag they come in. I would assume cool and dry is best. My 4 lb sampler is down to a half lb already, so I don't foresee having to store beans very long.

 

[banesong]

That is a lotta suck. You are welcome to borrow mine some time.

How do you all store your green beans? Coffee beans that is. Do they need to be stored specially.

Heard from the manufacturer, they are sending me a replacement glass! Thanks though.

SM says they're fine in the bag they come in. I would assume cool and dry is best. My 4 lb sampler is down to a half lb already, so I don't foresee having to store beans very long.

I do the same thing; they sit in my beer cellar until they go bye-bye.

 

[passedpawn]

I just bought a new brewer, the OXO 9-cup. Fun times ahead. Hope it makes similar coffee to my pour-over.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YEYKK8U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20