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

[Minky]

That is a lot of residue for just 3 pounds of coffee and Harbor Town Brewing's advice to "take care of your lungs" came just as I had learned about a potential danger from the roasting process. I was watching a YouTube video the other night about "popcorn lung", which has been known for some time as an occupational hazard for workers in plants that produce microwave popcorn and, to a lesser extent, people who pop a lot of the product at home. The problem comes from the compound, diacetyl, which is well known to us brewers as a byproduct of the fermentation process. Diacetyl is used in microwave popcorn to impart a butter flavor.

The problem for the factory workers came from breathing the diacetyl fumes which, with enough exposure, causes an irreversible obstructive lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans. The video went on to cite other sources for this airborne diacetyl, which included coffee roasting! I did a little research to see just how much of a problem it might be for home roasters and, despite the fact that commercial roasters know of the risk and have taken measures to minimize exposure, there didn't seem to be a clear answer on how much exposure is too much.

I found some discussion about this on some of the home roaster sites, but I don't know how widespread this knowledge is among home roasters. I am currently using a Behmor which doesn't have a means to vent to the outside and I wonder what sort of risk I may be taking in the winter when I'm roasting in a closed garage. While I don't roast large quantities, I am considering the purchase of a roaster with outdoor venting capabilities just to be on the safe side.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

@Minky you may be able to vent your Behmor if you want to work at it a bit. I had rigged one up a while back when I had mine. While I don't have any pictures of exactly what I did, I found a couple other pictures that'll give you the idea.

Essentially I took of the back/top vent cover piece and screwed on a piece of thin metal I cut in a rough circle shape with a square hole cut for the exhaust to come out.

Then I glued a 4 inch duct connector piece to this flat metal piece. And to that I connected flex duct that went to a dryer vent cover that I put into a 1x12,which I then slid into a window whenever I would roast.

Below are a couple pics showing the flat metal piece that the duct had been glued to. And then also a pic showing how I ducted out through the window. (never mind the bullet, it was a similar setup for my Behmor back in the day).

 

[Minky]

Good idea, HTB
I do a lot of my own fabricating and it occurred to me that that sort of thing would be possible and I just may do something like that. Of course, I have been compiling a mental list of reasons to justify the purchase of another roaster (330 degree max, afterburner heat dip, no chaff removal, etc.) and that may end up being the thing that finally makes me pull the trigger on something new. The Bullet is looking better all the time!

I was just surprised that, after all the years I have been roasting, I was totally unaware of the diacetyl issue and thought it would be a good idea to share the info with others who may also have been unaware.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Just placed an order for greens, and I'm starting to see increased coffee prices. The same beans I bought last year are up anywhere from 10% to 25%. Same bean, same supplier, just a new year. I had a feeling it was coming but was hoping it wouldn't be that large of an increase.

I sell bags on the side for hobby money (it pays for other hobbies) but I'm feeling a little less motivated if there's going to be less money to be made. The people I sell to are friends and I know everyone is feeling a little more squeezed these days. Sure, I could up the price a buck a bag, but I guess I struggle with that on principle.

The underlying factor here may be my 8 month old who is very adorable but also very needy, and I feel stretched thin enough.

Anyways, was curious if anyone else is seeing greens that haven't gone up too hard yet. The places I looked at today were Burmans and Sweet Maria's. Both had similar increased prices - I'm sure its across the board.

 

[pshankstar]

@HarborTownBrewing I haven’t looked into it but now it makes me wonder… Maybe I’ll pull some of my old invoices and make a spreadsheet???
I was starting to run low on beans and decided to buy from Burman since it’s been a while. They had a Labor Day shipping deal and some beans on sale too. So why not get 2lbs of various beans?

 

[ba-brewer]

I have a spreadsheet to keep track of the green beans I have on hand. I keep track of the purchase date and the last roast of the coffees I have and use that to help determine what I am going to roast.

Also helps to figure out what I should order. I keep my beans in igloo cooler that can hold about 33lb and still close the lid. When I hit about 20lbs I order more coffee to fill it back up.

 

[pshankstar]

Has anyone bought from Coffee Bean Direct? If so, what’s your thoughts on the ?
Their prices seem reasonable but I’m not sold on what I’m seeing regarding the beans. Maybe I’m just used to Sweet Maria’s, Burman, Bodhi Leaf, etc…

 

[pshankstar]

Joe Glo Cleaner is amazing! It cleans the coffee stains in mugs (ceramic & stainless steel) as well as carafes (glass too). Hot water, some cleaner, stir and sit for 10 minutes. Rinse well and bam!!!

 

[TallDan]

Also: PBW

 

[ba-brewer]

I use oxyclean clear free in my coffee pot stainless steel carafe and works well too. Run some water through the machine into the carafe to get it nice and hot then let it sit for a while. I think it needs more than 10min though.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'm hoping this is a blueberry bomb without specifically calling out "bomb" (though subtly implying it a bit?). 10 lbs headed my way, I'll report back after I've tried it. It's been a looooooong time since I had any blueberry bombs.

https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-yirga-cheffe-mengesha-farm-7368.html

 

[passedpawn]

After a lifetime of putting it off, I'm finally reading Out of Africa. I'm an avid reader and this one kept slipping down my list, but now it's forefront.

Not sure how it will turn out, but she (author) owns a coffee plantation in Africa. Just a suggestion. She has 600 acres of coffee trees.

 

[TallDan]

I'm hoping this is a blueberry bomb without specifically calling out "bomb" (though subtly implying it a bit?). 10 lbs headed my way, I'll report back after I've tried it. It's been a looooooong time since I had any blueberry bombs.

https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-yirga-cheffe-mengesha-farm-7368.html

They score it pretty high. Even if it’s not a berry bomb, it will probably be a pretty good coffee with at least some berries. I’m deciding between 10lb or going crazy for 20.

 

[pshankstar]

Between @HarborTownBrewing initial post of the delicious Ethiopian bean at SM’s and @TallDan joining the party, I was feeling some FOMO. So I just pulled the trigger on these beans.

Ethiopia Dry Process Yirga Cheffe Mengesha Farm
SKU: GCX-7368-005
5lbs

Kenya Kiambu Fram Farm Peaberry
SKU: GCX-7272-002
2lbs

Guatemala Xinabajul Producers
SKU: GCX-7318-002
2lbs

Nicaragua Jinotega La Bastilla Estate
SKU: GCX-7355-002
2lbs

Java Dry Process Kuningan Robusta
SKU: GCX-7286-002
2lbs

Zambia Mafinga Peaberry
SKU: GCX-7304-002
2lbs

I think I picked some good variety. I’m hopeful next year I can upgrade to the Bullet roaster. Then I’ll be buying minimums of 5lbs beans.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

@pshankstar There's a reason I didn't mention it to you jokers about it until I got my order confirmation!

 

[pshankstar]

It’s been slow around here.

Tonight I did some work to my Encore grinder. The ring burr holder broke last week, two of the three tabs broke and the third was partially broke. So I decided to buy the M2 burr plus a new ring burr & holder. Not a bad repair but a bit time consuming mainly with getting the shaft out. Now it’s grinding consistently!

It’s crazy how noticeable the coffee tasted when the grind was so inconsistent!

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

It’s been slow around here.

Tonight I did some work to my Encore grinder. The ring burr holder broke last week, two of the three tabs broke and the third was partially broke. So I decided to buy the M2 burr plus a new ring burr & holder. Not a bad repair but a bit time consuming mainly with getting the shaft out. Now it’s grinding consistently!

It’s crazy how noticeable the coffee tasted when the grind was so inconsistent!

I'm thinking I had the same issue with the tabs breaking, a long time ago. Come to think of it, once I changed the holder it was indeed noticeable how much better the coffee was. Always a good excuse to get into the grinder and deep clean it, anyways.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Work blocked hbt from my computer (along with bass pro shops, binnys, and nearly every other hobby related website I visit...) so I've struggled to come on here. Thanks @pshankstar for refreshing the thread!

Tis the season over here. Annual Christmas Blend, with a combination of a South American bean and an African bean. I'm not spilling the beans on which ones, though.

 

[NeilMac]

Coffee in short supply here Distributor does not know when new coffee coming in.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Just totaled my roasting numbers for the year, I roasted 214.5 Lbs in 2022. Oddly consistent with the last few years:

2022: 214.5 lbs
2021: 205.5 lbs
2020: 220.5 lbs
2019: 140 lbs

 

[TallDan]

I'll play:

2022: 64.75
2021: 48.5
2020: 63.5
2019: 48.5
2018: 38.5
2017: 40.5
2016: 40
2015: 37.5

That's all pre-roast weight in pounds. I think my usage was very consistent, but my wife's usage of home roasted coffee has been the variable in the above.

212lb in 214 batches roasted on my Mill City since i got it in April 2019. I had 168lb / 350 batches in my spreadsheet for the behmor in 2015-2019, and if i recall correctly, maybe 10-20lb before i started tracking it in January 2015.

 

[pshankstar]

Has anyone bought any beans recently that really impressed you? I’m looking for any suggestions.
I’m going to need to place an order probably sometime mid to late February.

 

[corkybstewart]

My wife got an espresso machine for Christmas and loves it. She got hooked at our daughter's house and they gave us one. The daughter uses store bought beans and says her homeroast wasn't really suitable for espresso because of the oil content. I noticed that when we first started using it my beans were several weeks old and the machine worked great. But now I have freshly roasted beans and the espresso takes forever to make-it's very good, but it goes very slow. Is my daughter right about the oil, and will I have to start buying beans for my wife's espresso? Daughter has a high end unit, we have a starter level machine.

 

[TallDan]

Try grinding a little coarser and/or using less coffee in the basket.

Not sure what you’re referring to with oil content. Home roasted coffee is just as good for espresso as commercially roasted as long as you like the taste of it.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'm hoping this is a blueberry bomb without specifically calling out "bomb" (though subtly implying it a bit?). 10 lbs headed my way, I'll report back after I've tried it. It's been a looooooong time since I had any blueberry bombs.

https://www.sweetmarias.com/ethiopia-dry-process-yirga-cheffe-mengesha-farm-7368.html

I finally got around to roasting this last week and have been thoroughly enjoying it.

The blueberry definitely comes through heavy in the aroma but does manage to also show up on the tongue as well. Not the most blueberry forward one I've had, but honesty probably the most complex of them because there are so many complimentary flavors in this coffee that are balanced so perfectly. After about 5 days of rest I noticed it take on a chocolate/caramel backbone which was a really pleasant surprise.

All in all I'm glad I picked up 10 pounds of this, though I know we will struggle to work through it because most of what we drink are the "leftovers" I bag for others. I have to make a point to enjoy this coffee while it's still fresh though.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

My wife got an espresso machine for Christmas and loves it. She got hooked at our daughter's house and they gave us one. The daughter uses store bought beans and says her homeroast wasn't really suitable for espresso because of the oil content. I noticed that when we first started using it my beans were several weeks old and the machine worked great. But now I have freshly roasted beans and the espresso takes forever to make-it's very good, but it goes very slow. Is my daughter right about the oil, and will I have to start buying beans for my wife's espresso? Daughter has a high end unit, we have a starter level machine.

I don't know the science of it but I do know that well rested coffee always did much better for my espresso than fresh. I would usually not pull shots from anything younger than 2, preferably 3 weeks.

Not sure about oil content. I hardly roast anything past 18 percent development and get amazing shots. Or if you go to a third wave coffee shop, they are pulling shots with light roasted coffee. One of my best shots was a 13 percent developed Kenyan that was about 3 weeks post roast. There was no oil there!

 

[TallDan]

I don't know the science of it but I do know that well rested coffee always did much better for my espresso than fresh. I would usually not pull shots from anything younger than 2, preferably 3 weeks.

that’s a good point. It’s hard to get a good espresso if the coffee is too fresh. Unless you go out of your way buying commercially roasted coffee, that’s rarely a problem. But for home roasting it’s a different story.

The primary issue with coffee that is too fresh is that it has a bunch of co2 in it. It’s less than ideal with any brew method, but more noticeable with espresso. I wouldn’t expect that to necessarily lead to a slow shot though.

 

[TrickyDick]

Been away for awhile.

I agree for drip is the same.
Supposedly "freshness" is a real thing but so is "rested" coffee a thing. In my experience I have enjoyed fresh roasted coffee less when brewed within 10 days of roasting, than when brewed after that. I think It needs to be rested for optimal flavor, and I am not sure why. The whole reason I got into this damn thing was because a buddy told me coffee was going bad after 14 day from roasting. I do not think that is true any more.

To me, the main problem I have with most coffee is that they roast the **** out of it and all the character is gone, only the roast character. Its analagous to steak cooked well done vs medium rare.

On top of that is just bad beans, bad roast, no idea what good coffee is, or how to make the most from what the coffee beans that you have. Many variables there too.

Bottom line for me, I know what I like and what I don't, AND I know how to make what like for myself, but hard to find it elsewhere.

That said, I found a NEW coffee place! Its called "The Standard" They make good coffee. I do not think they roast their own. I think is a small chain here in FL and perhaps in MI also. One roaster they feature is called "Ligature" I think this roaster and may be just one person I think, has a similar perspective as I do when it comes to roasting. He seems far better at it than me however. Check out the website I think you can search on it. The scheme seems to be lighter roasts without being underdeveloped to enhance sweetness and fruit and other character without being "Roast character" dominant. Certainly this week at two of their shops I had shockingly great coffee that was sweet not bitter and very smooth and aromatic.

This new coffee shop I think features micro roasters that rotate each month, and there are shops nearby at least two of the offices I work at! This month is "ligature" like I said I think its been central american and south american origin. The roasts have been light with smooth and sweet and some fruity flavor. This afternoon cup was a little watery brew for my taste as compared to the brew from this morning. They give $1 refills after initial purchase and I can be there and back to my main office at 2 different offices in less than 10 min. but otherwise been very happy with having a GOOD commerical coffee shop!!

This weekend I plan to roast and get back into it. I been too lazy lately.

I got some of the Sweet Marias Ethiopia DP Benti nenka. The beans are extremely small, and I am worried it is going to screw with the roasting.
Has anyone roasted these yet or have advice? The beans are so small I think they will spill out of the drum ends and burn

BTW- I have mostly given up homebrewing and only post to this coffee thread anymore

TD

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

@TrickyDick i also haven't been brewing, probably in two plus years. Now that my baby is 14 months it's pretty impossible - if I'm in the kitchen, he wants to be there too and be held.

Coffee roasting is so rewarding for the time it requires (compared to brewing). There was a time we never bought beer but now days drinking an old home brew is special.

 

[corkybstewart]

Been away for awhile.

I agree for drip is the same.
Supposedly "freshness" is a real thing but so is "rested" coffee a thing. In my experience I have enjoyed fresh roasted coffee less when brewed within 10 days of roasting, than when brewed after that. I think It needs to be rested for optimal flavor, and I am not sure why.
BTW- I have mostly given up homebrewing and only post to this coffee thread anymore

TD

I let my coffee rest about 4 days before I drink the first cup, then it takes another 2 weeks to finish each batch. After roasting I put the bucket of beans in the laundry room so I can smell when the beans are ready to use. I really don't notice any difference between the 4 day mark and the 15 day mark.
With retirement and moving to a new town, where we live in the woods pretty much by ourselves, I have gone from having a dozen different homebrews on tap to 4 maximum. Instead of 20 gallons a month I brew 10 gallons every 2 or 3 months. But after 20 years I've never quit roasting coffee-when my first Behmor died I tried to quit but the wife got pissed off and insisted I buy another. Gotta do what she says, right?