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

[Bigscience]

Visiting family is a rough one. I brought my Aeropress, grinder and my own coffee down so I didn't have to drink what they do.


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[TallDan]

Visiting family is a rough one. I brought my Aeropress, grinder and my own coffee down so I didn't have to drink what they do.


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😃 My mom begs me to bring The espresso machine when I come to visit. I also brought plenty of home roasted coffee for myself.

 

[Pappers_]

😃 My mom begs me to bring The espresso machine when I come to visit. I also brought plenty of home roasted coffee for myself.

Sounds like you know what to get her for her birthday!

My in-laws won't even use the Mr. Coffee I gave them a few years ago - why go to all that trouble when you can just stir in a teaspoonful of Maxwell House Instant?!?!?

 

[passedpawn]

Sounds like you know what to get her for her birthday!

My in-laws won't even use the Mr. Coffee I gave them a few years ago - why go to all that trouble when you can just stir in a teaspoonful of Maxwell House Instant?!?!?

If you're gonna do drip, the Bunn makers are really cool. Fastest drip coffee in the West (they cheat by preheating the water).

I got a Clever Dripper for Christmas. Looking forward to giving that a try tomorrow. I've got some home roast. I'll do a side-by-side with my french press.

 

[MichaelBrock]

Sounds like you know what to get her for her birthday!

My in-laws won't even use the Mr. Coffee I gave them a few years ago - why go to all that trouble when you can just stir in a teaspoonful of Maxwell House Instant?!?!?

When visiting with Scottish friends they asked if I wanted instant or drip coffee. I opted for drip...which was the same instant coffee just put into a drip coffee pot and "brewed" by it!

 

[TallDan]

Sounds like you know what to get her for her birthday!

not really. I think I am only slightly better than Starbucks to her and that's only because I brew coffee in her house. She has no interest in brewing it herself.

edit: typos make all the difference

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Ok, so maybe I need a burr grinder to tell a difference but I always prefer my cuisinart drip machine over my French press. Tried all different grinds and coffees but the French press always has too much sediment in the cup. Either that or I need remedial French press training.

I don't see the Indian Peaberry kick I've been on going away anytime soon either. I've gone through about 10 pounds now and it always hits all the right buttons. Used 1/2lb in a 5 gal batch of 12%abv RIS that also had cacao nibs soaked in bourbon and it was by far the best beer I've ever made.

 

[jammin]

a burr grinder is essential to good coffee.

extremely important in french press. you want a slightly coarse grind that is very consistent. blade grinders yield "dust and boulders" which makes a bitter and tart brew.

even a low end burr grinder makes terrible french press grounds.


it's a tough pill to swallow, but it costs a lot of money to get into a good coffee grinder. it's worth it though if you really want a proper cup.

 

[PJoyce85]

I knew I never should have clicked on this thread. I have been roasting coffee off and on for about 10 years, but have not roasted much in the last couple. I just spent 20 minutes reading the thread and another 30 minutes on the net learning what the Behmor 1600 plus is. I CANT AFFORD TO RESTART ANOTHER HOBBIE!!

But I really like that roaster!

My same feeling.

I was reading all of this after recently getting into coffee and was looking for mostly ideas of some different coffees to try, but now......

My wife is a little pissy that I took up a large section of counter space in our somewhat smaller kitchen, but she is always asking me for coffee drinks now. I think I won the battle. Just until she sees what I have coming in the mail

 

[Pappers_]

not really. I think I am only slightly better than Starbucks to her and that's only because I brew coffee in her house. She has no interest in brewing it herself.

edit: typos make all the difference

That's really funny. Hey at least you're as good as Starbucks to her

 

[Pappers_]

Back in the warm confines of Maison du Pappers, ground some dark roast coffee, its brewing now, filling the kitchen with that wonderful aroma. Life is good. Two days of Maxwell House Instant and it feels like I just got out of prison.

 

[passedpawn]

I'm on my 2nd large cup of deliciousness this morning. Roasted the beans a few days ago, oils are starting to show on the surface of the beans.

I used this clever dripper gadget for steeping the grounds. 4 minutes and into the cup. It's such a satisfying, smooth cup of coffee with tons of nutty flavor and no acrid bitterness. I could sip this all day.

 

[Pappers_]

I'm on my 2nd large cup of deliciousness this morning. Roasted the beans a few days ago, oils are starting to show on the surface of the beans.

I used this clever dripper gadget for steeping the grounds. 4 minutes and into the cup. It's such a satisfying, smooth cup of coffee with tons of nutty flavor and no acrid bitterness. I could sip this all day.

Cool dripper. Do you use a filter in that?

 

[passedpawn]

Cool dripper. Do you use a filter in that?

I do. There are gold metal (foil) reusable filters, but I don't have that. Paper filters are kinda nice so that you don't get any sediment in the coffee if you fine grind, which I do.

 

[PJoyce85]

So if you guys had to recommend one way to make coffee, which would it be? I have an espresso machine, a French press and an Aeropress, which is still on the way, but any secrets I'm missing?

 

[passedpawn]

So if you guys had to recommend one way to make coffee, which would it be? I have an espresso machine, a French press and an Aeropress, which is still on the way, but any secrets I'm missing?

This morning's coffee was perfect for me in every way (steeped for 4 minutes in my Cleaver Dripper). But I'm going to do same beans in my French press tomorrow AM, so I'll reserve judgement till then.

 

[jammin]

So if you guys had to recommend one way to make coffee, which would it be? I have an espresso machine, a French press and an Aeropress, which is still on the way, but any secrets I'm missing?

The Aeropress is the most forgiving brewer Ive ever used. It not fussy about grind consistency or brew temp. I like to use the inverted method with a total of 2 minutes brew time. 14g grams coffee and top off aeropress - steep 2 minutes.

I like to get my Hario vac-pots out every so often but I don't like cleaning the cloth filters and the process is kinda involved.


French Press is my favorite brewing method and I own or have owned mostly everything that has hit the market.

 

[PJoyce85]

The Aeropress is the most forgiving brewer Ive ever used. It not fussy about grind consistency or brew temp. I like to use the inverted method with a total of 2 minutes brew time. 14g grams coffee and top off aeropress - steep 2 minutes.



I like to get my Hario vac-pots out every so often but I don't like cleaning the cloth filters and the process is kinda involved.





French Press is my favorite brewing method and I own or have owned mostly everything that has hit the market.

I'm excited to try the Aeropress.

So what process do you use for French press? I use about 30g of coffee (4 round scoops) for my 4 cup. Water hits the grounds at ~200 and the timer starts. At 3.5 minutes I plunge slowly and that brings me right to 4 minutes then pour.

 

[jammin]

i use the standardized method of 7-8g of coffee per 5oz of brewing water. 4 minute steep. i have played around with weaker/stronger ratios and longer/shorter brewing times as well. I think the SCAA nailed it with this guidance.

 

[Bensiff]

Ok, so maybe I need a burr grinder to tell a difference but I always prefer my cuisinart drip machine over my French press. Tried all different grinds and coffees but the French press always has too much sediment in the cup. Either that or I need remedial French press training.

I don't see the Indian Peaberry kick I've been on going away anytime soon either. I've gone through about 10 pounds now and it always hits all the right buttons. Used 1/2lb in a 5 gal batch of 12%abv RIS that also had cacao nibs soaked in bourbon and it was by far the best beer I've ever made.

If you roast your own, the grinder is going to be the second most expensive piece of equipment. $300-$500 for a quality unit capable of consistently grinding from drip-Turkish. I prefer a good quality drip machine with paper filters as anything that leaves noticeable sediment seems muted in character to me.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

So if you guys had to recommend one way to make coffee, which would it be? I have an espresso machine, a French press and an Aeropress, which is still on the way, but any secrets I'm missing?

Man, it really depends on the bean, roast, and your preference. I always try each roast on the Press and Chemex and see which I prefer, and the flavors are always different. I'm partial to the press for many coffees, but I love the flavors of an Ethiopian or Guatemalan bean in pour over.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Speaking of Christmas travels and coffee, I took a few beans back to my parents and inlaws. I have a bag I pack my grinder, beans, scale, and brewer of choice in - all of which my father in law thinks is unnecessary and humorous...until he tried the coffee.

What I found very interesting was how well water affects the flavor. The coffee I was making at one house with well water did not taste nearly as good as at another house with city water.

 

[Bigscience]

If you Aeropress, check out the recipes on the World Areopress Championships. Clearly you can get fussy with it.

http://worldaeropresschampionship.com/recipes/


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[jammin]

Here's my travel/camping gear. Both grinders are hand made from Orphan Espresso and produce a superb grind. The jet boil French press is a great too.

 

[PJoyce85]

My baby girl and wife came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and this first night has been long. Needless to say say, I will be drinking A LOT of coffee today.

Some locally roasted beans here in Germany are making great espresso.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420520301.004437.jpg

 

[passedpawn]

My baby girl and wife came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and this first night has been long. Needless to say say, I will be drinking A LOT of coffee today.

Some locally roasted beans here in Germany are making great espresso.

Well, enjoy that cup and congrats!

My first cup of coffee EVER was when the nurses in the hospital offered me one while waiting for my first son to make an appearance. I drank a few that night, and never stopped.

 

[Rivenin]

Hello my fellow coffee addicts!
I've been interested for awhile to do this coffee roasting thing, so i put it on my christmas list... santa came through! with a popcorn roaster! which i wanted... so this works!
But the "Wrong" coffee roaster was purchased. While it worked, it still hit 2nd crack in under 4 minutes... the coffee was drinkable, but meh at best.
So instead of trying to return it or getting a different popcorn roaster i spent the next day or two reading on the interwebs... low and behold, there was a solution to this with the same exact issues i had with the same roaster... TOO DAMN HOT!
So, people were using a 4/3" all aluminum reducer and a 3cup flour sifter and calling it good! (incase anything got too hot, you could pull it away from the heat source a bit to keep things climbing, but slower...)
this worked!
However, i wasn't a fan of the amount of chaff i was getting... so my mind kicked in and designed mark1 chaff collector... a dollar tree cake pan, $4 ikea strainer and a $4 4" all aluminum duct from home depot (cut with my angle grinder)

Thought i would say HELLO! and start up some nonsence here as well!

here is my roaster in all it's glory! future mods are planned, but it's roasting VERY well already

 

[PJoyce85]

Well, enjoy that cup and congrats!



My first cup of coffee EVER was when the nurses in the hospital offered me one while waiting for my first son to make an appearance. I drank a few that night, and never stopped.

Thanks!

I don't know if an espresso and one cup are going to do it for the day, but we'll see.

 

[ChefRex]

My baby girl and wife came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and this first night has been long. Needless to say say, I will be drinking A LOT of coffee today.

Some locally roasted beans here in Germany are making great espresso.

View attachment 246938

Congratulations!

 

[passedpawn]

Hello my fellow coffee addicts!
I've been interested for awhile to do this coffee roasting thing, so i put it on my christmas list... santa came through! with a popcorn roaster! which i wanted... so this works!
But the "Wrong" coffee roaster was purchased. While it worked, it still hit 2nd crack in under 4 minutes... the coffee was drinkable, but meh at best.
So instead of trying to return it or getting a different popcorn roaster i spent the next day or two reading on the interwebs... low and behold, there was a solution to this with the same exact issues i had with the same roaster... TOO DAMN HOT!
So, people were using a 4/3" all aluminum reducer and a 3cup flour sifter and calling it good! (incase anything got too hot, you could pull it away from the heat source a bit to keep things climbing, but slower...)
this worked!
However, i wasn't a fan of the amount of chaff i was getting... so my mind kicked in and designed mark1 chaff collector... a dollar tree cake pan, $4 ikea strainer and a $4 4" all aluminum duct from home depot (cut with my angle grinder)

Thought i would say HELLO! and start up some nonsence here as well!

here is my roaster in all it's glory! future mods are planned, but it's roasting VERY well already

That thing at the top collects the chaff? That's pretty cool.

I set my roasted beans on a fan and the fan blows the chaff away. The pan is full of holes. Maybe I should post some more pics.

I'm sitting here drinking my home roasted at this moment.