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

[passedpawn]

Oh - definitely don't turn the SC element back on.

Have you improved the stirring arm yet? Most folks do something as simple as adding coat hanger wire to more elaborate stirring fins. In any case, it is my understanding that larger stirring arms that extend towards the perimeter of the SC greatly assist in creating a more even roast.

If you haven't done that yet I'd love to see what you come up with & hear your results!

Right, my goal in the near future is to improve the stirring. Seems to be plenty of air flow and heat. Thanks.

 

[applescrap]

You are literally making me want to build another HG/BM kit....

Cheers to that. It is such a joy to roast. I do enjoy it, really. The heat gun is light and I don't mind holding it. What happened to your first rig? The roaster you use Now is really nice isn't it. If this place is going to turn into Amsterdam then I want to be the king of the coffee shop if you catch my drift

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Last night I received my beans for the Christmas Blend I'll be doing this year. The UPS man thought he was doing me a favor by hiding them behind my shrubs, but trying to lift a 30 lb box from 3.5 ft below my patio left me teetering on my belly with my feet above my head. Anyways....

I got the Columbia La Plata Productores (https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/colombia-la-plata-productores-pequenos-5255) and the Kenya Peaberry (which is apparently sold out now). Size wise, the two were identical, with the Columbian being a tad bit darker in color.

As Jammin mentioned, roasting PBs suck but the Kenyan roasted up very nicely and didn't give me any issues. The Columbian also roasted well; both roasts went exactly as planned.

I did 2 different profiles for each bean, and I'll cup them this weekend to select which profile I'll be going with for the blend. Then, I'll try a few different ratios for the blend.

I'll let you guys know how it goes and will probably post pics as well.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

And fwiw, SMs posted a page of sale items with some pretty decently discounted beans. One Burundi I had my eyes on is on sale and comes to like $4.40/lb with a 10lb purchase.

https://www.sweetmarias.com/category/twelve-days-of-coffee-sale

 

[applescrap]

@htb that Christmas blend sounds awesome! Man i love the burundi thanks.

Edit...Okay so I haven't bought much from Sweet Maria's so the more you get the cheaper it goes?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

@htb that Christmas blend sounds awesome! Man i love the burundi thanks.

Edit...Okay so I haven't bought much from Sweet Maria's so the more you get the cheaper it goes?

Generally, yes, the more you get the cheaper it is. So if you are thinking of getting 4 lbs (four 1 lb bags) you'd be better off with one 5 lb bag (for instance).

I usually by 5 or 10 or 20 lb bags from them and beans will be like $4.50-5.50.

 

[applescrap]

Wow these deals seem pretty good, no. Which burundi too?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I don't mean to brag, but...I've got like 4 lbs of roasted coffee sitting around the house right now...

Today I am trying some stuff from Java. I thought it'd be a good one to take a little deeper into the roast so I took it about 1 min past the end of 1C and it's really quite good. Chocolate, woody, tobacco, mint. It's almost like a really good cigar. I think the Indonesian islands have a lot of good coffee to offer, aside from Sumatra, but they don't tend to get a lot of attention (likely due to low output).

 

[Aristotelian]

@htb that Christmas blend sounds awesome! Man i love the burundi thanks.

Edit...Okay so I haven't bought much from Sweet Maria's so the more you get the cheaper it goes?

They have a high flat rate for shipping, so if you want to get any kind of deal at all you need to order 15 lbs at least, and if you want to get the most for your money you should order 20 lbs.

 

[applescrap]

Ordered 10 pounds of burundi from SM. My friend is getting half. Roasted el salvador angel something or other from bodhi this morning. The earthy scent that happens as it roasts almost made me sick for some reason. I dont usually mind it, but today it was really sweet and earthy and grassy and it was making me super barfy. Started a good solid 1c. at 1140. With smoke too, so I dialed back to 4 then 2 then 1 bar power over next minute and it was smoking away so I took heat off at 1240. Figured I would let it coast for a minute, but it was smoking and cracking and I didnt want to lose it, so took it out. It was still cracking as I threw it in the colander. Put the other colander on top and 60 seconds or so later it was ice cold from the blower. Don't think I have removed one during first crack before. I'm assuming coffee is well-developed but not sure it finished first crack. Here's a pic of chaff once again. I'm always amazed how light it is. As always welcome any thoughts. It was 24 degrees or so when I was roasting it, so some of the smoke could be steam too I guess.

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[jammin]

^i dumped a roast that barely started 1C the other night. It was great - don't sweat it.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Looks like a nice light roast. May take 8 or 10 days to smooth out.

I stalled a roast today just as 1C was starting by pulling back heat before the cracks got rolling. Ticked me off! I ended up getting more heat on it but it kind of skipped 1c then and I took it to the first snaps of 2C. I'll probably give it away.

 

[applescrap]

That el salvador angel is good. Love this roast. Should I try next batch dumping in middle of first crack? The bodhileaf coffee I have had has been good.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Anyone know anything about Faema grinders? http://www.thecoffeebrewers.com/fampncocogr.html

A place I frequented closed and they have one for auction. Current bid is like $120 and it closes tonight.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'll answer my own question. Did a little research and people say they are good, but tend to go for $300 used. At that price point they recommend spending a couple hundred more and getting something different.

 

[applescrap]

That looks worth 120!

 

[jammin]

Anyone know anything about Faema grinders? http://www.thecoffeebrewers.com/fampncocogr.html

A place I frequented closed and they have one for auction. Current bid is like $120 and it closes tonight.

It's designed for espresso and would need some mods for home use but it is acceptable for that purpose. Personally, i think there are better options in the class.

Edit: I see that you beat me to it

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Crazy last few days of roasting, putting together bags for people to give as gifts. This was just for one person. I don't think my lungs can handle much more of this smoke - I've got to hook up an exhaust through my window

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[HarborTownBrewing]

I stopped by a coffee shop I used to go to before I began roasting, and they are using and selling the Baratza Sette 270. I'd love to jump behind the counter and try it out!

Something about it, I just love the way it looks. It's...sensual?

 

[passedpawn]

I stopped by a coffee shop I used to go to before I began roasting, and they are using and selling the Baratza Sette 270. I'd love to jump behind the counter and try it out!

Something about it, I just love the way it looks. It's...sensual?

Uh yea, I'm sure if you let the shop owner know of your secret feelings for that grinder, he'll give you a few minutes alone on the other side of the counter. Just be careful man.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

"Yo, you mind if I take her into the corner and we grind a bit? I just need like, 3 mins."

 

[applescrap]

For some reason I think we are not talking about coffee. I feel the same way about Titleist golf clubs and am I the only person who the song Faithfully by Journey reminds them of golf. I dunno. What if he tells him how he feels about his grinder and things get awkward. And now there's jealousy issues. Side note...I love the bags and labels for the Christmas Blend Harbortown.

 

[applescrap]

Merry chrisstmas eve. Roasted the five pounds of burundi for Christmas presents. It was good to roast 4 batches in a row I think. Also I figured out a hands-free option which also helps with consistency and time. I thought i was under roasting and it seems turning the heat down before the crack and during it really hurts the crack. Stalls it a little, (maybe exacerbated by the cold), weakens the crack, and also incomplete cracks. So I went hands-free and decided to not turn the heat down at all till it was done. First crack at 10 min on the next three batches exactly. The first I pulled at about a minute and 30, minute and 40, felt like it was good, but I wanted to try darker and to hear second crack for crying out loud. Well at two minutes the next one went into second crack and it was full steam ahead. It was snapping and cracking as I put it in colander to cool. It also chipped up a little as I blew it to cool it. The next one I stopped just before 2 minutes and second crack. Interesting to me how close second crack and where I like it done meet. Curiously they all look pretty similar in color. The Kenyan I roasted for my friend came out really light. As I was turning the heat down during first crack and I'm not sure it completely cracked. It expresses wild flavors in the cup. My friend says it's his favorite. It is the Kenyan on Steve's favorites at Bodhi leaf. The Ethiopian on Steve's favorites is the best coffee I've had hands down. Beautiful flavors of berry and Jam. It's also the most expensive coffee that I've ever bought from them. Anyways best wishes and happy holidays. Ps we wrapped them in a paper sack from Michaels with a little Santa belt sticker.

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[HarborTownBrewing]

Thanks for posting Apple that looks like your really getting the hang of your setup.

I got my parents a Cuisinart burr grinder to replace their 25 year old blade grinder. They were super excited for it but I wasnt sure how good it would be.

It's fantastic. For drip and press, I can't imagine a better automatic option for the money ($40 after bed bath coupon). We made a pot of coffee and it's by far the best I've ever had in their pot simply because of the uniform grind. It handled a press grind very well too and produced a great cup.

Just more proof that sometimes the best upgrade to a system can be a grinder.

 

[passedpawn]

Someone sent me some cervet poop coffee.

 

[ChefRex]

Someone sent me some cervet poop coffee.

Poop!

 

[ba-brewer]

If someone sends you Kopi Luwak do they like you or are they angry with you?

 

[passedpawn]

If someone sends you Kopi Luwak do they like you or are they angry with you?

It's my brother Like?

I guess I'll brew with it in the next few days. Not sure what to expect.

 

[ba-brewer]

I had a conversation with my sister once about kopi luwak coffee and was thinking about sending her some to try, but I figure I should try it first. The coffee sat for a couple months because I could not bring myself to try it. If my wife did not unknowingly make the coffee when we were out of fresh roast coffee it might still be in the cupboard. The civet processing is probable no worst then some of the processing tanks wet coffee go through.

 

[ChefRex]

I would 100% try it, just not paying big money for it.