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

[BrewinHooligan]

Just got these in, really excited to roast them. My house blend is a guat/Tanzanian blend (10 oz/6oz respectively) co roasted to full city plus that I brew exclusively in the aeropress. I really need to get off my ass and mod one of my bread machines soon.

View attachment 1499958493793.jpg

 

[ba-brewer]

Anyone have experience or suggestions on roasting coffee from Mexico?

A friend has been asking me to make him some, so I picked up this one: https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/mexico-org-tenejapa-kulaktik-coop-5369

One roast with is so far, where I took it kind of slow and ended about a min after 1C stopped. It kind of has a grape flavor and I can taste a bit of coconut, but it's just a little flat.

When you say "flat" do you mean low acid or low complexity or something else?

I have roasted that coffee recently, I did enjoy it but I can't tell you what flavors came out. I do know it was not acidic and there was not much shift in flavor as the coffee cooled.

I dont recall exactly how it was roasted by I roast most coffee about the same, take it up to just before 2nd crack or drop at the first few crackles to bring out some chocolate. I try to hit 1st crack in the 8 min to 8:30 range and drop about 12 maybe 13min. I cut back the heat some once 1st crack start and try for about 2min of 1st crack with a 2min delay to start of second.

 

[TrickyDick]

Roasting some beans for Espresso with Guatemala beans I have (Volcan de Fuego Guacatepeque). Not a real espresso aficionado, these are for a friend. Wondering if there is any "goal" when roasting. Thinking I'm going to take to beginning of 2C or just before depending on color.
Any suggestions let me know ASAP as I've already charged the roaster!

TD

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

When you say "flat" do you mean low acid or low complexity or something else?

Yeah, low complexity, not much distinguishable flavor. I had roasted it slow, it turns out (not fast like I originally stated). I pulled back a little heat from 3:00 - 4:30, then from about 9:30 - 10:15 during browning to add a touch of sweetness. At 1C I dropped all power for about 40 seconds, then gave it 100% power and brought it out of 1C (which lasted about 75 seconds). I dropped the roast about 60 seconds after 1C ended.

I tried the roast again, this time roasting it a little quicker which (after a quick taste test this morning) was more successful. I didn't slow the roast at the 3 min mark like the previous one. Everything else was the same. The result is a more developed coffee with almost an almond-like flavor and a nice sweetness. Now that it's cooled to room temp it tastes like cocoa powder.

It will be interesting to see how this one develops over the next couple days. As it sits, it's only about 2.5 days old, so it may very well continue to improve.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Roasting some beans for Espresso with Guatemala beans I have (Volcan de Fuego Guacatepeque). Not a real espresso aficionado, these are for a friend. Wondering if there is any "goal" when roasting. Thinking I'm going to take to beginning of 2C or just before depending on color.
Any suggestions let me know ASAP as I've already charged the roaster!

TD

I have seen a lot of people talk about roasting for espresso and how they thus will then take the roast into 2nd crack. But I don't really understand that (unless it tends to be because they are using lower grade Brazil or Robusto beans which don't benefit from a lighter roast). I typically just use my standard roasts for espresso, which usually means taking the beans to around a City+ roast.

That said, I'm far from an espresso aficionado so take it for what it's worth. I'm just saying, I don't think there is a necessary reason, other than many people do take their roasts that far.

 

[jammin]

damn this sounds good. DP El Salv!
https://www.royalcoffee.com/products/cj1134/


pacamara beans can be a little challenging to roast though due to their large size.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

That El Sal sounds good but yeah those are big and tough to roast, especially in the behmor where you can't control airflow. No matter how early I'd cut the power to the heating element I'd fly right through 1c and into 2nd

 

[applescrap]

damn this sounds good. DP El Salv!
https://www.royalcoffee.com/products/cj1134/


pacamara beans can be a little challenging to roast though due to their large size.

The discussion of the bean on that site is fun and enjoyable to me.


@harbortownbrewing I dont think I have liked any coffee that raced into 2nd crack

 

[jammin]

That El Sal sounds good but yeah those are big and tough to roast, especially in the behmor where you can't control airflow. No matter how early I'd cut the power to the heating element I'd fly right through 1c and into 2nd

That would frustrate me to no end. Peaberry varietals are like that for me - super hard to control. I wish they sold smaller amounts bc I'd love to try it on my new roaster.

The discussion of the bean on that site is fun and enjoyable to me.

i really enjoy it too. awesome to see actual roast notes and from more than 1 roast no less! i think if they sold these coffees in 5lb bags they'd have trouble shipping them out as fast as the orders come in.


I really want to try this one... if there are 3 people who want 5 or 6lbs let me know and I'll put it together.


anyways... got the roaster fired up right now and am about the charge it with some Colombian microlot. I might do another espresso roast to follow



colombian chemex roast:

Ethiopian for espresso:

 

[applescrap]

4 per pound for Ethiopian rophi sidamo, is the sale this week at bodhileaf. Ethiopians usually only go on sale once every 6 months at best. I Got 5 pounds for 26 shipped. Last week's Brazilian for $3 a pound was really good. I tried roasting them really fast again. This coffee took a long time to reach first crack though, surprisingly. First crack was at 11. I did two straight roasts. At full steam ahead, it was hard to pull coffees at the same time. Five or ten seconds in the end is huge. Since I didn't weigh the coffee, no way to do it by time. Either way I was sure not to leave it acidic, and on the flip side, it's not burnt. The lighter of the two just before first crack has an unbelievable quality and Sweetness in the cup. This was a really good value. I got one of their Colombian micro Lots as well and will update when I roast it. The code is rophi if you want the ethiopian dp. For me it has been harder to roast at full speed, full air, but based on these batches, there has been a desirable quality too.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Last night I roasted the Ethiopia Konga from Roastmasters. I opened the green bean bag for the first time and it had such an amazing smell of strawberry. I had a great roast, hit all the marks I wanted; now just to give it a couple days. I'm really excited for this one, so if it turns out as good as I expect I may buy more. Looks like it's still available. http://www.roastmasters.com/eth2.html

 

[passedpawn]

I had a client mtg at a starbucks recently and bought a bag of dark roasted beans (caffe verona ). They were oily right out of the bag. I thought I would hate them (impulse buy, didn't realize it was a dark roast), but I've been enjoying a lot. Smells just like dark chocolate.

I might take my next roast a little deeper into the dark continent. I'll call it Heart of Darkness.

 

[shelly_belly]

The Verona makes a decent cappuccino for a supermarket bean.

 

[jammin]

Last night I roasted the Ethiopia Konga from Roastmasters. I opened the green bean bag for the first time and it had such an amazing smell of strawberry. I had a great roast, hit all the marks I wanted; now just to give it a couple days. I'm really excited for this one, so if it turns out as good as I expect I may buy more. Looks like it's still available. http://www.roastmasters.com/eth2.html

the konga is great no doubt. the 2 different pour over roasts I've done we're great and forgiving. i did one roast for espresso which has been really tasty as well. the berries & sweetness come through both ways.

i must say though, the Guji from SM's is noticeably better in the pour over if you're looking for a similar coffee. Much fruitier with a more sparkling acidity. the one negative i have for this coffee is how quickly the flavor dies off; like off a cliff. it's unreal when fresh but after a week it just melts in the cup. aroma is still there but the flavor disappears. it's peak flavors are what you hope for though. Get it if you can.
https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/ethiopia-dry-process-mormora-guji-highland-5458

for the record, i would say both coffees are great. get both if you have the bandwidth. both are the type you wish you had access to in the off season.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

That's an interesting breakdown, Jammin.

Funny you mention the Guji. I ordered some coffee from SM's, but I think it was before the Guji was released, so I grabbed this Baraka Buna https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/ethiopia-yirga-cheffe-baraka-buna-5434. I have not roasted it yet though.

I'm really struggling with how much coffee I should be buying right now. I definitely have 30 lbs of 6 different varieties which I have only just started to touch. I have at least 25 lbs of other stuff in the cabinet right now.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I thought I would hate them (impulse buy, didn't realize it was a dark roast), but I've been enjoying a lot. Smells just like dark chocolate.

A little over a year ago, my wife and I took on a massive remodel at a house we just purchased. I took a week and a half off work to work at the house about 14 hrs a day, and both of our parents were coming into town to help on the weekends for about a month. Because of that, we were, as a house, consuming MASSIVE amounts of coffee. I mean, that one week where I was working 14 hrs+ at the house each day, carrying tubs of plaster and drywall, lifting walls, etc - I was so exhausted the only way I could function after day 5 was to drink as much coffee as my stomach allowed.

Because of all this, and because I didn't have time to roast, my wife picked up Lavazza Kilimanjarao (http://www.espressozone.com/lavazza...MI4P_E9YCY1QIVlEwNCh0NwAw2EAQYAiABEgJptfD_BwE) coffee. PREGROUND. As if store bought coffee weren't bad enough...I scoffed. "Woman, don't you know - I even have a grinder at the new house we can use?!?!"

But I'll tell you something - it was delicious. And I usually would hate to even say that, but in all seriousness, it was really really good in the auto drip machine. As a pour over in the Melitta, not so good, but it was really fantastic in the drip machine.

I drank a lot of that coffee, and I'd buy it again if I ever needed to. Every once in a while I think it's alright to buy a coffee like that from one of the "big boys". Kind of like how I'm planning to buy some Coors for this weekend.

 

[TrickyDick]

the konga is great no doubt. the 2 different pour over roasts I've done we're great and forgiving. i did one roast for espresso which has been really tasty as well. the berries & sweetness come through both ways.

i must say though, the Guji from SM's is noticeably better in the pour over if you're looking for a similar coffee. Much fruitier with a more sparkling acidity. the one negative i have for this coffee is how quickly the flavor dies off; like off a cliff. it's unreal when fresh but after a week it just melts in the cup. aroma is still there but the flavor disappears. it's peak flavors are what you hope for though. Get it if you can.
https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/ethiopia-dry-process-mormora-guji-highland-5458

for the record, i would say both coffees are great. get both if you have the bandwidth. both are the type you wish you had access to in the off season.

I have found that unlike some coffee, I prefer to drink Ethiopian (esp natural or dry process) light roasted coffee early, rather than allowing it to rest much. Seems that the great fruit and flavor note I like fade fast. I have noticed this while roasting larger batches so I can more easily keep up with my consumption, and can roast such that I am not brewing with unrested beans. If I let the beans rest for a week, it seems that the flavor is duller than I expected.

 

[TrickyDick]

Cold brew coffee.


How do folks here do it?
Some folks I work with claim regular drip coffee gives them heartburn, but cold brew doesn't. Last time I tried it, I didn't care for it much, but would like to try again. Any suggested bean/roast combinations?

TD.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Cold brew coffee.

Some folks I work with claim regular drip coffee gives them heartburn, but cold brew doesn't.

Are they getting heartburn from drinking dark roasts?

As for iced/cold coffee, I'm not a big fan but the only method I care for is the Japanese Iced Coffee. Basically, brew pour over just like normal, but replace half the water with in the cup or pitcher, then pour over the other half at normal ~201-205 degree water temp.

So for me, with the chemex, I did 45 grams of coffee, 360 grams of ice in the bottom of the chemex, then I poured in 360 grams of 201 degree water.

What I discovered is, the coffee is going to be just "okay" until all the ice melts. At that point, it's much more balanced, so I highly recommend stirring the crap out of it to melt the ice before serving.

Here's a link with more info: https://handground.com/grind/complete-guide-to-japanese-iced-coffee

 

[jammin]

I do iced coffee in my Aeropress with 22g coffee, 150g water. 2min inverted steep w/some stirring. Press over pint glass full of ice. Really good this way. A little sugar and/or half n half works really well here too.

 

[TrickyDick]

I do iced coffee in my Aeropress with 22g coffee, 150g water. 2min inverted steep w/some stirring. Press over pint glass full of ice. Really good this way. A little sugar and/or half n half works really well here too.

Assume hot water for the aeropress extraction?

 

[jammin]

Assume hot water for the aeropress extraction?

Yep. I've gone up to 200g water but I find the flavors get dull after 175g. If you try it out I'd sure like to know what your thoughts are

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Tried the Ethiopia Konga this morning after 2.5 days rest. As soon as I opened the container, BAMMM!!! Blueberry scents like crazy! So I'm getting all excited, hardly able to wait for the water to come to temp, and the pour over to finish. It smells like hot pie.

In the cup, it's a LITTLE underwhelming after having such an incredible blueberry aroma, because that berry didn't quite translate into the cup. But that's not really fair, because it still has blueberry flavors - the best I've found in a coffee in a long time/ever.

I'm going to keep trying it the next few days to see how it develops, since Jammin mentioned it sort of fell flat after a few days. If it keeps up this flavor though, I'd buy 20 lbs in a heartbeat.

Great find, and thanks for recommending it.

 

[jammin]

^the Konga held up well for me, it was the Guji from SM's that fell off a cliff.

The Columbian I recently got from RM's hasn't been blowing me away. It has that mandarin acidity just like the notes stated but it's not very exciting after that. Clean cup no doubt. Probably roast another batch and see if I can't tune it up a bit.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Ahhhoh good to hear.

I also got that Columbian, but haven't roasted it yet.

 

[TrickyDick]

Made "cold brew" using instructions I got in my email from my immersion cooker (aka sous vide). Calls for 1/2c coffee & 2c water in a mason jar lightly sealed placed in water bath @150º x 2 hr. pour through filter and refrigerate.
I left it in overnight (8-10hrs) in the bath. Brought to work and the folks who tried it raved about it. I didn't actually try any. I ended up using 1c coffee grounds and about 3.5c water. I couldnt fit more water into the mason jar. I filtered in my french press. Then I dumped the wet grounds into my pour over and let it drain the rest of the liquid.
Might try this again.

I think I "solved" my problem with my Bullet roaster and not being able to hear the cracks. Had to do with not being on the heating power level as much as I should've, and too much fan speed after installing the improved chaff filter. Still hate the software though compared to Artisan. Has anyone tried the automated crack detection plug-in?

This brings up question of what to do with my Hottop. Its the 2k with the USB update, and I have the old components that older hottop users can upgrade to newer TC design. probably ought to post on Home Barista or one of the dedicated coffee boards. Use the money to fund some 2A project or something.

TD

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

That coupling piece isn't supposed to be where it is. It's definitely supposed to be in that hole.

I thought something was a little off when I put the drum in the roaster but it took me 7 mins to realize it wasn't spinning. Looks like a sort of shear pin went missing.

Hoping customer service can tell me asap how to best fix it before I start tearing the roaster further apart.

View attachment 1500741225901.jpg

View attachment 1500741227234.jpg

 

[TallDan]

This brings up question of what to do with my Hottop. Its the 2k with the USB update, and I have the old components that older hottop users can upgrade to newer TC design. probably ought to post on Home Barista or one of the dedicated coffee boards. Use the money to fund some 2A project or something.

I probably won't buy it, but tempt me with an offer and I'll consider it.

Seems like the hot top would be a nice upgrade from my behmor. Only downside I can think of is smoke output.

 

[jammin]

^i hear Behmor service is awesome. I'd be surprised if they didn't make that right for you asap

 

[TrickyDick]

Think I'm going to post it on Home Barista perhaps. Mine never made much smoke that I noticed but I do have a really powerful hood setup. It also will not do as much as the Behmor claims, I only ever did 1/2 pound.

Thinking of listing on eBay for $1250 + S&H. Got my eyes on a MCX PSB 300BLK
TD