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

[jammin]

Stopped on my way home to overpay for some BCBS variants

BCBS collecting dust over here for $12/bottle. This year is the official downfall of the budweiser-geese for me when I see it at the gas station. Not as good as years past either but i digress


Nailed a Kenyan roast this week though. Some of the best coffee ive roasted in a while. It was one of the instant sell-outs @ SM's when the 17' fresh crop hit. Really really wish i would have bought more.
Pretty stoked on the profile, just wish i took better notes on gas & fan settings:

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Picked up a few bottles for 10 a piece, giving to friends not in the area. I set aside a couple bottles for myself each year and leave them for a while. I still have 12 or so bottles from 2012. Talk about delicious.

Which Kenyan is that jammin?

I had a few rough roasts this evening. A new Colombian had a fantastic long first crack, but then 50 seconds later coasted into 2c.whoops.

 

[pshankstar]

I recently purchased a small roaster (Fresh Roast SR500) over the weekend that should be here on Saturday. I am super pumped to get into coffee roasting. I added some Brazil Estate and some Guatemala Huehuetenango beans to the order since they were cheap and I figured they would be good beans to start with to get a feel for the roaster, different roasts with the same beans and what not. I'm sure beans will be cheaper from Sweet Maria's and other sites like that, but with the deals William's Brewing had going on and some of the brewing things I needed it made sense to buy it from there.

Anyhow, I have reader close to a dozen pages out of the 77 (the bookends of this thread). With that being said, is there any tips you would give to someone looking to get into roasting? I know I do not care for the dark roasts (mainly all of Starbucks coffees except their blonde), so I would assume I would want to get the beans to a "City Roast" or "City Roast+" and stop there. Would that be correct?

After the roasting is complete, you want the beans to degas for 24-48 hours. Do I simply leave them in a bowl with the lid off for that period of time? Maybe stirring the beans every couple of hours. Or should I leave them spread out on a cookie sheet?

I have a simple basic coffee grinder and coffee maker. I cannot upgrade these right away, but I was thinking it might be best to buy a carafe
and move the coffee to the carafe instead of letting it sit in the coffee maker. Would this be beneficial? I know a really good coffee maker would be the best option, but my wife will kill me if I drop $200 on a coffee maker now. Maybe after the holidays. I am like @passedpawn, where I work from home and drink coffee all morning and sometimes throughout the day. So maybe the carafe isn't needed if I am going through the coffee fast enough.

Once I am ready to brew my first batch, should I grind the beans to a fine, medium or coarse grind? In the past when I have purchased whole beans I would ground them to a medium or fine. Coarse when I would want to make some cold brewed coffee.

I purchased this canister to store my beans after they are roasted and degassed. I figured this would the best option to store roasted beans. I hope to roast enough at a time so that I can get through the work week. How do you store the green beans? Keep them in the bags they came in and keep them in the cupboard? Or is the basement a better option? Should the green beans be vacuumed sealed?

Is there any tips, tricks or suggestions that you would share with a newbie? Thank you all in advance and I look forward to roasting soon!

@Ruint I will be in touch soon! After our brew club event and trying your coffee, it was the tipping point for me to get into roasting!

PS - The group buys I see going on here looks interesting to get involved in once I get the hang of this.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Welcome, PSH. Lots of questions in your post; I will hit on a couple for now.

Regarding coffee brewing: while you can spend a$100-$200 on a coffee pot, another option is to get a french press or Hario V60 for brewing. You can get those for under $20 (plastic V60 is like $5 on Amazon), make a bunch of coffee, and put it into a thermos to keep it warm if you plan to drink it throughout the morning. I have a coffee pot, but only use it when I have family in town.

For storage of roasted beans, you'll want to keep them sealed as much as possible once they've cooled. Using a device with a one way valve is preferred as it allows the beans to degass without allowing fresh oxygen into the container. If you order from Sweet Maria's in the future, through a few of these tins into your shopping cart: https://www.sweetmarias.com/category/roasting-equipment/roasting-accessories/coffee-storage I have a few of the $4.65 ones, the $25 model, and also a bunch of valve bags to store beans in.

Grind is going to depend on what your brew method is. A drip machine or a drip brewer like a Hario V60 requires a medium/fine grind, whereas a french press or Chemex requires a course grind. Ultimately though, it's a bit subjective and becomes more trial and error for your own tastes.

Finally, Sweet Marias has a vast library of information. You can read this for hours and it's a great starting point: https://legacy.sweetmarias.com/library/categories/taste-coffee/

Keep us updated!

 

[passedpawn]

A great way to evaluate your new roasts is with a pourover. I use a Kalita 185 dripper and a Kalita gooseneck kettle. Many people use a Chemex, which makes about 3 cups at a time.

Because I drink so much coffee though, these things aren't practical for every morning. If you go through as much as I do, you'll need a dripper. Just try to get one that is SCCA certified for correct temperature and you'll be good. My OXO is, but it's a $200 pot. I'll bet there are cheap choices out there. How hard can it be to make hot water?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

As a not so secret Chemex advocate, I'd also mention there are bigger models available, such as 6 or 10 cups: https://www.sweetmarias.com/category/brewing-equipment/brewers/chemex

 

[pshankstar]

Thanks @passedpawn and @HarborTownBrewing! I may have to purchase a pourover to taste each roast before making a full pot, make notes and what not. For under $20, it would be worth it! Plus I would like to do a side by side comparison of the store bought coffee to home roasted. I think it may be eye opening to my wife too. Now I have to research how to use these pourovers.

 

[jammin]

in regards to the Chemex, i broke down and bought the Kone filter from Able/Coava. expensive, but worth it. i used to be press pot only until i got it. great way to bridge the gap between paper filter and immersion brewing. highly recommend

As a not so secret Chemex advocate

Which Kenyan is that jammin?

I'd put this up there with the Banko. Different cup but equally as amazing.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'm glad you mentioned the Able filter Jammin. That's been something I've had my eyes on for a while. I'm too cheap to get the $50 Able one, so I added this one to my amazon list...hopefully my wife sees the benefit for her too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019QTBOK0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[jimyson]

I'm glad you mentioned the Able filter Jammin. That's been something I've had my eyes on for a while. I'm too cheap to get the $50 Able one, so I added this one to my amazon list...hopefully my wife sees the benefit for her too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019QTBOK0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

What are the differences to warrant the price gap?

 

[jimyson]

Anyone with a Behmor ever modify your exhaust rig?

After 6 roasts last night and 4 roasts the night before, my lungs are taking a beating from roasting in a room with no airflow. It looked like a Crosby Stills Nash and Young concert in there most of last night.

I found this idea and just bought the supplies to try it. http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/homeroast/446104

I'll probably rig it up in the next week. If anyone else has better ideas, I'm all ears!

I’m interested in your results from this.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I’m interested in your results from this.

Yeah, me too haha. Got a little busy lately, but it's on my list of things to do today. Hoping to have it rigged up by the weekend; I'll post pictures and whatnot.

 

[TallDan]

I'm glad you mentioned the Able filter Jammin. That's been something I've had my eyes on for a while. I'm too cheap to get the $50 Able one, so I added this one to my amazon list...hopefully my wife sees the benefit for her too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019QTBOK0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

What are the differences to warrant the price gap?

I think I suggested this one on this thread a while back shortly after i bought one back in June. For several months I was very happy with it, but after a while it got clogged up. Pour over times went from being exactly what I wanted to WAY too long with coffee barely dripping out of the filter. Wiping it clean doesn't help, it seems to get buildup between the layers. A soak in hot PBW cleaned up a LOT of coffee oil residue, and got it back toward normal, but didn't take long to start slowing down again.

So, I have to retract my recommendation for that one. For the price it might be ok for occasional use, or regular use if you're OK with a lot of regular cleaning, but using it 3-4x/week for several months led me to the problems above.

I really liked it when it was new, but it's unusable when it gets clogged up. I'm now tempted to get the able kone since it seems to be a single layer and a bit more coarse than the osaka, so it should be easier to keep clean.

 

[jimyson]

Getting a quickie in during lunch break.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

@TallDan thanks a bunch for the follow up on this. Interestingly no one really said that on the Amazon listing, but I did see it in a bunch of the comments for a Youtube review Seattle Coffee Gear did for the product. I figured they might be a bunch of newbs who don't know what they are doing, buuuut now that I see your comment I'm guessing it's a real problem.

So now the Able model is on my Amazon list haha. It is a lot of money for a filter but I spend about $40 a year on paper filters anyways, so it should pay for itself soon.

Jammin, how do you grind for the Able filter? More like a V60/Melitta drip grind?

 

[TallDan]

@TallDan thanks a bunch for the follow up on this. Interestingly no one really said that on the Amazon listing, but I did see it in a bunch of the comments for a Youtube review Seattle Coffee Gear did for the product. I figured they might be a bunch of newbs who don't know what they are doing, buuuut now that I see your comment I'm guessing it's a real problem.

So now the Able model is on my Amazon list haha. It is a lot of money for a filter but I spend about $40 a year on paper filters anyways, so it should pay for itself soon.

Jammin, how do you grind for the Able filter? More like a V60/Melitta drip grind?

After posting that earlier, i went back and looked at the Amazon reviews and found a 1star review that talked about the same problem.

One thing I don't like about most customer reviews is that sellers encourage you to review something right after you buy it. So, people tend to review based on packaging/first impressions and how something works the first time they use it rather than long term use.

If I didn't work from home 3-4 days a week over the last six months, I wouldn't have used it as much. If I only used it once or twice a week, it would have taken a year to get frustrated with it. It's also not entirely out of the question for me to soak it in PBW every few months, but that seems like a pain, it leads me to just grab a paper filter (as I did yesterday) instead of it.

 

[jammin]

Haven’t had any issues such as that with the Kone. I make the coffee in the morning & the wife cleans the Kona at lunch. Easy to knock out in the trash & give it a quick rinse. It usually goes through the dishwasher on the weekends. I’d buy it again I like it that much. I use a regular drip grind and get a little silt at the bottom of the chemex. With a little practice it’s easy to leave behind.

 

[TallDan]

Haven’t had any issues such as that with the Kone. I make the coffee in the morning & the wife cleans the Kona at lunch. Easy to knock out in the trash & give it a quick rinse. It usually goes through the dishwasher on the weekends. I’d buy it again I like it that much. I use a regular drip grind and get a little silt at the bottom of the chemex. With a little practice it’s easy to leave behind.

You know, now that i think about it, I knock it out, rinse, wipe it out and let it dry. That's it. A regular round in the dishwasher might make the difference here, wiping it out would do nothing to clean between the layers of the filter.

 

[applescrap]

@pshankstar welcome to the hobby!! I am still thinking of a good answer for some of your questions. Carafe is a good idea, especially if your maker gets hot like my cheap makers. I keep the beans cool and dry in a cupboard. I dont like basement if its damp, but honestly i dont know about this. I use the mail bag too, so the beans are kind of double sealed. Its my understanding they can take on scents from around them, but these high quality zip locks they come with are more than adequate i am sure. They are similar to scent free bags imo. Not to be cliche but every bean, roast level and purpose/brew style is different and only time can unfold some of the answers you seek, imo. Each roaster, rig, is different, and then roasting time, heat, variables add another twist to the whole thing. My advice is to have fun and take everything as experience. More advice is to definitely buy expensive beans but mix them in as you learn. There are a lot of early roasts I had that i wish were cheaper beans. Cant wait to see where this takes you.

I like paper filters. For some reasons I have fears of putting to many grinds in my easily clogged plumbing. I dont know where it comes from or if its valid, but i like the no rinse factor of paper, but got no problem with a nice filter. The more expensive one seems to keep being the right one, and once again thanks jammin for helping teach me that.

 

[jammin]

@pshankstar welcome to the hobby!! ... Not to be cliche but every bean, roast level and purpose/brew style is different and only time can unfold some of the answers you seek, imo. Each roaster, rig, is different, and then roasting time, heat, variables add another twist to the whole thing. My advice is to have fun and take everything as experience. More advice is to definitely buy expensive beans but mix them in as you learn. There are a lot of early roasts I had that i wish were cheaper beans.

Solid stuff.

I’d add:
Roast it fast n light. Take notes

Here’s a fun video that’s not really a “how to” but contains some good anecdotes. I especially enjoy the notion about roast vs. “area under the curve”




edit: i'm curious what others think of this vid, please share your thoughts if you watch it

 

[applescrap]

^^great video. I have watched it 3 or 4 times, but its been a while. haha I hurt my teeth trying to crunch on beans.

 

[pshankstar]

Thank you all for the feedback and helpful insight! I'm excited to jump into roasting coffee! The roaster and some beans arrive tomorrow, so I hope I can get through the manual and get roasting. I will keep you all posted next week as to how things go with it. Thanks again everyone and cheers!

 

[Kealia]

Interesting video. This is the stuff I like - lots of information that I may or may not be ready to fully grasp yet, but after some repetition, it sinks in.

Oh, and this guy lives about 15 minutes away from me!

 

[passedpawn]

edit: i'm curious what others think of this vid, please share your thoughts if you watch it

Hmmm, I've got a pH meter and just did a bunch of roasts of different times and temps. Maybe I can measure this difference in acidity he talks about at the beginning.

 

[jimyson]

Dipping your beer meter in coffee seems sac relig.

 

[Ruint]

That is a pretty good video. Key is in the being consistent!! I had to watch it several times thru out my journey in roasting to help me absorb it!! I'll probably watch it several more...

 

[jimyson]

Hey team...I’m getting more chocolate than blueberry with this profile. What would you do differently to get more acidity and blueberry notes? This is on a Behmor 1600+.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a great coffee like this, but want to get it brighter with more blueberry notes.

My drop to P3 the back to P5 is to keep the Behmor from overheating.

 

[applescrap]

I forgot about the acid vs time. I keep it in mind. If you roast really hot and quick and have a light roast, I agree it will be very acidic. This happened to me on the Kenyan I gave as a Christmas gift last year.

 

[jammin]

@jimyson - great job with your notes.

The Behmor’s radiant heat is quite gentle and I’ve found (in my limited experience) that it can get away with longer roasts. If you want to bring out more berry flavor, you’re gonna need to flog that coffee a bit harder though and get to 1C in less than 10 minutes. The more time it spends in the roasters after that the softer the acidity is going to get.

I’m not familiar with the Behmor settings, but if it were me I’d go full blast until you suspected 1C (first crack) was about a minute out. Then cut heat to low and pull the roast after 1C has been officially popping for a solid minute. I used to have good luck with an 8oz roast and cracking the door to slow 1C.
Cooling the roast quickly once complete is also important. The Behmor’s cooling cycle isn’t sufficient to properly do this. Fortunately us home brewers are great coming up with solutions for simple things like that

 

[jimyson]

@jimyson - great job with your notes.

The Behmor’s radiant is quite gentle and I’ve found (in my limited experience) that it can get away with longer roasts. If you want to bring out more berry flavor, you’re gonna need to flog that coffee a bit harder though and get to 1C in less than 10 minutes. The more time it spends in the roasters after that the softer the acidity is going to get.

I’m not familiar with the Behmor settings, but if it were me I’d go full blast until you suspected 1C (first crack) was about a minute out. Then cut heat to low and pull the roast after 1C has been officially popping for a solid minute. I used to have good luck with an 8oz roast and cracking the door to slow 1C.
Cooling the roast quickly once complete is also important. The Behmor’s cooling cycle isn’t sufficient to properly do this. Fortunately us home brewers are great coming up with solutions for simple things like that

Seems like then that my first step would be to decrease batch size. BOOO!

I have it as fast as possible without Getting an overheat error and shutting the machine down. At first crack, I drop it. I finish first crack though. Are you saying to stop before it’s done?

For cooling, I open the door, pull the chaff tray, and have a fan blowing straight in. That should do the trick.

So back to my possible changes...decrease batch size (boo) and drop before fc ends. Am I on the right track for the next trial? I have 25 lbs of this wonderful bean. [emoji3]. I could easily drink it as-is, just trying to get the art down.