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

[HarborTownBrewing]

Quoting a little older post. I'm curious if you've had a chance to try this coffee yet.

Funny, I was going to post about that today. I have been drinking this Honduras the last 5 days and I have to say, this is a fantastic coffee. For $5 a pound shipped, I don't think you can beat it. I've never had one at this quality for that price. The chocolate and caramel notes are so strong it is like eating a Rolo candy. I highly recommend you guys pick this one up if you can. I've only roasted it once, and the first few days it was a little harsh and bitter. I dropped my Brew temp a little bit from 203 to 201 and gave it a couple days of rest and that did a lot of favors towards it. It's as smooth as can be. I think I'm going to start keeping this in my rotation permanently.

 

[TallDan]

Funny, I was going to post about that today. I have been drinking this Honduras the last 5 days and I have to say, this is a fantastic coffee. For $5 a pound shipped, I don't think you can beat it. I've never had one at this quality for that price. The chocolate and caramel notes are so strong it is like eating a Rolo candy. I highly recommend you guys pick this one up if you can. I've only roasted it once, and the first few days it was a little harsh and bitter. I dropped my Brew temp a little bit from 203 to 201 and gave it a couple days of rest and that did a lot of favors towards it. It's as smooth as can be. I think I'm going to start keeping this in my rotation permanently.

I was ready to order 5lb when you first posted just to try it out if nothing else, but figured I might as well hold off and see what you thought of it. Strong chocolate and caramel at that price? SOLD! I have 5lb on the way now. Might have went for 10, but with free shipping there's not much benefit to stocking up as long as they don't sell out.

 

[pshankstar]

Funny, I was going to post about that today. I have been drinking this Honduras the last 5 days and I have to say, this is a fantastic coffee. For $5 a pound shipped, I don't think you can beat it. I've never had one at this quality for that price. The chocolate and caramel notes are so strong it is like eating a Rolo candy. I highly recommend you guys pick this one up if you can. I've only roasted it once, and the first few days it was a little harsh and bitter. I dropped my Brew temp a little bit from 203 to 201 and gave it a couple days of rest and that did a lot of favors towards it. It's as smooth as can be. I think I'm going to start keeping this in my rotation permanently.

I just placed an order for five pounds based on your review. I'm always looking for a good deal to continue getting my roasting dialed in with the Behmor.

 

[Minky]

Is that the 2k+ model? I have nothing but good memories of roasting on the Hottop. Very fun to roast on & a user friendly machine. Factory installed probes is BIG upgrade IMHO. The only gripe I had with it was the built in safety stuff. I have little to no patience at times & waiting on cool down for a follow on roast or accidentally getting a roast dumped by hitting the wrong button grinds your gears.

At $1,600 new for the HT I think the Quest M3 is a very attractive competitor. They are built like tanks & everything can be easily replaced and parts are readily sourced from Sweet Marias. A VERY IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE QM3 IS THE RHEOSTAT HEAT CONTROL.
https://www.home-barista.com/buysell/quest-m3-w-hopper-t56211.html#p628488

Another cool new option that is gas is the Cormorant CR600. They are hand built in England and look very promising. Seems like 1lb batch size is no problem & they come in just under $2k to your door with the options etc:
https://cormorant-roasters.business.site

The Quest and the Cormorant look like great machines and potentially more to my liking than the Hottop. My big concern with the Hottop is the expensive filters, one of which requires replacing every 20 roasts, if I recall correctly. That's an expense I'd rather avoid. Do either the Quest or Cormorant have such regular maintenance costs?

I'd like to have a machine that has the capability to monitor and manually adjust temps and fan speed that is quiet enough to hear what's happening. A sight glass and trier is a BIG plus. My idea is to come up with a few roast profiles that I can easily repeat manually without having to screw around with a computer. I'm sure that I would be surprised how much better my roasts would be once I get away from the popper, but I don't think my tastes require the minute control of the computer graphing.

Are you using a Quest now, jammin'? If so, do you think it would be a good fit for me?

 

[MaxStout]

I experimented some more with the heatgun method. Bought a cheap stainless bowl and that makes a lot of difference. With the colander it took ~10 minutes to get close to 2nd crack. Losing too much heat and I ended up with beans that seemed a little parched.

This time, with the bowl, it took ~ 5 minutes to get to 2nd crack. I went a little past 2nd crack and tried a darker roast. I pre-heated the bowl with the gun before adding the beans, and I would stir frequently while roasting. The heatgun doesn't move a big volume of hot air (it's a cheap Wagner from Menard's), so I only roast 1/4 lb. at a time. Smelled nice in the garage, and none of that scorchy odor. Beans are sitting in a Mason jar to rest for one more day and I'll try some then and report back.

My "workspace," to keep the wind out when roasting in the garage with the door open. An old metal file cart. I place the bowl inside and roast while sitting in a lawn chair.

 

[applescrap]

^^I like the cart. Wow, thats quick, I have never done much smaller than a pound but with the gun right on them it gets after it. Maybe clamp the roaster somehow to that cart and you then only have to stir. The ability to see the beans so well up close is pretty cool.

 

[jimyson]

I’ll reply with the answer and info tomorrow after the taste test. [emoji6]

Need another day to taste. I had some at work and that’s never the best way to determine how good a bean roasted or to grab any good profile from it. The nuttiness is strong whole. Once ground I got a hint of acidity but not too much. Brewed on a Bunn commercial drip machine brought a plain old cup of coffee. I didn’t get the nuttiness that I was expecting. I was also unimpressed with the profile that I got from the paper cup that I drank out of.

I am leaning toward a wet process Guatemala for some reason.

 

[pshankstar]

Need another day to taste.

Just give me the word and I’ll reveal the mystery bean. But not till after tomorrow morning when you have had more coffee and given it more resting time. [emoji6]

 

[MaxStout]

^^I like the cart. Wow, thats quick, I have never done much smaller than a pound but with the gun right on them it gets after it. Maybe clamp the roaster somehow to that cart and you then only have to stir. The ability to see the beans so well up close is pretty cool.

I already had the cart. I use it to move stuff around in the garage. It encloses the roasting operation nicely, and the damn thing isn't going to catch on fire. It also helps contain some of the chaff that blows out of the bowl. Thinking about some way to hold the bowl in place, as it's kind of tippy. Right now I just have a small vise grip on the edge of the bowl so I can pick it up. Maybe I'll just get one of those no-tip dog bowls instead.

 

[jimyson]

Just give me the word and I’ll reveal the mystery bean. But not till after tomorrow morning when you have had more coffee and given it more resting time. [emoji6]

Alright...first off THANK YOU for sending these. It's always fun to go through the whole process with a bit of an unknown. I do apologize for taking so long to do this though. Life with 3 young kids. You know...

I prepared this coffee in both the Technivorm and the La Pavoni to see the differences between drip and espresso. I got a ton of earthy/woody aroma from the grind today. It had a slight bit of brightness to it. For drip, it was consistent with the earthy/woody flavor and aroma. A slight bit of acidity to the cup. My wife wants the second half of the beans roasted a bit longer so I will either push it to 2nd crack or just beyond next time. It was a solid cup. For some reason, orange zest kept coming to mind when tasting but I had a hard time actually pinpointing it. It would have been ever so slightly if it were there. The espresso was so much brighter. A bit thin on the body though. I think that was a product of needing a slightly finer grind. Being the first time grinding it for espresso, it just needs dialed in a little more. Everything came out brighter including the earthy/woody flavors and aromas. A bit of cocoa but it was underlying the earthiness. I was hoping for a bit more of that nuttiness that I smell as a whole bean. That was a little disappointing.

With that said, this was all around enjoyable. I'm curious to see what a bit more time on the clock does to the bean. I'm sticking with a wet process Guatemala bean. The only thing that throws me off is how there are some noticeably larger beans scattered in there. I'm not sure if that is just how the beans grew and were screened or if there may be another bean mixed in. I felt like the cup wasn't any more complex than a single origin would have been so I'm steering away from the blend.

So, whats the reveal? How far off am I?

 

[TallDan]

As an idle spectator bet, I'll take the odds that he's in the wrong hemisphere.

 

[pshankstar]

Well @jimyson I don’t think you were too far off. It’s a Colombian bean from Burman Coffee. I remember getting a lot of earthy character from it too. Although 99% of the coffee I brew is in the Bonavita Connoisseur drip machine. The below link is to the bean if you want to read more about it from Burman.

https://burmancoffee.com/product/coffee/colombian-premium-bct-dulima/

I’m glad you enjoyed roasting some mystery beans. I think that would be a fun experiment to do with others. Similar to the coffee trade you organized but instead people roast about a half pound and include half pound of the same green beans but without any info. You send it to someone and you get the same thing in return from someone else. We could even up it to a pound of each (roasted and green beans). I hope that makes sense, at least it does in my mind. Haha

 

[TallDan]

Lost my bet. Good thing it was a wager i could afford.

 

[jimyson]

@TallDan

OR at least close enough to winning.

@pshankstar I think that is a great trade idea. Tag me if you run one.

I'm definitely going to get this a little darker to see if I can pull out that chocolate. I'm glad to see my perceptions aren't too far off.

 

[pshankstar]

@TallDan

View attachment 607420

OR at least close enough to winning.

@pshankstar I think that is a great trade idea. Tag me if you run one.

I'm definitely going to get this a little darker to see if I can pull out that chocolate. I'm glad to see my perceptions aren't too far off.

Great! Maybe I’ll be able to post something soon to see how much interest I can get since I’ll be traveling all next week. That will give people a chance to think about it, order more beans if needed, etc. I’ll tag @TallDan too since he like to play games and bet on things. Hahaha

 

[MaxStout]

Made a cup with the latest roast of Guatemalan in the Clever dripper. Very good, not burnt-roasty, and I'd probably call my roast "Vienna." I'm too chicken to try to roast beyond that point and no point in incinerating good beans. The coffee had mild roast attributes, kind of earthy. I like. I'm sticking with the bowl method, it seems to be faster and more consistent.

I just ordered a 5 lb package of Honduras from Legacy Farms. Sounds like good beans, can't beat the price and free shipping makes it a no-brainer.

 

[Br3w4u]

I just ordered 5 lbs also. I wish they would let you pick the variety though. The natural process variety sounds really good. I might try the dog bowl thing tonight. I have a dog bowl and a heat gun so why not.

 

[MaxStout]

I like the consistency from the bowl. Granted, I've only used it once so far, but 5 minutes vs 10+ for roast time is a bonus. More thermal mass below the beans and less heat lost. I'll be curious to hear how it goes for you.

 

[ong]

I just noticed it’s the one year anniversary of the last time I bought roasted beans. Over the last year I’ve done fifty-some batches of around 20 oz green weight, all on my stovetop with a heavy saucepan and a whisk. I like to think I’ve developed a pretty good sense for when to pull a batch off the heat. Usually I set the timer for two minutes after first crack is complete, which seems to be around a City roast, although I’ve done several well into second crack when my girlfriend is in town — she prefers a darker roast, so I compromise with somewhere in the Full City to Vienna range.

 

[jammin]

@ong - it’s fun hitting milestones like that

 

[MaxStout]

I just noticed it’s the one year anniversary of the last time I bought roasted beans. Over the last year I’ve done fifty-some batches of around 20 oz green weight, all on my stovetop with a heavy saucepan and a whisk. I like to think I’ve developed a pretty good sense for when to pull a batch off the heat. Usually I set the timer for two minutes after first crack is complete, which seems to be around a City roast, although I’ve done several well into second crack when my girlfriend is in town — she prefers a darker roast, so I compromise with somewhere in the Full City to Vienna range.

That's the challenge for me. Knowing when to stop roasting before things go too far. Learning to look and listen and read the beans.

 

[jammin]

Any hack electronicians here? I bought my first DMM today & need to check a couple motors on my roaster and was wondering if there is anyone willing to lend a hand if I need to send a txt message for help?

 

[TallDan]

Any hack electronicians here? I bought my first DMM today & need to check a couple motors on my roaster and was wondering if there is anyone willing to lend a hand if I need to send a txt message for help?

I know ohm’s law and how to use a DMM. How low are you setting the bar?

 

[Br3w4u]

Here’s an idea I just drew up for a DIY coffee roaster.
I found a cheap dryer heating element on amazon for $19.
It’s 5200 Watts 240 volts, Similar to my electric brew rig heating element. My thought is that I could make some sort of box to put it in and wire it up to my brew controller with the temp probe in the box to read the air temp. A thin metal shield over the element would protect from direct heating and scorching. Then have a drum in the box with a spit or axel of sorts coming out one end with a pulley system attached to turn the drum. Maybe attach a hair dryer at one point for air flow but idk. Here is a bad sketch.

 

[MaxStout]

View attachment 607727 Here’s an idea I just drew up for a DIY coffee roaster.
I found a cheap dryer heating element on amazon for $19.
It’s 5200 Watts 240 volts, Similar to my electric brew rig heating element. My thought is that I could make some sort of box to put it in and wire it up to my brew controller with the temp probe in the box to read the air temp. A thin metal shield over the element would protect from direct heating and scorching. Then have a drum in the box with a spit or axel of sorts coming out one end with a pulley system attached to turn the drum. Maybe attach a hair dryer at one point for air flow but idk. Here is a bad sketch.

Along those lines, maybe there's a way someone could adapt one of those George Foreman rotisseries into a small roaster. Install a drum, use the spit for rotation.

 

[Br3w4u]

That would probably be perfect. If you can weld you can make a custom drum to fit in there.

 

[Br3w4u]

Actually I just looked on amazon and they sell one with a drum but it costs more than a Behmor...

 

[applescrap]

Any hack electronicians here? I bought my first DMM today & need to check a couple motors on my roaster and was wondering if there is anyone willing to lend a hand if I need to send a txt message for help?

Are you kiddin, everyone here is brilliant but me . What is a dmm? I know a member here who knows motors crazy well. Hes freaking just a cool guy to. I want to just hang out and build stuff with him.

 

[MaxStout]

I think those Foreman rotisseries have been discontinued, and the high price tags are people scalping remaining ones. I think there are some used machines around. We used to have one, but got rid of it years ago (they are a ****** to clean). Wish I still had it, would be fun to play with.

 

[MaxStout]

Are you kiddin, everyone here is brilliant but me . What is a dmm?

Digital multimeter.