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

[passedpawn]

I just roasted 1/4lb of Monsoon Malabar that I picked up from the Green Coffee Buying Club.
The description mentioned a peanut butter finish that I couldn't pass up trying, so I went for it.
The beans are lighter in weight and color than any other beans I've seen, almost to the point of being white.
I took them to about 30 seconds past 1C in the Behmor then pulled them. Nice looking roast that I forgot to take a pic of so for now you just get the "before".

Yea, that's unusual looking.

Speaking of unsual, today I scored a half pound of organic columbian and organic ethiopian green beans. The AC tech that was replacing my AC is married to a woman who runs a coffee roasting operation locally. Traded a fat stick of homemade fennel salami for the beans.

 

[MaxStout]

Brings out a whole new meaning to fair trade coffee. Nice score, PP!

 

[passedpawn]

Brings out a whole new meaning to fair trade coffee. Nice score, PP!

He also left with a $12000 check for the AC, so I suppose he might have gotten the better deal.

 

[applescrap]

That was pretty epic passedpawn.

 

[MaxStout]

He also left with a $12000 check for the AC, so I suppose he might have gotten the better deal.

Yikes.

My sister-in-law in San Diego just got soaked for 19k for a/c replacement in a 3br rambler. And that was the best bid out of 3 she called. Farking California labor costs.

 

[MaxStout]

I gave the shop vac downdraft bean cooler a try tonight. Roasted 1/3 lb., dumped the hot beans in the colander, turned on the vac and gently stirred with a whisk. After about 45 sec the beans were barely warm to the touch. Beats the old pouring back and forth method.

 

[TrickyDick]

Yea, that's unusual looking.

Speaking of unsual, today I scored a half pound of organic columbian and organic ethiopian green beans. The AC tech that was replacing my AC is married to a woman who runs a coffee roasting operation locally. Traded a fat stick of homemade fennel salami for the beans.

View attachment 622734

I know this is a coffee thread, but would love to see the charcuterie equipment you’re using for that salami, curing chamber. Been wanting to get into that for a while, and have simply not enough time to devote, although I have an unfinished dry curing chamber I fashioned.

 

[passedpawn]

I know this is a coffee thread, but would love to see the charcuterie equipment you’re using for that salami, curing chamber. Been wanting to get into that for a while, and have simply not enough time to devote, although I have an unfinished dry curing chamber I fashioned.

To avoid spinning way OT, just have a look here. I just used my fermentation chest freezer with a dehumidifer and fog maker. Maybe post questions there. I'm getting pretty good at the salami.

Salami (Finocchiona) - curing in the Chamber of Meatiness

 

[Br3w4u]

He also left with a $12000 check for the AC, so I suppose he might have gotten the better deal.

Yeah but you gave his wife your sausage so.....

 

[TallDan]

Considering increasing my batch size...

 

[Kealia]

TallDan for the win!

 

[TallDan]

TallDan for the win!

Starbucks reserve roastery in Seattle. Kinda excited for the Chicago one to open after visiting here.

 

[passedpawn]

Starbucks reserve roastery in Seattle. Kinda excited for the Chicago one to open after visiting here.

There is one opening in Manhattan, right next to Chelsea Market (9th Ave and 16th st). I saw it recently, wasn't open yet. Looked like a pretty big operation.

 

[MaxStout]

Blade grinders suck.

I have a Braun grinder, had it for years. I can (sort of) vary the grind, based on how many seconds I run it. Still, what comes out is a mixed aggregate. But the amount of time to grind also depends on how much beans I have in the grinder. I only grind enough for the moment and sometimes I only want to grind a few tablespoons for one cup and that requires less grind time than a full load. Too many variables here. The grinder isn't bad for espresso, as all I have to do is keep it going until the coffee is pulverized into a powder. But I like to make pressed coffee, and no matter what I try to get a fairly coarse grind, there's always enough fine granules mixed in to make it an effort to plunge the press. Along with a bunch of big chunks that probably don't add much to the brew.

This is a typical "coarse" grind, about 12 seconds in the blade unit. Looks like a soil sample from Mars.

I decided I'd had enough, and ordered a burr grinder, the Secura for about $40 on Amazon. Not the best but I can't justify several hundred for a top-notch grinder, so I opted for something I think will at least be more consistent than a blade unit.

 

[tellyho]

I've also heard good things about hand grinders - Hario, etc.

 

[jimyson]

I've also heard good things about hand grinders - Hario, etc.

Stay away from Handground. I went through 2 units and I was never satisfied with the consistency or ability to ground fine enough for quality espresso.

I can’t speak for the others.

 

[jammin]

One piece of advice for hand grinders, steer clear of ceramic burrs. They crush/pulverize the coffee vs. steel burrs that cut the coffee as it grinds. As a result, ceramic burrs tend to produce a larger percentage of fines/dust. This is no problem for espresso but can really throw off a cup of press pot or clog paper filters.

For entry level burr grinders, I’ll always give a nod to the Baratza Virtuoso. Refurbs are not too spendy & has a terrific filter/press grind.

 

[Br3w4u]

I got an electric tea kettle with temperature controls and used it with my French press. I heated the water to 200 and was shocked at the difference it made. Way less bitterness than using straight boiling water from the stove top tea kettle. It was almost like a totally different coffee bean. My wife thought I was tricking her LOL.

 

[shelly_belly]

So are steel burrs always preferred over ceramic?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

So are steel burrs always preferred over ceramic?

Ceramic = great for espresso

Steel = great for everything bigger than espresso

That was what I learned after extensive research shopping for grinders last year.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I took coffee to the family for Easter and decided to try my hand at a darker roasted Brazil. Since most of the coffee would be going through drip machines and with less QC on my end, I figured it was a good chance to see how it would taste brewed in "normal" kitchens.

I have never taken the Bullet to Second Crack (aside from the first few seasoning roasts) and I didn't quite get it there this time, but I think I was around 25% development and the beans were just starting to get into 2C once they hit the cooling tray.

Result? Nobody said anything about the coffee this weekend. Ten people tried it, and not a single, "wow that is good" or even a darn "thank you".

Moral? Either I've started conditioning my family to like lighter roasts, my family is boring, or I need to up my dark roast game. It's probably a little bit of each, though I probably dropped this a tad too soon - kind of in that strange void between a light and dark roast, as it just didn't quite have that roasty flavor.

 

[Br3w4u]

I took coffee to the family for Easter and decided to try my hand at a darker roasted Brazil. Since most of the coffee would be going through drip machines and with less QC on my end, I figured it was a good chance to see how it would taste brewed in "normal" kitchens.

I have never taken the Bullet to Second Crack (aside from the first few seasoning roasts) and I didn't quite get it there this time, but I think I was around 25% development and the beans were just starting to get into 2C once they hit the cooling tray.

Result? Nobody said anything about the coffee this weekend. Ten people tried it, and not a single, "wow that is good" or even a darn "thank you".

Moral? Either I've started conditioning my family to like lighter roasts, my family is boring, or I need to up my dark roast game. It's probably a little bit of each, though I probably dropped this a tad too soon - kind of in that strange void between a light and dark roast, as it just didn't quite have that roasty flavor.

Maybe it was just closer to what they are used to drinking. Also some people are just boring and can’t understand the complexities of a good cup of coffee. Not everyone can be as awesome as the HBT coffee thread crew.

 

[Br3w4u]

I guess I need to step up to a real coffee grinder next. I use a cheap blade grinder from Walmart. I just can’t bring myself to put out that kind of cash for something that is just going to crush my coffee beans. Someone is going to have to convince me.

 

[pshankstar]

I guess I need to step up to a real coffee grinder next. I use a cheap blade grinder from Walmart. I just can’t bring myself to put out that kind of cash for something that is just going to crush my coffee beans. Someone is going to have to convince me.

I bought a used Baratza Encore (thank you @HarborTownBrewing) and haven’t been happier! You can buy refurbs from Baratza at a decent price. A big difference with our drip machine (Bonavita) used every morning. It’s also great for the French Press used about once a week. It fits the need for my EC-15 espresso machine for the occasional espresso.

I would recommend it to anyone looking to take the jump to a good burr grinder without breaking the bank. If I was to up my espresso game then I would look into a better espresso machine and possibly a dedicated grinder but for now the Encore is great!

Now go buy one and never look back! You’re welcome! [emoji6]

 

[TrickyDick]

OK folks.

So I posted a while back about having about 30# or so of old "past crop" greens that I had overbought.

I has been confirmed that they haven't aged well, and the sounds of 1C are quite muted, as are the flavors, and aroma. However, these were all great beans at their peak, and before I throw them away, I was going to offer them for free to anyone who is willing to pay for S&H costs.

All in all the beer case that they barely fit into weighs 36.7 pounds. Probably another .1 pound to get it packed properly. Didn't mark down the weight of each, but all are 2-5 pounds minus perhaps a half pound or so from each. I can let you know if anyone wants them, what the actual weight is prior to shipping.

Here is the list (Most are Sweet Maria's):
3/2016 Ethiopia Gedeb Asasa Dry Process
9/2016 Ethiopia Janbar Dry Process
9/2016 Ethiopia Shakiso Kayon Dry Process
5/2016 Columbia La Plata Los Santo Lote 2
5/2016 Bolivia Organic Yungas Valley Peaberry
2015-16? Guatemala Huehuetenago hoja blanca
2015-16? Guatemala Ace La Bolsa (GCBC)
2015 Costa Rica La Pastora Terrazu (GCC)
~2015
El Salvador Kilimanjaro Traditional Process (Roastmasters)
Maui Mokka Natural (< 1 lb) (Direct - MauigrownGreenCoffee.com)
Kona No. 1 (< 1 lb) (Direct - Samurai Coffee Co - Kona)
Kenya Kiamabara Kii Peaberry
Ethiopia Guji Zone Akrabi
Ethiopia Dabub Matebya
Ethiopia Baraka Buna


TD

 

[TrickyDick]

Trying to post a picture.

 

[TrickyDick]

Trying to post a picture. View attachment 623397

Don’t make fun of the Miller lite box please.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Maybe it was just closer to what they are used to drinking. Also some people are just boring and can’t understand the complexities of a good cup of coffee. Not everyone can be as awesome as the HBT coffee thread crew.

You might be 100% right - it was nothing special. You could tell it was more fresh, but it wasn't a whole lot different than anything else that you'd buy at a grocery store.

I'll second the Baratza Encore, also, for cheap burr grinders. It's a tank and really has a great variety of control. For the money, it's tough to beat. I have used the $50 Cuisinart you can get at Bed Bath, and it honestly grinds pretty well, especially for the money. But it's obnoxiously loud - like a weedeater at full throttle without any of the string left.

 

[Br3w4u]

You might be 100% right - it was nothing special. You could tell it was more fresh, but it wasn't a whole lot different than anything else that you'd buy at a grocery store.

I'll second the Baratza Encore, also, for cheap burr grinders. It's a tank and really has a great variety of control. For the money, it's tough to beat. I have used the $50 Cuisinart you can get at Bed Bath, and it honestly grinds pretty well, especially for the money. But it's obnoxiously loud - like a weedeater at full throttle without any of the string left.

The one I have is loud too but I found that by picking it up and holding it I can reduce the sound by at least half. I mean I didn’t check the decibel rating but it’s noticeable. I found a baratza encore on amazon for 139. There is also an OXO Brew for 99. Has anyone heard of it? I know OXO makes really good kitchen ware but I wonder if this is worth the 40 dollar savings.

 

[pshankstar]

The one I have is loud too but I found that by picking it up and holding it I can reduce the sound by at least half. I mean I didn’t check the decibel rating but it’s noticeable. I found a baratza encore on amazon for 139. There is also an OXO Brew for 99. Has anyone heard of it? I know OXO makes really good kitchen ware but I wonder if this is worth the 40 dollar savings.

Go with the Encore and you won’t be disappointed!! Plus they make it very easy to fix if something breaks and you can buy parts from them if needed. For example I’ll upgrade the burrs on it when they need to be replaced. Probably when my kids are in college, currently in kindergarten and third grade.