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

[HarborTownBrewing]

Usually sweet Maria's posts a 15 or 20 percent off sale for black Friday or cyber Monday, so if you're looking for coffee you may want to scout their site so you are ready.

They get hit hard with orders during the sale and I've heard that it can take over a week for your order to get shipped!

 

[jammin]

any updates on the geishas you have been getting?

I did receive the coffee last week but haven't even opened the bag yet. That recent "super sweet" Ethiopian from SM's is on the way along with a DP Brazilian. When those arrived, Im gonna roast all 3 so Im hoping to report back on all them after the holiday. Im excited about that Brazilian for some chocolate-bomb espresso shots!


...this might be a record year for me on how many different coffees Ive roasted. Ive really been searching my memory banks & trying to recall which ones stood out.

 

[jammin]

What was everyone's top 3 coffee moments of 2019?

It's been a really busy year for our group. Several roaster upgrades & many folks finding new brewing equipment such as espresso machines and grinders. Id like to hear what stood out to everyone this year:

- favorite coffee?
- favorite brewing gadget?
- big "AHA!" moment in dialing in that perfect cup?

I'm still stewing over this myself but it would be great to start recapping 2019 and hear from everyone!

 

[Ruint]

Holy smoke!!! Yes to all of those @jammin!!!! Lmao! I think I pulled all the stops out and went no holds barred! Been a whirlwind of a year in that regard! Have had some very good quality coffees along the way, but can't say any of them stood out that much. Either that or I truly am becoming a coffee snob!!! LoL! Nothing like that blueberry bomb Banko from a couple years ago "stand out" at least....
As far as a side by side comparison....can't say I do that either. One cup is a "normal" brewed coffee and the one I have next to (or with) it is a double espresso. One of these things is not like the other!!!! LoL.....an extreme difference to say the least, except if I am doing the same bean.....then of course it's just the difference in strength, as I do try to get the same "flavors" out of the extractions. Definitely easier said than done.

 

[TrickyDick]

Its hard for me to keep very good records.
I had a Burundi recently that has been a stand out for past several months, so I'd have to say
Burundi Kayanza Masha Station, was my fave of the year.
brewing gadget, well I don't use it much anymore, but it is super cool - Coffee Lab VST3 refractometer and software.
No AHA moment so far.

Glad to hear #Applescrap bailed on the Bodhi sale. Those #5 orders are what landed me in green coffee overload, now stale green coffee overload. Boxed in a prepaid USPS for anyone who needs to season a new roaster let me know.

TD

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Ahh these are such tough questions
@jammin !

I feel like I had a lot of really good coffees but hardly anything really stuck out to me this year. I don't know if it's because I didn't buy anything spectacular, I've just gotten accustomed to great coffee, or if perhaps I'm not roasting to my potential. Here are some thoughts:

- favorite coffee?
I was just super impressed with the Legacy Farms Honduras Lempira. Nothing fancy - just really really good. Also, I did finally get a good roast on some Yemen, and after resting about 3 weeks it was an exceptional coffee so I should mention that.

- favorite brewing gadget?
This summer I got a used Behmor brewer and it's been fantastic. I can't believe how good of coffee I'm getting out of it, and it's saving me a ton of time each morning without sacrificing any quality. Furthermore, I'm using it to make coffee for my wife on days she leaves before me, so she's not buying $2-$3 coffee on those days (or maybe now she's paying cash...). That said, I picked this brewer up for a steal at $50 and I'm sure it's already paid for itself.

- big "AHA!" moment in dialing in that perfect cup?
I started going a little tighter on my grind for the Behmor and single cup brewing, and it's lead to much more flavorful brews. Also continuing to experiment with different water temps while brewing the same bean as it makes a huge difference.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Last night I roasted some coffee for Thanksgiving. I had two pounds of Rwanda Bufcafe sitting around and figured I'd throw it at the roaster.

Normally I roast 1lb batches in the Bullet; last week I did a few 1.5 lbs batches that went really well, so I figured I'd just throw in the 2 lbs and roast them real quick. Well, I had surgery last week and I'm still kind of out of it. And what I failed to recognize until about 8 mins into the roast is that 2 lbs is not the same as 1.5 lbs. It's actually quite a bit heavier. For any person who is healthy and well, this makes perfect sense but when you've been on meds and aren't thinking straight, this is quite the revelation.

So, I didn't preheat quite as high as I'd have liked to but the roaster handled it well. It's rated for 2.2 lbs and it easily took care of the 2 I put in it last night, despite me having not charged as high as I'd have preferred. I think I hit 1C around 9:30ish, and I decided to take it to 24% development since I'll be brewing this for others. I dropped at about 13:30, just as I started to hear the first pops of 2nd Crack. I've actually never roasted to 2nd Crack before.

I'll give it a few days and will report back since this was my first 2lb roast and I didn't really plan it out but just let it fly.

 

[TrickyDick]

Jammin:

I also have the Behmor and I love it. Super convenient and makes a great cup. My Technivorm has been in the closet now for a few years.

I'll have to try tweaking my grind settings. Thanks for that idea.

TD

 

[Inkleg]

I just received an email with a shipping #. No delivery date, says shipper will be in contact to coordinate drop off.

 

[Inkleg]

Great questions @jammin and thank you for being a friend.

favorite coffee?
I'm going to agree with @HarborTownBrewing on this one. I've really enjoyed every coffee I've gotten from Legacy Farms. Even my coffee coworker makes a comment when I brew a pot (he does not know what he's drinking until he asks).

favorite brewing gadget?
That's on the way! Holy sh*t what have I done!!

big "AHA!" moment in dialing in that perfect cup?
I can't recall any one big moment, but I know that I go "AHA" every time I have a cup of coffee.

 

[TallDan]

Favorite coffee of the year? (so far, let's not give up now!) Taking a different angle from the other answers here: I had a mocha with orange and some kind of asian pepper at a coffee shop. Tasty, and different. For coffee that I roasted, I don't think I can pick one. I had a lot of great coffee, but not one that stands so far out from the others that I can single it out.

Favorite gadget? Well, obvious answer is the roaster.

AHA moment? Definitely playing with grinders for espresso.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Favorite gadget? Well, obvious answer is the roaster.

You have so many new toys, I didn't know which one you'd choose!

 

[TallDan]

You have so many new toys, I didn't know which one you'd choose!

Yeah, I thought that too. I just picked the biggest!

 

[Inkleg]

Freight company called. On for Monday.

 

[TallDan]

At my parents house for thanksgiving and I regret that I didn’t bring everything I need for decent coffee. I always suffer through bad coffee when I’m here.

And I mean everything. Even the water. Maybe especially the water.

 

[jammin]

Maybe especially the water.

my folks live in the smallest town ever & the water is downright offensive in the summer. the sulphur content is so high that you can hardly stand the smell before you even attempt to drink a glass. if it weren't for this, id probably think everyone has the same tap water...this is of course 100% false

 

[applescrap]

Wait, are you guys in florida too?! (Sorry passed)This stuff is like swamp , water. I dont think, I could eat pasta made in this stuff. I took a sip in the Marriott lobby and was like damn you have to warn someone before they drink that and everyone looked at me weird. They were like oh you get used to it. I dont see that happening. The water in Denver from the tap is better than the bottled spring water here, no kidding. We travel with a blade grinder, coffee vacu sealed and our cold brew cup just in case.

Great questions jammin. Haven't forgotten about them, just haven't had a right time to answer yet. My fil did like the banko. Was a little surprised, lol, guess years of tasting finally caught up to him. I love that moment.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Anyone score any new gadgets this weekend? It was a pass for me - for the first time I feel content with my coffee equipment.

Speaking of family gatherings, I was on barista detail all weekend with both families so I made use of my bow tie and plaid vest, and waxed and curled my mustache. I came prepared with 2 lbs of pretty dark Rwanda coffee which I had dropped just as 2C began. Truth is, it was pretty tasty and was a big hit with everyone.

 

[jimyson]

Anyone score any new gadgets this weekend? It was a pass for me - for the first time I feel content with my coffee equipment.

Speaking of family gatherings, I was on barista detail all weekend with both families so I made use of my bow tie and plaid vest, and waxed and curled my mustache. I came prepared with 2 lbs of pretty dark Rwanda coffee which I had dropped just as 2C began. Truth is, it was pretty tasty and was a big hit with everyone.

I think we are all waiting for a post from @Inkleg

 

[Inkleg]

I think we are all waiting for a post from @Inkleg

Unfortunately this is not the post you’re waiting on. Delivery has been pushed back to Wednesday probably due to the winter storms.

 

[jimyson]

Unfortunately this is not the post you’re waiting on. Delivery has been pushed back to Wednesday probably due to the winter storms.

 

[Inkleg]

Man rough crowd here.

It’s in the truck. Good reason to leave work early!

 

[Inkleg]

Sorry fellas I know you’ve been waiting for an update. After a full day at work I only have a little time in the evening to fart around with the roaster. I really like the exhaust from Norfab. Clamps are a royal pain the first time you clamp them, but super easy off and on after that. I still have to exit the room with the exhaust and hook up Phidget, but was able to fire it up last night. HOLY crap is this thing quiet! I had to look to see if the drum was turning.

 

[Ruint]

Start of the day!

 

[jammin]

It's look great, @Inkleg ! That venting looks like some extremely high quality stuff. I hope to upgrade to that someday.
You're right about the roaster being quiet, I had a similar experience when i first received mine. Ive been looking forward to an update from ya - glad to hear you're finding some time to get going with it!

 

[Ruint]

Quit dickin around @Inkleg!!!! Get roasting already....you have an obligation to not keep all of us in suspense like this!!!!

Very nice looking machine!

 

[applescrap]

Favorite coffee
I cant think back the whole year, but three recent come to mind.

The yirgacheffe burman top lot that was supposedly from a single lot, single farmer, that someone processed for him. It had nice blueberry flavor, and when the blueberry wasnt there it was flawless. It was 10 a pound.

The banko crown jewel. This coffee separates itself from average for sure and was top notch.

The Guatemalan geisha I have been drinking. While not mind blowing its an enjoyable sweet cup.

My favorite brewing gadget is the old krups blade grinder. Because when its out, we are on vacation. Running it off an extension cord on the pop up comes to mind.

Aha moment for me recently is to think about the coffee and its best expression and then work backwards to the roast. Highlighting the good and diminishing the bad.

What was everyone's top 3 coffee moments of 2019?

- favorite coffee?
- favorite brewing gadget?
- big "AHA!" moment in dialing in that perfect cup?

 

[jammin]

@applescrap - great post! Really enjoyed that.

I roasted a great deal of coffee this year & Ive been thinking back on lately while brewing/drinking my morning cup. Not in terms of volume, but variety of Lots.

Fav coffee:
Ethiopia Natural Sidamo Oromia. This was an organic coffee imported by Royal, the same folks who do the Crown Jewel program we all frequently enjoy. In the cup, it was just that "punchbowl" of fruit. Great sweetness & balanced acidity. I bought this coffee in late March and roasted several similar coffees with it throughout Spring and it was the standout of it's peers.
Honorable Mention to the 2019 Banko from the Crown Jewel program. Although the 2017 left us hoping for another hit of that Blueberry drug, this coffee was just remarkable all the way around. Impeccable sorting & prep to the point you wouldnt guess it was Natural Process. The sweetness, clarity & delicate floral notes are not difficult to pull out; really glad I got to try this one.

Fav brewing gadget/equipment:
Since I didn't add any new equipment this year, Ill give the nod to my Monolith Flat grinder. It's designed from the ground up for single dosing & can switch from espresso to filter effortlessly. The grind quality is top-tier in all range. Although it is built specifically for espresso, the Press-Pot grind has the lowest amount of fines of any grinder that Ive used or owned. If you ever really get into French Press, you'll quickly learn that how difficult it is to get a homogeneous coarse grind that isn't loaded with fines.

A-HA! Moment of 2019:
Recently I cracked the code for getting (well, at least one path) a really active First Crack that has a controlled RoR. No crashes or runaway finishing temps. I wouldnt consider it the end-all, be-all or some sort of gateway to perfect roasts but Im happy to have gotten this problem area of my roasts under control. Im looking forward to experimenting with it more in 2020 and getting more roasts under my belt to gain a better understanding of how it impacts the cup and how different coffees react to it.

 

[davidabcd]

As far as popcorn popper, steel skillet or the oven, which gives the best result? I'm leaning away from the popcorn popper at the moment.

Also, I'm going buy unroasted beans and was wondering which supplier you think is best overall? I will not buy from anywhere but a supplier (no Amazon).

We just got a pound of freshly roasted coffee and there's a nice difference. I'm just looking for a bit of improvement.

Thank you!

 

[pshankstar]

As far as popcorn popper, steel skillet or the oven, which gives the best result? I'm leaning away from the popcorn popper at the moment.

Also, I'm going buy unroasted beans and was wondering which supplier you think is best overall? I will not buy from anywhere but a supplier (no Amazon).

We just got a pound of freshly roasted coffee and there's a nice difference. I'm just looking for a bit of improvement.

Thank you!

I cannot comment on which method is better since I have no experience with them. I started off with a Fresh Roast coffee roaster and now use the Behmor 1600+.

Regarding suppliers to buy beans. If there is a local coffee roaster and coffee shop, stop in and check with them. There are two in my area that I can buy green beans from, one 5-10 minutes away and the other is a 30 minute drive. Online retailers I have purchased from the following in no particular order.
Sweet Maria's
Legacy Farms Coffee
Bodhi Leaf
Bruman Coffee

Other Online Retailers whom I have not purchased from (for no particular reason just haven't).
Royal Coffee
Crop to Cup
I'm sure there are others who I am missing but others may chime in.