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

[applescrap]

Been a month for me. Longest since joining hbt I think. Missed everyone here. Glad everyone is well! Sounds like the move went well htb. Haha that basement needs a kate upton poster and a stereo, I predict man cave. How is the new place? Ruint and Shelley woud love to hear how all those different coffees taste. I got a camper. Its called the keystone bullet crossfire 2200bh. Love drinking coffee in the mornings on it. Towing with 98 4runner so just going to local lake. But we love it. Makes coffee hobby seem less expensive

Just finished the last of gedeb wuri. It was so good. If you want chocolate coffee take any old ethiopian dp and go just before 2nd crack or maybe a pinch in. Thats all my roasts have been, haha funny to say I am sick of drinking chocolatey malty coffee.

This is because while putting beans in fridge is a great freshness tip, I found it effs with how they are roasted. Which dumbaz here didnt realize until 5 pounds later. Anywho, either no fridge or warmed to room temp to me. These longer roasts are nothing and I mean absolutely nothing like the other. The crack is quieter and it has gone to far before cracking. Marked by light silver skin and dark swollen beans.

 

[jimyson]

Auction ends tomorrow! Get yer bids in!

I’ve decided to sell my LP for a new toy (unrelated to coffee). I didn’t use it that much and pretty much just stick to drip coffee, so it’s better off somewhere that will put it to good use.
La Pavoni Europiccola | eBay

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[HarborTownBrewing]

I feel like I've made it in life. My Burmans order was apparently so big its coming in two boxes. 50 lbs in total so now that I think of it its the largest single order I've placed.

 

[applescrap]

Wow, super cool harbortown. What did you get, let me know what you like from them so I know what to order. Sounds exciting. I got the gr1 new ethiopians on sale at bodhi during that dp sale. Pretty good. Havent been home since camping so cant give to much more. But I will update when I make a better cup.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'll be sure to report back apple!

How do you all store your coffee? Been struggling with good solutions, at this point I think I'm leaning towards getting some heavy duty plastic bins at home depot so I can load them up and stack them.

Interested in what you all are doing though.

 

[TrickyDick]

Don’t think any of us is on the same scale as you, LOL! 50 lb orders and what not!
I promised myself not to become overstocked on green beans anymore. Had and still have a bunch of “past crop”. A good way to store them for me is freezer in 1# parcels Mylar vac seal bag with oxy absorber. Has actually revitalized some of my past crop.

shout out to anyone wanting “seasoning greens” I have the other half of my past crop in a usps large shipping box. It’s yours for the cost of shipping. PM me if interested anyone.
TD

 

[shelly_belly]

When the 60# Vittles Vaults go on sale for $25 shipped I buy several. They're also great for storing grain.

 

[Ruint]

El Cheapo here on storage!! LoL! I keep them in the same bags they come in, and I store them out in the open. Have not had any noticeable flavor changes, and I have had several varieties for 8+ months....

 

[Lax coach]

Don’t think any of us is on the same scale as you, LOL! 50 lb orders and what not!

Speak for yourself. I've only had one order in the past 3 years that wasn't 50 lbs. I've stopped ordering from Sweet Marias, and instead go to their wholesale arm, Coffee Shrub. They only sell in two sizes--50 lbs or 132 lbs.

Ordering a 50 lb sack of Rwanda Nymasheke Cyato today, in fact.

And I'm with @Ruint . The original sacks stay in the corner, no special containers for greens.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I'm thinking of getting a few of these 7 gallon HD totes. Planning on then just putting the beans in them (in the plastic bags they come in). Organize by continent/country in the bin.

Those Vittles Vaults are pretty neat, not something I want to splurge for for coffee but I think I'll keep those in mind down the road for other projects.

 

[ba-brewer]

I use a smallish beach cooler to hold my green beans. Just toss the bean in their plastic bags they came in. I do have one of those humidor gel bead thingy to help maintain humidity. I only get it half wet when I charge it.

If you like the vittle vaults you can the gamma lids at HD and put them on standard 5gal and 6gal brew buckets. I used old brew bucket and gamma lids to store bulk grain.

 

[pshankstar]

I'm thinking of getting a few of these 7 gallon HD totes. Planning on then just putting the beans in them (in the plastic bags they come in). Organize by continent/country in the bin.

Those Vittles Vaults are pretty neat, not something I want to splurge for for coffee but I think I'll keep those in mind down the road for other projects.

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I think I use that same tote to keep my beans in, in the bags they arrived in. Haven’t had any issues.

 

[applescrap]

Don’t think any of us is on the same scale as you, LOL! 50 lb orders and what not!
I promised myself not to become overstocked on green beans anymore. Had and still have a bunch of “past crop”. A good way to store them for me is freezer in 1# parcels Mylar vac seal bag with oxy absorber. Has actually revitalized some of my past crop.

shout out to anyone wanting “seasoning greens” I have the other half of my past crop in a usps large shipping box. It’s yours for the cost of shipping. PM me if interested anyone.
TD

Sounds like you are making good progress. Glad to know I have a good source for cutting my teeth on the bullet , mill city I dont own but want to. When I first started I would load up on bodhi leafs sales and realized I didnt want all this coffee sitting around. Drinking through 5 pounds has some side benefits as I think about it from helping roasting skills to taste buds.

 

[Ruint]

The Guatemala coffees that were on sale from Sweet Maria's I got are all very good. With an exception to one of them, due to being in the bottom of the box and it had no real barrier to the "elements" as it was in their cloth 20 pound sack, It had the misfortune of coming into contact with a fuel like substance, which saturated the box, the sack, and the coffee within. All the plastic 5 pound bags were not effected. Sweet Maria's had no problem with sending a replacement to me, so I have nothing but good things to say about their customer service! Looking forward to a cooler day so I can roast some of that one as it is supposed to have a "Butterfinger" candy bar profile to it.

 

[Ruint]

On the same day I roast that Guatemala above, I will roast the first coffee bean from Vietnam I have gotten, from Bodhi Leaf, called Lotus.

 

[shelly_belly]

I hope you got some of these. They are fantastic!

https://www.sweetmarias.com/guatemala-proyecto-xinabajul-peaberry-6293.html
https://www.sweetmarias.com/guatemala-antigua-hunapu-ciudad-viejo-6232.html

 

[Ruint]

I actually passed on both of those, as I have other coffees that are similar in profiles. Love Guatemalan coffees though, they are always pleasers.

 

[applescrap]

Speak for yourself. I've only had one order in the past 3 years that wasn't 50 lbs. I've stopped ordering from Sweet Marias, and instead go to their wholesale arm, Coffee Shrub. They only sell in two sizes--50 lbs or 132 lbs.

Ordering a 50 lb sack of Rwanda Nymasheke Cyato today, in fact.

And I'm with @Ruint . The original sacks stay in the corner, no special containers for greens.

You seem really happy about this, and thats super awesome. This conversation doesnt come up a whole lot. Can you help me understand better because I am on the opposite side. For example, do you get tired of drinking the same coffee or are you selling it? I like variety too much to drink the same coffee every day for a year.

I know all about bulk growing up poor, 3 children, single mother, bulk has saved me so much. Especially brewing. But in this case the numbers dont work for me. Here I offer the numbers for 50 pounds, 10 pounds and 5 pounds of that coffee delievered. Now this is assuming that one would drink said coffee, which is a different discussion. After shipping it works out to 5, 6 or 7 a pound, 5 per lb for 50, 6 per lb for 10, and 7 a pound if you only get 5. Now I get that makes either 50 or 100 dollar savings if you get 50 pounds vs 5 or 10 pounds. The problem is, you dont get it right away. Its not like a tv where boom you save 100 upfront. I drink about a pound a week, assuming that, I would save either 1 dollar a week, or 2 dollars a week to order in bulk. And at the end of 50 weeks, a year that one dollar a week would add up to 50 dollars. I cant give up my variety and enjoyment of fresh, new and exciting coffees for 4 dollars a month. Plus there is a large upfront expense. When looked at as 1 or 2 dollars a week, I dont understand the motivation. You state one order in past 3 years that wasnt bulk. For me that would mean 3 coffees in 3 years. In that time I would hope to drink up to 50 different coffees. One thing would be nice is to have a bunch to sale or give away that was inexpensive. Anyways hope that coffee is a good one!

 

[applescrap]

I'm thinking of getting a few of these 7 gallon HD totes. Planning on then just putting the beans in them (in the plastic bags they come in). Organize by continent/country in the bin.

Those Vittles Vaults are pretty neat, not something I want to splurge for for coffee but I think I'll keep those in mind down the road for other projects.

View attachment 686158

That looks like it could be plastic stinky? What about the white food safe buckets and lids? They are super cheap and stack, and are food safe, I am sure those wont smell forever that said.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Yeah, that is what I'm wondering too. I bought four of them and have been leaving them sit open in my garage the past few days. I'm going to let them all sit out in the open a little while longer before I put it in beans in them.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I should also add, I am leaving the beans in the plastic bags when I do put them in these containers. Still though, I know most of the bags aren't the perfect seal.

 

[Lax coach]

You seem really happy about this, and thats super awesome. This conversation doesnt come up a whole lot. Can you help me understand better because I am on the opposite side. For example, do you get tired of drinking the same coffee or are you selling it? I like variety too much to drink the same coffee every day for a year.

I know all about bulk growing up poor, 3 children, single mother, bulk has saved me so much. Especially brewing. But in this case the numbers dont work for me. Here I offer the numbers for 50 pounds, 10 pounds and 5 pounds of that coffee delievered. Now this is assuming that one would drink said coffee, which is a different discussion. After shipping it works out to 5, 6 or 7 a pound, 5 per lb for 50, 6 per lb for 10, and 7 a pound if you only get 5. Now I get that makes either 50 or 100 dollar savings if you get 50 pounds vs 5 or 10 pounds. The problem is, you dont get it right away. Its not like a tv where boom you save 100 upfront. I drink about a pound a week, assuming that, I would save either 1 dollar a week, or 2 dollars a week to order in bulk. And at the end of 50 weeks, a year that one dollar a week would add up to 50 dollars. I cant give up my variety and enjoyment of fresh, new and exciting coffees for 4 dollars a month. Plus there is a large upfront expense. When looked at as 1 or 2 dollars a week, I dont understand the motivation. You state one order in past 3 years that wasnt bulk. For me that would mean 3 coffees in 3 years. In that time I would hope to drink up to 50 different coffees. One thing would be nice is to have a bunch to sale or give away that was inexpensive. Anyways hope that coffee is a good one!

We go through about 3 lbs/week, so I tend to buy about 3x/year. Roasting for me isn't so much about variety, but about the process, and about drinking coffee that doesn't suck. In order to do the latter, I can either pay $18-26/lb for somebody else to roast the coffee for me, or I can do it myself for $5/lb. That's where the savings really come in. Save $13/lb, times ~130lbs/year, and my new Bullet will be "paid back" in less than two years. Or at least that's what I tell myself.

My brewing setup also isn't particularly well set-up for variety, as my grinder is a Bunn LPG-1 with a 6lb hopper, which doesn't feed very well with a pound or less in it. But to your point, maybe it's time for me to take a step back and order a few 20 lb sacks on occasion.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

These were the coffees I just received last week. So far I've roasted the Guat and the Rwanda and they were both fantastic, loaded with different types of chocolate flavors. The Guat is a bargain at $4.65/lb.

 

[Ruint]

The coffee from Vietnam I got through Bodhi Leaf is fantastic. Chocolate creme like biting into one of those light fluffy chocolate pies. I get honey and toffee out of it as well. Seems to be a lighter viscosity or thinner than some of the other coffees I have been enjoying. Really like this one!

 

[applescrap]

I have drank both the dp Ethiopians from bodhi and they are ok, after the burmans and roastmaster coffee, its a tough act to live up to.

 

[TrickyDick]

Had some 2018 Konga I put into freezer with vac seal mylar bag and oxygen absorber. You know what? It kind of revived it a bit. The second crack is less muted than before I froze it some time ago, in fact not muted at all. Nice bit of blueberry going on too.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I served up a bunch of bourbon-aged coffee at a little breakfast get together and it was a huge hit. It's amazing how much people love this coffee. It's sort of a shame too because to me it's only a step away from adding syrup...but it's a big step away, at least I thiiiiink so. Then again I'm a single origin purist typically and think blends are the devil (well not quite, but almost).

Got my coffee organized in some of those black bins from home depot. It's silly but small things like that bring joy, having the coffee organized and easy to find, and nicely stored away.

 

[TallDan]

Well, I just went off the deep end. Pre-order for Monolith Flat Max confirmed.

 

[TrickyDick]

$3250 well spent

 

[TallDan]

$3250 well spent

I hope so! Delivery isn’t until the end of the year. That’s a long wait.