Coffee talk

[troutpocket]

Out of curiosity as I never taste apricot jam, floaral nectarine, honey, sugar cane soda in my coffee; where in the heck do these people come up with these descriptions? I will say that this cold brew I pressed this past weekend was strong but not bitter and very "flavorful" (no hint of strawberries, corn on the cob, ribeye steak)...... ;-)

Back to reality - give us a review! I'm going to roast some Ethiopia Sidamo

I boil those descriptions down to categories like “sweet” and “fruit”, which I certainly do notice. And within the fruit category I taste berry flavors, stone fruit (peach/nectarine), citrus, fig/raisin. The method of brewing makes a big difference in the final product. I’ve had the opportunity to try a few of my home roasts prepared in a nice espresso machine and it’s a very different flavor than what I get with my Aeropress, for example. And a moka pot brings out different flavors than a French press. Some come out better than others! So I have to give some credit to the folks describing the beans…they do this for a living

 

[troutpocket]

Inspired by @troutpocket, I started steeping some Cuban coffee in the fridge last night. Looking forward to trying it this afternoon.

I also roasted some Ethiopian beans and Guatemalan beans last night. I did the Ethiopian my normal method—heat gun and metal bowl. The switch on my heat gun is about to crap out I think. I tried a small amount of the Guatemalan in the Nostalgia air popper again. It did roast them, but I had trouble telling where they were in the roast. Could not hear the crack I guess. They ended up a bit darker than I would’ve liked. I just don’t know about that thing, but I haven’t totally given up on it yet. I’ll try some different beans.

Ooh, Cuban coffee. I want to know how that comes out!

 

[Buzzy]

Inspired by @troutpocket, I started steeping some Cuban coffee in the fridge last night. Looking forward to trying it this afternoon.

I also roasted some Ethiopian beans and Guatemalan beans last night. I did the Ethiopian my normal method—heat gun and metal bowl. The switch on my heat gun is about to crap out I think. I tried a small amount of the Guatemalan in the Nostalgia air popper again. It did roast them, but I had trouble telling where they were in the roast. Could not hear the crack I guess. They ended up a bit darker than I would’ve liked. I just don’t know about that thing, but I haven’t totally given up on it yet. I’ll try some different beans.

I have a backup Harbor Freight 1500 W heat gun. The one I'm using now (this will probably jinx it) I've roasted beans with at least once a week (SS bowl) for close to a year. $17.00 and often on sale. I too am curious about your cold brew.

 

[Matt B]

I have a backup Harbor Freight 1500 W heat gun. The one I'm using now (this will probably jinx it) I've roasted beans with at least once a week (SS bowl) for close to a year. $17.00 and often on sale. I too am curious about your cold brew.

Yep, my heat gun is the cheap Harbor Freight one and honestly I'm amazed it has lasted as long as it has. 5 years? Probably at least 300 15-20 minute roasts, plus some occasional odd jobs. I wish I could change out the switch, but the economics of time and cost and build quality probably don't pencil out.

 

[troutpocket]

Inspired by @troutpocket, I started steeping some Cuban coffee in the fridge last night. Looking forward to trying it this afternoon.

I also roasted some Ethiopian beans and Guatemalan beans last night. I did the Ethiopian my normal method—heat gun and metal bowl. The switch on my heat gun is about to crap out I think. I tried a small amount of the Guatemalan in the Nostalgia air popper again. It did roast them, but I had trouble telling where they were in the roast. Could not hear the crack I guess. They ended up a bit darker than I would’ve liked. I just don’t know about that thing, but I haven’t totally given up on it yet. I’ll try some different beans.

I have only used an air popper and didn’t start standardizing things like the amount of beans in a batch until the last couple years. What I do now is have a target roast time before I start with a new bag and only change it if it’s obvious I was wrong (beans still tan, or starting to burn). That gives me a reference to change for the next batch. Since my batches are all 4.0 oz I’m not risking much if I under/over roast. My popper is pretty forgiving and I have a general idea how much time will give me a good result for various origins of beans because I have been doing 2-3 batches a week, year round, for over 5 years.

My Burundi beans today had a sporadic first crack at 3 minutes but really got into it between 5-6 minutes. Lots of popping and chaf everywhere. I still had a few pops at 7 minutes. By then most of the chaf was gone. I stopped at 10.5 minutes because that’s been good with other East African beans. Next time I might stop at 10 or 9.5 minutes to see if I like it.

 

[Matt B]

I have only used an air popper and didn’t start standardizing things like the amount of beans in a batch until the last couple years. What I do now is have a target roast time before I start with a new bag and only change it if it’s obvious I was wrong (beans still tan, or starting to burn). That gives me a reference to change for the next batch. Since my batches are all 4.0 oz I’m not risking much if I under/over roast. My popper is pretty forgiving and I have a general idea how much time will give me a good result for various origins of beans because I have been doing 2-3 batches a week, year round, for over 5 years.

My Burundi beans today had a sporadic first crack at 3 minutes but really got into it between 5-6 minutes. Lots of popping and chaf everywhere. I still had a few pops at 7 minutes. By then most of the chaf was gone. I stopped at 10.5 minutes because that’s been good with other East African beans. Next time I might stop at 10 or 9.5 minutes to see if I like it.

That coffee looks good. That's interesting, your primarily temporal method. My labor intensive heat gun and stirring method is 1) aural 2) olfactory 3) visual and 4) tactile, from most to least important. I have to say with the Nostalgia air popper I felt divorced from all those. I had to turn it off and take beans out to even get a sense of where they were. I think as opposed to my first attempt, when it was colder in my garage and it didn't work great, this time it was warmer but also I put in fewer beans. The air power was enough to move the entire load around even while they were still green.

This reminds me. Time for some Cold Brew Cubano.

 

[Matt B]

Ooh, Cuban coffee. I want to know how that comes out!

Not bad. I need to dial in my cold brewing. It could be more concentrated/stronger, and also TBH these aren't my favorite beans. I tried cold steeping them since I wasn't loving them in my morning Aeropress. They were sent to me already roasted to like a FC+. It would have been fun to play with green Cuban beans but I was glad to get some roasted Cuban coffee to try. My Father in law took a trip there and sent me some roasted whole beans which was nice of him.

 

[troutpocket]

That coffee looks good. That's interesting, your primarily temporal method. My labor intensive heat gun and stirring method is 1) aural 2) olfactory 3) visual and 4) tactile, from most to least important. I have to say with the Nostalgia air popper I felt divorced from all those. I had to turn it off and take beans out to even get a sense of where they were. I think as opposed to my first attempt, when it was colder in my garage and it didn't work great, this time it was warmer but also I put in fewer beans. The air power was enough to move the entire load around even while they were still green.

This reminds me. Time for some Cold Brew Cubano.

Do you use the popper with the lid cover thing? I got rid of the top right away because I couldn’t see/hear/smell the process. I hold the popper and gently shake it throughout the roast. I’m watching the whole thing happen.

Cheers to cold brew time! I’m sipping some green tea for my afternoon boost.

 

[Matt B]

Do you use the popper with the lid cover thing? I got rid of the top right away because I couldn’t see/hear/smell the process. I hold the popper and gently shake it throughout the roast. I’m watching the whole thing happen.

Cheers to cold brew time! I’m sipping some green tea for my afternoon boost.

No lid. I probably just need to get used to it. Smaller volume of coffee seems reasonable there'd be less scent and noise. My garage lighting just isn't great and it's a narrow-ish deep-ish receptacle so I can't see well into it.

 

[troutpocket]

No lid. I probably just need to get used to it. Smaller volume of coffee seems reasonable there'd be less scent and noise. My garage lighting just isn't great and it's a narrow-ish deep-ish receptacle so I can't see well into it.

Is roasting outside an option? Can’t beat natural light.

 

[Matt B]

Is roasting outside an option? Can’t beat natural light.

Sure. That would require doing it not at night. It's usually an after-the-kids-are-put-to-bed thing, except on the odd weekend afternoon.

 

[DoesItFloat]

The Stanley French Press

Adventure All-In-One Boil + Brew French Press | 32 OZ

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[Matt B]

I started yard work at 9 out of courtesy to the neighbors since I had to run a power saw by their windows and after 90 minutes I was too hot. Good thing I have some Ethiopian cold brew in the fridge. And a portable AC running in the kitchen.

This batch is delicious!

 

[Matt B]

My largest single order of green beans from Sweet Maria's yet. I may have gone a little overboard...

Items	Qty	Price
Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Reji SKU: GCX-7287-001 Weight1 LB	1	$7.30
Ethiopia Organic Agaro Duromina SKU: GCX-7291-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.11
Ethiopia Organic Gera Genji Challa SKU: GCX-7297-002 Weight2 LB	1	$15.76
Ethiopia Yukiro Cooperative SKU: GCX-7296-002 Weight2 LB	1	$15.50
Kenya Kirinyaga Kamwangi AB SKU: GCX-7218-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.66
Kenya Muranga Riakiberu Peaberry SKU: GCX-7219-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.71
Kenya Nyeri Kagumo AB SKU: GCX-7216-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.70
Rwanda Nyamasheke Nyakabingo SKU: GCX-7186-001 Weight1 LB	1	$6.70
Rwanda Rubavu Rwinyoni SKU: GCX-7184-001 Weight1 LB	1	$6.42
Timor Leste Dry Process Daurfusu SKU: GCX-7203-001 Weight1 LB	1	$6.85
Colombia Inzá Anibal Pillimue SKU: GCX-7159-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.30

 

[troutpocket]

My largest single order of green beans from Sweet Maria's yet. I may have gone a little overboard...

Items	Qty	Price
Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Reji SKU: GCX-7287-001 Weight1 LB	1	$7.30
Ethiopia Organic Agaro Duromina SKU: GCX-7291-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.11
Ethiopia Organic Gera Genji Challa SKU: GCX-7297-002 Weight2 LB	1	$15.76
Ethiopia Yukiro Cooperative SKU: GCX-7296-002 Weight2 LB	1	$15.50
Kenya Kirinyaga Kamwangi AB SKU: GCX-7218-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.66
Kenya Muranga Riakiberu Peaberry SKU: GCX-7219-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.71
Kenya Nyeri Kagumo AB SKU: GCX-7216-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.70
Rwanda Nyamasheke Nyakabingo SKU: GCX-7186-001 Weight1 LB	1	$6.70
Rwanda Rubavu Rwinyoni SKU: GCX-7184-001 Weight1 LB	1	$6.42
Timor Leste Dry Process Daurfusu SKU: GCX-7203-001 Weight1 LB	1	$6.85
Colombia Inzá Anibal Pillimue SKU: GCX-7159-001 Weight1 LB	1	$8.30

I couldn’t resist some of those either. I now have at least a year’s worth of beans and a good variety too.

 

[Matt B]

I couldn’t resist some of those either. I now have at least a year’s worth of beans and a good variety too.

I had to look up "rue herb,"--apparently their taster who writes the tasting notes recent pet descriptor

 

[Nick Clayton]

I haven't messed with cold brew yet but I'm starting to get the itch. Gonna have to give it a shot one of these days.

A month or two ago I purchased a Baratza Encore grinder and while I was relatively happy with it, I noticed much more inconsistency in the grinds, mostly when I grind on a finer level. Just felt like I wasn't achieving the grind I needed, especially with lighter roasts grinding fairly fine.

So a couple weeks ago I had a day off and the night before me and some of the crew tied one on pretty hard. I went to bed feeling no pain.

I woke up in the morning to a confirmation email for a purchase I made at 11 pm the night before. A Fellow Ode grinder with SSP burr upgrade. This was not a cheap purchase, and I wasn't super pleased to wake up and realize I spent such a chunk of money.

However, after a couple weeks of use I must say this thing is pretty incredible. Super quiet (much quieter than the Encore which my roommate loves), easy to use, tiny footprint, and the grind consistency is incredible. Soooo much better than the Encore. It also shuts off automatically. Just add beans and turn it on, when it empties the hopper it shuts off. I really like that feature.

The results in my morning brews have been impressive. Although I didn't intend to make such a purchase, so far I couldn't be happier. Huge upgrade.

Also, I think I need to invent an app that prevents online purchases over 50 bucks after, say, 9pm.

 

[Matt B]

I haven't messed with cold brew yet but I'm starting to get the itch. Gonna have to give it a shot one of these days.

A month or two ago I purchased a Baratza Encore grinder and while I was relatively happy with it, I noticed much more inconsistency in the grinds, mostly when I grind on a finer level. Just felt like I wasn't achieving the grind I needed, especially with lighter roasts grinding fairly fine.

So a couple weeks ago I had a day off and the night before me and some of the crew tied one on pretty hard. I went to bed feeling no pain.

I woke up in the morning to a confirmation email for a purchase I made at 11 pm the night before. A Fellow Ode grinder with SSP burr upgrade. This was not a cheap purchase, and I wasn't super pleased to wake up and realize I spent such a chunk of money.

However, after a couple weeks of use I must say this thing is pretty incredible. Super quiet (much quieter than the Encore which my roommate loves), easy to use, tiny footprint, and the grind consistency is incredible. Soooo much better than the Encore. It also shuts off automatically. Just add beans and turn it on, when it empties the hopper it shuts off. I really like that feature.

The results in my morning brews have been impressive. Although I didn't intend to make such a purchase, so far I couldn't be happier. Huge upgrade.

Also, I think I need to invent an app that prevents online purchases over 50 bucks after, say, 9pm.

We may see a grinder show up in the classifieds here. Watch out for excessive thumb wear though, y’all.
Seriously though, what number on the Encore are we talking? I feel like something may be wrong with yours. Could be a simple fix, like aligning something differently.

 

[Nick Clayton]

I went as low as 8 but typically was in the 12-15 range, both for V60 and standard drip brewer.

I never felt there was anything wrong with the machine, with the exception of perhaps needing to be recalibrated, which I never got around to doing. I dont mean to make it sound like it was not a good unit, as it was a huge upgrade over the blade grinder I started with, but I did feel like it wasn't providing the best results as I got finer and finer.

I did a lot of reading about the unit and that seemed to be pretty common.

I just found I much preferred my brews as I got finer, and it seemed to be less consistent in the grind at that end. I definitely think its a great unit in that price range and no doubt would have stuck with it if I didn't make a drunken purchase.

 

[Matt B]

I went as low as 8 but typically was in the 12-15 range, both for V60 and standard drip brewer.

I never felt there was anything wrong with the machine, with the exception of perhaps needing to be recalibrated, which I never got around to doing. I dont mean to make it sound like it was not a good unit, as it was a huge upgrade over the blade grinder I started with, but I did feel like it wasn't providing the best results as I got finer and finer.

I did a lot of reading about the unit and that seemed to be pretty common.

I just found I much preferred my brews as I got finer, and it seemed to be less consistent in the grind at that end. I definitely think its a great unit in that price range and no doubt would have stuck with it if I didn't make a drunken purchase.

Fair enough. My only home grinder experience is with the Encore and when it was acting weird I worked on it and eventually got it running top notch, to my eye anyway. I run it at 11 almost always.