Lets talk about COFFEE

[scottcw]



How consistent is the roast within the batch?

Not sure I understand your question.

I don't aim for consistency, I vary my target roast depending on the flavor notes from Sweet Maria's and what I am in the mood to drink each week. I could probably get consistent results if that was a goal.

 

[indesertum]

it was poorly phrased. i noticed that with the air popcorn poppers some beans were dark while others were light and the roast wasn't very even. how even is the behmor?

 

[scottcw]



it was poorly phrased. i noticed that with the air popcorn poppers some beans were dark while others were light and the roast wasn't very even. how even is the behmor?

The drum keeps the beans agitated so that the roast is pretty even.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I'm visiting a coffee plantation today in northern Cambodia. No, Ethiopia for sure, but I'm excited.

 

[rydenfan]

Have a pound of the Klatch Ironman Geisha which was coffee review #1 coffee of 2014 and I have to say I am completely blown away. Upfront it explodes with mango flavor and then settled with a coca style finish. I cannot believe how much flavor is present while still being balanced. Bravo to Klatch

 

[A Y]

Our coffee friend and grump, Kevin Knox, writes about progressive roasting in this month's Royal Coffee newsletter. Royal's own tasters then tried it out with some very interesting results:

http://links.royalcoffee.mkt6539.co...=ODg2Njk4MzA0MTMS1&j=NTAwMjM2NTI5S0&mt=1&rt=0

The upshot is that there is no one correct roast level. Different roast points bring out different characterisitcs of the bean, and this is just for a gross, straight profile, too. In case you're wondering who Royal is, they basically supply a large proportion of specialty coffee in America.

There's a great article in there too on the vagaries of this year's Ethiopian harvest (spoiler: it's going to be expensive for everyone).

 

[scottcw]



The upshot is that there is no one correct roast level. Different roast points bring out different characterisitcs of the bean, and this is just for a gross, straight profile, too.

This reminds me of a roasting method I first read about on Blue Bottle's website called "melange." It is roasting the same green bean to different levels and then combining the various roasts to get all the flavors. I have thought about doing this at home, the simplest form would be to roast 1/2 lb to City+ and 1/2 lb to Full City. More time consuming would be 1/4 lb roasts to City, City+, Full City and Full City+.

 

[patrickBOOTH]



This reminds me of a roasting method I first read about on Blue Bottle's website called "melange." It is roasting the same green bean to different levels and then combining the various roasts to get all the flavors. I have thought about doing this at home, the simplest form would be to roast 1/2 lb to City+ and 1/2 lb to Full City. More time consuming would be 1/4 lb roasts to City, City+, Full City and Full City+.

Gimme Coffee does this with their Piccolo Mondo blend. Same bean, different roast levels. It bothers me this isn't more popular.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

So Cambodian coffee has this very weird flavor. It almost tastes as if there is something added to it, like spices or something. I inquired about it and it turns out they do something rather interesting. They pretty much do a sun dried method for processing, but many of the roasters here mix butter and corn in with the beans while roasting, which gives it this distinct flavor. They say they do this because growing coffee here makes a very, very bitter cup and the corn and butter sweetens the bean. Pretty cool.

 

[indesertum]

you have a great palate to have noticed that

 

[Medwed]

I used to think that dark roasts are the most flavourful and high-pressure exctraction is the best method of brewing.
But my perspective has changed a lot in the last 3 years.

I am friends with local wholesale coffee supplier for EU and from our conversations I gathered that :

1. Asian origin beans are of lowest quality and represent robusto type bean. If I see robusto anywhere on the package I do not buy that coffee.

2. Italian blends of arabica and robusto have one goal in mind: increased profit margin due to cheapness of robusto beans. These Illi and Segafredos taste like dirt indeed.

3. Dark Italian or French roasts are easiest to produce in industrial quantities and thus preferred by mega coffee brands since 19century.

4. Dark Italian or French roasts hide bad flavors the best and thus adopted by the coffee mega brands.

5. Very light roasts contain the highest % of caffeine, because heat usually destroys it .

6. Lighter roasts have the most complex flavor profiles because dark roasting caramelize everything and pushes forward a few flavors while eliminating everything else.

7. Finland consumes the most coffee per capita in the world. Most popular roasts have been super light for several generations. Most common way of brewing have been drip method using http://www.moccamaster.com/us/

So to sum this up I mostly drink light roast drip coffee now and have to say it is more complex than what I had before.
Before learining all this I was drinking dark roasts only and did not pay attention to origin of coffee I was consuming.

 

[Muscles]

Robusta is not only used to increase profits. It increases body and crema in the cup also. Adding 3-5% robusta to a roast (be it single origin or a blend) can really have a profound effect.

Illy, Segafredo and many other brands taste like crap because they are roasted, ground, packaged and stored for long periods before consumption. I am sure they would taste much better if they were consumed within 3 weeks of the roast date.

 

[indesertum]



I used to think that dark roasts are the most flavourful and high-pressure exctraction is the best method of brewing.
But my perspective has changed a lot in the last 3 years.

I am friends with local wholesale coffee supplier for EU and from our conversations I gathered that :

1. Asian origin beans are of lowest quality and represent robusto type bean. If I see robusto anywhere on the package I do not buy that coffee.

2. Italian blends of arabica and robusto have one goal in mind: increased profit margin due to cheapness of robusto beans. These Illi and Segafredos taste like dirt indeed.

3. Dark Italian or French roasts are easiest to produce in industrial quantities and thus preferred by mega coffee brands since 19century.

4. Dark Italian or French roasts hide bad flavors the best and thus adopted by the coffee mega brands.

5. Very light roasts contain the highest % of caffeine, because heat usually destroys it .

6. Lighter roasts have the most complex flavor profiles because dark roasting caramelize everything and pushes forward a few flavors while eliminating everything else.

7. Finland consumes the most coffee per capita in the world. Most popular roasts have been super light for several generations. Most common way of brewing have been drip method using http://www.moccamaster.com/us/

So to sum this up I mostly drink light roast drip coffee now and have to say it is more complex than what I had before.
Before learining all this I was drinking dark roasts only and did not pay attention to origin of coffee I was consuming.

Sounds like you've been brainwashed

 

[scottcw]



Sounds like you've been brainwashed

I started to type a reply to point out where he is wrong, but I don't care about helping others.

 

[indesertum]



I started to type a reply to point out where he is wrong, but I don't care about helping others.

that's the spirit