Entropy continued

[JohnRoberts]

I have a almost-unplugged setup: A very good manual grinder (Comandante) and a couple of sizes of old restored Bialletti stainless stovetop models. The older ones are way better made, and can be found with defective gaskets or burnt handles, ready for a refurb, often for free.

I had to search... I think those are what we call percolator coffee makers. As I recall they make surprisingly good coffee as long as you don't leave them on the heat too long.

The Comandante is one of very few manual grinders that can make the full spectrum (french to turkish) with good precision and a reasonable effort.

I have a manual coffee grinder screwed to the wall next to my sink. I used it during the peak of my coffee tomfoolery. It doesn't take much effort but does take time that is at a premium in the morning

With the Bialettis, it's imperative to not overheat the can. On my stove, it's half power on the smallest burner. The pressure and temperature is controlled by the power under it, the grind and how much you pack in there. I usually do a couple of test shots when trying a new bean.

like

I find this setup super for a somewhat portable lifestyle, it takes up very little space in a small kitchen and makes great coffee on the boat or in the summerhouse or in the back woods...

Cheers!
V!

PS filtered water is the best.

Talking about obscure coffee makers for years (decades?) I used a vacuum coffee maker.

You put coffee grounds in the top, water in the bottom. Boiling the water drives it up into the top to mix with the grounds. Then it is removed from the heat. As the bottom cools it creates a vacuum and sucks the coffee back down through a cloth filter, into the bottom. This technique makes excellent coffee, but the glass parts can be fragile. I suspect mine broke, I recall using it back in the 70s-80s.

JR

 

[Ike Zimbel]

I had to search... I think those are what we call percolator coffee makers. As I recall they make surprisingly good coffee as long as you don't leave them on the heat too long.

I have a manual coffee grinder screwed to the wall next to my sink. I used it during the peak of my coffee tomfoolery. It doesn't take much effort but does take time that is at a premium in the morning


like

Talking about obscure coffee makers for years (decades?) I used a vacuum coffee maker.

You put coffee grounds in the top, water in the bottom. Boiling the water drives it up into the top to mix with the grounds. Then it is removed from the heat. As the bottom cools it creates a vacuum and sucks the coffee back down through a cloth filter, into the bottom. This technique makes excellent coffee, but the glass parts can be fragile. I suspect mine broke, I recall using it back in the 70s-80s.

JR

I had one of those for a minute or two. The Bialetti are actually stovetop espresso makers. I've been using a similar unit (forget the name...) for my morning brew these past few months and have found the results quite satisfying. I use a wall mounted Zassenhaus hand grinder, which has been in my family so long, I used to grind my parent's coffee with it when I was a kid.

 

[cyrano]

Anybody tried what we call "cowboy coffee"?

It's just any kind of kettle. Fill with water, put on the fire. When it boils, add ground coffee. Put back on the fire to let it simmer for 10 to 20 minutes.

I kinda used to like it, even if I can no longer drink it. Makes my stomach cramp.

Obviously, tastes better if made on a camp fire

 

[JohnRoberts]

Anybody tried what we call "cowboy coffee"?

(no) Thanks for the memory, but that reminds of the time I pulled KP (kitchen police) while in the field (Kisslevind ? forest) on NATO maneuvers.

It's just any kind of kettle. Fill with water, put on the fire. When it boils, add ground coffee. Put back on the fire to let it simmer for 10 to 20 minutes.

The cook made coffee in field in a large galvanized tub... first he threw the ground coffee into the bottom of the tub. Then poured boiling water on top of the grounds. After some stirring and a suitable time interval to brew, cold water is sprinkled on top to sink any reluctant grounds still floating on top. After that the coffee is decanted off into a huge thermos container, stopping the pour before reaching the grounds and sediment at the bottom.

I kinda used to like it, even if I can no longer drink it. Makes my stomach cramp.

bad coffee is better than no coffee. The instant coffee from the C-rats was rough but got the job done (a dose of caffeine).

Obviously, tastes better if made on a camp fire

Almost everything does... cowboys also roasted green coffee beans in frying pans over the fires.

JR

PS: An additional insult from that field KP session was when I lifted the huge (and heavy) several gallon insulated container of coffee onto a shelf nailed into a tree. Those old school containers had two handles, one on each side (so two people could easily manage them) near the top and one spigot at the bottom front center for dispensing coffee. When I tried to lift the heavy container by myself the spigot got caught on my pants and released hot coffee onto my family jewels. I didn't drop it but it made my KP duty even less pleasant than usual that day.

 

[MicMaven]

Starbucks is pejoratively called "starburnt" by coffee aficionados

#13 is french roast..... 14-16 are charcoal..... I typically roast to #10 city+ roast

ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. It is all about the extraction of oils - not how dark the roast is. MY roasts are always Medium City Roast - 10 to 12 on JR's chart. I have no idea how Americans came to think the color of coffee is derived from the color of the roasted beans. I can make very dark, strong coffee from very lightly roasted beans - it is, as someone said above - about extracting the coffee oil, not how badly you scorch the beans.

I am amazed at the number of even commercial roasters who think espresso is made by scorching the beans! I can make a very dark coffee or espresso from a fairly light roast. I started roasting my own beans because so many commercial roasters over-roast their beans. IF THEY ARE OILY AND SHINY, THEY ARE OVER-ROASTED. Period.

I buy green beans and finished roast from a small local roaster who really gets it right. He is a pleasant fellow, and I enjoy stopping by his shop to chat awhile. He is in no hurry, and nether am I.

I NEVER buy what is touted as Espresso, French or Italian Roast. I learned about espresso in Europe, and the Ital;ians don't burn their beans. Beans from major producers Lavazza, Kimbo, illy, Caffe Vergnano, Guillermo, Morettino, Cafe El Muro, et. al., all produce dry, light brown medium roast for espresso. The big German brands, Tchibo and Dallmayr, do the same.

and ... um ... ahem ... (further rant deleted)

While Mr. Cyrano and MR. JR enjoy theri beer ... Imagine me pouring a proper DOUBLE BOURBON to relax and recover.

Later. James

 

[JohnRoberts]

I'm drinking a cold Johnny Beer right now.

Back when I was more coffee crazed I would roast and brew both regular coffee beans, and decaffeinated green beans so my afternoon pot of coffee wouldn't interfere with my sleep... I am down to just one pot of caffeinated coffee a day now.

For a few years I would roast decaffeinated green coffee for a neighbor's widow who would drink one cup of decaffeinated coffee first thing in the morning. I would roast about 1/2 pound of decaffeinated green beans for her that would last her for two weeks ( I bought her a cheap blade grinder so she could grind it fresh every morning). She passed away a few years ago and I still have some decaffeinated green beans left over, but they are just sitting in my cupboard.. and will keep sitting.

JR

 

[cyrano]

There's even unburned "white" coffee in our supermarkets. I've tried it once. Never again...

No health claims on the packer I was offered as a gift. But according to the internet it's much healthier. Not that I believe those claims, but hey, the marketing has to earn a living too, I guess.

 

[JohnRoberts]

There's even unburned "white" coffee in our supermarkets. I've tried it once. Never again...

I've heard of white tea, but not white coffee

No health claims on the packer I was offered as a gift. But according to the internet it's much healthier. Not that I believe those claims, but hey, the marketing has to earn a living too, I guess.

Since burning meat causes (likely?) carcinogens, there is some logic that dark roasting coffee might involve a similar mechanism. I wouldn't embrace that leap. But this is why I dismiss the regular flip flops between coffee is healthy and not (too many variables not controlled for).

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

For an update on my new improved side sprayer, unexpectedly I am learning to deal with much higher spray pressure/volume. Since the water source is coming from the same feed I can only ASSume that the cheap side sprayers restrict their water flow. This can be surprising if spraying into a dish with rounded bottom as the water flow shoots back up and out of the sink. I sprayed myself more than once.

The water flow can be modulated by how far you depress the lever, so it is possible to regulate how hard it sprays, but that takes retraining. I am thinking about maybe wrapping some foam around the body of the sprayer to limit the travel of the lever. Soft foam that could be squeezed to increase flow might work. Having excess water pressure is not exactly a bad problem for a side sprayer.

JR

edit- attached picture of side sprayer with adhesive backed insulation foam under the trigger. This works for now to avoid too much spray pressure. I have more foam on order to experiment with /edit]

 

[JohnRoberts]

It's always something, two entropy events to review.

#1 My water bill this month indicates 2x to 3x last month's water consumption.... I had a bill a couple months ago where they misread my meter (9,000 gallon mistake). I just went out and checked my meter, it looks like a valid reading, but from the reading it says I have already consumed 900 gallons since they read my meter only several days ago.

In the decades I have been living here I have experienced a handful of water issues. One time the water pipe from the meter to my house sprung a leak... that created a bog in my yard, but that time the water meter was spinning. I replaced that metal pipe with PVC that should out live me.

Another time several years ago I had a faulty inline flow restrictor in my RO water filter outlet. If that flow restrictor fails open significant water can be consumed. JIC I ordered a new flow restrictor.

[edit: in the meantime I can troubleshoot this. Tomorrow morning I will check the meter again and get a baseline one day water consumption number. Then I will cut off my RO unit and see if the next day's water consumption drops significantly. /edit]

[Edit2- I just noticed that the float level in my toilet tank was adjusted high enough that some water would trickle out the overflow tube before cutting off. Oddly a youtube video describing how to adjust it advised to turn it in the wrong direction. Luckily for me the adjustment screw had a legend embossed into its top describing the correct direction. I stopped the trickle for now but don't feel lucky a new float assembly is only $15. This did not look like it could be responsible for thousands of gallons, unless it trickled for days and days... Of course the adjustment should not change either, so time for a new one. /edit2]

[edit3= uh-oh... With the float valve adjusted to cut off 1" below the top of the overflow tube... it does cut off BUT an hour or two later the tank water has crept up to the top of the overflow tube.... My new theory is a slow leaky valve... New one already on order. /edit3]

[edit4- good news update... I just checked my water meter again and my 24 hour consumption was 30 gallons, which does not seem excessive. I will replace the float valve in my toilet because the slow leak could get worse. I will keep the replacement RO filter flow restrictor handy, JIC.
===
#2 A couple weeks ago my cheap electronic thermometer started misbehaving. One day it started reading 2 degrees low, and began reading 2 degrees low every day since then for two weeks. I speculated that the battery might be low voltage and ordered a couple replacement batteries. The batteries are coming by slow boat so won't arrive until next week, but my speculation was confirmed this morning when the thermometer finally indicated "lo"....

JR

 

[MicMaven]

It's always something, two entropy events to review.

Have you considered moving? James

 

[JohnRoberts]

Have you considered moving? James

Yes, fairly seriously... I promised one neighbor that I wouldn't move away while he was alive, but he kicked several years ago so I have no remaining promises to keep.

A while back I looked for someplace nice and cheap... Pretty much every place I checked out was more expensive than where I am now (central MS).

At one point I considered living in Mexico, but they are pretty much a narco-state now...

JR

 

[MicMaven]

A while back I looked for someplace nice and cheap... Pretty much every place I checked out was more expensive than where I am now (central MS).

Yeah ... and it is fairly warm there. Southwest Michigan is very nice and quite affordable compared to the rest of the nation - but it gets a fair amount of ice, snow, and cold - most folks from the South are not willing to put up with that!

Nevertheless, property values have gone up everywhere and we face the same dilemma - moving to a smaller, "more affordable" property would likely cost as much as we could get for our current home ... making the term "more affordable" something of an oxymoron. Good luck sorting it all out.

I ordered a new roof today . . . ouch. James

 

[JohnRoberts]

I put a metal roof on my house 5 years ago and it will out last me... I could stand to clean it. The light color helps in the summer, but shows dirt.

JR

 

[MicMaven]

It looks good - a serious home improvement to be sure.

My young bride and I were interested in a metal roof ... until we received quotations/estimates for both regular shingles and metal roofs. A shingled roof for our size home in our market costs $15,000, while a metal roof would cost $50,000. I am 67, so any roof of any kind will likely outlast me. Moreover, the local tax assessor says a metal roof will add substantial value to the home, increasing its property tax valuation, which would increase our property taxes every year in the future, which, in turn, of course, would substantially diminish my ham radio and bourbon, not to mention coffee budget! Ouch.

Considering the cost differential, what would you do in my case? James

 

[cyrano]

Since burning meat causes (likely?) carcinogens, there is some logic that dark roasting coffee might involve a similar mechanism. I wouldn't embrace that leap. But this is why I dismiss the regular flip flops between coffee is healthy and not (too many variables not controlled for).

That's where knowing how to cook comes in. You need a bit of burning for a great steak, but not too much...

What's often overlooked in health research, is that we're not all the same. Most people shouldn't care about salt use, but the few percent that need to reduce also are sensitive to "diet salt" (Kcl). In fact that "diet salt" is even worse for them than regular kitchen salt. This has been verified thoroughly at least half a dozen times, but it still is neglected all the time.

It's all in the genes...

I've never seen conclusive research about coffee. As you say, it's up and down. The same for wine, tea and most kitchen herbs and spices.

 

[JohnRoberts]

It looks good - a serious home improvement to be sure.

My young bride and I were interested in a metal roof ... until we received quotations/estimates for both regular shingles and metal roofs. A shingled roof for our size home in our market costs $15,000, while a metal roof would cost $50,000. I am 67, so any roof of any kind will likely outlast me. Moreover, the local tax assessor says a metal roof will add substantial value to the home, increasing its property tax valuation, which would increase our property taxes every year in the future, which, in turn, of course, would substantially diminish my ham radio and bourbon, not to mention coffee budget! Ouch.

Considering the cost differential, what would you do in my case? James

Maybe you should move....

My metal roof cost me around $5,000. My house with one acre of land cost me less than $50,000 when I bought it 38 years ago. While inflation has picked up in recent years.

Did I mention MS is cheaper than most other places I checked?

JR

 

[MicMaven]

Maybe you should move....

My metal roof cost me around $5,000. My house with one acre of land cost me less than $50,000 when I bought it 38 years ago. While inflation has picked up in recent years.

Did I mention MS is cheaper than most other places I checked?

JR

Yeah ... maybe I need to move. Touche!

West Michigan also has a very low cost of living compared to the rest of the nation. We can buy a lot more house at any price point than nearly anywhere else across the nation. Of course I suppose it is possible that is because it is a depressed slagging market on the skids ... but I do not think so.

Gratuitous Sidebar - I am often amazed at the high cost of housing in other markets - especially what folks pay on those flip-this-house programs on TV to acquire a run down junk property - only to discover halfway through the program it needs an entirely new foundation and has mice and bats in the attic, which would have easily been revealed if only they had ordered a basic $300 home inspection before closing the deal. Those guys (and their stupid lenders) never hire lawyers or qualified inspectors to assess the situation beforehand, and they act so surprised when it proves a huge debacle. They borrow the full cost on 30 day demand notes ( which surely signals they have terrible credit scores) and they blithely plow ahead, always sweating a short deadline to fix and sell before the bank calls the note and take the property in lieu of foreclosure. This clearly indicates they have no money of their own and are merely gambling they can pull it off in time - not a sound business plan!!​

​

But I digress ...​

​

One advantage over your bailiwick is our winters keep the bug and pest populations in check. We have fewer and smaller bugs, poisonous snakes and spiders, and other critters than most Southern states. And I doubt you guys enjoy downhill and cross country skiing and ice skating very often.

But as an old ham radio operator I admire says, "It's all good."

(Gee - I hope none of this comes off as sparring - just commenting back and forth as we go along.) _ James

PS - I would sign off as JR, but you already claimed that moniker! JHR

 

[sodderboy]

Huge cowboy coffee fan, although I make it by the mug, no simmering. A few stirs and real coffee sinks to the bottom. I use the french press at home like a gentleman.

My 20+ year old Bose Wave died yesterday, it's actually shorting-out the power strip. Quite a sizzle noise but no magic smoke or stink. Prolly xfmr. Next on the bench this week. . .
Mike

 

[MicMaven]

Huge cowboy coffee fan, ... A few stirs and real coffee sinks to the bottom. .

I hear tell dripping cold water on the top of a hot pot of cowboy coffee causes the grinds to sink to the bottom. Have you guys ever tried that? If it works, I might try it on Turkish coffee, which is really thick with finely grind coffee. I filter it, notwithstanding that is sacrilege to Turkish coffee aficionados.

I, too, would have to make it by the mug as my wife loves the fragrance of freshly ground and brewed coffee - but won't consume a single drop!

Any experience or traction on the cold water trick? James