pucho812
Well-known member
john12ax7 said:
nice...
when you don't roast your own...
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nice...
Ideal is finding one close and convenient enough that you can pick up only a few days worth at a time... The small orders should not irritate them too much when they realize you are a regular return buyer.pucho812 said:
I roast about a half pound every roast session that lasts me 5 days. I will be roasting this morning, roasted coffee actually benefits from sitting several hours after roasting (to outgas CO2...oops). So I will roast today for tomorrow's morning cuppa Joe.
A half pound of decaf lasts my 80+ YO neighbor 2 weeks. She drinks one cup in the morning to wake up. I tried to explain the concept of "decaf" to her, but why try to change her if decaf makes her happy. Keeping an old widow happy is not a bad thing.
JR
john12ax7
Well-known member
I'm curious how strong others make their coffee. The general brewing rule is 2 tablespoons per 6 oz water. But that comes out too strong for my tastes, might be due to the fact I don't like caffeine.
I do it by weight... about 40 grams of coffee to an 8 cup (pour over) pot.john12ax7 said:
The fineness of the grind and brewing method (time exposed) can affect strength and flavor (i.e. french press can extract more than drip or pour over).
If you make it too strong you can always add water, hard to tweak the other way. I have heard complaints about too long in french press extracting off flavors and too hot water.
Absolutely DO NOT not leave brewed coffee on a hot plate... that can oxidize some of the oils in the coffee with bad results.
JR
I think I’m going to take the plunge. The Nuvo Eco stovetop roaster is $30. That’s in the budget. It could also be used with a camp fire which is attractive. I’m sure hand roasting over an open flame requires some technique but I’m up for that. If it goes well maybe I’ll spring for an expensive roaster.
In the 90’s I lived near an Italian deli that roasted beans. The roaster is in the window.
In the 90’s I lived near an Italian deli that roasted beans. The roaster is in the window.
john12ax7
Well-known member
JohnRoberts said:
How are you defining a cup, 6 oz or 8 oz? Always found it strange that a cup of coffee is considered to be 6 oz.
You probably need to be careful about stove top roasting indoors... roasting makes a lot of smoke...Gold said:
The old cowboys roasted coffee in frying pans over the campfire so not that much technique...
An old hot air popcorn popper (with a variac) is a cheap easy way to start (but they make smoke too...). I roast my coffee out in my attached laundry/tool room, but I've been doing this for several decades.
JR
That ceramic roast pot looks interesting.Gold said:
0.15# will indeed make less smoke, I typically roast a 1/2 # per batch. In addition to smoke the roast coffee beans generate chaff, the outer skin layer of the green beans, this can make a mess indoors too, but you will figure that out.
Good luck and have fun... when you roast green coffee you will get two different "cracks", kind of like popcorn popping but without the huge kernel expansion.
First crack is a lower frequency "thump" sounding crack. Second crack is not as loud and more of a high frequency "click" sound. First crack is generally finished and quiet before second crack begins, but uneven heat application could generate mixed results.
Sweet Marias often provides roasting advice about preferred roasting time/profile for different origins they sell... Pretty much all will roast beyond first crack, some stop before second crack some darks roasts well after second crack. Of course, roasting too long can turn beans into charcoal. (I generally stop right after second crack begins, but this is somewhat subjective personal taste).
If you were roasting in a heavy frying pan it will not stop roasting the instant you remove the pan from the heat, but keep going. That dedicated ceramic roast pot looks like it might have less thermal mass so stop sooner, after you remove heat. You might want to have another container handy you can dump the roasted greens into to cool off, and quench further roasting, but might not be neccesary.
JR
I was reading about it yesterday. I like drip or French press for brewing. I like a dark roast but not burnt. I can’t stand Starbucks because it tastes burnt to me. Past second crack sounds about right.
I really want to try it over an open fire. I read as the roast gets darker the roasting method is more responsible for the flavor. Maybe a smoky fire will tase good?
I really want to try it over an open fire. I read as the roast gets darker the roasting method is more responsible for the flavor. Maybe a smoky fire will tase good?
pucho812
Well-known member
Gold said:
That's because Starbucks over roasts their beans. They roast them at a higher temp then normal to do mass quantities, in turn this gives it the burnt and bitter tastes you get. Through marketing they have managed to convince people that is what coffee is supposed to be.
Coffee aficionados call them "starburnt"... :pucho812 said:
There is a method to their madness... The consumers who merely tolerate the flavor of coffee to get their daily dose of caffeine, don't want or appreciate variation in the coffee taste from day to day... By roasting coffee longer/darker you drive off more of the volatile aromatic organics that create the sharper flavor differences. Mass market consumers insist on consistency, so by burning off more of the volatiles, you get a more consistent product (consistently burnt).
There is not a single coffee origin region that could supply all of starburnt operations with similar enough green beans, so they drive consistency with the process (by over-roasting).
JR
