This week I have been mostly roasting....

[simonp]

Sorry, the Fast Show reference in the subject won't make sense to many.

This weekend I roasted 2 batches for my continuing espresso blending experiments. I thought I'd go for something simple and more mellow after my intense one last time. I thought I'd try the favourite 4:3:2:1 ratio (mildest to strongest ratios) this time. So I went 4 parts Brazil, 3 parts Columbian, 2 parts Guatamalan, 1 part Etheopian.

To make sure things roasted well I split the roasts:

Roast 1:
100g Brazilian Cachoera (Hasbean)
100g Brazilian Carmo Estate (Sweet Marias)
50g Harar Horse (Sweet Marias)

Taken 20s into 2nd crack, before any real pace gathered. Smooth surface but no oil.

Roast 2:
150g Columbian La Manuela (Hasbean)
100g Guatamalan Antigua (Sweet Marias)

Taken about 35 seconds into 2nd crack, where 2nd is just starting to gain pace. A couple of beans had a tiny oil spot, and a couple had divots, but most were dry and intact.

I'll give them a go tonight (2 days rest), I might try then individuallly then mix for the proper blend, mainly I want to see what the mixed Brazils give.

[simonp]

Well, I espresso cupped each batch indivdually, both without, and with sugar as recommended by Matt Mills a while back. It is interesting, very different flavours came through with sugar in the Columbian/Guat combination, very strong liquorice.

I the tried the blend proper. I have to say that I was somewhat dissapointed. The crema was quite light and foamy sugesting more rest needed, and there was an acidic grassy taste in there too. Also the Harar was not very noticable.
There is certainly nothing under-roasted, so not sure where the grassiness is coming from.
I did have a blinding headache which may have put me off tasting.

I haven't used a columbian in a blend for a while, so perhaps I just don't like them.

I'll try further

[kingseven]

For me it sounds like a rest thing - maybe a couple more days?

[simonp]

I was surprised there wasn't more body, so perhaps rest will help this develop, and the Brazils were a lightish roast (for espresso) at full city (US terminology) so they may need more rest.

I have been doing blends with a fair bit of low note coffees recently (Sumatrans, Sulawesi, robusta) so maybe I'm missing them.

[simonp]

Ran a couple of shots again today, the garssiness seems to have gone, letting the sweetness through better, it seems much more ballanced now. Coulde be the extra rest or the headache yesterday really did mess with my taste. This is deinitely a more mellow blend, I reckon it could tolerate the ammount of Harar going up without getting too winey.