Too scared to blend - any tips for a novice

[theDirector]

I have been roasting about 6 years, but I am not in the least bit adventurous, and I have to say I have never been brave enough to blend...I have to drink low acid coffee and drink mainly dark french roast monsoon malabar which I love, and my partner favours brighter less heavy coffee than myself....any tips for someone new to blending?

[bruceb]

What do you want to achieve by blending? From your descriptions of taste above it sounds to me like a blend is not going to work for you and your partner. You're going to need two different coffees, either SOs or blends.

One thing to try is blending two different roasts with the same bean. I often roast quite darkly to get the heavy, earthy roast flavours and then mix in some lighter roast to bring out the "upper end." I have even done this using a pre-roast blend.

A good rule seems to me: If you like the SO and don't know what you want to change about it don't bother blending. On the other hand, blending offers the opportunity to discover completely new coffee experiences. Why be afraid of experimentation? If you are roasting normal home amounts of <300g you have little to lose. Try post blending first. You only need to blend up 100-200g of your roasted beans to find out if you have been missing anything.

[Steve]

I think you hit the nail on the Head there Bruce, what do you want to achieve with your blend.

If its more of the same then why blend, if its more of the same then slightly different look at some of the similar coffees Sumatra, aged javas or maybee some yemns etc.

[theDirector]

I guess what I wanted to acheive was maybe a little variation, for me, I will try blending two different roasts of one bean...I hadnt thought of trying that. For my partner, a nice rich espresso blend would be nice...any suggestions welcome...
thanks for the comments bruceb.

[CakeBoy]

Perhaps stick to your usual coffee as a base and try adding 10-20% of something lighter initially to add a few tones and see how you like it. You can then either add more and/or other beans until you find your preferred method.

[Bertie_Doe]

I have to drink low acid coffee and drink mainly dark french roast monsoon malabar which I love, and my partner favours brighter less heavy coffee than myself....any tips for someone new to blending?

Blending suggestions is always a tricky one, as taste is so subjective and there are no shortcuts. My number one is also Mon Malabar, to french roast, but it dosen't blend well (IMHO) with any of my other favs ; Haraar, Sidamo or Yirg, the signature highlights of each, seem to cancel one another out.

Sometimes a dark Malabar will rescue another SO that's been say, roasted a bit light, but will never make a memorable blend, but as Cake's wrote - add small percentage additions at a time. I would agree with the others and would stick to SO's, you could try your partner on say one of the Brazil Daterras or Fazendas, at a medium roast and let us know what happens.

Quentin

[espressomattic]

What I would do, apart from agreeing with my esteemed memebers, is venture out yourself and get to know some other beans well. Give some lighter bodied beans a go as SO's, make notes about what ones you like and why. Have your wife do the same with the heavier bodied beans too.

IMHO before you can blend, no matter how good or bad the blend is percieved to be, you should know the individual beans first.

I would suggest say trying some Cach, Vegas, Yirg, Sidamo, Kalosi, Harrar, Yingtong etc to get a braod look at the differing regions. Then once you have found two or three from around the world, then start simple by blending two then maybe moving to three.

As others have said it is sujective andd there is no definative answer really, it is all down to personal taste.

Most important though is to innovate not emulate as a friend once told me. Have fun, enjoy the process and taste some great coffee along the way. Try not to get too hung up on it and if at first you don't succeed, keep on trying because it is and should be fun.

Matt

[theDirector]

thanks for all the comments...very interesting indeed...I tend to buy beans by the 2kg, and i think this habit has probably prevented me from this interesting experimentation...

Incidentally, is there a comparable bean to the taste and low acidity of monsoon mal?

also...we bought some blue mountain last week - it's for my partner, but I will be roasting it - we have bought it over the years pre roasted, but this is our first batch of green - any tips regarding the best roasting plan for this one, I really don't want to spoil it, and as I like dark roast, the temptation will be to over do it, which i know is not right for this bean...but what is best for it?

[bruceb]

Check thisrecent thread re. Blue Mountain.

[espressomattic]

Kalosi makes a good alternative to MM, but it is not aged. It has a deep earthyness combined with low acidty and spice undertones, like cumin and maybe black pepper. Sits well in a blend and also sits very well with Yirg/colombian as it does not dominate the cup at say a ratio of 20% 40% 40%. It adds a nice balance to the beans.

[espressomattic]

OK been thinking about this one today (I have been working too!)

If you go for 40% Chacheoria Scrren Dried, 40% Yirgacheffe and then 20% Kalosi.

Take the Chach to a medium Roast, the Yirg to a Medium dark, just before 2C and the Kalosi to a dark roast just into 2C you may find the blend gives some nice choclate from the Chach with a buttery taste, maybe even slightly peanutty, the Yirg will give a nice acidity with Floral and citrus notes. And the kalosi will give some spice as I mentioned.

I would heavily reccomend a post blend as the Kalosi needs a dark roast.

I am no expert, but I have found these three give a great "Standard" type blend that lends itself to the brightness your OH likes and the earth tones you like. It cuts well through milk for cappas too.

The screen dried chach is nice and bright too in the cup.

Hope this helps a little

[CakeBoy]

You, you pseudo-antipodean genius you Mitty ..... sounds like a winner