Best decaf method?

Tell us about the latest beans you've discovered and blends you've tried

Moderators: GreenBean, Gouezeri, bruceb, CakeBoy

Best decaf method?

Postby Edward » Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:09 pm

Anyone know which method is least likely to impact taste? Co2? Swiss Water?
Edward
 
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:05 pm

RE: Best decaf method?

Postby triptogenetica » Sat Oct 09, 2010 7:35 pm

I for one far prefer CO2.

Swiss water decaf tastes more like someone else has already brewed it to me. (I think I've heard others say similar things).

IMHO, they just do swiss water so they can say "No Chemicals" about the process. Pretty stupid since water will go on to be the main solvent you use to brew the coffee. Much better IMO to use a different solvent first time around.

(CO2 is probably not ideal either - since CO2 is one of the solvents we use for brewing. But unfortunately I got into coffee after ethene-solvent decaf went out of fashion, so I can't test this theory).
Bezzera BZ35 (ex Gaggia Carezza)
Grinders - Iberital MC2, Bezzera BB105, Hario Skerton
Aeropress, Cona C, Hario MCA-5 and TCA-5 vacpots
Beans - Behmor homeroast
triptogenetica
 
Posts: 395
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:14 pm
Location: Oxford, UK

Postby Olings » Wed Oct 13, 2010 7:21 pm

We've recently used a method called natural Ethyl Acetate. The "natural" part comes from that the solvent is derived from sugar cane and is allowed to use for organic coffees.

We sourced a great coffee from a co-operative in Huila in Colombia and picked it to be decaffinated. The coffee was decaffinated in Colombia and I was able to taste the before and after when the coffee arrived as I'd saved some of the original green bean sample.

There was a difference but not as bad as it sometimes can be, and the quality in the original beans where great.

If you have to go decaf, to me, this is the way to go. But I rather not... ;)


Ola
La Marzocco GS3, Compak K10, Dualit grinder, Turkish coffee maker (Ibrik) and grinder, Eva Solo coffee maker, French press, Aeropress.
User avatar
Olings
 
Posts: 371
Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2005 6:49 pm
Location: Oslo, Norway

Postby Steve » Thu Oct 14, 2010 9:59 pm

I think there is a trade off with all

Water I find the most harmful to the final brew, but everyone has wonderful thoughts when they think of swiss water, and you can get interesting coffees from it just fewer and further between.

CO2 I find is a compromise I can accept, bean is not as "damaged"the environment is better looked after and you find some very good decafs from CO2

MC2 which is the horrible chemical method I like strangely enough I have cupped some lovely ones, but I aint drinking dry cleaning fluid :)
User avatar
Steve
Founder Member
 
Posts: 3442
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2003 5:58 pm
Location: Stafford UK

Postby Edward » Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:20 am

Steve wrote:I think there is a trade off with all

Water I find the most harmful to the final brew, but everyone has wonderful thoughts when they think of swiss water, and you can get interesting coffees from it just fewer and further between.

CO2 I find is a compromise I can accept, bean is not as "damaged"the environment is better looked after and you find some very good decafs from CO2

MC2 which is the horrible chemical method I like strangely enough I have cupped some lovely ones, but I aint drinking dry cleaning fluid :)


I have a bag of your Sidamo CO2 sitting in the cupboard right now, trying it tomorrow 4 days after roasting to give it a chance to nicely degas.

I tried some of the decaf costa rican from londinium, sadly wasted most of the 500g on coffee that was made by poor technique and tasted carbonic due to a lack of time to degas. Still, on day 4 I now find it very acceptable, will be interesting to compare to your stuff.

Incidentally, as a roaster and a man who knows his coffee, what do you think of the caffeine free arabica variety recently discovered?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2004/ ... d.research

I think, from an amateur perspective that such a variety, grown in a good location with the same artisan growing and processing found in other quality coffees, would taste very good indeed. This would negate the need for decaffeination, something I'm quite excited about.

Think we'll ever see anything come from it?

Then there's this "decaf stick" recently invented. Apparently a polymer coated stick you stir your coffee with to remove 70% of the caffeine. Still a far cry from decaf in terms of caffeine removal, but the taste would remain unadulterated. If they could get this up to 99.9% it would sell in droves.
Edward
 
Posts: 92
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:05 pm

Postby Steve » Mon Oct 18, 2010 11:50 am

I think that the decaf varietal stuff sounds very interesting, I hope we see some results from it in the coming years. I don't think we will see the best from it until there is a chance to see what how and where this strain will grow. But progress no doubt

I think that those sticks worry me a little, caffeine is not an easy thing to remove (its a stubborn so and so) and anything that acts as an adhesive so easily will be taking some other things out the cup.
User avatar
Steve
Founder Member
 
Posts: 3442
Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2003 5:58 pm
Location: Stafford UK


Return to Beans, Blending and Cupping

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests

cron