Latest exploration

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

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Re: Latest exploration

Postby bruceb » Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:03 pm

I don't buy "Fairtrade" if I can avoid it, but there was nothing else that even looked as if there was any hope. I've had FT coffee that was not so bad. This was terrible. I'm drinking a single origin Yirgacheffe that is actually a blend of 4 different roasts. For the last 10 years I've been doing this very often, combining a dark roast with medium and light roasts of one and the same beans. This gives a full range of flavours, from heavy roast aromas to fine, fruity, light fragrances. I was going to write a short post about this, but thought I might as well mention it here. This particular blend is made up of four roasts 1) 1 batch 30 seconds into second crack, medium dark Italian roast, 2) 2 batches- Just into second crack, Full City and 3) 1 batch - 30 sec into first crack, City. I'm enjoying it very much. This does not work well with beans that have a lot of character like monsooned Malabar or heavier Indonesian beans. I wouldn't do it with a really fine Brazilian bean either as the dark roast will hide the fine fruitiness. Give it a try sometime. It may be an eye opener.
Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
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Re: Latest exploration

Postby Steve » Fri Jun 12, 2015 10:07 pm

Back in the day I did some work on this, and I had some issues with getting dominant roast notes.

For me I try to not taste any personality of the roaster in the coffee, and all that of the producer and the land, and I found that when blending different roasts, some of the other coffees were not just right.

But I'm the worst to comment on this as I am so horribly opinionated when it comes to roasting, if its working for you then thats what home roasting is for.
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Re: Latest exploration

Postby grib » Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:27 am

CakeBoy wrote:It's incredible how much rancid coffee is sold as fresh. Sorry to hear it Bruce, glad you have some tasty Yirg on the go now.


There a lot of really good stores near me who sell their own beans, but it sits on the shelf for month after month. You can tell by the dust that's accumulated on the bag. And it's not cheap either, £14 for 500g is fine when fresh, but after 6 months, no chance. Thankfully I work round the corner from 3FE now, so it's no longer a problem :)
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Re: Latest exploration

Postby CakeBoy » Sat Jun 13, 2015 2:03 pm

Used to be the same local to here in a well respected establishment grib. Shame really because they are intrinsically good beans left on sale to go rancid. What I can never fathom is how they don't realise or act upon it.
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Re: Latest exploration

Postby bruceb » Sun Jun 14, 2015 11:23 am

CakeBoy wrote:Used to be the same local to here in a well respected establishment grib. Shame really because they are intrinsically good beans left on sale to go rancid. What I can never fathom is how they don't realise or act upon it.


It's the old problem of uncritical consumers. People actually buy and drink this rubbish and talk about how wonderful a "fresh" cup of coffee is. If consumers would stop buying sellers would be forced to change their ways, but I don't expect this to happen. I have served people freshly brewed, freshly roasted press-pot or Aeropress coffee made from Brazilian CoE beans only to have them tell me, while drinking it, how wonderful the cup of whatever they had from a local café tasted, when I know the café serves 3-year old Tchibo coffee. Not too long ago I served a cappuccino to someone who said it was almost as good as from Starbucks. These are the people that are buying coffee. The only thing you can say about it is, they get what they deserve (and want apparently).
Image
Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
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Re: Latest exploration

Postby CakeBoy » Sun Jun 14, 2015 2:09 pm

bruceb wrote:
CakeBoy wrote:Used to be the same local to here in a well respected establishment grib. Shame really because they are intrinsically good beans left on sale to go rancid. What I can never fathom is how they don't realise or act upon it.


It's the old problem of uncritical consumers. People actually buy and drink this rubbish and talk about how wonderful a "fresh" cup of coffee is. If consumers would stop buying sellers would be forced to change their ways, but I don't expect this to happen. I have served people freshly brewed, freshly roasted press-pot or Aeropress coffee made from Brazilian CoE beans only to have them tell me, while drinking it, how wonderful the cup of whatever they had from a local café tasted, when I know the café serves 3-year old Tchibo coffee. Not too long ago I served a cappuccino to someone who said it was almost as good as from Starbucks. These are the people that are buying coffee. The only thing you can say about it is, they get what they deserve (and want apparently).
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I would have cried! :shock:
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Iberital L'Anna 1 Gp Hand-Fill | Wega Orion 2 Gp | Bezzera 1 Gp | Rancilio Audrey PID | Spidem Trevi
Iberital MC2 Timed | Macap M4 DS & MXA DS | Mazzer SJ | Starbucks Barista Grinder (Dualit E60/Solis 166)
Pinhalense 2x500g Gas Batch/Sample Roaster | Gene Cafe | IMEX CR-100
Aerobie | eSantos | Zassenhaus | Bodum P/Over | Chemex | Hario Woodneck | Timer Filter
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Re: Latest exploration

Postby bruceb » Tue Jun 23, 2015 9:30 am

Well, to make up for the disappointments like the one above this last weekend we had guests and one lady, Ursula, a friend of over 40 years came to visit and she was sad that she cannot drink caffeinated drinks due to the medicine she takes after having had 5 strokes in the last 10 years. I cheered her up be showing her a bag of decaffeinated Brazilian greens that someone gave me some time ago. I only had a few hundred grams so I got out the old Hearthware Precision hot-air roaster, dusted it off and weighed out 80g of decaf beans. Together with Ursula I turned it on and she was fascinated to see the beans slowly go beige, tan, light brown and I saw her eyes light up as she heard 1st crack. Just as second crack began I pressed "cool" and let the machine cool the beans down and turn itself off. I poured the beans into a hand grinder and managed to grind about 20g finely enough that I could make an espresso shot out of it. She wanted a cappuccino and I made her one in a fancy Villeroy and Boch cup with a King Fisher bird decoration on it. In spite of the beans coming directly out of the roaster they made a good espresso shot for me, too. In short time we finished the whole roast. Ursula was thrilled as a small child having seen green coffee beans, watching them roast and tasting the results. She assured me that she had never tasted such good coffee in her life and we laughed as we emptied the last drops from our cup (I have to admit that I had changed over to a non-decaf Yirgacheffe in the meantime, but I didn't bother mentioning it to her).
Image
Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
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Re: Latest exploration

Postby tcheckley » Tue Jun 30, 2015 9:14 pm

first post, not sure if this is the right thread, if not point me in the right direction....

I've recently started drinking coffee again after a 10 year absence. I'm enjoying the taste way better than I used to. However I'm finding it difficult to get used to the caffeine. Wondering what types of decaf coffee are best? Of do I have to persevere with the caffeinated and get the best that way?

Any tips appreciated.

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Re: Latest exploration

Postby bruceb » Wed Jul 01, 2015 8:37 pm

Image

Good to have you back in the flock! :D
I'm not an expert on decafs, have a couple that I roast myself that seem pretty good to me. Perhaps Steve or someone else has some suggestions for you. How are you making your coffee? Filter, espresso, press pot?
Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
Image
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