tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285199182011-11-27T19:36:36.088-05:00My Adventures with Home Coffee RoastingDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.comBlogger661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-88214054523964341292009-02-17T12:22:00.003-05:002009-02-17T18:46:51.719-05:00

When my roaster arrived, I was so excited that I decided to roast right away. It came with nine different coffees (7 one-pound samplers plus two coffees that I had ordered, including the Espresso Monkey Blend).I chose to christen the roaster with a half pound of Colombia Huila Valencia. I figured that I didn't want too start with anything tricky, difficult, or too exotic. I wanted a coffee that

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-76091477141412476442009-02-14T22:56:00.006-05:002009-02-21T22:49:41.403-05:00

Previously, this coffee roasting journal had been about my old life. Then the blog went quiet for a while, as I settled into a steady rhythm of roasting 165g of green beans on my iRoast's preset #1, generally for 6:45 - 6:55 seconds, depending on the beans and the cracks. I bought a stainless steel Bodum French Press for use on days when I work from home (which I do a lot now), and added an

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1156143700202034562006-08-20T23:57:00.000-04:002006-08-21T03:01:40.276-04:00

This is another study, this time of the Mexican. I currently have four green beans in stock and of those I am studying three. And why not study the Guatamalan and make it 4/4? Because I will never ever ever roast that bean any differently then I did the last time. Consider that roast a single-roast study!But, back to the Oaxacan:August 16, 2006I roasted a cup at preset 1. I heard the 1st crack at

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1156132151081890552006-08-20T23:34:00.000-04:002006-08-20T23:49:11.143-04:00

This is another study, this time of the Sumatran. Unlike my first study, the roasts did not take place sequentially, but I am grouping them together by bean so that I can more easily access the information when I want it. The intent of this journal is to be able to look backwards and say "yes, this is a good way to roast this bean" or "no I tried that before and it sucked". And I think it is

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1156131260686823042006-08-20T23:25:00.000-04:002006-08-20T23:34:20.686-04:00

This bean is a peaberry, so you have to watch the roast carefully to ensure that the beans are circulating correctly. If not, a gentle shake is usually enough to get things flowing again.I roasted one cup of this bean today using the Sweet Maria's 9:30 roast profile. The recommended roast is "City to Full City", which is quite a range really. The first crack came in at -4:30, the second started

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1156130375615859242006-08-06T23:07:00.000-04:002006-08-20T23:22:07.960-04:00

I started this study to identify the best way to roast the Colombian, because I am taking a supply of roasted beans with me on vacation and want to make sure I take a well roasted bean. I would hate to find out too late that the roast was wrong; I would then have to spend my whole vacation drinking flawed coffee! Gross!August 2, 2006I roasted today's cup of Colombian with this roast program:

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1154107681667516392006-07-28T12:18:00.000-04:002006-07-30T15:29:22.853-04:00

This week I have been roasting my new shipment of beans. So far I have roasted one cup of everything and have been using variations of the Sweet Maria roast profile. (The variations all involve changing the amount of time I spend in phase three.)Guatemala Antigua Peaberry "Maria Especial"I already reported on this roast in a previous posting. I liked this bean at this roast but will try a little

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1153513237275235802006-07-22T16:17:00.000-04:002006-07-22T12:45:46.133-04:00

This is the Kenyan that I roasted on the 19th. This roast is darker than I have ever taken a Kenyan, and more delicious than any I have ever roasted. In fact, now I am a little disappointed that I didn't include any Kenyan in my last order! At this roast, the acidity is toned down to a reasonable level and the coffee has a nice depth to it, and more chewiness than my previous attempts at

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1153533397109388272006-07-21T21:40:00.000-04:002006-07-22T14:54:14.030-04:00

I roasted this peaberry using my now-standard Sweet Maria's roast curve, minus a minute from the third stage. The first crack came at -2:29 and the second came at -:04.This coffee looks a bit dark, but not at all oily. The roast is also not particularly even, which was a feature of the last Guatemalan that I roasted.My GearHere is a photo of all of my roasting gear:Starting from the left, you can

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1153450112325894012006-07-20T22:19:00.000-04:002006-07-21T14:41:07.543-04:00

This week I finished off the last of the Mexican Pluma Istmo, the Colombian Medelin Supremo, and the Kenya Mchana Peaberry "Lot 405". In each case, the last bit was just a few beans short of a cup. I roasted the Mexican on July 15, 2006, the Colombian on July 17, 2006, and the Kenyan on July 19, 2006.I roasted the Mexican and Colombian beans using the Sweet Maria's Roast curve, although I set the

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152933318415889612006-07-14T23:01:00.000-04:002006-07-14T23:15:18.426-04:00

I love drinking this coffee but I sure hate roasting it! It just doesn't crack the way I expect it to. I can never tell if I'm in the first crack, second crack, or maybe I'm really still in the zeroth crack? I just can't tell, this bean is so confusing! Today I roasted it for about 8:20 using the Sweet Maria's roast profile. It looks like a roasted bean I guess; I am no more or less certain about

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152933581044530872006-07-14T20:15:00.000-04:002006-07-14T23:23:06.626-04:00

This is the bean I roasted on Wednesday and this is a pretty good roast for this bean. The acidity of the Sulawesi is obvious but not overpowering, and the earthy taste associated with Indonesians is there to add the depth necessary to support the high notes. A nice bean but so far not one of my favorites.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152808819796064662006-07-13T12:11:00.000-04:002006-07-13T15:24:29.053-04:00

I had less than a full cup off this Sulawesi left; more like 3/4 of a cup. I roasted it using the Sweet Maria's roast curve (see sidebar). The first crack came early, at -4:07, and continued until -1:36. I stopped the roast at -1:00 which is when I heard the second crack starting. The beans look to me like a City roast, but keep in mind that this is an Indonesian bean and the Indonesians roast

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152725280087725832006-07-12T13:00:00.000-04:002006-07-12T13:28:00.160-04:00

Today I'm going to talk about my two last roasts, the Costa Rica Tres Rios and the Kenya AA Dorman.The Kenya came out quite good. I could taste the brightness that is the distinguishing characteristic of Kenyans but did not find the acidity overpowering. I also detected a faint cinnamon aftertaste. Even so, this is not one of my favorite coffees. I still prefer the Indonesians and the Central

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152500095153075892006-07-09T22:41:00.000-04:002006-07-09T22:57:29.933-04:00

Today I roasted more of the Kenya AA Dorman. This is one of two Kenya's that I have on hand, and I decided to polish this one off.I had a little more than 1 cup of beans left, so I roasted the rest in a single batch. This was not the best idea; it would have been better to split it in half and roast in two batches. The roaster looked like it could handle the extra beans, so I went for it. But I

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152422926873558922006-07-09T01:09:00.000-04:002006-07-21T22:15:13.730-04:00

I have decided to post one combined article talking about all the coffees I've drunk this week, instead of a separate post for each one. This is motivated largely by laziness, but also by the fact that my palate is just not as sophisticated as some people's, so I cannot come up with a paragraph on each cup I drink!Which in a way is a shame, because this week's coffee has been great! Even the

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152380747552784002006-07-08T13:43:00.000-04:002006-07-08T13:45:47.553-04:00

This is one of my favorite beans, and I roasted this one for 8:00 using my now-standard Sweet Maria's roast curve. The first crack came at -3:20, which is slightly early. (The last time I roasted this bean the first crack came at -3:00.) The second crack started at -:10.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1152380572672711562006-07-06T13:39:00.000-04:002006-07-08T13:42:52.683-04:00

Today's roast comes from Colombia. I roasted this bean using a modified version of the Sweet Maria roast curve (which I have lately posted in the sidebar because I got tired of having to link to it all the time). The modification consisted of shortening the last stage by a minute, so the roast curve is for an eight minute roast. However, since I stopped the roast at -:30, so the roast actually

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151987871222822272006-07-04T00:24:00.000-04:002006-07-04T00:54:42.896-04:00

This is the last of the organic Peruvian that Mike gave me out of his private stash. Mike does not like this bean, but I like it as long as it is not roasted too mildly.Speaking of Mike, I learned a disturbing secret about him today. It is a secret so terrible, so dark, that I hesitate to mention it here. But I cannot keep it to myself, so you my gentle reader shall bear the burden of this

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151987056115179422006-07-01T12:10:00.000-04:002006-07-04T00:24:16.123-04:00

Today I roasted one cup of this organic Sumatran using my now-standard Sweet Maria's roast. As is typical with this particular bean, recognizing the cracks and distinguishing between first and second crack are very difficult. Actually, every time I roast this bean I end up feeling like the first crack was skipped entirely and the bean only went through the second crack. I'm sure you can imagine

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151986236456534142006-06-29T00:07:00.000-04:002006-07-04T00:10:36.470-04:00

This is a fine bean whose recommended roast is City to Full City. Unfortunately I screwed up this roast so badly that I cannot accurately report anything.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151541224415393862006-06-28T20:26:00.000-04:002006-06-28T20:37:06.913-04:00

This is the 2nd time I've roasted this bean and the first time it was delicious. Luckily for you, the first roast was on May 7, which is before I started this blog, so you don't have to feel obligated to go read that entry. Instead, you should call me and I'll fax you the page from my paper journal. (Ha ha)This time I roasted a tad lighter than the first time, and I used an unmodified Sweet

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151548955129260352006-06-28T18:22:00.000-04:002006-06-28T22:43:20.883-04:00

Today's Ethiopean came out perfect! The only problem with this pot was that it was my work-from-home day, so I wasn't able to share this awesome cup with anybody. On the bright side, it was my work-from-home day, so I didn't have to share this awesome cup with anybody! :-)This coffee has a pleasant, earthy taste and the flavor lingers long after the mouthful is gone. A very satisfying cup!A

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151540625945557442006-06-27T20:04:00.000-04:002006-06-28T20:34:03.516-04:00

This is the last 1/2 cup of the Guatemalan that freaked me out the last time I roasted it and that was so successful back at the office. I used what has become my standard procedure for these 1/2 cup roasts and the 1st crack came as expected at around -3:05. I stopped the roast at -:30, which was 10 seconds into the 2nd crack.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151371505633140962006-06-26T21:14:00.000-04:002006-06-26T21:25:05.656-04:00

I roasted my last 1/2 cup of this Ethiopean today for drinking on Wednesday. I used the same roast that I have been using all week and which I posted on Saturday.The last time I roasted this bean was on May 3, 2006. Luckily for you, my blog doesn't go back that far, but I complained in my paper journal about an uneven roast. I experienced the same thing with this evening's roast. Most of the

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151373281358213392006-06-26T19:25:00.000-04:002006-06-26T21:55:37.166-04:00

Today I drank the El Salvador that I roasted on Saturday. The cup was clean and well-balanced, but didn't seem to have much character. Or maybe the problem was that, next to Mike's cup which was his own "left over blend" of Colombian and Kenyan Gethumbwini Peaberry, the El Salvador just didn't have a lot of character. This is terrible news, actually, since the whole point is that I want to brew

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151291073728916872006-06-25T14:09:00.000-04:002006-06-25T23:04:33.820-04:00

Another day, another 1/2 cup. My objective: to reduce to zero the number of bags of beans I have with a measley 1/2 cup left. A pound has 3 cups of beans, so a half a pound has 1 and 1/2 cups. So the sampler I got from Mike, which had 1/2 pound samples of 8 varieties, left me with a cupboard full of 1/2 cup bags of beans. Some of them have a full cup, since for a while I was roasting 1/2 cup at a

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151257020055876232006-06-25T13:36:00.000-04:002006-06-25T14:06:21.330-04:00

Today's cup is the Mchana lot 405 that I roasted on Thursday.Today is the second day I am drinking from this batch. Yesterday, some of the overly bright taste was still in the cup, but today I pulled out two teaspoons of beans and replaced them with two teaspoons of beans I had left over from the last time I roasted the Mexican Pluma Istmo. Regular readers with excellent recall will remember that

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151257635232757322006-06-24T13:42:00.000-04:002006-06-25T13:57:50.373-04:00

I had a 1/2 cup of the Finca El Carmen left over from the Sweet Maria's sampler that Mike bought me for selling his car online for him. I made him bundles of cash, and although I was happy to do it for him, and I certainly didn't want a cut of the cash or anything, how could I even think of saying no to an assortment of, like, eight different coffees from some of the finest coffee plantations

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1151115760024359962006-06-22T22:13:00.000-04:002006-06-23T22:25:43.406-04:00

I am trying another cup of the Kenya lot 405. The roast curve was Sweet Maria's standard. The first snap came at -3:00 and I stopped the roast at -1:00. Last time I roasted this bean, I modified the Sweet Maria's roast by reducing the last stage by a minute. I also stopped the roast at -:30, so, adjusting for the minute I had already taken off of the roast curve, that is like stopping the roast

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150942249706562782006-06-21T22:03:00.000-04:002006-06-21T22:27:23.570-04:00

Today I finished the Mexican and it tasted much better. Perhaps the extra day helped to mellow out the roast.Tomorrow I will try the Costa Rican. I am looking forward to it, but think Friday's pot (the second from the same roasting) will be even better, because that's the way it's been going.At this point I would like to talk about my Chemex. I now set my Krupps to the coarsest setting, and I

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150861894131028392006-06-20T23:44:00.000-04:002006-07-21T21:59:33.276-04:00

This is the first time I roasted this bean. The recommended roast is City Plus (C+), and I roasted a full cup. The roast curve was the normal Sweet Maria's roast curve and the first snap arrived more or less on time at exactly -3:00. (I say more or less but mean a little less than on time, since I expected it around -3:10. But still, it's close.)The first crack ended at -1:20 and the 2nd started

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150860720419793292006-06-20T23:31:00.000-04:002006-06-20T23:44:33.420-04:00

Today's roast was very interesting. Rich felt it was too mild, and thinks I should have gone darker. Mike was torn, saying at first he didn't like it and then, comparing it to his organic Peruvian (which somehow came out tasting a little like Greek retsina), deciding that yes he did like it.Mike was expecting that caramel flavor that some coffees have, most notably a Kenyan that Rich brought in a

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150860590511308282006-06-18T23:28:00.000-04:002006-06-20T23:33:19.436-04:00

This roast went a little darker then necessary, and came out tasting exactly like *$$. Still, thanks to the Chemex, it is a smooth cup and very drinkable.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150687856487076522006-06-18T22:52:00.000-04:002006-06-20T23:30:57.236-04:00

I've written before about the peaberry phenomenon. Sometimes these beans are discarded as inferior; at other times they demand a premium.I roasted today's peaberry to a City roast, and I think I nailed the roast this time. The peaberries have a distinct white stripe (well not white but quite light) which would have gone away in a darker roast. Unlike regular beans, peaberries do not have a flat

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150572262733652922006-06-17T14:32:00.000-04:002006-07-09T01:38:30.370-04:00

This is part two of my latest experiment. Today's cup was brewed in my new Chemex, whose I arrival I had been eagerly anticipating for about a week. (You kids don't know how lucky you have it these days; when I was your age, we had to allow six to eight weeks for delivery!)Using the ChemexUsing the Chemex is not hard, although I found this morning's process more time consuming than I had

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150515452719926512006-06-16T23:37:00.000-04:002006-06-17T15:44:09.290-04:00

Oh! Woe is me! Major error this morning!I brewed a pot of the Indonesian Flores and filled my thermos, and then set off to work without it. Worse, I didn't notice my error until I had already reached work, an hour and a half away. I was reduced to drinking *$$ and (gulp) Flavia all day.At least I had the foresight to fill the thermos with hot water and let it warm up before I filled it with

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150860470591439742006-06-16T23:13:00.000-04:002006-06-20T23:27:50.613-04:00

Today's roast was another cup of the Mexico Pluma Istmo, using the Sweet Maria roast curve. Unfortunately for me, the 1st crack (which started at a normal -3:10) ran right into the 2nd crack, and was past full city by the time I stopped the roast at -:30.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150515368550542442006-06-14T22:22:00.000-04:002006-06-16T23:36:08.566-04:00

I haven't written much this week, mostly because I have just been repeating the last roast with the same organic Sumatran. I have gotten to the point where I can roast that bean consistently, so tonight I am roasting the Indonesian Flores Bajawa Highlands. I am doing a typical Sweet Maria's Roast Curve, just as I have been doing with the Sumatran. The first crack came on time at minus 3:02, and I

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1150006097536742842006-06-11T02:04:00.000-04:002006-06-11T02:12:26.386-04:00

This Sumatran did not impress me much when I first drank it, but at this roast it is a nice cup. It has a subtle brightness on top of the earthiness that one expects in a Sumatran. In the past, I have also enjoyed this bean at a much darker roast, often taking it to the first puff. But I think that, now that I have solved some problems with sourness in lighter roasts, I will go even lighter with

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149822074254529842006-06-08T22:49:00.000-04:002006-06-08T23:01:57.116-04:00

This organic Sumatran was the first green bean I ever bought. These aren't the first beans I ever roasted myself, though: that honor goes to some freebie beans from Rich and Mike, who gave me the free beans and a loaner to get me hooked on roasting. (That plan worked by the way.) Tonight I roasted this bean just like my last roast (on Tuesday June 6, 2006). The first crack came at -3:50 and I

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149816333949972602006-06-08T20:41:00.000-04:002006-06-08T22:47:20.923-04:00

I really like this coffee at this roast, although it is darker than most people like to take this bean. (It is however by no means a dark roast. It's much lighter than a French roast or a so-called espresso roast.)This bean is an Indonesian and shares many of the qualities of a good Sumatran. The full city roast slightly mutes the high notes of this bean, but the full and fresh coffee flavor

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149655740636929602006-06-07T00:31:00.000-04:002006-06-07T00:49:28.533-04:00

StageTempDurationStage 1350F2:30Stage 2400F3:00Stage 3460F4:30Total10:00This is a modified version of Sweet Maria's roast, in which I lengthened the middle part of the curve. Thursday's cup will tell how this works! (Tomorrow is Wednesday and I will be drinking the rest of the India Peaberry.) The 1st crack started at -4:27 (and 395F) but wasn't really going strong until -4:00 (420F). The second

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149628302255721742006-06-06T16:39:00.000-04:002006-06-06T17:11:42.316-04:00

Today I brought in the Matadakad Private Estate Peaberry from India. Last time I tried this very same bean, I was unable to share any with Rich, but this time he knocked down a shot. His comment: similar to Sumatran, but different, and quite good.I roasted this lighter than last time, and the flavor is a little lighter but still not acidic. Kind of nutty and a hint of, like, licorice or something.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149519476577181512006-06-04T22:47:00.000-04:002006-06-06T17:13:28.483-04:00

If you click on the heading for today's roast, you will see wikipedia's article on peaberries. I have roasted several types of peaberries and always thought that they were just a smaller bean. I never really noticed that they are in fact a type of mutant bean that never split into two halves the way most coffee beans do. Peaberries occur in the midst of regular crops and account for about 5%-10%

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149563521136520992006-06-04T22:28:00.000-04:002006-06-05T23:19:48.546-04:00

This evening a had an 8:00pm conference call about a group project (I am taking the last class for my Master's) and wanted a pick-me-up, so I ground the last tablespoon or so in my burr mill and used my Melita Plastic Single-Cup Gravity Powered Drip Thingy to make myself a mug of piping hot Mexican coffee.This is a pleasant cup of coffee, not in your face or overpowering in any way but comforting

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149560754251859112006-06-04T12:19:00.000-04:002006-06-05T22:27:01.423-04:00

Today I brewed the Colombian that I roasted yesterday. What can I say about Colombian? At this roast it is a classic cup and I found this bean smooth but full flavored. There was no bitterness and just the gentlest hint of acidity, enough to add some high notes but without sourness or tanginess.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149560348495471292006-06-02T22:14:00.000-04:002006-06-05T22:19:08.496-04:00

I roasted this bean to a City Roast by using Sweet Maria's Roast Curve. The first crack came at -3:45, and I stopped the roast at -1:30. I thought I heard hints of a second crack starting at -1:40 but am not sure. The beans look like a perfect City Roast. The most notable aspect of this bean was the amount of chaff in the chaff dish. It was crammed full of chaff, possibly the most chaff I've ever

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149129296946780072006-05-30T23:29:00.000-04:002006-05-31T22:35:16.023-04:00

I really wanted to try the Mexican, but instead I ground the last few beans of the Kenyan in my new burr mill grinder and made a single cup using this contraption that sits on top of your cup and holds a #2 filter. You pour a cup of boiling water into this and it drips out a single cup of coffee. It is a cheap plastic thing, made by Melita, but the coffee was quite good anyway. I used the 3rd to

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149128911135342382006-05-30T22:20:00.000-04:002006-05-31T22:42:41.466-04:00

Tonight I roasted the Mexican. I followed the Sweet Maria's Roasting Curve and stopped it at -:50, which was the very beginning of the second crack. (The first crack had come at -3:38.)I did not take this coffee to the first puff as I did with the Kenyan. I bent the clips on the chaff dish holder to tighten the chaff lid, hoping that would fix the problem I was having with the whole lid coming

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1149128430937873442006-05-30T20:17:00.000-04:002006-05-31T22:29:21.870-04:00

This coffee was good. It had a lot of flavor and a nice thick texture. Mike complained of an aftertaste, but I did not notice it myself.I think this coffee would have been even better with a slightly lighter roast. I'll try it next time right up to the beginning of the 2nd crack and no further.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148879185903913812006-05-29T00:42:00.000-04:002006-05-29T01:06:25.910-04:00

Today's roast is the Kenya Dorman AA. I've been wanting to roast this ever since I got it, and have been putting it off to deliberately tantalize myself. (Okay, I admit it, I have no life.)I took these beans to the first puff, which is how I did the Peruvian with what I considered success. (I haven't gotten a second opinion yet.) I used Sweet Maria's Roast Curve but stopped it at -1:04. (For the

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148877760333523292006-05-29T00:23:00.000-04:002006-05-29T00:42:40.346-04:00

I think I am on to something with the new roast curve. The coffee was definitely less tangy than Friday's cup and I liked it a lot more. It was still a little brighter than what I prefer, so I think I will try taking it a little bit darker. (The beans were still quite light.) I will probable slightly extend the 2nd phase and then just add to the 3rd after that until I get the roast I want.I also

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148787078558301952006-05-27T23:22:00.000-04:002006-05-27T23:31:18.566-04:00

Never mind anything I said before about what I would roast when. I decided to give Mike the last 1/2 cup of roasted Peruvian to see if he likes that roast. Actually it's a little more than a 1/2 cup now that it's been roasted but it's about 1 pot of coffee's worth in a 10 cup coffee maker. And why the change of heart? I really want to play with the roast curves for 1/2 cup batches in the iRoast!

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148764608036870462006-05-27T16:55:00.000-04:002006-05-27T17:19:53.360-04:00

Today I am drinking the Peruvian I roasted up yesterday. I really like this coffee at this roast; I am thinking I might bring some in next week to let Mike try it. Or maybe I'll roast him up a cup with the same roast curve and let him make his own. (It is his coffee after all!)Mike thinks that organic coffees have an unpleasant aftertaste, and I admit that sometimes I notice that. But I do not

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148691703074125882006-05-26T20:25:00.000-04:002006-05-26T22:49:55.093-04:00

Earlier today I posted Sweet Maria's Roast Curve for City to City+. I modified to go a little darker, and here's the curve I came up with:StageTempDurationStage 1350F2:00Stage 2400F3:15Stage 3460F4:45Total10:00The idea is to extend both phase two and phase three slightly to get up to Full City and beyond. I experimented with this roast curve today using some FT Organic Peruvian that my buddy Mike

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148676919049840672006-05-26T16:28:00.000-04:002006-05-26T20:24:18.536-04:00

This Sumatran was very tangy, a feature I didn't terribly enjoy --although I came to get used to it but the end of the pot:-) I attribute this to the roast profile, which entirely eliminates the 3rd stage.Yesterday I published the roast curve for Preset 1. I also like the roast curve that Sweet Maria's uses: StageTempDurationStage 1350F2:00Stage 2400F3:00Stage 3460F4:30Total9:00Here's the rub:

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148602422513811222006-05-25T20:13:00.000-04:002006-05-29T23:16:57.203-04:00

Today's roast is Sumatran, which I want to roast right up to the 2nd crack. The only problem is I don't know how you are supposed to roast a bean to "just before the 2nd crack", since how do you know the crack is about to happen until it just has? Sure you can go through your journal but unless you can control every variable you cannot be guaranteed that two roasts will produce the same results.

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148579809197501722006-05-25T13:49:00.000-04:002006-05-25T14:10:41.606-04:00

This bean produces a flavorful cup of coffee. At this roast, I could not detect much of an aftertaste nor too much in the way of ancillary flavors. What I noticed instead is a sweet and smooth coffee flavor.This coffee seems to do well in milk drinks, also, perhaps because its firm coffee flavor and lack of subtle aftertastes allow it to hold up well to the addition of milk or cream. But this

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148491364544493922006-05-24T11:06:00.000-04:002006-05-24T15:16:47.043-04:00

Ooops! Today's cup was supposed to be the Old Brown Java that I roasted yesterday, but I accidentally brewed the last of the Guatemala Huehuetenango - La Miravilla. This is a bummer, because I really wanted Rich to try this bean, and since today is a work-from-home day, I cannot share today's cup.On the other hand, I am drinking a really fine cup of coffee today! Sweet Maria's is sold out of

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148490379138877082006-05-24T00:29:00.000-04:002006-05-25T13:48:38.300-04:00

Tonight I roasted Old Brown Java. This coffee came to me from Rich, who bought it (I think) from Cate's.I had previously roasted 1/2 cup of this coffect on May 8 2006. I used "Rich's roast", which is just preset #1 with the time turned way down to 6:30. The roasted beans were at Full City, which means a medium dark shiny brown color but only a few drops of oil (which in this bean did not show up

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148399372902027922006-05-23T11:47:00.000-04:002006-07-21T21:59:02.983-04:00

The Guatemala Huehuetenango tastes great. It's a smooth cup with a lot of flavor. At one point I thought I detected an almost peppery quality. It certainly makes for a lively cup of coffee! The flavor is distinct and interesting.My friend Mike had a surprised look on his face when he tried this. At first I thought he didn't like it, but he says he was just trying to figure out if he liked it or

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148349253279509532006-05-22T21:29:00.000-04:002006-07-21T21:57:41.923-04:00

Today I roasted a Central American bean, Guatemala'sHuehuetenango - La Miravillafrom Sweet Maria's.Sweet Maria recommends a City Plus roast, and using a modified version of their favorite roasting curve I think I achieved that roast.The roasting curve I used was: 2:00/350, 3:00/400, and 4:00/460 for one cup of green beans. However, I stopped the roast at -1:00 so that last stage was more like 3:

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148330776582946232006-05-22T11:45:00.000-04:002006-05-22T21:27:46.076-04:00

This morning I am drinking coffee brewed from the beans I roasted last night. This is a very good coffee. You can read Sweet Maria's review here. At this roast the cup is incredibly smooth and pleasant, with just a hint of sweetness and nutiness. The aroma is subtle but pleasing and definitely enhances the drinking experience. My buddy Mike asked for seconds, which is a great compliment. I still

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148349387589250062006-05-21T21:56:00.000-04:002006-05-22T21:56:27.590-04:00

Today's Roast: Matadakad Private Estate PeaberryToday I roasted a bean from India, Matadakad Private Estate Peaberry. Sweet Maria's recommends roasting this bean to Full City (FC). I roasted 1/2 cup at preset #1.1st crack: at -5:372nd crack: at -3:11Stopped roast: at -2:55I stopped the roast with 2:55 minutes left on the clock, but I probably should have waited another 15-20 seconds. The beans

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28519918.post-1148276527544767912006-05-21T13:31:00.000-04:002006-05-25T14:59:56.110-04:00

I am starting this blog as a way to put my coffee roasting journal online. I have a paper copy of my journal, which I have been keeping for over a month now. I am not planning on going back and typing everything in all over again, but I will include excerpts when relevent (i.e. if I am roasting a particular bean, I may use that opportunity to publish my paper notes from previous roasts of the

Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07796760612281097843noreply@blogger.com0