Coffee tech

[blackrock]

These sites also have some roasting info as well as Sweet Maria's mentioned above. Be forewarned, there may be no turning back.

http://www.coffeebeancorral.com/

http://www.burmancoffee.com/

I rarely drank coffee till I got into this - now nearly everyday and I really look forward to a cup or three in the mornings.

by lesuther » Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:33 am
Roast your own. You'll get it exactly the way you like it- and won't look forward to store bought or coffee shop coffee again.

I roast mine weekly...you can really taste the flavor leaving 3-5 days after roasting. After a week, the quality declines until it tastes like something at the grocery store. A cuppa 3-6 hours after roasting will make total addicts out of perfectly sober friends.

well said.

Em, Have a look at some of the earlier posts in this thread about roasting and links above should give you a good idea. TomD sold me one of his used roasters - an IRoast2 and it works great. You'll need a good grinder too so get a good burr electric or the hand crank on Zane recommended. It took me a few batches to dial it in but it has been great ever since then. It sounds a little intimidating at first, but jump in and you'll find it is very easy.

[emflys]

You assholes. I have completely wasted my afternoon looking at home roasting. I am so in. I love my coffee, and love loving it, caressing it, and whispering to it on weekends, usually french press. (weekdays I just throw two pods in the Keurig and call it good).

I actually think I have a Poppery at my moms. I might start there.

[blackrock]

You assholes. I have completely wasted my afternoon looking at home roasting. I am so in. I love my coffee, and love loving it, caressing it, and whispering to it on weekends, usually french press. (weekdays I just throw two pods in the Keurig and call it good).

I actually think I have a Poppery at my moms. I might start there.

You're doomed now!

[c180pilot]

[quote="ZPilot"]I'm with Zane here. Perhaps its a generational thing. But I am telling you, I have to have my morning cup o joe. Transparent mass produced brown bitter sludge does not do it for me. Yes, I want my organic freshly ground beans, latte style, thank you.[/quote]

Maybe, but I'm 55 and have an Andreja, Silvia, Rocky, and a Mazzer Mini. I suspect you would consider me the older generation but I don't. I rarely have time work days to fire up my espresso maker but I really look forward to those weekend mornings with a great Capp. I don't roast, though. I buy from a local roaster and the beans are usually still warm when I pick them up. A couple of good forums for coffee are http://coffeegeek.com/forums and http://www.home-barista.com/forums/. Like any forum, you need to pick the gems out of the poop.

Wayne

[lesuther]

Anyone try one of these

Yes- that's the way a lot of folks do it. I've done that a few times, with variable results. The steaks taste like coffee smoke the next time though. A lot of people like it that way more than the no muss- no fuss hot air method.

Other people use a skillet or a fireplace style popcorn popper.

Give it a whirl!

[lesuther]

an IRoast2 and it works great.

That's what I have. Works great as long as you keep the temp up on cold mornings outside. it's programmable, but every single batch is different and you just learn to know when the right time is from the crackle stages and the smell. Unfortunately, they aren't making that unit any more, but you'll still find them for sale on google shopping, for example.

If you don't find one, there are other similar types that folks seem to like. If you don't like the initial sticker shock, you can find one of the $8 hot air poppers at Big Lots or other discount stores. They will work fine for a while, and then fry (roasting coffee gets things a lot hotter than popcorn). The kind with the mesh screen are not as successful as the ones with a perforated metal cup- the screened ones can char the beans or worse if you are less than attentive.

[emflys]

Decided after researching some on sweet marias (great site, thanks guys), that I'm getting a West Bend Crazy Air or finding a Poppaire 2 on ebay. I'll start there. I've been wanting a burr grinder for a while for my capp/esspresso maker, so I'll probably put my money there right now.

My bro is a big coffee lover and we are going to our company home with him and his family next weekend, so we are going to have a little coffee roasting learning session.

BEANS: So we both typically like dark roasts - Vienna, Italian, French. Was thinking of trying this blend. http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.other.blends.php?coffee=3092#3092 - any thoughts/suggestions?

Now, how can I rig up a fan and roasting chamber to my little camp stove to do this in the field? Fresh roasted coffee at Johnson Creek. ohhh...uughhhhh....ughhh...I think I need to change my underwear.

[OregonMaule]

I'll bring the generator

[Emory Bored]

I'll bring the generator

Do you bring the Traeger? Just asking.......back to coffee.

[GumpAir]

Don't worry guys. I got ya covered if the power goes out...



Gump

[lesuther]

Those open fire popcorn makers seem to work with variable results too. But it is difficult to get an even roast, which is desirable. Otherwise you get some bitter blond colored beans mixed in with charred beans, which taste as unpleasant as it sounds. My great g-ma made coffee every morning at her shop that way with good results, however. So no generator is required.

[emflys]

Good point Rob!

Les - You are talking about the air poppers when you say "open fire"? Since the air popper will only do small batches, and I am really experimenting, I figure I will just pick out the blonde/under roasted beans.

Sweetmarias did some tests, and now sells this air popper. It has the perforated cannister like the old poppaire II. Amazon had it for $23


Also got a burr grinder.

Now just need some coffee!

[lesuther]

Les - You are talking about the air poppers when you say "open fire"?

I'm talking about a pan with a long handle and a screen top like you use to make popcorn or chestnuts over an open fire.
Just google "popcorn popper open fire" for images, and you'll see what I mean. No generator. Just harder to do. Some folks prefer it that way, and it's the way most folks did it way back when I am told. I never got things quite right the few times I've tried.

[GroundLooper]

Good point Rob!

Les - You are talking about the air poppers when you say "open fire"? Since the air popper will only do small batches, and I am really experimenting, I figure I will just pick out the blonde/under roasted beans.

Sweetmarias did some tests, and now sells this air popper. It has the perforated cannister like the old poppaire II. Amazon had it for $23


Also got a burr grinder.

Now just need some coffee!

I had a friend who used to be a roaster at Starbucks. He got into personal roasting at home using air poppers. He had 6 air poppers, each one would roast a bit differently. His wife made him stop making French Roast when he kept filling up the house with smoke.

[OregonMaule]

Sometimes the daughter makes me one of these.

[emflys]

The Keurig is what's usually spitting out my coffee. The Tully's Italia Roast is surprisingly good, and its pretty much instant. Plus you have hot water on demand for the kids oatmeal or soup, and the wife likes tea or hot chocolate.

[Cary]

I've never tried home-roasting, but I grind my coffee beans with a Capresso blade grinder at home and with a GSI hand grinder in the field. The Capresso works great, and it's only $20, definitely the best blade grinder I've ever used. http://www.capresso.com/coffee-grinders ... rind.shtml.

The GSI is a burr grinder with a hand crank, and once I learned how to hold the darned thing, it works great, too, albeit a bit slow. http://www.gsioutdoors.com/products/pdp/javagrind/. I get a lot of kidding from the Folgers instant crowd at campsites, of course, as I use my GSI to grind the coffee and then my Bialetti Mukka Express (aluminum, not cow print) to make capaccinos. http://www.bialettishop.com/MukkaMain.htm. But heck, why not have the comforts of home?

Cary

[fern_hopper]

With this you won't even need Rob's generator. Be the most popular guy at Johnson Creek. Propane powered, but at the the price of 10lbs.


http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=2000008430#.TznUrFzYhwc

[Zzz]

but at the the price of 10lbs.

My weapon of choice once I figured out that I'd be flying that Cub at max gross:

0.4 oz cone. I do possess the skills to manually poor hot water through the grounds at a steady rate.

[clippwagon]

but at the the price of 10lbs.

My weapon of choice once I figured out that I'd be flying that Cub at max gross:

0.4 oz cone. I do possess the skills to manually poor hot water through the grounds at a steady rate.

Dude, that looks like something you pee into to catch a kidney stone at the doctors office (so I've heard)! Enjoy your coffee!