Anyone else roasting coffee

steelslaver

steelslaver

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I went over another deep end and started roasting coffee. I used an air popper at first and it actually worked pretty well, then I bought a roaster that has turning arms that stirs the beans and a temp control, then went from a hand grinder to a small burr machine. I have been experimenting with different beans and roasting. Amazing how much more flavor you get from fresh roasted beans. I make myself a quad breve every morning, then have a couple cups of straight coffee during the day and am getting into those with the deeper chocolate flavors.

I have yet to spring for any of the really spendy beans though. $30-50 a lb is a bit rich for my blood. Once I get the roasting down pat I might try a little just to see
 
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If'n you gave me a choice of a single $350 bottle of JW "Blue Label" or a case of Dewars', I'm going for quantity (although I have avoided spirits since the 20th century). Coffee runs along the same lines. My wife insisted on "Blue Horse" Kona beans @ $60/lb. Good stuff. I started buying Gold Star Kona @ $17/lb. Just as good. Lately I'm blending 40% 8 o'clock "original" with 60% Gold Star. As rich and smooth as my palate can discern. Considering some of the varnish I have consumed on jobsites all of it is an upgrade. Joe
 
I drink Hills Brothers, but I know some guys who love roasting and grinding their own. I just don't have the palate to discern some of the nuances others can. The same holds true for distilled liquor, so no sense in wasting good money on high end products since it all blends together for me. No pun intended.
 
I think I will wait till I have my roasting down pat before spending big bucks. I have been going to just after 2nd crack as I like espresso like flavor, but need to try variations after 1st, but before 2nd.

I am amazed at the difference in beans, when you actually compare them. I will work through the 12# of various beans, trying different roast before starting to add some high quality samples.

I never considered my self a flavor snob, with coffee, but, have found some quite tasty and it is kind of a pleasantly enjoyable hobby with no serious time investment. Maybe 30 minutes every other day roasting the beans, a few minutes grinding.
 
As true coffee lovers and aficionado's, my wife and I stop just short of roasting the beans ourselves. We just don't have the patience for that. I applaud those who do. And....... I would truly like to know if there is any real difference doing so yourself or do you just want the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Either way - Kudos!
 
In my neighborhood there is a commercial coffee roasting company. If the wind blows in the right direction I can smell it. I have never been inside and have and no idea what goes on there other than the obvious. I am not a coffee drinker at present, wife and I both stopped over 25 years ago. But we do drink a lot of soda pop.
 
Welcome to the passion of coffee roasting, Steelslaver! I've been homeroasting for 20+ years. It ruins you for other coffee. Yeah, I'm a coffee snob. There, I said it! Once in a while I get lazy and buy some ordinary coffee and proceed to kick myself. You'd think I know better by now. It doesn't take long to revert to my homeroasted coffee; maybe in a cup or two of commercial swill.

IMNHO you don't need to spend big bucks for good coffee beans. $60 / lb? Yikes!! Not necessary. I prefer quirky Indonesian coffees and roast just to 2nd crack. I like thick, heavy, chocolate-like flavors. Bright, tart coffees roasted lightly aren't my thing.

If you don't know about Sweet Maria's, I suggest you take a look. I get all my beans from them.

Just a moment...
 
steelslaver said:
. . . it is kind of a pleasantly enjoyable hobby with no serious time investment. Maybe 30 minutes every other day roasting the beans, a few minutes grinding.
Click to expand...

A suggestion: If you roast every other day or so, you might be missing some real flavor! Coffee just out of the roaster can have spectacular flavors. Subtle and volatile, those flavors disappear inside of a day. On day two, fresh roasted coffee can be fairly dull. It hits a low point. Then after day three, up to about a week other flavors materialize. After a week, it seems to decline.
 
Back in '93 I worked for Starbucks before it went nationwide and became too commercial. Learned some interesting coffee things there.

We received our beans in big, puffy bags with vents on them, the vents because "fresh" coffee emits gas, and without the vents, the bags could pop. It was explained that those hard, vacuum "bricks" of coffee you buy in the store can be packed that way only because the coffee is old and stale.

The only reason Kona coffee is expensive is because it sells at Hawaiian prices. Personally, I have found nothing taste wise to debate that info.

Jamaican Blue coffee's biggest market was Japan, which got all the primo beans. What shows up in the local stores here is the low-grade beans, but at high prices still.

Coffee grown in different places will have a different flavor. We described the taste of African coffee as "earthy," as it tasted like dirt. My favorite was New Guinea peaberry, a small bean. I never failed to sell a pound or two if I offered a sample of it from a French press. For whatever reason, Starbucks no longer sells that bean, a sad loss.
 
I leave the roasting to my nephew who owns Brother Bear's Coffee. He has been doing it for years and he is very good at it. Very small batch, organic and fair trade coffee. He has quite a selections of proprietary blends. I buy 10 pounds at a time, 8 for me and 2 for a friend. I burr grind enough for 2 days at a time and expresso brew. I personally blend half and half of Live Light a Bird song. City and full city roast respectfully. He roasts and ships the same day for me. Talk about fresh!!
 
I dabbled in home roasting just long enough to infect my youngest son's best friend with the passion. Now, some ten years later, that young man and his wife started a roastery and coffee shop in Collinsville OK (a small town close toTulsa).

They call their business T3 Roasters and sell roasted coffee from their Dietrich roaster they affectionately named "Big Dave" as a tribute my infecting them with the passion. Check them out if you would like to try several varieties of fresh roasted coffee without the complication of roasting your own.
 
Krogen said:
A suggestion: If you roast every other day or so, you might be missing some real flavor! Coffee just out of the roaster can have spectacular flavors. Subtle and volatile, those flavors disappear inside of a day. On day two, fresh roasted coffee can be fairly dull. It hits a low point. Then after day three, up to about a week other flavors materialize. After a week, it seems to decline.
Click to expand...

I read that the beans should set for at least 12 hours after roasting as they let them de-gas for at least 12 -36 hours to de-gas your beans of the CO2 in the beans. I have found the aroma does seam to improve over beans right out of the roaster.

But, I will make a cup after the beans cool next time, then another the next morning

None of my roasted beans have made it over 4 days

Chief38 you need to try some fairly freshly roated coffee, there is a difference over canned or even beans that were roasted any length of time before being ground. I was surprized
 
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Don't roast coffee but DO roast peanuts. I like then almost burnt. Touchy and I've been forced to dump a pan or two in my day, but it's like making a
D-A-R-K roux; when you hit the sweet spot, it's heaven!
 
I started roasting at home a couple years ago but I don't go for super expensive beans. Truthfully, it can be relatively economical because you can buy single-origin green coffee beans for $7 to $8 per pound whereas store-bought roasted coffee varies but $8-$10 for 10 to 12 ounces is not uncommon and premium brands are higher than that. You can get special shipping rates and buy 15 lbs at a time so it keeps cost in the reasonable range. And if you compare the cost to buying brewed coffee from Starbucks, Dunkin, and other commercial outlets, it's WAY cheaper and you're getting a fresh-roasted single-origin coffee of your choice that is roasted however you like - light, dark, medium, whatever.

I roast using a heat gun and a bread maker I bought from Goodwill for $3. I opted to go this route basically for cheapness when I first wanted to experiment and it works well enough that I haven't wanted to spring for an upgrade. The biggest downside is basically the mess from the husks separating.
 
FortyFiveACP mentioned roasting with a heatgun. Some people get started with the so-called Heat Gun / Dog Bowl method. Get a metal dog food dish and a large heat gun that moves some air volume. Heat your green coffee beans in the bowl with your heat gun and stir with a wooden spoon. He's right, the chaff will blow everywhere. You'll also get some smoke. It's best to do this outside lest you (and your new bowl) get banished to the dog house.
 
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