Aeropress roasting

[mmmcoffee]

This may have been covered but couldn't find it so apologise in advance if if has.

I use am Aeropress at work and a Domobar Jnr & home, and currently I just take some extra beans from home to work to hand grind and use in my Aeropress. But was wondering about what roast best suits Aeropress?? Eg how dark.

Thanks all!!

[mwcalder05]

Hey mate,

Are you using your Aeropress to make espresso or a brewed style of coffee?

M

[mmmcoffee]

Hi M

Unless I'm missing something the Aeropress only mate a brew style- I make about 3/4 a cup coffee add some hot water and milk.

I know the box says "makes espresso " but I would call it expresso.

Thanks

Dave

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I would roast a bit lighter for Aerorpress, but it doesn't haven't to be super light. A bit short of 2nd crack is fine for most beans, but for some like the Yirgacheffe maybe pull a little earlier (at around CS8 on the coffeesnobs colour scale). If you go a bit darker / lighter than intended, you can accomodate this by coarsening/tightening your grind.

My favourite in the Aeropress is the Guatemala Huehuetenango (followed by its friend the Jacaltenango).

[STS]

Hi mmmcoffee,

Using a lighter 'filter' roast with aeropress will help reveal varietal characteristics of the bean much the same as with a pourover. This lighter roast, however, may be a bit 'bright' for you to use at home as espresso.

As such, this may necessitate differently roasted beans to suit each method IF you enjoy some of the characteristics revealed with a filter roast. In saying this probably less of an issue if you enjoy your aeropress brew with milk where the more subtle varietal characteristics will be somewhat muted.

Sean

[Ravenscroft]

I just use the same beans I roast for my espresso at home and use them at work in the Aeropress.

It is all good to me but have only been drinking coffee for about 50 years so who knows what my taste buds may be missing.

I had a freak out awhile ago about all this but now I enjoy it or not.

If not just change. That was pointed out to me on here.............so go with what you enjoy and bugger the rest.

RC

[thewpguy]

After building a heavily modified popper that can do any roast profile thanks to the regulars on this forum I have been experimenting with different roasts for my aeropress setup and have found the following.

- For long black coffee with bright clear flavours roast to 215 degrees (with temp probe in beans with multimeter setup) with a 15 minute roast profile and drink from following day to day 7.

- For muted more classic coffee flavour that go great with milk based coffee leave beans for at least 7 days before using.
Still removing at 215 degrees when roasting.

[mmmcoffee]

Thanks Tavenscroft that was my thoughts but thought I'd see what others had in mind to see if I can make it better. I have loved the Aeropress at work and has already saved me a small fortune in buying less takeaway coffees which helped me sell my wife the home machine upgrade in this last week
Win wins around!

Thanks STS I might try a a lighter roast this week and see how it goes in the Aeropress!

[Ravenscroft]

Yeah mate, just enjoy it. One can get paranoid at times, I do, but stuff all the bullshit, just enjoy it.

I got the paranoia from here but also the cure, so whatever happens is ok as long as that coffee is ok in the end.

My home roasted is great in both my Espresso and Aeropress so in the end all is well.

A good coffee.

Hey, as an aside my girl after she finished her coffee today (which I made her) looked at me and said " I love coffee".

God, if that wasn't a line for immediate sex I dunno what is, but stupid me asked if there was any bitterness and how was the mouth feel.

What an idiot I am

RC

[DesigningByCoffee]

Hi M

Unless I'm missing something the Aeropress only mate a brew style- I make about 3/4 a cup coffee add some hot water and milk.

I know the box says "makes espresso " but I would call it expresso.

Thanks

Dave

Hi Dave
Sounds like you're making more of a traditional plunger style 'white coffee', so your espresso roast should be AOK

But, a little hint - if you ever do a roast that is a little too acidic as espresso - try doing 20g (double shots worth) in the AP ground for espresso, half fill only, give a stir and plunge straight away. I've never liked long blacks before - but this gives a really sweet, fruity, strong black coffee that is really quite close to good clean espresso IMHO.

But this technique doesn't taste great IMHO with beans from good espresso roasts - ends up with too much roasty/toasty flavour for my liking and the fruit gets smotered.

So, in answer to the original question, if i'm going camping and taking the AP - I'll roast slightly faster overall for any given bean to just on 2C and use the above technique to save mucking about with milk – esp when my beautiful bride doesn't like plunger coffee anymore anyway

Cheers Matt

[mmmcoffee]

Cheers Matt I'll give that a try!!