expert baristas opinion on home roasting

[Thundergod]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

David what do you mean by "detailed notes of origin"?

If I take you up on the challenge I have no idea what the best temp would be but do know that a LM FB80 does a good job making an espresso with my PNG Kimel.
I can ask what temp the machine on campus is set to.

I could roast up some Yemen Bani Ismail but that might not be a fair comparison.

As for what to compare mine against Id probably suggest Piazza DOro.
Can you get that in 500g lots?

[ozscott]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

David - great idea. I am far from the levels of some of the people on here such as Mal, Robin etc and I hope someone pipes up soon and gives it a go. ...if you get stuck let me know and I will send you some beans (I think that I am getting pretty consistent but candidly mine wouldnt reflect the best of home roasting because - as you point out- roasting is a skill that takes a long time to learn).

Cheers

[Remy]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

Fascinating discussion this.

What would be really interesting is to get an expert Corretto roaster and a professional roaster (or anyone with a drum roaster) to roast the same bean as best they can. Then, do some blind cupping tests comparing the two, preferably with about the same bean resting time. Then wed really see if those comments about home-roasters never being able to reach the same level as a pro-roaster really stack up!

Might be hard to organise though :P

Ill put my hand up to be the Home Roaster using a BBQ Rotisserie Barrel ;D.  Id give it a go for sure. I think it would be an interesting and fun experiment.

I couldnt go down the road that David posted though because I could not provide the information he would be after,.. I dont know enough about all that stuff yet.

[richy_4000]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

Fascinating discussion this.

What would be really interesting is to get an expert Corretto roaster and a professional roaster (or anyone with a drum roaster) to roast the same bean as best they can. Then, do some blind cupping tests comparing the two, preferably with about the same bean resting time. Then wed really see if those comments about home-roasters never being able to reach the same level as a pro-roaster really stack up!

Might be hard to organise though :P

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

Hey, how about a CS roasters comp? Like Golden Bean or whatever. A bunch of CSers submit their coffees to someone with a great palate, they can cup them (traditionally and as espresso) and give feedback.

Itd be a fair bit of work for someone, but gee, itd be a great way of improving and learning, wouldnt it?

Maybe we could do it state by state and have a national final

[Wushoes]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

As an experiment, Im willing to put up some of my own money to run this experiment.

All I require is a coffeesnob who is willing to have his/her coffee cupped blind to send me 500 grams of their coffee and I will buy 500 grams of a blend of coffee of their choice from a roastery....be it Grinders, Genovese, Allpress, Di Bella. My only request....it has to be an Australian coffee company....i.e. roasted in Australia. No Illy, Lavaaza etc.

If a coffeesnob would like to take me up on my offer, I will require detailed notes of origin (so I know what to expect) or if it is a blend, cupping/tasting notes. I will also request the temperature they would like their coffee brewed at....on the espresso machine, I control this to within 0.1 deg C. If you wish for it to be cupped up in an alternate method be it traditional, plunger, syphon or aeropress...this can also be organised.

I will probably get Luca to be the cupper and Ill get him to do it blind. I will extract the espressos. And we will test in pure espresso or long black and milk base in an ACF Tulip (170 mL cup). Espressos can be extracted as per the coffeesnobs request....be it a 35 second extraction or a 20mL extraction....or a combination of both...up to you! You can even set the number of days you want your coffee rested for.

Test Machines: LM FB80 and Mazzer Robur.

Whos in? It would be exciting if a Coffeesnob does roast better coffee than some commercial roasteries!

David.

[Remy]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

Here endeth the lesson grasshopper.

Yes Thundermiyagigod,. I give you my word,..I shall stay focused and find balance. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, I shall seek to improve my skills and practice till I can do it standing on one leg. I will become a legend in my own mind home roasting. ~~~~~~ HiiiiiYaaah!

[GregWormald]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

I took some of my 3rd home roast--Malawi in a Gene Cafe--to Mark at The Coffee Barun for him to try.
He liked the colour, the taste, the smoothness, all compared to his commercial roast of the same bean.
He also had some suggestions as to how I could make my roast more similar to his. Im not sure which roast I will prefer, I like smooth, but will give a try at getting more of a lifted mid-palate.
I know I certainly dont have his palate either, nor his experience at roasting or cupping. I am really enjoying my home roast coffee, and my friends agree it is some of the best, if not the best, coffee they have had.
Greg

[Thundergod]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

Dont never Remy.

Ive learned a lot since starting with the popper.
I moved to a bowl with HG to get bigger batches.
Now I have the corretto up and running and with not needing one hand to stir and the other to hold the HG I can take the time to record temps and times at 1 minute intervals.

I managed to get close to a profile I was aiming for with my first corretto roast.
Close only because at the end it took longer to get them to my cooling bucket than I wanted.
That batch was for a friend and he let me know tht it wasnt as good as the previous batch Id made for him.
I put it down to the extra time at the end.
They probably got into rolling SC instead of stopping at my usually 20 seconds in.

The other day he asked for some more as hed completely run out.
I warned him that they would taste different as they would be fresher than I recommend for use.
Next day he gave me a big thumbs up in passing.
I asked him if hed already tried the coffee and he confirmed that he had and was very happy with it.
Im waiting to hear from him at the end of the bag as by then it will have matured to the point he usually drinks it and the comparison will be closer to like for like.

The point is Remy that I put more effor tnow into roasting than I did at the beginning.
The extra effort is in control of variables.
If all variables are equal the result should be the same.

If you change a variable and its an improvement you can try for more improvement until you get no more and then try something else.
If you get no improvement or a decline instead you simply go back to your previous baseline and keep trying until you reach an acceptable point.

Theres no reason that point cant be better than some professional roasters (and repeatable).

Here endeth the lesson grasshopper.



P.S. Wushoes I will put my home roast up against Illy but I dont know if you would find someone willing to do the tasting unless you dont tell them what they will be drinking.

[Remy]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

I echo all of what JavaB just said....perfectly!

Im also hoping that I might be able to fluke it occassionally (when I have the BBQ Rotisserie Barrel roaster working well and practiced for some time) and get a roast as good as a commercial roaster can with his equipment. I know I could never do it on purpose with my equipment,.. but Id be happy with the ocassional fluke roasts that hits the mark.

[JavaB]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

I love roasting and consuming my own roasted beans.... I get great satisfaction out of the process and the results as Im sure most roasters here do......

I can probably do as well as some inexperienced commercial roasters on a good day and with the best beans, but Im never naive enough to believe my roasts are as good as.... or will ever be as good as... an experienced commercial roaster with their gear....

The roasting pursuit is a hobby.... it, like most hobbies, should reward the participants with satisfaction..... If we compared our results in any hobby with professional results they would in general come up wanting....

Does this mean we should give up - no way!!! It should just spur us on the even bigger and better things..... but we should never loose sight of reality.....

Our roasts wont be the best in the world (or even Australia)... but not even a commercial roaster could provide anything fresher..... and WE DID IT - thats the most important thing!!

[cuppacoffee]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

Agreed Rob!

[RobT]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

whoooo!! didnt mean to light a fire with my comments about what the trainer said. I guess I was a little piqued about being being blown off as a home-roaster, then being told where to get good quality roasted beans. (All the big name-branded Coffee Shops and Roasteries in Bris were mentioned) There has been a lot of sound reasoning used in all the comments/replies, both fors and againsts, and it seems safe to say that we, as home roasters (both experienced and otherwise :-) ) have no reason to hang the head in shame!

[cuppacoffee]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

It would be very interesting to do a blind cupping between a serious home roaster vs a roaster of their choice....any one up for the challenge?

I think thats a great idea David! You might have started something!

We could even do it in several States, with perhaps the commercial roaster donating a few kg of coffee to the home roasters to take away, then coming back for french presses at 20 paces!

Sounds like a good excuse for a co-ordinated National CS get together!

[Wushoes]

Re: expert baristas opinion on home roasting

It would be very interesting to do a blind cupping between a serious home roaster vs a roaster of their choice....any one up for the challenge?