3RRR Einstein-a-Go-Go Coffee Science Interview

[Robster]

Hi,

Did anyone happen to catch the interview with the Jasper Coffee guy on Melbourne 3RRR FM science show Einstein-a-go-go this Sunday (19 March)? The most interesting thing for me was the bit about their blind taste test: they made 5 espressos using beans ground at intervals from 90 mins before the shot to just before the shot. The unanimous observation was that the most full-flavoured shot came from the beans ground 90 minutes earlier.

I may have to start experimenting . . . . Again . . .

- Rob

[Matt_King]

Re: 3RRR Einstein-a-Go-Go Coffee Science Interview

interesting. Dont catch much of the Rs on the weekend.

maybe Ill have to bring my grinder to work and pump a few samples through a liquid chromatograph... actually, scratch that, the canteen now has an espresso setup (not that Im game to try it)

[Javaphile]

Re: 3RRR Einstein-a-Go-Go Coffee Science Interview

Who was doing the taste tests?

Ive found that with ordinary coffee drinkers around here that most of them wouldnt know the taste of a freshly roasted coffee if it bit them on the back-side. Theyve grown up with the taste of Folgers and to them thats coffee.

These are the same people who when they then switch to buying the gourmet whole beans in the grocery store claim the beans arent fresh unless theyre covered in oils. Yes, Ive actually had people argue this point with me and insist that because my beans werent covered in oils they couldnt *possibly be freshly roasted!

My point being that if their taste testers werent coffee snobs then the taste of stale coffee is what theyve grown up with and it is what has become their standard that everything else is measured by. Thier tastebuds havent been trained to actually know what fresh coffee tastes like. As a result everything is judged by the taste theyre used too, that of cheap stale beans.

These types of people have never tasted truely fresh coffee. Theyve never been exposed to the complex flavors of fresh coffee. These are the same people who insist that Starfu*ks is such wonderful coffee.

Personally Ive never left any grounds sitting around for 90 minutes before using them but I have on a few occassions had some sitting for up too 15 minutes due to something interrupting my process. In these cases when the grounds were then used to pull a shot the flavor profile was noticably lacking. I find it hard to imagine that this would improve with another hour and 15 minutes of sitting time. I guess Ill have to try it here today just to satisfy myself of this.

Java "Stale coffee sucks" phile

[Robster]

Re: 3RRR Einstein-a-Go-Go Coffee Science Interview

The taste-testers were staff members of this coffee roaster, which I think you would call a boutique roaster in the context of the roasting scene here in Melbourne. Anyway, I thought it was an interesting claim - one worth experimenting with - and the guy was certainly aware he was making a controversial call.

Is it possible that some varieties or some particular roast profiles lend themselves to such treatment whereas others dont?

[Javaphile]

Re: 3RRR Einstein-a-Go-Go Coffee Science Interview

I wonder also what the coffees were, their roast level, and how long after theyd been roasted that the testing occured.

Java "Always wondering something" phile

[lennier]

Re: 3RRR Einstein-a-Go-Go Coffee Science Interview

Robster, would you mind PM-ing me the name of the roaster in question, out of curiosity?

Thanks,

Dennis