Exploring the basics

[Gadget]

Re: Exploring the basics

Ah yes,
coffee is both a crop and an essential food group! Results can vary.

[marcstolk]

Re: Exploring the basics

All part of the learning curve Luca...join the club there!

[luca]

Re: Exploring the basics

An interesting footnote to this project; I cupped up this particular lot of "generic" colombian supremo and it is amazing in French Press. Perhaps one of the sweetest and smoothest coffees that I have ever tasted.

This is of particular interest to me because I keep on expecting to be bowled over by some "big name" coffee; instead, I am now wondering how many crappy coffees I have bought on reputation and recommendation, and how many spectacular cups I have passed up.

Cheers,

Luca

[muppet_man67]

Re: Exploring the basics

I tried a similar blend.

100gm Brazil monte Carmello
100gm Columbian Volcan Gualaris
50gm Guet Hue Hue Tanago
100gm Suluwaisi Kalosi Torajah

It was a really good in milk. In a short black it had a strong caramel which blended really well with the fruitiness of the Kalosi. There was a bitterness though that I was unable to get rid of through adjusting brew parameters. Not burnt and not overpowering but enough that I wasnt completly satified with the blend. I might have to try trouble shooting roasting individual beans. I think I recall the brazilian having a bitterness when I drank it as an SO.

[luca]

Re: Exploring the basics

Hi Robusto,

A few minutes after the beans were roasted, they were put into a valved bag and that was heat sealed. The gas that evolved puffed up the bag and escaped through the valve.

Hi All,

Just finishing off the last of this blend as a cappuccino. Whilst I have a bit of a cold, my impression is that this is up there with any of the milk drinks that I had in Sydney over the weekend (tobys @ woolloomooloo and cordial).

I obviously have a bias towards simple, heavy and chocolatey blends for milk drinks. Note that the acidic Kimel finish has now disappeared.

Overall, I think that this blend is as good a base as any to work from.

Cheers,

Luca

[robusto]

Re: Exploring the basics

Zip lock...impulsed sealed with a gusset.

?


-Robusto

[Wushoes]

Re: Exploring the basics

Zip lock...impulsed sealed with a gusset.

[Bullitt]

Re: Exploring the basics

Luca, You sealed the bag but didnt allow the beans to degas at all?

--Robusto

Yeah????, waiting with baited breath for the answer to this one.

Could be a valved bag that is sealed with heat as described,
either with or without the zip lock,
or some new method of roast development

Bullitt

[robusto]

Re: Exploring the basics

Luca, You sealed the bag but didnt allow the beans to degas at all?

--Robusto

[luca]

Re: Exploring the basics

OK, so a few days on this blend is making for great, chocolatey cappuccini, as predicted. Funnily enough, the Kimel is showing through in the finish of the milk drinks, whereas it was almost impossible to pick up in the first few shots of espresso. When I get a minute, Ill see if its showing its colours now.

Shots are pouring thick, gloopy and a deep reddy brown. I presume that this is due to a combination of the dry processed brazil and the malabar ... thoughts?

perhaps more of the PNG if you wanted to liven it up a bit more? Smiley

Sure, but the idea was to go for boring ;P I probably shouldnt have put the Kimel in at all!

Luca, dumb question perhaps, What is Impulse Sealing?

Yep, Javas on the money.

The impulse sealer is the heat sealing machine that I have at First Pour. It is usually cold, with no electricity running through it until you actually go to seal the bag. At that point, the bit that does the work is flash heated by electricity. The standard heat sealers that we have next door need to be heated up and kept hot to use them.

Whilst Im sure that that was a fascinating paragraph for everyone to read, Java is right - it would have been more straightforward to have said heat sealing!

Cheers,

Luca

[Javaphile]

Re: Exploring the basics

Luca, dumb question perhaps, What is Impulse Sealing?

Commonly called heat sealing. Now-a-days many use a burst of microwaves or ultrasonics to seal rather than a heat source.


Java "I did it on impulse!" phile

[lucinda]

Re: Exploring the basics

Luca, dumb question perhaps, What is Impulse Sealing?

[muppet_man67]

Re: Exploring the basics

perhaps more of the PNG if you wanted to liven it up a bit more?

[luca]

Hi All,

I have this tendency to migrate towards the more exotic when blending, so I thought it would be prudent to see what I can do with some of the coffees that roasters tend to use as staples.

The following were blended together and then roasted to the about the beginning of rolling second crack:

150g Dry Processed Brazil
150g Colombian Supremo
150g Indian Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold
90g PNG Kimel (couldnt resist!)
60g Indian Monsooned Malabar

The resultant blend had a colour around about CS10 or CS11 and was impulse sealed after roasting. It sat for six days, after which time a few small beads of oil were visible on the surface of beans that were otherwise completely dry.

My first and second shots prompted me to actually write this up, rather than relegating it to the experiments bin that no-one will ever see ;D I came home late, but was curious enough that I couldnt resist sneaking a few shots in. The shots were visibly very rich and the mouthfeel was quite heavy, even in the second shot, which was pulled a few seconds too fast.

Flavour was pleasantly chocolatey, with hints of caramel. Nothing to write home about, but certainly a shot that I would be very happy to receive in a random espresso bar. Basically, exactly what one would expect from the staple coffees.

I await tomorrows breakfast cappuccino with great interest; hopefully this blend will be a keeper for milk-based drinks.

Cheers,

Luca