Single origin Robusta??

[aaronpratt]

Hi All,

After doing a quick search for robusta roasts, I was really quite surprised that there was no thread around using robusta as an SO. Does anyone care to share any and all experience using a decent robusta as an SO?

I just ordered some thinking I'd finally attempt something new and out there but have no idea what to expect. I usually roast and use SO beans, and have been getting very consistent results with my Behmor, so thought I'd step it up a bit.

Thanks heaps in advance peeps!
Aaron

[TC]

Hi Aaron,

There are some great Robustas. Personal favourites of mine are Kaapi Royale and Indian Cherry Robusta.

Kaapi Royale is generally considered to be specialty grade and whilst the result in the cup is different, it's still a very good coffee. You'll know whether you like it or not. We've actually been toying with the idea of selling it roasted in small quantities to allow our clients to experiment and see if they like it.

When roasting it, you will find it needs to be roasted separately as it requires more heat. You may need to experiment in the Behmor to get the best from it.

Robustas are also a component of many Italian blends at 10-50%, so you might like to try some as a post-roast addition to your blends as well. Robusta is generally a crema and body monster and should never be written off as always inferior.

Enjoy

Chris

[aaronpratt]

Thanks Chris. I'm really interested to see how different the taste in the cup will be.

[TC]

We've roasted a little batch of Andy's Indian robusta and packed it in small bags for those who want to have a play. Happy to roast more if required.

Robusta- India Magundi sundried 200g | Talk Coffee

[aaronpratt]

I finally got around to roasting this up last night too (Indian Magundi).

Is it just me, or is this quite a hard bean to roast well??

I tried a P2 variant in the Behmor first off, and completely missed 1C. By the time 2C started, with about 2 mins remaining, I didn't know whether it was 1c or 2C, but after a billowing smoke started pouring out the back I figured it must have been 2C and quickly cooled. Once the cooling cycle had finished, I pulled the caged drum out, only to notice the entire batch was charcoal

So, after clearing our all the charred remnants of chaff/etc., I put in another batch - this time on a P3 profile, thinking that the slower heat up might help in making 1C more distinct and avoiding another charred roast. However, after having to push the "+" button to it's max, 1C only just started with 10 secs to go on the clock. It's better than nothing, and I've bagged them up to be tasted probably this coming weekend.

Even though the roast was probably underdone relative to what I normally roast (to the start of 2C), I was really taken aback by the amount of chaff these beans give off! And it's not the kind of chaff to simply end up in the chaff tray either; it's all caught up with the beans. I felt like I was playing with a salt shaker for about 2-3 mins after cooling in an attempt to remove most of it. Even still, There was heaps of unavoidable chaff that ended up in the bag with the beans.

Aside from all that though, I gotta say the smell these babies give off towards the end of both roasts is spectacular. It'll be interesting to see whether those honey-like tones end up in the cup too.

Aaron

[ahhhespressso]

The coffee snob bean bay robusta (indian sun dried magundi) is very nice. I use it in a blend. Go to second crack is best. Quite hard to roast, you need to have your roaster pre heated.