Thread: Coffee Enthusiasts

Check out sweet maria. Even if you don't buy from them the site is a wealth of knowledge as they specialize in home roasting. I get my green beans from them and have for years.

Originally Posted by Speedster

Be sure to double check your brew temperature as well. I recall his 2 roasts certainly taste the best at only one temperature, and the taste falls off and can get rather funky if you are even a degree or two off. Plus, I was surprised to find that coffee beans taste better a few days after roasting and not immediately after roasting which is not very intuitive. I'm sure you will find his Vita and Dolce brew recommendations on his site, or if not there, try home-barista.com (http://www.home-barista.com/coffees/...ce-t12700.html and here http://www.home-barista.com/tips/too...6.html#p366780). Good luck! Those blends make for delicious espresso if you get all the myriad variables right.

The Gaggia Classic doesn't give you too many options to monitor the water temp or easily make adjustments. But I give it every opportunity to reach maximum temperature by warming the machine 30 minutes before I brew to ensure that the group head and portafilter are hot. The flavor from the Dolce wasn't sour. It was just that the crema dissipated rather quickly in spite of there being a generous amount of it. I suppose every espresso machine has its own quirks and will perform better with one bean over another. And lets be honest, I'm nitpicking too. One great thing is that he takes the order, waits until the next roast, packs and ships immediately. The coffee is two days old when you get it. Freshness is guaranteed.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Check out sweet maria. Even if you don't buy from them the site is a wealth of knowledge as they specialize in home roasting. I get my green beans from them and have for years.

Roasting. Yes, I saw you guys post about that and frankly I'm a little concerned that if I let myself run wild I'll be doing that too. But I'm trying to refrain from getting to that point. My wife, friends and family already think I'm nuts with the lengths I go through for a cup of coffee, a plate of food, or a shave. I justify it by saying that its not just a food or a shave but my hobby and entertainment. But it still only buys me a half an inch of slack. But yes, I have poked around that site already for some reading. I opted to read Schumer's book because many of the message boards on Home Barista are a lot like SRP. You get a wildly divergent set of opinions at once. When you're trying to find your way, its best to stick with the advice of one expert and then adjust from there. The Gaggia is a lot more manual than the last unit I had. So the variable are really up in the air. Temp and pressure are the two elements that are not in flux though. But considering the cost differential of better machines, I think I will be working with my Gaggia for a long time. The next in its category is probably the Rancillio at twice the price. And its debatable if its an improvement. So I think I will hold with the current set up for at least 12 months. And if roasting is still on my mind after that, maybe I'll make some inquiries at that point.

Just a comment: A roast should rest between three and five days before use. That allows the CO2 to dissipate. CO2 causes a acidic taste till gone.
~Richard

Originally Posted by TheGeek

So. I have one of these air fryer dealies that sees little to no use. And according to my manual it can be used for coffee roasting.

Does anyone have any hints or recommendations on beans to try out?

https://www.coffeebeanshop.co.uk/gre...c-285_184.html

I am looking here for now as it came up in google ��

Geek



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Have you seen any of these sites? I've bought from both and find the prices very reasonable. The buying club is cost plus $0.50 a lb. Green bean coffee buying club http://www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com/index.php

[url=http://www.coffeehelpingmissions.com/]Welcome - CoffeeHelpingMissions.com[/url]

Coffeeproject.com is a good source for green beans. They give discounts for slower shipping and your birthday month. I have Peru, Sumatra, and Ethiopian in my blend. +1 on what Geezer says about giving it a 3 day rest. It really does make a difference.

Originally Posted by Geezer

Just a comment: A roast should rest between three and five days before use. That allows the CO2 to dissipate. CO2 causes a acidic taste till gone.
~Richard

The beans had at least two days rest during travel and probably another after I got them. So at least three days. But its been nearly a week a this point so they have had their rest at this point. The crema on the cup I had about an hour ago was still the same - abundant at first and then quickly deflated to a minimal film. It actually behaves like the head on a beer. It rises up and fills the glass then disappears given a little time.

Thanks for all the tips folks. I'll have a look around.

Geek

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Originally Posted by OCDshaver

The beans had at least two days rest during travel and probably another after I got them. So at least three days. But its been nearly a week a this point so they have had their rest at this point. The crema on the cup I had about an hour ago was still the same - abundant at first and then quickly deflated to a minimal film. It actually behaves like the head on a beer. It rises up and fills the glass then disappears given a little time.

maybe too hot/too high of pressure is causing the foamy, disappearing crema? Since your machine doesn't adjust those factors, have you tried temp surfing a bit before locking in the portafilter and extracting?
I have a cheapo manual machine and I find that when the green light clicks on (i.e. ready to brew), I have to run the pump for a few seconds until the bubbling, steamy water stops and it's just hot water dripping out of the screen.

Originally Posted by TwistedOak

maybe too hot/too high of pressure is causing the foamy, disappearing crema? Since your machine doesn't adjust those factors, have you tried temp surfing a bit before locking in the portafilter and extracting?
I have a cheapo manual machine and I find that when the green light clicks on (i.e. ready to brew), I have to run the pump for a few seconds until the bubbling, steamy water stops and it's just hot water dripping out of the screen.

I haven't had much of a problem with other coffees. Just that one. And as luck would have it, I'm all out of that one. Should I run into the issue again with another coffee, I will give that a shot. I'll run a tad bit of water out of the machine to cool it slightly before brewing. The whole business seems simple but its a real balancing act between the coffee, the grind, the water temp, the dose, and the tamp. What I need to do is stick with one coffee for a while. Changing it up makes settling into a groove tough. But every day I get another chance at perfection.