coffee for mags - a coffee roasting trip report (& free mag coffee)

Anyone have any helpful ideas?

I typically brew my medium-dark roasts with a french press, and i usually brew lighter roasts with a chemex and stainless steel mesh filter. I have those pretty dialed for my taste (which is all that matters haha). the stainless mesh filter drains very slowly which makes brewing more than 20g of grounds a real PITA (like it will take 10 minutes to fully drain, though the brew is still flavorful and delicious and not tasting overextracted).

I recently bought a plastic V60 with the branded hario filters. Figured its cheap and would make easier cleanup when camping or in the parking lot pre-pow day. Im having issues with how quick it is draining and im getting a weak, bleh cup of joe. I'm using 1g grounds/14g water ratio, pouring 60g of water into 20g grounds and letting bloom for 20-30 sec, then slow pouring for about 45-60sec until ive added all water. Ive also tried pouring in stages over 3 minutes. But it drains through the paper filter way quicker than the steel mesh filter and the brew ends up underextracted to my taste. Ive slowly decreased grind size, but im approaching espresso size and still not getting the brew i want. I feel like I need to find a way to slow the draining as its not getting 3 minutes brew time. Any ideas?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tgapp

jesus if dragonfly is cheaper than peets than what are you waiting for? dragonfly is one of the top 5 roasters in the US right now.

---

Just familiarity with Peet's at this point. I've started my day with 3 cups of the stuff for almost 15 years now, but I'm not opposed to trying something different. Perhaps I'll give that Dragonfly stuff a whirl.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by californiagrown

Anyone have any helpful ideas?

I typically brew my medium-dark roasts with a french press, and i usually brew lighter roasts with a chemex and stainless steel mesh filter. I have those pretty dialed for my taste (which is all that matters haha). the stainless mesh filter drains very slowly which makes brewing more than 20g of grounds a real PITA (like it will take 10 minutes to fully drain, though the brew is still flavorful and delicious and not tasting overextracted).

I recently bought a plastic V60 with the branded hario filters. Figured its cheap and would make easier cleanup when camping or in the parking lot pre-pow day. Im having issues with how quick it is draining and im getting a weak, bleh cup of joe. I'm using 1g grounds/14g water ratio, pouring 60g of water into 20g grounds and letting bloom for 20-30 sec, then slow pouring for about 45-60sec until ive added all water. Ive also tried pouring in stages over 3 minutes. But it drains through the paper filter way quicker than the steel mesh filter and the brew ends up underextracted to my taste. Ive slowly decreased grind size, but im approaching espresso size and still not getting the brew i want. I feel like I need to find a way to slow the draining as its not getting 3 minutes brew time. Any ideas?

---

your grind is wrong - you need to grinder finer. can you take a picture of it with a quarter or other coin next to it so i can see?

the fact that your chemex is taking 10 minutes to fully drain also tells me that you have little tiny grinds (called fines) that are blocking the holes in your filter and clogging shit up. i would consider either a. tightening up your grind considerably for paper filters (which by the way you can re-use 2-3 times, so they're not as wasteful as you might think - just rinse them out), or b. looking into a different grinder.

fines are created by a bimodal grind distribution - ie, some of the coffee is getting smashed really fine, while other coffee is big. this is broadly a problem with conical shaped grinders, but it is especially a problem with cheaper conical grinders. usually, the better grinder you have, the tighter distribution of grind size you will get. i use a conical as a brew grinder and don't really have that issue, but most true brew snobs will say that a flat-burr grinder will do a better job for brewed coffee.

here is my v60 grind for reference:

Attachment 338558

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tgapp

your grind is wrong - you need to grinder finer. can you take a picture of it with a quarter or other coin next to it so i can see?

the fact that your chemex is taking 10 minutes to fully drain also tells me that you have little tiny grinds (called fines) that are blocking the holes in your filter and clogging shit up. i would consider either a. tightening up your grind considerably for paper filters (which by the way you can re-use 2-3 times, so they're not as wasteful as you might think - just rinse them out), or b. looking into a different grinder.

fines are created by a bimodal grind distribution - ie, some of the coffee is getting smashed really fine, while other coffee is big. this is broadly a problem with conical shaped grinders, but it is especially a problem with cheaper conical grinders. usually, the better grinder you have, the tighter distribution of grind size you will get. i use a conical as a brew grinder and don't really have that issue, but most true brew snobs will say that a flat-burr grinder will do a better job for brewed coffee.

here is my v60 grind for reference:

---

The big squares are 1"x1" for reference.
Attachment 338559

I guess just keep going smaller and smaller till i find the happy zone, huh?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by californiagrown

The big squares are 1"x1" for reference.
Attachment 338559

I guess just keep going smaller and smaller till i find the happy zone, huh?

---

yeah you have some real boulders in there - almost 1/10 of an inch - and then other particles that are much finer. you gotta go way smaller.

what grinder?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tgapp

yeah you have some real boulders in there - almost 1/10 of an inch - and then other particles that are much finer. you gotta go way smaller.

what grinder?

---

https://www.amazon.com/Top-Rated-Bel...ct_top?ie=UTF8

I should probably try a couple brews using my handcrank hario grinder as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by californiagrown

https://www.amazon.com/Top-Rated-Bel...ct_top?ie=UTF8

I should probably try a couple brews using my handcrank hario grinder as well.

---

yeah i would go smaller no matter what, and i would also try with your hario.

YMMV, but if you want to up your coffee game i'd think about getting a nicer grinder. but of course - i admittedly am a snob, and there are millions of people who are very happy with whirlypop grinders and the like.


btw - i'm roasting today if anyone wants some. i've got a list of all the mags who have pm'd me over the past week or so, but happy to throw a few more on the docket. got some bomb-ass new dry processed coffees that i'm pretty jazzed about.

I'll take some if you run out of names. You've inspired me to find some good more local stuff and have some gracenote on the way.

I finally got around to reading this thread. Very interesting stuff. Thanks for putting in so much thought and effort to educate the community about their cup of morning, afternoon and after dinner Joe.
For the past 10 years, or so, my staple go-to coffee has been Costa Rican Fair Trade brewed by Cafe Britt. I buy 25lbs every three or so months. Right now, I can only say after reading this, I can never again look at my beloved brew with the same high regard. Thanks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by glademaster

Just familiarity with Peet's at this point. I've started my day with 3 cups of the stuff for almost 15 years now, but I'm not opposed to trying something different. Perhaps I'll give that Dragonfly stuff a whirl.

---

I'd be surprised if Dragonfly is actually cheaper than Peet's.

Most roasters good single origin stuff seems to retail at about $20 a bag.
But many of those bags are 12oz. Yes, Peet's has 12oz bags in Grocery stores, but 16oz if ordered direct, or in their coffee shops.

If you go in on their "small batch" monthly subscription, that comes down to about $17 a bag, shipped.
Also...respect due...Peet's has always been about the Freshest Roast. They pioneered roast-to-order, for Home Delivery and "roasted on" dates on bags.
(They don't have an inventory, but roast fresh every day. For home delivery, and their stores that is. Not so much for Wholesale/Grocery, but you can see the roast date, so...)
And they are doing lots for the coffee farming communities with TechnoServe, but I imagine that's fairly common with the new 3rd wave coffee roasters.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using TGR Forums mobile app

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

I finally got around to reading this thread. Very interesting stuff. Thanks for putting in so much thought and effort to educate the community about their cup of morning, afternoon and after dinner Joe.
For the past 10 years, or so, my staple go-to coffee has been Costa Rican Fair Trade brewed by Cafe Britt. I buy 25lbs every three or so months. Right now, I can only say after reading this, I can never again look at my beloved brew with the same high regard. Thanks.

---

sorry to add insult to injury here, but you probably shouldn't buy fair trade coffee. i know it sounds like a good idea - and your heart is certainly in the right place - but it really isn't what you think it is.

the deal with fair trade is that it generally means that farmers are getting a good deal for selling their COMMODITY grade coffee - not speciality grade. meaning: if it's fair trade, it probably wasn't that good to begin with.

speciality grade coffee farmers know what they're doing, and they don't need price-assurances from third party auditors in order to get a livable wage. their shit is so good that it stands on it's own merits, and it does well at the auctionhouse because people want what they're selling. their whole operation is professionally done, which means paying skilled people good money to do what they do (pick ripe coffee, sort effectively, process).

fair trade is good as a minimum standard, but all good speciality coffee far exceeds that bar. it's like buying beef that is advertised as "100% beef, absolutely no rats in our meat". well....thanks. glad to know there's no rats. i was worried for a minute there.

OK, well now I will never view my beloved CR FT coffee in any regard from now on...:smile:
Thanks again!

Anyone want to buy heretofore beloved and even revered coffee that turns out to be marde
Attachment 338565

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TurxSki

I'd be surprised if Dragonfly is actually cheaper than Peet's.

Most roasters good single origin stuff seems to retail at about $20 a bag.
But many of those bags are 12oz. Yes, Peet's has 12oz bags in Grocery stores, but 16oz if ordered direct, or in their coffee shops.

If you go in on their "small batch" monthly subscription, that comes down to about $17 a bag, shipped.
Also...respect due...Peet's has always been about the Freshest Roast. They pioneered roast-to-order, for Home Delivery and "roasted on" dates on bags.
(They don't have an inventory, but roast fresh every day. For home delivery, and their stores that is. Not so much for Wholesale/Grocery, but you can see the roast date, so...)
And they are doing lots for the coffee farming communities with TechnoServe, but I imagine that's fairly common with the new 3rd wave coffee roasters.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using TGR Forums mobile app

---

credit where credit is due, Peet's definitely helped usher the third wave in. they're pioneers in a lot of respects.

where they aren't so good (IMHO) is 1. overroasting beans to meet a starbucks-centered consumer preference, and 2. sourcing. you can be a top-tier roaster, with the freshest coffee, but if you're consistently buying 80-85pt lots, that's the quality of coffee you're going to be delivering - no matter how well you executed it.

that's where the comparison to a group like Dragonfly falls short. they're just in different leagues - dragonfly is playing at a level that, at their very best, peet's couldn't even come close to (and nor do they want to - they have a very different market segment, and they excel at it). for foodies, it's like the difference between a run-of-the-mill Choice New York Strip and an A5 wagyu dry-aged New York Strip. both can be cooked well, both are NY strips, but they are totally different classes of meat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by schindlerpiste

OK, well now I will never view my beloved CR FT coffee in any regard from now on...:smile:
Thanks again!

Anyone want to buy heretofore beloved and even revered coffee that turns out to be marde
Attachment 338565

---

ha! sorry man. you do you, fucking enjoy the shit out of that. there's no hierarchy to taste.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TurxSki

I'd be surprised if Dragonfly is actually cheaper than Peet's.

Most roasters good single origin stuff seems to retail at about $20 a bag.
But many of those bags are 12oz. Yes, Peet's has 12oz bags in Grocery stores, but 16oz if ordered direct, or in their coffee shops.

If you go in on their "small batch" monthly subscription, that comes down to about $17 a bag, shipped.
Also...respect due...Peet's has always been about the Freshest Roast. They pioneered roast-to-order, for Home Delivery and "roasted on" dates on bags.
(They don't have an inventory, but roast fresh every day. For home delivery, and their stores that is. Not so much for Wholesale/Grocery, but you can see the roast date, so...)
And they are doing lots for the coffee farming communities with TechnoServe, but I imagine that's fairly common with the new 3rd wave coffee roasters.

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using TGR Forums mobile app

---

Apples to coconuts there. When I say Peet’s, I mean the 10.5oz bags of Major Dickason that I’ve been buying from the supermarket for the last 2 decades, thinking I was better than the Starbucks at Costco folks. And yea, I’ll stock up when it goes on sale, which is often. But I’m lucky if I can find it brewed more recently than 8 weeks ago.
And when I compare the price with Dragonfly, it’s $65/5lb bag. So, that works out to $0.95/oz if I keep paying for 2 month old Peet’s at the supermarket versus $0.82/oz if I listen to this thread and buy much nicer coffee in bulk.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

1) best thread ever.

2) for those of us likely to still use a decent (in terms of temperature) drip maker, how fine should we be aiming to make our grind?

Someday the grinder upgrade is on the list but right now I'm probably still sticking with my not super consistent but functioning old KitchenAid something or other burr grinder.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by flyman683

1) best thread ever.

2) for those of us likely to still use a decent (in terms of temperature) drip maker, how fine should we be aiming to make our grind?

Someday the grinder upgrade is on the list but right now I'm probably still sticking with my not super consistent but functioning old KitchenAid something or other burr grinder.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

---

thanks man! umm so in general brewed coffee should take anywhere from 2:45 to 4:30 minutes to complete. ideally in the 3-4 min range imo but I'm just a schlubb (who uses a cracked $8 plastic cone to make coffee). that obviously varies a ton with type of machine, volume of water, grams of coffee, etc.

the real answer is: follow the flavor. does your coffee taste watery and anemic? consider adding more beans. is it too sour? you're probably not brewing long enough, it's underextracted - you need to tighten your grind. is it bitter and gross? brew time is too long, or grind is too fine.

those KitchenAid burr grinders are actually pretty decent FWIW. get a machine with more stable temp if you want to upgrade.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Man, here I am a Folgers man for so many years and now I’m woke as fuck thanks to this thread.

Bought a bag of Lavazza (?) the other day and it opened my eyes.




Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AK47bp

Man, here I am a Folgers man for so many years and now I’m woke as fuck thanks to this thread.

Bought a bag of Lavazza (?) the other day and it opened my eyes.




Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

---

You just got a dry hand job, wait till you get it in.

I’d love to sample some special mag roasted coffee, but I’m still struggling to get consistent output with my new espresso setup. Until then, I’m not willing to waste tgapp’s beans. Hopefully soon.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by neufox47

You just got a dry hand job, wait till you get it in.

---

Oh man, I know. I’ve had amazing coffee before but just never tried to make it myself.

Right now I just brew up some ground Folgers 1840 (way better than Starbucks) and chug a few cups to get me going.

My wife has one of those Nespresso machines but that’s about as fancy as I’ve done and I hate using that thing.

Caffeine is one of my favorite drugs.




Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tgapp

yeah i would go smaller no matter what, and i would also try with your hario.

---

Yep, used the handgrinder (which very obviously produces a more consistent grind size, but is a little PITA comparatively) and got a phenomenal brew. Still brewed quicker than im used to, but im not arguing with the results. I guess ill have to handgrind when using paper filters from now on.

Kinda funny how the clogging of the steel mesh filter when brewing chemex actually worked in my favor to produce good coffee from an inconsistent grind size haha. Makes sense though because, from what ive read/watched on youtube, its actually pretty difficult to overextract using an immersion method like frenchpress, or like in the case of a clogged pourover filter haha (coffee doesnt extract coffee well).




Do Folgers or Maxwell House or any other bigbox brands sell a premium bag of beans? Like if Folgers is toyota, do they make a lexus coffee? Or like how Jack Daniels makes premium versions of whiskey?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AK47bp

My wife has one of those Nespresso machines but that’s about as fancy as I’ve done and I hate using that thing.
]

---

I made mine throw hers out when she moved in with me. the only thing it was good for was frothing milk, and we just do that with a french press now.

I’ve been drinking Folgers 1840. It’s in Target next to the Starbucks and tastes a hell of a lot better.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by californiagrown

Yep, used the handgrinder (which very obviously produces a more consistent grind size, but is a little PITA comparatively) and got a phenomenal brew. Still brewed quicker than im used to, but im not arguing with the results. I guess ill have to handgrind when using paper filters from now on.

Kinda funny how the clogging of the steel mesh filter when brewing chemex actually worked in my favor to produce good coffee from an inconsistent grind size haha. Makes sense though because, from what ive read/watched on youtube, its actually pretty difficult to overextract using an immersion method like frenchpress, or like in the case of a clogged pourover filter haha (coffee doesnt extract coffee well).




Do Folgers or Maxwell House or any other bigbox brands sell a premium bag of beans? Like if Folgers is toyota, do they make a lexus coffee? Or like how Jack Daniels makes premium versions of whiskey?

---

no. the problem is one of economics. big companies are set up to buy coffee by the metric fuckton - huge production that prioritizes tonnage over quality. good coffee comes from good process control; well-run farms with certain characteristics (the right shade plants, the right soil, the right elevation, etc) is how good coffee is grown. these farms are so small that their maximum lot size isn't even close to what a major roastery would consider buying.

small farms will often join co-ops together, but even those co-ops are still so tiny that they are producing 100-300 50# bags a harvest. compared to the agrabusiness of plantation-style coffee which is cranking out 5-10,000 bags, it's a wildly different story. their whole production line is geared towards economies of scale; they roast on GIANT 500kg roasters, whereas your bread and butter local roaster is using a 10kg machine.

i just took a look at 1850. they have what they call single origin - the origin is Columbia. that's like saying "this beef is from cows". the coffee is roasted by fire and ground by steel (according to their marketing). this is a good thing - it proves that Folger's has mastered the use of both fire and steel. i would be worried if their coffee was roasted by sunlight and ground by rocks - but no, we have both fire and steel going on here. pretty fucking high tech shit.

and yeah those harios are kind of a pain in the ass, i used one as a daily grinder for years. but, they do a decent job at the price.

But they are using “time-honored grinding techniques” so you know it’s good.

You don’t see that every day.


https://www.1850coffee.com/coffee


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AK47bp

But they are using “time-honored grinding techniques” so you know it’s good.

You don’t see that every day.


https://www.1850coffee.com/coffee


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

---

Attachment 338650

i'm sold!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jm2e

And when I compare the price with Dragonfly, it’s $65/5lb bag.

---

How long does 5lb bag last you?

...I remember seeing some 10oz bags being tried out on production runs at Peet's, but didn't realise they were being used. Was this in a regular grocery store?
Maybe it is a Costco thing? Seems weird when they are all about bulk tho.
I'll look at a bag of Peet's next time I'm in Raleys.




Sent from my SM-G950U1 using TGR Forums mobile app

Hahaha. Yea, Peet’s at huge chain supermarket. And I’m sure they’ve got some waaay nicer shit.
Obviously, the debate gets a bit pedantic. All I know is, tgapp has me convinced it’s worth looking at expanding my horizons.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

For reference - if it helps - I typically pull 5 shots a day at 18g in and I go through a lb about every 5 days

The math works on that so I am proud of my efficiency in that I don’t waste product. My grinder helps big time. Some grinders make a wasteful mess.

5 shots a day? Is that a family dose?

What’s your deal? You hang out online and criticize others raging addictions? Just kidding, I am at 3 and Mrs. Doremite at 2.

If you like Costa Rican beans:
Attachment 338688
https://www.cafebritt.com/gourmet-coffee

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doremite

What’s your deal? You hang out online and criticize others raging addictions? Just kidding, I am at 3 and Mrs. Doremite at 2.

---

It’s more of an aspirational astonishment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jm2e

All I know is, tgapp has me convinced it’s worth looking at expanding my horizons.

---

Groovy mang.
I just wondered if 5lbs would last you like 2 weeks? 3 weeks/month?
With 3 brews a day you'll prolly be through it quick enough.
Otherwise you're getting into the stale coffee, where to keep it bizness. (Airtight bag, can with lid, fridge, freezer, cupboard)



Sent from my SM-G950U1 using TGR Forums mobile app

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TurxSki

Groovy mang.
I just wondered if 5lbs would last you like 2 weeks? 3 weeks/month?
With 3 brews a day you'll prolly be through it quick enough.
Otherwise you're getting into the stale coffee, where to keep it bizness. (Airtight bag, can with lid, fridge, freezer, cupboard)



Sent from my SM-G950U1 using TGR Forums mobile app

---

gotta follow the vac seal and freeze beta. bulk coffee prices with beans that are fresher than you can get any other way.

Doremite knows what's up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tgapp

gotta follow the vac seal and freeze beta. bulk coffee prices with beans that are fresher than you can get any other way.

Doremite knows what's up.

---

Ha! Thanks. I can blend in with the locals. Got the gear. Solid skills but I still need a true local to show me the way.

I cannot go on enough about how consistent and flat out awesome my game is right now compared to where it was at - thanks to you. FKNA Pai Mei.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Doremite

What’s your deal? You hang out online and criticize others raging addictions? Just kidding, I am at 3 and Mrs. Doremite at 2.

---

Whoah there...you sure you’re not at 5 at the time of that post [emoji38]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mtnwriter

Whoah there...you sure you’re not at 5 at the time of that post [emoji38]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Total joke. Was just being silly. Was a fair question. Five a day consistently is pretty aggressive but I do wonder what I’d consume if I worked in a legit cafe. Not saying I’ve got the skills but if I did and had six figures worth of equipment at my hands each day I may be unleashed.

Is the the proper thread to give a full review of Starbucks Via instant coffee packets?