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

[Dhelihiker]

If you haven't read "God in Cup" you should.

[californiagrown]

Just brewed up a chemex cup of this: https://store.caffeladro.com/tanzani...2-oz-p648.aspx

Super fruity. Really nice change of pace and absolutely delicious... but my next bag will go back to something from Central America as i prefer the more chocolatty traditional full bodied coffee flavors.

[tgapp]

Just brewed up a chemex cup of this: https://store.caffeladro.com/tanzani...2-oz-p648.aspx

Super fruity. Really nice change of pace and absolutely delicious... but my next bag will go back to something from Central America as i prefer the more chocolatty traditional full bodied coffee flavors.

^^ Tanzania has really stepped it up a lot in the past few years, those coffees remind me a lot of Kenyans but without the screeching acidity. Really nice, unique coffees.


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[jm2e]

Picked these up at the grocery store yesterday. Hard to believe they roasted it the day before (3hrs away). Still, refreshing to find something less than 6 weeks old.





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[tgapp]

^^ lol those decaf cupping notes could apply to every decaf coffee ever.

and fuck man, if you have counter culture 3 hours away, that's some good coffee (on a nationally recognized level).

[jackattack]

Coffee has landed!

This is our third day on a batch of coffees delivered by tgapp.

the coffee is ethiopia sidamo shantawene organic - one is a natural processed coffee (tastes like raspberry jam, rosemary, strawberries, and milk chocolate), and the other is the washed process of the same - that one tastes like tangerine, honey, and floral notes.

I went for the natural processed batch first off, I expected it to match my preferences and was definitely rewarded. The bloom emulates a good crema and aroma of this batch is fantastic. Sticking to the aeropress, I've been getting deep, flavorful Americano-esque results that just kick ass. I can only imagine what a decent shot would taste like with this coffee.

The washed coffee is proving to be a little more difficult to dial in, so far it's a pleasant cup, but lacks the depth of flavor that I can pull out of the natural processed beans. I'm going to try a pourover on this one to see if I can coax some of the lighter flavors out of it.

I can't thank tgapp enough for the phenomenal beans.

[grskier]

Great read.

One of my good friends just started selling his home roast and I sent him the thread. Big thumbs up. I have learned so much recently about the coffee world and it's crazy how funky too fresh coffee can be.

Just picked up a Jura from some mansion near hear (trickle down economics finally came through) and will be exploring some beans.

[tgapp]

This is our third day on a batch of coffees delivered by tgapp.



I went for the natural processed batch first off, I expected it to match my preferences and was definitely rewarded. The bloom emulates a good crema and aroma of this batch is fantastic. Sticking to the aeropress, I've been getting deep, flavorful Americano-esque results that just kick ass. I can only imagine what a decent shot would taste like with this coffee.

The washed coffee is proving to be a little more difficult to dial in, so far it's a pleasant cup, but lacks the depth of flavor that I can pull out of the natural processed beans. I'm going to try a pourover on this one to see if I can coax some of the lighter flavors out of it.

I can't thank tgapp enough for the phenomenal beans.

thanks man, that's really kind of you!

ha! yeah, i had the washed as a pourover today and was a little unimpressed by it. it's fine. i haven't had it as aeropress but on v60 it's nice but not nearly as good as the natural - it could be my ability level as a roaster, but the natural processed is just amazing. super sweet, great body, and fantastic raspberry jam notes.

[dcpnz]

Huge thanks to tgapp for putting this thread together. I’ve learned a heck of a lot from what he’s written.
And even more props for sending me a couple of different varieties of his masterly roasted beans.
Day two of trying these in couple of different guises and I’m realizing what I’ve been missing on coffee. There’s a delicacy and balance to his coffees - requires some careful technique to coax out but I’m enjoying the smoothness with a layering of flavors. And I’m not getting any of the acidity and bitterness I’ve experience in single origin, lighter roasts before that has been unpleasant.
Been doing the local boutique roast thing for awhile now that I previously thought was pretty good - local co 20mins away, usually deliver to my door same day its roasted etc. Switching back to it for comparison and it tastes like a punch in the face - way more forward and a bit harsh, definitely a stronger “hit” but lacking the subtlety and layering of tgapps roasts.
For better or worse tgapp may have sent me down the rabbit hole....

[tgapp]

Huge thanks to tgapp for putting this thread together. I’ve learned a heck of a lot from what he’s written.
And even more props for sending me a couple of different varieties of his masterly roasted beans.
Day two of trying these in couple of different guises and I’m realizing what I’ve been missing on coffee. There’s a delicacy and balance to his coffees - requires some careful technique to coax out but I’m enjoying the smoothness with a layering of flavors. And I’m not getting any of the acidity and bitterness I’ve experience in single origin, lighter roasts before that has been unpleasant.
Been doing the local boutique roast thing for awhile now that I previously thought was pretty good - local co 20mins away, usually deliver to my door same day its roasted etc. Switching back to it for comparison and it tastes like a punch in the face - way more forward and a bit harsh, definitely a stronger “hit” but lacking the subtlety and layering of tgapps roasts.
For better or worse tgapp may have sent me down the rabbit hole....

thanks! that's really kind of you. but in all honesty, there are BIG roasters out there that are way better than i am. if my coffee is good, i'm just the tip of the iceberg. and it's so fucking achievable at home - not like beer brewing.

i also think that there's a "sweet spot" for most coffees that just so happens to be really easy to hit. fun fact: roasters don't talk about light/medium/dark roasts, instead, we use these terms:

city (light)
city+ (light-medium)
full city (medium)
full city + (medium dark)
vienna/italian/whatever the fuck ash (dark, ie, not a thing)

doing city coffee well is especially tricky (why i respect guys like Dragonfly and JBC so goddamn much), so most commercial city roasts are shitty. OTOH, full city or full city+ really only works with some coffees...not all coffees taste good at that end of the range. so, 90% of what i do is city+. not as good as nuanced as well-done city coffees, but still has unique flavors and has enough sugar in the cup to make it a pleasant, balanced experience. there are SOME city coffees i can pull off, but, like jackattack noted, my natural (a city+) was better than my washed ethiopian (a city). some of that is the bean, while some of that is definitely my ability as a roaster.

too little sugar and you have a weird, hollow, screechy coffee
too much roasting and you have burnt toast
just enough of each is where the magic happens

[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?

[glademaster]

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.

[tgapp]

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:

[californiagrown]

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.


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

[tgapp]

The big squares are 1"x1" for reference.


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?

[californiagrown]

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.

[tgapp]

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.

[schuss]

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.

[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.

[TurxSki]

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.

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[tgapp]

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.

[schindlerpiste]

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

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

[tgapp]

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.

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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.

[tgapp]

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

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

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

[jm2e]

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.

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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.


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