got enough poop to eat already?
I've had my fill.
French press master race checking in
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Most Kopi Luwak is made by force feeding coffee to civets in cages. On top of that, washed natural coffees have undergone essentially the same chemical processes, without the ethical flaws.
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Kenyan and higher elevation Guatemalan and Columbians are my jam at the moment. But anything with the complex sweetness of dried fruit or molasses, and a balanced acidity is right up my alley.
At home I mostly brew french press and aeropress.
Though I like to experiment based on the coffee. I also have a Chemex, v60, and a Clever brewer.
At work (I'm a barista and manager at a local independent shop), I mostly drink straight espresso, cortado (espresso cut with about 2-3 ounces of milk) or filter coffee on a Fetco.
I'm very passionate about coffee, as I've been working in the industry for the better half of a decade, and as i mentioned in another thread, I'm always down to talk coffee or answer any questions re: brewing techniques, science of coffee brewing, or ethics of coffee sourcing.
Cheers!
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I work for a roaster....... it's not that good.
Doi Chaang have an Ethical version we roast for them.
I will chime in more later.
PS medium roast has more caffeine kids, lol.
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Enjoying some Dark Magic in my TS mug.
You owe it to yourself to get a mug warmer, never drink cold coffee again.
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And is for wussies
Not a chance. What you prefer is up to you, but ultimately the flavours of coffee as it is roasted deteriorate further and further into monotony, or simply bitterness.
how do you medium roast with dark roast flavors?
I love cold coffee. all time of year.
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Every morning before class: grind up some nice medium roast beans (this month it's been the good Colombian shit), throw in the press, add water (I usually wait three minutes or so after boiling so it doesn't burn the beans), then i give it about ten minutes or so to brew and cool before i stamp it down and get it in me. After the gear and beans, comes to around 50c per cup, no more timmies for me! Thanks bean tea for getting me through my server class this semester!!!
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Coffee has more volatile compounds than wine, and shows it's terroir (distinct flavour profile dependent on the land where it is grown) very prominently.
Each varietal of coffee has unique traits like size of the plant, size of the seed (bean), more of the acids that are found in fruits like strawberries or more of the compounds that denote flavours like earthy mushrooms or tea.
On top of that, altitude plays an important role in when the plants flower and for how long thus bringing out more sugars and other compounds or not. Lower altitude coffees tend to produce more but with a milder flavour. Often these are the earthy, chocolate, malty coffees like those mostly grown in Brazil. Higher altitudes bring out more floral and fruity notes but yield less coffee.
Much of the coffee in the world is the descendant of one of only a few varietals. Ethiopia however as the origin of the coffee plant, continues to exhibit countless heirloom varietals, each distinct and special.
Lastly the process plays a large role. How long the fruit is left on the seed, how it is removed, and how long the drying process takes. If the environment permits, like in Yemen, leaving the fruit on until it ferments and can easily be washed off the seed, a tremendous amount of sugar and fruity acids penetrate the seed. Sometimes this process is done in other countries which are more humid like Ethiopia or Costa Rica. The results vary as in some cases the beens rot rather than controlled fermentation. These beens unfortunately still often find their way to market. They get roasted very dark and sold at major chains (this is mostly speculation of course). The more common processing technique, when scarcity of water is not an issue, is to wash the bean and dry it in one of a number of ways in the sun. This leads to a cup with more varied notes, showcasing the terroir but often without the fruit bomb of "oh my god this Sidamo tastes like blueberry pie!" that introduces so many people to specialty coffee.
Roasting is all about converting the undeveloped sugars within the raw grains into something much more palatable. But this involves passing through several stages:
- Underdeveloped: haylike, grassy, wheat cereal
- Somewhat developed: grain alcohol, corn, chamomile, tomato soup
- Scandinavian light roast: sugars are now present but not caramelized. Flavours are fruity, acid is present in varying quantities depending on quantity. Floral notes and sometimes spice are present
- Light to Medium: sugars are now caramelized. More cooked fruit flavours. Maybe peach jam, maybe dates and raisins, maybe molasses. This is how most modern roasters serve single origin coffee.
- Medium to darker than medium: roasters are trying to achieve a specific goal, whether to mellow the acid in a coffee, blend affordable coffees into usable product to sell, or wick extra moisture out of moisture dense beans. Many coffees are roasted this way and still end up tasting great. Many do not. There is a lot of nuance here and a fine line between great coffee and...
- Over roasted (aka commercial dark roast). While many people like these coffees whose predominant tasting notes are carbon, wood, and cocoa, I tend to push them towards coffees which are naturally earthy instead. Overroasted coffees go rancid quickly, they contain burnt sugar and other carcinogenic compounds, often they are made of cheaper quality coffees like those with rot or imbalanced sugar. That is not a guarantee though. If you absolutely prefer these coffees, buy from a reputable roaster and ask him or her about them.
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Straight up black, maybe a little cold water to take it down a tad if I am in a hurry to drink it. Usually French press at home.
I have been enjoying Caboclo recently. Cheap enough but tasty.
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Seems to be the most popular method around here, I know it's my favorite.
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We do have a Nesspresso machine, and while it is good it is just not my speed most of the time. Great for a fast concentrated shot though.
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I got my brother some Lavazza Kilimanjaro Single Origin stuff for Christmas. He says it tastes great, even coming from his POS drip coffee maker. Not too shabby for the $6 I bought it for I guess.
public class JavaClass{
public static void main(String[] args){
System.out.println("coffee");}
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Laugh but I like McDonald's and Tim Horton's coffee the best. :P
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Hey man, I hear ya. I grew up in Canada, and despite my passion for good coffee, I try pretty hard to keep it unpretentious. Timmy's is my road coffee; cheap, consistent, and ubiquitous.