Today I am enjoying a fine cup of Java Kajumas Curah Tatal; my first since I ran out of the Java Government Estate Djampit. This cup reminds me of just how much I missed the Java!
On three days rest, there is enough spice to tickle the olfactory and excite the senses with anticipation. There is a fleeting, darkly fruited note, perhaps black cherry, ensconced in the ubiquitous chocolates and spice that subdue the clean earthiness to the bottom of the cup. The mouthfeel is just a bit more than that given by a butterscotch candy.
As the cup cools, the butterscotch flavors accompany the oily body as it descends on the cup and the chocolates lift and give way to the lingering, clean foresty notes reminiscent of a good Timor.
An excellent cup!
---------- Brewing and Roasting Details ----------
Coffee: Java Kajumas Curah Tatal (Sweet Maria's - October 2008 Arrival)
Roaster: 4 lb RK Drum
Date & Time: 11/23/2008 @ ~1:00 PM
Ambient Temperature: 68°F
Batch Size: 1.25 pounds
Roast Level: Full City+ (just a few snaps of 2nd crack)
Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Grind: 7.3 above relative zero
Brewer: Technivorm Moccamaster CD
Filter: Swissgold
Friday, November 28, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Gene Cafe: How to Disassemble for Cleaning and Repairs
Most repairs on the Gene Cafe are very simple and can be accomplished with just a few screwdrivers. The presentation below is take some of the mystery out of it and help folks make repairs and be able to clean the inside of the roaster. Please do let me know if this is helpful and how I might improve it. (NOTE: It is a large file and might take a bit to load.)
Link: Gene Cafe How to Disassemble for Cleaning and Repairs
Link: Gene Cafe How to Disassemble for Cleaning and Repairs
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Now That Hits the Spot
This morning, again, my angelic bride woke me up with some Technivorm & Swissgold brewed Colombia Antioquia - Jardin Cerulean Warbler that was roasted last Sunday. It is a great way to wake up, and although I thoroughly enjoy this coffee, it just wasn't hitting the spot.
After church, I opened to coffee cabinet to see if there might be some scraps left. A-Ha! Just enough Ethiopia Organic - "Menno's Misty Valley" to brew another pot of coffee, It was roasted to Full City (no 2nd crack) two weeks ago, but a sniff of the jar indicated it was still good; perhaps this will suffice.
The ground and brewed coffee emitted an intense blueberry aroma. The aromatics of the cup rouse excitement and anticipation; orange and blueberry dominate, but there is the slightest tease of lemon and pepper to evoke curiosity. In the cup, at its hottest, the orange and blueberry are ensconced in a nicely-bodied chocolate with a subtle note of black pepper in the finish. As the cup cools, in balance with the orange and blueberry, the chocolate and pepper intensify and is reminiscent of the chocolate that I have had on ice cream in Mexican restaurants. A little cooler and a sweet lemon comes to life in just the right balance that whole experience seems to evoke an emotional response.
Spot hit.
After church, I opened to coffee cabinet to see if there might be some scraps left. A-Ha! Just enough Ethiopia Organic - "Menno's Misty Valley" to brew another pot of coffee, It was roasted to Full City (no 2nd crack) two weeks ago, but a sniff of the jar indicated it was still good; perhaps this will suffice.
The ground and brewed coffee emitted an intense blueberry aroma. The aromatics of the cup rouse excitement and anticipation; orange and blueberry dominate, but there is the slightest tease of lemon and pepper to evoke curiosity. In the cup, at its hottest, the orange and blueberry are ensconced in a nicely-bodied chocolate with a subtle note of black pepper in the finish. As the cup cools, in balance with the orange and blueberry, the chocolate and pepper intensify and is reminiscent of the chocolate that I have had on ice cream in Mexican restaurants. A little cooler and a sweet lemon comes to life in just the right balance that whole experience seems to evoke an emotional response.
Spot hit.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Sometimes, Being Ill Isn't So Bad
Last Friday I was home, lying on the sofa, practicing being ill; practice does indeed make perfect.
Camille and Wyatt had gone somewhere ... ahhhh, peace and delirium ...the doorbell rings, "son-a-ma- ... " Open the door ... its the pastor from next door ... "OH, HEY!" ("Hey" is southern for "So nice to see you!")"
Eddie, I know you really don't feel well, but I really want you to come somewhere with me. I think it will really lift your spirits." If you can't trust the pastor ...
We arrive at a coffee shop in the bustling downtown metropolis of Long Beach, MS that is not yet open for the day. It is in a building that at some time in the past was a bank.
I don't feel well, it's hot as hell ... what now, stale coffee that's just like mine? I follow and stumble along to an entrance toward the back and I am now in a busy beauty salon ... maybe this is just an out-of-body experience.
Eventually, I was led to the front, the café part. As we entered, my eyes became wide as saucers as a lucid moment came over me. There in the corner was a just-delivered, fully-restored, beautiful Royal No. 6 Coffee Roaster complete with cooling car and new U.S. Roaster controls. Absolutely beautiful! I had never seen one before, but since the pastor and the other gentleman were asking, I explained what everything was and how it worked.
Spirits lifted ...
Camille and Wyatt had gone somewhere ... ahhhh, peace and delirium ...the doorbell rings, "son-a-ma- ... " Open the door ... its the pastor from next door ... "OH, HEY!" ("Hey" is southern for "So nice to see you!")"
Eddie, I know you really don't feel well, but I really want you to come somewhere with me. I think it will really lift your spirits." If you can't trust the pastor ...
We arrive at a coffee shop in the bustling downtown metropolis of Long Beach, MS that is not yet open for the day. It is in a building that at some time in the past was a bank.
I don't feel well, it's hot as hell ... what now, stale coffee that's just like mine? I follow and stumble along to an entrance toward the back and I am now in a busy beauty salon ... maybe this is just an out-of-body experience.
Eventually, I was led to the front, the café part. As we entered, my eyes became wide as saucers as a lucid moment came over me. There in the corner was a just-delivered, fully-restored, beautiful Royal No. 6 Coffee Roaster complete with cooling car and new U.S. Roaster controls. Absolutely beautiful! I had never seen one before, but since the pastor and the other gentleman were asking, I explained what everything was and how it worked.
Spirits lifted ...
Monday, July 07, 2008
Vacation Salvation in Statesboro
A couple Fridays ago my wife, 5-year-old son and I began driving across the country for a 10-day family vacation. A few hours into the journey my wife nearly caused the car to implode with a huge gasp, "THE COFFEE!" Those precursors to exquisite elixir were still in stasis … in the freezer … at home!
While upsetting, all was not lost because we planned on stopping by to see Scott. When we arrived, not only did we have a great lunch break and awesome customer service by both Scott and Josh, we picked up nine bags of different coffees to share with the rest of the family. Amongst the packages was some freshly roasted Malawi. I had never had it before, but it was a great coffee. We also procured some spectacular Nicaragua Matagalpa. When we got in to the car to continue our trek, I poured some into the Dale Earnhardt ceramic travel mug from the Thermos full that we had purchased from Scott. The car was instantly filled with a wonderful aroma and the first taste evoked and audible, "WOW!"
If any of you folks ever happen to be in or around the Statesboro, Georgia area, I highly recommend stopping by Scott Miller’s, Ogeechee River Coffee Company. He has a really nice place with wonderful staff and great food and coffee; the flags of coffee-origin countries that hang from the ceiling are a really nice touch.
During vacation, I would get up and make a few pots of coffee in the Chemex, and then some more when that was gone. On our way home, my wife told me that after I had gone outside, my brother had brought his wife a cup of that coffee. Upon indulging in the first sip, she looked at him and said, “Now that’s a good cup of coffee.” Thanks Scott!!!
While upsetting, all was not lost because we planned on stopping by to see Scott. When we arrived, not only did we have a great lunch break and awesome customer service by both Scott and Josh, we picked up nine bags of different coffees to share with the rest of the family. Amongst the packages was some freshly roasted Malawi. I had never had it before, but it was a great coffee. We also procured some spectacular Nicaragua Matagalpa. When we got in to the car to continue our trek, I poured some into the Dale Earnhardt ceramic travel mug from the Thermos full that we had purchased from Scott. The car was instantly filled with a wonderful aroma and the first taste evoked and audible, "WOW!"
If any of you folks ever happen to be in or around the Statesboro, Georgia area, I highly recommend stopping by Scott Miller’s, Ogeechee River Coffee Company. He has a really nice place with wonderful staff and great food and coffee; the flags of coffee-origin countries that hang from the ceiling are a really nice touch.
During vacation, I would get up and make a few pots of coffee in the Chemex, and then some more when that was gone. On our way home, my wife told me that after I had gone outside, my brother had brought his wife a cup of that coffee. Upon indulging in the first sip, she looked at him and said, “Now that’s a good cup of coffee.” Thanks Scott!!!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A Gift of Mexico Chiapas, Finca de Nuevo Leon
At the end of March my friend Bernard gifted me a portion of coffee that he brought back from his vacation in Mexico; for this I am grateful! The coffee was still in the parchment and the only information we could find was to use a food processor with with the plastic blade to get the coffee out of the parchment; I didn't have one and couldn't find one. I also had some inkling that the coffee needed to sit longer after being removed from the parchment, but I could remember where I read that.
At the end of April, I came home from work and my wife and son surprised me by having all of the coffee removed from the parchment. They painstakingly and gingerly used the food processor with the metal blade. They said it took three hours and was a lot of work to yield 606 grams of green coffee and just over a pound of roasted! It was neatly packed into a Tupperware-like container awaiting roasting.
Bernard had roasted his portion some time ago to a City+ and while he said he enjoyed the experience, he intimated that he did not care for the coffee. Last weekend (05/18/2008), I finally got around to roasting the coffee. During the roast progression to Full City+ ( a few snaps into 2nd crack), some nice orange / tangerine and spicy chocolate aromas effused, which was encouraging. I sent my friend an email letting him know and he was somewhat apologetic about the cup to come.
Due to yet another hectic work week, the coffee rested until today, Saturday, May 24, 2008, 6 days. Although I was hopeful, I was anticipating being disappointed. Upon opening the jar, there was an orange-like aroma – maybe it won't be so bad. Upon grinding the coffee, the same, but more intense aroma with some spice – maybe it won't be so bad. Upon wetting the grounds, some spice aroma lofted – maybe it won't be so bad. I sniffed, sipped, slurped, chewed (yes, chewed), allowed to cool and repeated. I made a cup for my wife with her obligatory cream and sugar (I only drink coffee black), motioned toward the cup and asked if I should order more of the coffee for her.
This is actually a very nice, notably Mexican coffee!
In the cup, one finds that the full-bodied coffee exudes chocolate with warm spice on both the palate and in the olfactory, which is accented by a really nice orange/tangerine. As the cup cools, the body becomes even more dense, which thickens the chocolate. This is a nice, relaxing cup of coffee and certainly a better experience than the last time someone gifted me coffee from their travels. My wife nodded that I should order more ...
To a great experience, great friends and great coffee, I raise another cup.
I hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day weekend.
Thank you, brother Bernard!
---------- Brewing and Roasting Details ----------
Coffee: Mexico Chiapas, Finca de Nuevo Leon from Bernard
Roaster: 4 lb RK Drum
Date & Time: 05/18/2008 @ ~5:00 PM
Ambient Temperature: 80ºF
Batch Size: 606 grams
Roast Level: Full City+ (just a few snaps of 2nd crack)
Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Grind: 6.0 above relative zero
Brewer: Melitta Pour-Over
Filter: Swissgold
At the end of April, I came home from work and my wife and son surprised me by having all of the coffee removed from the parchment. They painstakingly and gingerly used the food processor with the metal blade. They said it took three hours and was a lot of work to yield 606 grams of green coffee and just over a pound of roasted! It was neatly packed into a Tupperware-like container awaiting roasting.
Bernard had roasted his portion some time ago to a City+ and while he said he enjoyed the experience, he intimated that he did not care for the coffee. Last weekend (05/18/2008), I finally got around to roasting the coffee. During the roast progression to Full City+ ( a few snaps into 2nd crack), some nice orange / tangerine and spicy chocolate aromas effused, which was encouraging. I sent my friend an email letting him know and he was somewhat apologetic about the cup to come.
Due to yet another hectic work week, the coffee rested until today, Saturday, May 24, 2008, 6 days. Although I was hopeful, I was anticipating being disappointed. Upon opening the jar, there was an orange-like aroma – maybe it won't be so bad. Upon grinding the coffee, the same, but more intense aroma with some spice – maybe it won't be so bad. Upon wetting the grounds, some spice aroma lofted – maybe it won't be so bad. I sniffed, sipped, slurped, chewed (yes, chewed), allowed to cool and repeated. I made a cup for my wife with her obligatory cream and sugar (I only drink coffee black), motioned toward the cup and asked if I should order more of the coffee for her.
This is actually a very nice, notably Mexican coffee!
In the cup, one finds that the full-bodied coffee exudes chocolate with warm spice on both the palate and in the olfactory, which is accented by a really nice orange/tangerine. As the cup cools, the body becomes even more dense, which thickens the chocolate. This is a nice, relaxing cup of coffee and certainly a better experience than the last time someone gifted me coffee from their travels. My wife nodded that I should order more ...
To a great experience, great friends and great coffee, I raise another cup.
I hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day weekend.
Thank you, brother Bernard!
---------- Brewing and Roasting Details ----------
Coffee: Mexico Chiapas, Finca de Nuevo Leon from Bernard
Roaster: 4 lb RK Drum
Date & Time: 05/18/2008 @ ~5:00 PM
Ambient Temperature: 80ºF
Batch Size: 606 grams
Roast Level: Full City+ (just a few snaps of 2nd crack)
Grinder: Mazzer Mini
Grind: 6.0 above relative zero
Brewer: Melitta Pour-Over
Filter: Swissgold
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Brief Roaster Comparison
Someone had asked about three different coffee roasters as their next possible purchase. I had written a comparison in an attempt to be helpful and my friend Vicki suggested that it would make a good post for the blog. It is below.
The Gene Cafe (~$500) used to be my primary roaster and I very much enjoyed the roasts including the brightness that could be achieved. Just shy of 225 pounds of coffee were roasted in that Gene Cafe and it was a great tool for learning to roast given the amount of control one has with that roaster. One does have to learn to anticipate when to initiate the cooling cycle to account for roast coast. Initiating the immediate stop and cooling externally is also an option with the Gene Cafe and rather easy to execute. If your Gene Cafe has had time to dry out, you may want to check the fuse located in the back next to the power cord; internal parts are available and the Gene Cafe is fairly simple to take apart and reassemble. The Gene Cafe still takes up residence here, but its roasting duties have been replaced by an RK Drum and the roasts are quite excellent when the operator is paying attention.
The Hottop is an excellent roaster, has about the same capacity as the Gene Cafe (1/2 pound +), a much better cooling method and a reputation for durability. The models B and P will also give you a great amount of control over the roast with the ability to save and repeat roasting profiles, but they are on the higher end of the scale when it comes to price (~$730 and ~930 respectively). Another benefit to these roasters is that they have historically allowed for an upgrade path without having to replace the entire roaster. The resulting roasts of the Hottop are very much as one would expect from a drum. One can still obtain bright roasts if desired, especially with profile control, but it is different and very enjoyable. Parts are readily available and the Hottop does require some periodic filter replacements
The Behmor can also handily roast the same capacity as the Gene Cafe and the Hottop, but it also has the ability to roast up to full pound. The interface provides for a bit more automation and the ability to repeat profiles, but at a much lower price point than either the Gene Cafe or Hottop (~$300). Cooling with the Behmor is similar to that of the Gene Cafe in that you must anticipate desired roast level and allow for a bit of roast coast; other things can be done to expedite the cooling cycle. Visibility is somewhat obscured, but the beans are still visible and there are some modifications one can perform without voiding the warranty to allow for greater visibility. For a small fee ~$20.00, an optional fine mesh drum is available for roasting the smaller types of beans. The flavor characteristics are those of a drum roaster and some roasts produced by the Behmor have been quite similar to those of the RK Drum with careful consideration during setup of the roasting profile and assisting the cooling.
The drum roasters seem to excel at developing the deeper, darker flavors (chocolates, caramels, currents, raisin, plum, tobacco, etc.) whereas the air roasters seem to accentuate the brighter notes (lemon, orange, tangerine, cherry, etc.) Absolutely both types of roasters can develop both "sets" of the aforementioned flavors and more, especially with excellent profile control, but differently.
I hope this is helpful ...
The Gene Cafe (~$500) used to be my primary roaster and I very much enjoyed the roasts including the brightness that could be achieved. Just shy of 225 pounds of coffee were roasted in that Gene Cafe and it was a great tool for learning to roast given the amount of control one has with that roaster. One does have to learn to anticipate when to initiate the cooling cycle to account for roast coast. Initiating the immediate stop and cooling externally is also an option with the Gene Cafe and rather easy to execute. If your Gene Cafe has had time to dry out, you may want to check the fuse located in the back next to the power cord; internal parts are available and the Gene Cafe is fairly simple to take apart and reassemble. The Gene Cafe still takes up residence here, but its roasting duties have been replaced by an RK Drum and the roasts are quite excellent when the operator is paying attention.
The Hottop is an excellent roaster, has about the same capacity as the Gene Cafe (1/2 pound +), a much better cooling method and a reputation for durability. The models B and P will also give you a great amount of control over the roast with the ability to save and repeat roasting profiles, but they are on the higher end of the scale when it comes to price (~$730 and ~930 respectively). Another benefit to these roasters is that they have historically allowed for an upgrade path without having to replace the entire roaster. The resulting roasts of the Hottop are very much as one would expect from a drum. One can still obtain bright roasts if desired, especially with profile control, but it is different and very enjoyable. Parts are readily available and the Hottop does require some periodic filter replacements
The Behmor can also handily roast the same capacity as the Gene Cafe and the Hottop, but it also has the ability to roast up to full pound. The interface provides for a bit more automation and the ability to repeat profiles, but at a much lower price point than either the Gene Cafe or Hottop (~$300). Cooling with the Behmor is similar to that of the Gene Cafe in that you must anticipate desired roast level and allow for a bit of roast coast; other things can be done to expedite the cooling cycle. Visibility is somewhat obscured, but the beans are still visible and there are some modifications one can perform without voiding the warranty to allow for greater visibility. For a small fee ~$20.00, an optional fine mesh drum is available for roasting the smaller types of beans. The flavor characteristics are those of a drum roaster and some roasts produced by the Behmor have been quite similar to those of the RK Drum with careful consideration during setup of the roasting profile and assisting the cooling.
The drum roasters seem to excel at developing the deeper, darker flavors (chocolates, caramels, currents, raisin, plum, tobacco, etc.) whereas the air roasters seem to accentuate the brighter notes (lemon, orange, tangerine, cherry, etc.) Absolutely both types of roasters can develop both "sets" of the aforementioned flavors and more, especially with excellent profile control, but differently.
I hope this is helpful ...
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