As I have said before, I am a huge fan of Tanzanian coffees. Unfortunately there is so much generic "Tanzania Peaberry" out there which is pure dreck, people aren't aware of the really unique microlots of quality coffee from Tanzania. This coffee is from last year, and was one of my favorites. Unfortunately this was my last half pound of it, though I have some other interesting beans from this origin hanging around.
Interestingly, this coffee farm is managed by nuns. It is also from an incredible high alitude - better than 1800m - which leads to some serious density in the coffee seeds. Coffee trees at these altitudes mature extremely slowly, which is one of the reasons the coffee is so complex. Compare a high altitude coffee like this to a low-grown Brazil or Island variety and there is no comparison.
This was roasted quite lightly to emphasize the varietal notes. The aroma is intense pear and caramel. The fruity notes continue in the cup, with a nice brightness and chewy mouthfeel. Lurking in the back of all this is a hidey note, what cuppers generously call "rustic", which lets you know this is an African coffee. All in all, this coffee has everything going for it. I hope the nuns produce more this year
Profile:
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Ghetto Lattes and Moral Codes
The term "Ghetto Latte" has entered common use in the US. I am not a huge fan of the term itself, but it does raise some interesting questions that get bandied about at work.
For those who aren't familiar with the term, it describes an action wherein someone orders an espresso in a large cup, then adds milk from the free mixers area at the cafe, thereby circumventing the more expensive order of a latte or cappucino.
I work with some highly educated, highly paid individuals, and it is fascinating to get people's opinions on whether this behavior is right or wrong. Personally, I think it more or less amounts to fraud or theft. After all, if you want a latte, you should order it instead of essentially stealing the milk.
Needless to say, these moral questions can be used as a springboard for lots of amusing lunchtime conversation. I have appended a few of them that have been actively discussed, along with my personal views. If you have any opinions on the matter, speak out!
(Q) If upon ordering a Cafe Americano, Starbucks asks "Would you like room for milk?" - is it still immoral to turn this into a ghetto latte?
(A) An Americano can be considered equivalent to a standard cup of coffee. You are free to add a splash of milk to your taste. I would say up to 10-15% of total volume. The "Ghetto Latte" term is reserved for those ruffians who order an espresso in a large cup such that they can rob the poor store owner of milk.
(Q) If one purchases tea, what ratio of milk to tea is considered allowable under the Scotto Moral Code?
(A) I would treat tea as above - up to 10-15% of total volume.
(Q) Isn't the business owner figuring the Ghetto Latte as part of their standard losses in their business plan?
(A) Perhaps, but theft is theft
(Q) Let's say that you have a young child. You enter a cafe where milk is clearly on the menu, but you have a bottle with you. Is it ok not to purchase milk?
(A) Presumably you are in the cafe to purchase something yourself, not to take up their space for free. On this one, I would say it is ok to use the bottle.
(Q) Let's say you have multiple children. Is it ok to purchase one drink for them to share? Or must each individual purchase their own drink?
(A) Sharing is one of the things that separates us from lower forms of life. Go ahead.
I'll add more as these difficult moral questions arise.
For those who aren't familiar with the term, it describes an action wherein someone orders an espresso in a large cup, then adds milk from the free mixers area at the cafe, thereby circumventing the more expensive order of a latte or cappucino.
I work with some highly educated, highly paid individuals, and it is fascinating to get people's opinions on whether this behavior is right or wrong. Personally, I think it more or less amounts to fraud or theft. After all, if you want a latte, you should order it instead of essentially stealing the milk.
Needless to say, these moral questions can be used as a springboard for lots of amusing lunchtime conversation. I have appended a few of them that have been actively discussed, along with my personal views. If you have any opinions on the matter, speak out!
(Q) If upon ordering a Cafe Americano, Starbucks asks "Would you like room for milk?" - is it still immoral to turn this into a ghetto latte?
(A) An Americano can be considered equivalent to a standard cup of coffee. You are free to add a splash of milk to your taste. I would say up to 10-15% of total volume. The "Ghetto Latte" term is reserved for those ruffians who order an espresso in a large cup such that they can rob the poor store owner of milk.
(Q) If one purchases tea, what ratio of milk to tea is considered allowable under the Scotto Moral Code?
(A) I would treat tea as above - up to 10-15% of total volume.
(Q) Isn't the business owner figuring the Ghetto Latte as part of their standard losses in their business plan?
(A) Perhaps, but theft is theft
(Q) Let's say that you have a young child. You enter a cafe where milk is clearly on the menu, but you have a bottle with you. Is it ok not to purchase milk?
(A) Presumably you are in the cafe to purchase something yourself, not to take up their space for free. On this one, I would say it is ok to use the bottle.
(Q) Let's say you have multiple children. Is it ok to purchase one drink for them to share? Or must each individual purchase their own drink?
(A) Sharing is one of the things that separates us from lower forms of life. Go ahead.
I'll add more as these difficult moral questions arise.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Costa Rica CoE#20 El Patio
This roast was for pride.
Costa Rica El Patio was one of my favorite coffees from last year. I had bought 5 pounds of it last summer, and I was delighted with its delicate character. During the course of my September of Experiments Gone Awry, I had roasted some of this coffee and was appalled at how lousy it was. It was time to re-roast this again at my old profile to ensure I had my mojo back.
The profile:
Drinking it a couple of days later, I thought "this is the El Patio I know and love". It is a very changeable coffee as the cup cools. Tasted within a day or two of roasting, it is deep milk chocolate malt. It reminds me of a Nestle Crunch candy bar. Later it turns jammy and sweet, with apricot preserve notes. All this is quite delicate and lovely. Really a great cup.
It's good to be back.
Costa Rica El Patio was one of my favorite coffees from last year. I had bought 5 pounds of it last summer, and I was delighted with its delicate character. During the course of my September of Experiments Gone Awry, I had roasted some of this coffee and was appalled at how lousy it was. It was time to re-roast this again at my old profile to ensure I had my mojo back.
The profile:
Drinking it a couple of days later, I thought "this is the El Patio I know and love". It is a very changeable coffee as the cup cools. Tasted within a day or two of roasting, it is deep milk chocolate malt. It reminds me of a Nestle Crunch candy bar. Later it turns jammy and sweet, with apricot preserve notes. All this is quite delicate and lovely. Really a great cup.
It's good to be back.
Monday, September 22, 2008
El Salvador CoE#11 Santa Maria
Finally! After a September of barely passable coffee due to various experiments chronicled here, enough was enough. I decided to return to some tried and true roasting profiles to enjoy some excellent coffee. I am pleased to say things are back on track.
The first is this El Salvadorean coffee, the 11th place winner in this year's El Salvador Cup of Excellence program. You can read more about the farm and coffee here.
Here is the roast profile:
This is a very good coffee. In a way, it reminds me a bit of the Gesha varietal coffees in that there is an intense flowery aroma and a powerful sweetness to the cup. I get intense, clean red fruits in the taste; grapes, cherries, etc. Very lively acidity, as one would expect. This is a juicy and refreshing cup. The flavors were well developed with this roast profile.
I also re-roasted some Costa Rican coffee with this same profile, which I'll post on in a bit. After the detour around alternate roast profiles, it is good to be back on track.
The first is this El Salvadorean coffee, the 11th place winner in this year's El Salvador Cup of Excellence program. You can read more about the farm and coffee here.
Here is the roast profile:
This is a very good coffee. In a way, it reminds me a bit of the Gesha varietal coffees in that there is an intense flowery aroma and a powerful sweetness to the cup. I get intense, clean red fruits in the taste; grapes, cherries, etc. Very lively acidity, as one would expect. This is a juicy and refreshing cup. The flavors were well developed with this roast profile.
I also re-roasted some Costa Rican coffee with this same profile, which I'll post on in a bit. After the detour around alternate roast profiles, it is good to be back on track.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Drats!
Well, after the latest round of roasting, I have to consider the latest set of experiments a failure. It is actually a great example of how it is important to understand your own particular parameters and not take what the experts say as gospel.
To recap, I have been playing around with dwell times at the start of the roast at a lower temperature than I previously had. The last couple of coffees have been ok, but something has been nagging at me. Sunday I roasted some Costa Rica El Patio, a coffee I have roasted many times before with this new profile. It follows more or less the Costa Rica Vino de Arabia profile from the last posting.
The El Patio is normally a delicate cup filled with milk chocolate tastes. It is one of my favorites. This time around, however, what I found was strong astringency that isn't integrated well with the other flavors. It is really glaring, and not a subtle thing at all. Checking the color of the ground coffee, it is not under-roasted - this is clearly an effect of the profile. In any case, I will be returning to my original roast profiles with shorter drying times and higher temperatures for the middle part of the roast from now on.
It definitely pays to experiment. The theory is still a good one to ponder. It is all about water; there are competing reactions that go on at different temperatures of the bean during the roasting process. The theory says that too much water left in the coffee after the drying stage will lead to the formation of bitter and astringent tastes, so it is important to dry thoroughly before reaching caramelization temperatures. I am going to ponder this some more, but in the meantime I need to roast some coffees with my older profiles so I can get back to the stellar brews I have become used to.
To recap, I have been playing around with dwell times at the start of the roast at a lower temperature than I previously had. The last couple of coffees have been ok, but something has been nagging at me. Sunday I roasted some Costa Rica El Patio, a coffee I have roasted many times before with this new profile. It follows more or less the Costa Rica Vino de Arabia profile from the last posting.
The El Patio is normally a delicate cup filled with milk chocolate tastes. It is one of my favorites. This time around, however, what I found was strong astringency that isn't integrated well with the other flavors. It is really glaring, and not a subtle thing at all. Checking the color of the ground coffee, it is not under-roasted - this is clearly an effect of the profile. In any case, I will be returning to my original roast profiles with shorter drying times and higher temperatures for the middle part of the roast from now on.
It definitely pays to experiment. The theory is still a good one to ponder. It is all about water; there are competing reactions that go on at different temperatures of the bean during the roasting process. The theory says that too much water left in the coffee after the drying stage will lead to the formation of bitter and astringent tastes, so it is important to dry thoroughly before reaching caramelization temperatures. I am going to ponder this some more, but in the meantime I need to roast some coffees with my older profiles so I can get back to the stellar brews I have become used to.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Costa Rica Vino de Arabia
I am still not sure that I am barking up the right tree on the latest set of experiments. I have roasted a few more coffees with similar profiles to the last (starting the roast out much slower); the results have been good, but something has been nagging at me.
Last Friday I roasted some Costa Rica Vino de Arabia. I followed a similar profile to the Tanzania Blackburn Estate, thoroughly drying the beans early, keeping the temperature low until the coffee turns yellow, and then ramping to the final temperature:
This coffee is layered, layered, layered. A very interesting beast. It has the typical Costa Rica chocolate, nuts, etc. At the same time there is a deep fruitiness, reminiscent of red wine and ripe plums, that comes in and out as the cup cools. Quite complex, but perhaps a bit too complex for my taste.
A few days out and I am getting a bit of sourness in this roast which is unexpected. Either I have been under-roasting a bit (I got something similar in a roast of Ethiopia Biloya I did a few days ago), or if this profile is flawed. My gut tells me something is up with this profile.
Interestingly, when I look back at my notes from the past several months, I am finding two basic profiles, both with roughly the same starting and ending points. The difference is the middle section of the roast at intermediate temperature. Origially, I was placing this closer to the finish temperature of the coffee, 440-450 degrees. The more recent profiles have dwelled at the 400 degree range. There is clearly a difference, and one that would benefit from some blind tasting.
Last Friday I roasted some Costa Rica Vino de Arabia. I followed a similar profile to the Tanzania Blackburn Estate, thoroughly drying the beans early, keeping the temperature low until the coffee turns yellow, and then ramping to the final temperature:
This coffee is layered, layered, layered. A very interesting beast. It has the typical Costa Rica chocolate, nuts, etc. At the same time there is a deep fruitiness, reminiscent of red wine and ripe plums, that comes in and out as the cup cools. Quite complex, but perhaps a bit too complex for my taste.
A few days out and I am getting a bit of sourness in this roast which is unexpected. Either I have been under-roasting a bit (I got something similar in a roast of Ethiopia Biloya I did a few days ago), or if this profile is flawed. My gut tells me something is up with this profile.
Interestingly, when I look back at my notes from the past several months, I am finding two basic profiles, both with roughly the same starting and ending points. The difference is the middle section of the roast at intermediate temperature. Origially, I was placing this closer to the finish temperature of the coffee, 440-450 degrees. The more recent profiles have dwelled at the 400 degree range. There is clearly a difference, and one that would benefit from some blind tasting.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tanzania Blackburn Estate AA
After the poor results from the last couple of coffees, it was time to rethink things a bit. I am not ready to give up on the experimentation quite yet. Remember that the "conventional wisdom" was to dry the coffee thoroughly and get to a uniform yellow color before raising the temperature to caramelize the beans. I presume this strategy is easy to execute on a commercial roaster, but it is turning out to be a challenge on a consumer machine like the Gene Cafe I am using.
This time around, I decided to spend some time at a higher initial temperature, trying to account for the unknown differential between the bean temperature and the environmental temperature, then raise the temperature slightly to turn the beans yellow, and then ramping up to roasting temperature. To wit:
I waited for the coffee to turn yellow (2 minutes into the second stage) before cranking it up. This roast turned out very well. It is a very dynamic coffee; strong acidity, but no sourness. It is sweet caramel all the way, with some interesting syrupy notes (boysenberry?). As often is the case with Tanzanian coffees, there is a subtle hint of funk at the end, perhaps leather or burlap. Nothing to detract from the cup, but something to let you know its origin. Interestingly, I also got a strong green apple taste the first day or so, which faded as time went on. I really enjoyed this coffee, and will be experimenting with similar roasting profiles going forward.
This time around, I decided to spend some time at a higher initial temperature, trying to account for the unknown differential between the bean temperature and the environmental temperature, then raise the temperature slightly to turn the beans yellow, and then ramping up to roasting temperature. To wit:
I waited for the coffee to turn yellow (2 minutes into the second stage) before cranking it up. This roast turned out very well. It is a very dynamic coffee; strong acidity, but no sourness. It is sweet caramel all the way, with some interesting syrupy notes (boysenberry?). As often is the case with Tanzanian coffees, there is a subtle hint of funk at the end, perhaps leather or burlap. Nothing to detract from the cup, but something to let you know its origin. Interestingly, I also got a strong green apple taste the first day or so, which faded as time went on. I really enjoyed this coffee, and will be experimenting with similar roasting profiles going forward.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Aged Sumatra Grade 1 Lintong
Life has intruded on blogging quite a bit lately. Not only has it prevented me from spending time on the computer typing things out, my coffee has suffered. I have been playing around with roasting profiles again, as I mentioned on the last post.
Very rarely do I produce coffee that is truly bad. Sure, I have had my mediocre roasts, mistakes, etc., but generally they are still better than the dreck I find at work, in a restaurant, etc. This time around, though, the results were truly bad.
I was playing around again with longer roast times and lower initial temperatures, like I did for the Nicaraguan coffee I last posted on. This time I pulled out some Aged Sumatra. I had roasted this one some months ago and really liked it. It reminded me of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, if you have ever had that fine concoction. This time around, I dragged the profile out to a full 20 minute roast:
I hesitate even posting this profile; you should just go ahead and burn it. The coffee it produced was truly vile. Leathery and gross, but at the same time baked and lifeless. Yuck.
I consider these two last roast profile experiments a failure. I have done some more experiments trying to stay close to the spirit of the original recommendation of drying things out more early in the roast, which have been more successful. Stay tuned.
________________________________
If anyone wants the profile I used a while back for a good version of this coffee, send me an e-mail and I can dig it out of my notebook.
Very rarely do I produce coffee that is truly bad. Sure, I have had my mediocre roasts, mistakes, etc., but generally they are still better than the dreck I find at work, in a restaurant, etc. This time around, though, the results were truly bad.
I was playing around again with longer roast times and lower initial temperatures, like I did for the Nicaraguan coffee I last posted on. This time I pulled out some Aged Sumatra. I had roasted this one some months ago and really liked it. It reminded me of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, if you have ever had that fine concoction. This time around, I dragged the profile out to a full 20 minute roast:
I hesitate even posting this profile; you should just go ahead and burn it. The coffee it produced was truly vile. Leathery and gross, but at the same time baked and lifeless. Yuck.
I consider these two last roast profile experiments a failure. I have done some more experiments trying to stay close to the spirit of the original recommendation of drying things out more early in the roast, which have been more successful. Stay tuned.
________________________________
If anyone wants the profile I used a while back for a good version of this coffee, send me an e-mail and I can dig it out of my notebook.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Nicaragua Esteli - Nueva Esperanza
I think I mentioned in a previous post that I was getting very good results with roasting profiles that were on the longer side, more than about 15 or 16 minutes. Now the conventional wisdom, such as it is, says that faster is better. Of course, "fast" can vary drastically depending on what sort of roaster you are using.
In addition, I have been reading a few things here and there about drying times. There are some interesting posts over in home-barista.com about the importance of thoroughly drying the coffee before entering into roasting temperatures. The specific recommendation was to keep the coffee temperature below 300 degrees Fahrenheit until it turns the yellow color of the initial Maillard reaction (caramelization).
Well, never one to back away from an experiment, I roasted two coffees last week with modified profiles. The first was a Nicaraguan coffee, an origin I haven't had very much coffee from. I immediately tried starting the profile with a longer soak at 300 degrees. The result was green coffee; this temperature on the Gene Cafe may be enough for drying things out, but isn't hot enough to produce any sort of lightening of the seed color in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, I had to eventually get the environment temperature up around 400 degrees before things really yellowed:
I am guessing that the glass cylinder of this roaster loses a lot of heat. The internal bean temperature is a lot lower than the environmental temperature. Interestingly, first crack on this coffee was very loud and very drawn out compared to what I am used to. I could hear cracks for a full 2 minutes or more. I wonder if this is due to the increased drying the coffee had.
With this roast taking almost 19 minutes for a City+ level, I had low expectations. The coffee was certainly quite good, but never having had this origin before, I can't really separate the roast effects from the coffee itself. This is quite a light coffee, with a very nutty and malty taste to it. The aftertaste is lingering, and again has that malt syrup aspect to it. There is also strong milk chocolate and a good waxy mouthfeel to it. A solid coffee, but nothing to really wow you. I am going to plan on roasting the same coffee using two profiles so I can really see if I can tell the difference next time.
In addition, I have been reading a few things here and there about drying times. There are some interesting posts over in home-barista.com about the importance of thoroughly drying the coffee before entering into roasting temperatures. The specific recommendation was to keep the coffee temperature below 300 degrees Fahrenheit until it turns the yellow color of the initial Maillard reaction (caramelization).
Well, never one to back away from an experiment, I roasted two coffees last week with modified profiles. The first was a Nicaraguan coffee, an origin I haven't had very much coffee from. I immediately tried starting the profile with a longer soak at 300 degrees. The result was green coffee; this temperature on the Gene Cafe may be enough for drying things out, but isn't hot enough to produce any sort of lightening of the seed color in a reasonable amount of time. In fact, I had to eventually get the environment temperature up around 400 degrees before things really yellowed:
I am guessing that the glass cylinder of this roaster loses a lot of heat. The internal bean temperature is a lot lower than the environmental temperature. Interestingly, first crack on this coffee was very loud and very drawn out compared to what I am used to. I could hear cracks for a full 2 minutes or more. I wonder if this is due to the increased drying the coffee had.
With this roast taking almost 19 minutes for a City+ level, I had low expectations. The coffee was certainly quite good, but never having had this origin before, I can't really separate the roast effects from the coffee itself. This is quite a light coffee, with a very nutty and malty taste to it. The aftertaste is lingering, and again has that malt syrup aspect to it. There is also strong milk chocolate and a good waxy mouthfeel to it. A solid coffee, but nothing to really wow you. I am going to plan on roasting the same coffee using two profiles so I can really see if I can tell the difference next time.
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