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Handbrewing Coffee

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Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#41

Post by hvidgaard »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #22

I got ruined for regular coffee when I found a local shop that roasts its beans sorted by size . So it doesn't taste scorched. Apparently most commercial coffee makers roast them in arbitrary batches, which means by the time the big ones are roasted the small ones are burned. I know there's a lot more that can be done with roasting. But that one small change means you can have strong coffee without having burned coff…

Generally the beans are roughly the same size, and what you called burned, I believe is simply because it's roasted darker to compensate for the less than ideal quality of the beans.

The fact that WBC finalists are using coffee that the roaster haven't sorted based in size tells a lot. Perhaps the farmer does it to some degree.

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#42

Post by JshWright »

larrywright wrote: post #38
heywire wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right there with you on the beans from Kenya -- my local roaster has a Kenyan "Kifahari" that has a nice tartness to it. I can't drink it all the time though, as it gets to be a bit much, so it is more of a treat when I get it.

If you come across a Costa Rica, you should try it. It’s my favorite due to the tartness and fruit flavors that come through.

Sumatra is where it's at, with PNG a close second.

(Obviously this is all entirely subjective, good coffee from any region is good)

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#43

Post by nukeop »

JshWright wrote: post #35
nukeop wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

French press also extracts and preserves all the oils present in coffee beans, whereas drip/chemex filters them out. As a sidenote, french press is also great for brewing tea, but keep your coffee and tea presses separated.

You frame the difference in oils as a bad thing, but it's simply personal preference (I much prefer paper filtered coffee).

Only because parent mentioned preferring that, in other posts in this thread people mentioned preferring the opposite.

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#44

Post by stirfrykitty »

james_pm wrote: post #19

We have fairly non-terrible coffee at our office available almost always on demand. Yet still there are a non-trivial number of us who opt to brew single cups either with Aeropress, or cone pour over. The author nails it. Often it's more about the ritual of taking a few minutes to do something that isn't work. The fact you get a nice cup of coffee is a bonus. Others in our office do the same thing by walking out the…

We have one of those Dutch de Jong Duke coffee machines in our office. Thing makes great coffee, and as a consequence, I drink more than I would were I elsewhere. Thing makes lattes, cappuccinos, double/triple shots. The "executive" staff bought it, but we're all free to use it. It must cost them a fair amount of coin to run it, as it's always in use. Tastes better than Starbucks, but not as good as making your own with a French Press. You can see the oil in the coffee, so it must be only minimally filtering out just the grounds. I use it because it's there, and I'm one of those who, after drinking copious amounts of coffee daily for decades, develops headaches from lack of caffeine during the day.

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#45

Post by JoeAltmaier »

hvidgaard wrote: post #41
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #22

I got ruined for regular coffee when I found a local shop that roasts its beans sorted by size . So it doesn't taste scorched. Apparently most commercial coffee makers roast them in arbitrary batches, which means by the time the big ones are roasted the small ones are burned. I know there's a lot more that can be done with roasting. But that one small change means you can have strong coffee without having burned coff…

Generally the beans are roughly the same size, and what you called burned, I believe is simply because it's roasted darker to compensate for the less than ideal quality of the beans. The fact that WBC finalists are using coffee that the roaster haven't sorted based in size tells a lot. Perhaps the farmer does it to some degree.

Try it before judging! Its definitely a burned taste, and once its gone you would not believe the difference.

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#47

Post by larrywright »

I’ve been hand brewing for nearly a decade. I use an Aeropress when I’m in a hurry, and a Kalita Wave or a Chemex when I’m not. The brewing method is only one variable. Freshness of beans and the quality of the grind are another.

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#48

Post by [deleted] »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #33
oftenwrong wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am a big fan of the steel "drip-o-lator"-style coffee brewers. They are a predecessor of electric coffee makers. It is similar to a pour-over, but you can just dump the hot water in and walk away. Unfortunately, they are no longer in production, but I have purchased several from eBay. One day I would like to design and build my own version with vacuum-insulated walls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg4ncWWqjno The…

Sounds like the Vietnamese single-serving coffee apparatus! Fun to use too.

[deleted]

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#49

Post by kaybe »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #33
oftenwrong wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am a big fan of the steel "drip-o-lator"-style coffee brewers. They are a predecessor of electric coffee makers. It is similar to a pour-over, but you can just dump the hot water in and walk away. Unfortunately, they are no longer in production, but I have purchased several from eBay. One day I would like to design and build my own version with vacuum-insulated walls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg4ncWWqjno The…

Sounds like the Vietnamese single-serving coffee apparatus! Fun to use too.

I like these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot

Re: Handbrewing Coffee

#50

Post by earthscienceman »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #22

I got ruined for regular coffee when I found a local shop that roasts its beans sorted by size . So it doesn't taste scorched. Apparently most commercial coffee makers roast them in arbitrary batches, which means by the time the big ones are roasted the small ones are burned. I know there's a lot more that can be done with roasting. But that one small change means you can have strong coffee without having burned coff…

It's really funny to me to just how much junk information there is in the coffee world and just how strongly people believe it. Even here on hackernews it seems. This is the exact sort of 'fact' that sounds good, and makes you feel like you know what you're talking about.

I'm a roaster. All coffee is sorted by size, or at least all quality coffee. It's necessary, not only for an even roast, but it's also an inherent part of green coffee processing. You have to screen and sort the beans to dry them.

The reason grocery coffee is bad is simple. They roast it until the oils come out and then the oils go rancid because it has been sitting on the shelf for the last 6 months getting to you. Even if it hasn't gone rancid (way more common than you'd guess), it's still stale and overroasted. Americans expect coffee to be dark, bitter, and cheap... And so that's what they get. But what you said isn't true. Even the crappiest bulk market roaster/reseller roasts by size and the blends after. They literally don't have a choice.

To be fair, a lot of the junk info comes from roasters keen on delineating themselves in any way in a saturated market. Taking words that are true for everyone and making them seem unique to your business is a sales tactic ad old as time.

https://espressocoffeeguide.com/gourmet-coffee/arabian-and-a...

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