Coffee Roasting

[RevSmoke]

Hmmm, if I don't roast dark enough to set off smoke detector, I am good. ��

[CigarSquid]

I don't normally do a dark roast... I want to make sure this unit is what I'm after before pulling the trigger. Some good dough to fork out.

[tsolomon]

Originally Posted by garryyjr

For the Behmor roasters, you guys roast indoors at all? I really need something I can roast indoors without making a crazy mod to vent it outside.

When we lived in Maryland I would roast in the basement during cold weather and use the garage during the warmer months. Now that we live in Florida the Behmor is out on the lanai and that works really well. I'm up to 483 roasts over the past 4 years and I'm considering buying a new roaster.

[357]

I guess I'm a bit of a noob. I had been roasting for a bit using a Whirly Pop with metal gears, outdoors on my deck using a camp stove. I like a very dark French roast equivalent so just at the tail end of 2nd crack to just beyond. Lots of smoke. I tried it the first time inside on my stove since I had a nice hood vent that dumps outside. Bad idea. Whole house stunk for a week or two.

I would sift the chaff via a colander and another large bowl. I'd pour it into a mason jar with the lid offset to breath overnight and usually by morning it was usable.

I was using good beans so far as I know, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe I found on Amazon. I was getting 5lb packages, roasting 8-12 oz batches.

I saw earlier in the thread about shelf life. I read green coffee beans have a 50 year shelf live if kept cool, dark, dry, and sealed. No special oxygen absorbers or anything needed. I appreciate this thread. I have no clue about roasters but I am considering starting to roast again. I do have major space constraints but I will no longer have cold weather to contend with so that's a bonus for outdoor roasting.

I'd love to hear any suggestions on beans/roasters. I don't like acidity much in my coffee. The Ethiopian Yirgacheffe was very acidic tasting at lighter roasts but it disappeared when fully roasted. I am open to lighter roasts but I don't want the acidity that so many people tend to like.

[357]

Other likely unnecessary info: I do grind daily via Hario Skerton and brew in a stovetop percolator. I only drink one large 14-16 oz cup per day. At times I French press instead. I often cold brew and French press that in the summer. I found quart mason jars work perfectly for cold brew and take about 2 days in the fridge. It keeps nearly forever if you forget about it. Pressed some that was in there for months and it still tasted the same.

[CigarSquid]

Originally Posted by 357

Other likely unnecessary info: I do grind daily via Hario Skerton and brew in a stovetop percolator. I only drink one large 14-16 oz cup per day. At times I French press instead. I often cold brew and French press that in the summer. I found quart mason jars work perfectly for cold brew and take about 2 days in the fridge. It keeps nearly forever if you forget about it. Pressed some that was in there for months and it still tasted the same.

What is your process for the cold brew?

[357]

My manual grinder can screw directly onto a mason jar. I put it onto a quart size mason jar and grind 5 or 6 tablespoons (before grinding) into the jar. I add filtered water, swirling it around a bit along the way (to wet the grounds) so I can get as much water in as possible. Once full to the brim, I put it in the fridge and shake once or twice per day. I usually let them sit for 2 days minimum before they are ready. You can speed it up a bit by shaking more often. The gist is you want the grounds to sink because they are fully saturated with water. At first they will float.

When ready, I pour it into a French press. Press it. Then, I put half (14 oz or so) into my travel mug and the other half back into the rinsed out jar. I use the leftover the next day and refill the jar again. So, I get two large cups from each mason jar. I keep two jars rotating all the time and I get 1 large cup each day.

Sometimes when the weather gets cooler and I start brewing hot coffee I'll forget about the cold brew in the fridge. Even months later it tastes pretty much exactly the same. It won't "spoil" or go stale or anything once in the water and sealed; at least not that I'm aware of.

You get a lot of flavor this way. Cost is next to nothing. There are only two needs really. Obviously your French press needs to be large enough to accept 32 oz of coffee and you need a grinder capable of a coarse grind. You could do smaller 16 oz mason jars too I suppose if your press is on the smaller side.

[CigarSquid]

I am going to try that very soon.

How coarse are you grinding? I have the same grinder, Skerton Pro model.

[357]

Honestly once I had it dialed in I haven't changed it. If I remember correctly 7 rotations or settings. The coarsest it allowed if I remember. It's been years since I messed with it. Please let me know what you think of the cold brew.