Roasting Coffee & Enjoying a Homebrew

I know we don’t have a section on coffee roasting, but I consider it one of the essential food sources along with beer.
I’m getting packed for a camping trip and stumbled upon some 5-6 year old Waialua green coffee beans along with some Sumatra beans I picked up while on a business trip years ago. The Waialua beans I picked up at the source on the island of Oahu.
So I’m roasting up the beans and finished my first batch of the Sumatra beans and one my last few first batch of pale ale beers. Now it’s on the Waialua and another beer.

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Well I don’t roast but I do spend an awfull lot of money on coffee. Just dropped $30+ at my local roaster today. Some Ethiopian some Papua New Guinea and some Guatemalan. Maybe I should start roasting. Need a source for green bean.

Coffee my main food source. Right now some dutch coffee. And thinking about tuessday brew session. A wit bier

I enjoy nice full bodied cup too! Dunn bros up here has some wonderful coffee… And it’s spendy… I haven’t seen any green coffee beans up here… but alot of whole beans, a take and grind ordeal… I wonder if that’s as fresh as green? Sneezles61

The shop I use roasts small batch so it’s always only a couple days from green so you really aren’t going to get much fresher. It’s to cut out some of the cost. I spend alot on beans. That shop will sell me green for 50%. I think I can do better online but I don’t know if I’d trust the source.

If they go through alot of beans… You’ll have some idea as to how fresh they are… Make a little electric hot oven out in the garage and do a bit more “intense” heating? Sneezles61

I got into roasting my own coffee a few years back. I read a book on a flight about the history of coffee and it intrigued me. It’s interesting to understand the roasting process from 1st crack to 2nd crack, the color, and why you should never turn your back while roasting (burned a few.

It’s my understanding that green beans can last forever if stored in a cool place - like your refrigerator. But most of the coffee we buy is stale having been roasted and ground weeks before it hits the shelf. If you find a small batch roaster that’s the best. Or roast your own.

Well, I’m sitting in a 150 year old cabin in the Kaibab NF enjoying a cup of the Sumatra. I’m thinking about my BIAB I’m going to start next Wednesday.

Good night folks!

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A little more involved than heating them in a oven although you can do that. You can roast in an air popper as well. But to really roast you need to be able to control temperatures and airflow. I’ve been mentoring my friend at the coffee roaster on brewing beer and he in return is mentoring me on all things coffee. He will help me develop roasting profiles (recipe)

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I think that coffee is important not only in brewing, but also in everyday life. For example, have you ever thought about how many times a day you drink coffee? For example, I do this about 5-7 times a day. Yes, I understand that this is not very good for my health, but I just can’t live without coffee anymore. I mostly buy coffee thanks to coffee supplies from zenesco. I have been buying coffee from this supplier for a long time, and each time I was satisfied with the quality of its products. To be honest, I really wonder how many times a day you drink coffee? I’m not the only one who drinks such a huge amount of coffee, am I? Thank you in advance for your answers!

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I drink way too much coffee. It’s my morning, daytime, and evening staple. I just picked up some Kenyan pea berry green beans. Very interesting taste when roasted to a medium dark roast (a few seconds after 2nd crack).

Matter of fact, I’m going to roast some beans today. Thanks for motivating me! :slight_smile:

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What kind of roaster do you use?

I have an old iRoast 2 roaster. I’m not sure that they make them anymore. But if you can find one I would recommend it. It has two preset profiles, but you can also program a specific roasting profile. It only does small batches (~1/4 cup of beans at a time). It also has a chad catch to capture the husks during roasting and a cooling time after each roast. Just keep an eye on it and listen for the cracking (sometimes hard over the blower noise). Cardinal rule is to never leave it once starting a roast or you could come back to smoke and a very dark espresso roast (been there, done that).

I’ve had this one for maybe 8-10 yrs. I know there’s probably better out by now. I also have a small fire side roaster I use when camping. It’s a handheld ceramic modeled after early roasters.

It’s interesting to see how different a freshly brewed cup of coffee from freshly roasted and ground beans taste. It’s a little mind blowing the first time. I remember thinking, “So this is how coffee is supposed to taste.”

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I looked into a roaster but ended up befriending a guy who roasts for a living so i always get fresh roasted coffee and it does make a difference. So you roast when you camp and immediately brew with it ? I’ve been told not to. Actually when my friend brings something over that was roasted the day before and im told to give it a couple days to release the trapped CO2. I’ll look for the link to the roaster he mentioned to get

Yes, it’s important to let the freshly roasted beans rest. This gets those flavors imparted through the heat/combustion to outgas.

I usually roast the evening before and roast enough for a day or two. I let the roasted beans de-gas/rest overnight before grinding them. I carry a small handheld grinder and grind it just before brewing.

I’m no coffee snob. I usually drink your plain, old Yuban. I just like the history, the process, and of course the tastes of different beans. I like roasting when camping to add that rustic, outdoorsy feeling to my outdoor adventures. It’s like cooking in my cast iron when outdoors.

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Have you ever tried roasting in your skillet?

Yes I have roasted in my cast iron. Too messy as the chad is difficult to separate from the roasted bean. But, works in a pinch and makes good cowboy coffee.

I used to drink coffee by the gallon when worked and needed the caffeine. Unfortunately or fortunately ive refined my taste buds when i started brewing and actually started tasting things.

I like fresh roasted coffee… When up north we score a bag from Dunn Bros… it costs a bunch, but oh so good!
I’ll have a few cups in the AM… and none after noon… Reserve that lot of time for … Beer!
Sneezles61

Indeed, it’s critical to allow the newly cooked beans to rest. This gets those flavors conferred through the warmth/ignition to outgas. so we should need a best coffee maker ever so i try alot of coffee maker then i found best one for my coffee

Ten years or so ago I was getting whole beans from a place in Cali that sold shade grown(good for migratory birds),fair trade coffee and grinding my own…then they had a fire so the supply stopped. I reverted back to the masses approach…buying whatever was on sale drip grind at Publix unfortunately :rolling_eyes:.

I think I’ll try to elevate my coffee game considerably again when I stop racing rats…

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