brewblog

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A Little Milk Steaming Factoid

Have you ever noticed that milk tastes sweeter after being steamed? This is most definitely true… you are not imagining things. Lactose, the sugar in milk, is responsible for this sweetness as well as being present in other dairy products. Unlike other sugars, such as sucrose, lactose ranks very low on the sweetness scale due to its low solubility. When milk is steamed, the increase in temperature causes the solubility of lactose to increase, which makes us perceive our beverage, like a hot latte, to be sweeter than that same latte iced.

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Cold Gold - Iced Coffee 101

  Coffee isn't just for the cold weather. Keep cool and hydrated with your favorite coffees all summer without the calories of soda or beer.

Whether you're tailgating, spending an afternoon by the pool, camping, or just lounging in the back yard, iced coffee is a great summer drink.

We asked our Roastmaster, Charlie, for his iced coffee recipes.

Cold Press

This classic method makes a rich concentrate that can be enjoyed straight, or mixed with water.  It can be made in any vessel that will hold coffee and water and has a lid.

Measure. Use a ratio of 8 ounces of water for every ounce of ground coffee.  This can be scaled up or down to make more or less brew.

Grind. Very coarse, like kosher salt.

Brew. Combine the coffee and water, cover it and leave it undisturbed for 22-24 hours.

Filter. Pour the brew through coffee filters to separate the grinds

Dilute. Start with a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to water, and adjust to taste.

Cold Press Tips: 

Line a colander with coffee filters and strain into a large pot.

Get creative. Try the concentrate with ice cream, cocktails, or cola.

    Photo: Oliver Strand

Iced Pour Over

This method creates a bright, fresh cup very quickly.  It can be done with a manual pour over brewer, or an auto-drip machine.  

Measure. Use a ratio of 16 ounces of water for every ounce of ground coffee.

Get the ice. Half of your drink's volume will be ice.  For a 16 ounce beverage, add 8 ounces of ice to your decanter.

Grind. Slightly finer than auto-drip.

Brew. The amount of water should be equal to the amount of ice in the decanter.

Iced Pourover Tips: 

Most ice cube trays make approximately 1 ounce cubes.

If the coffee tastes flat, grind the coffee a bit finer.

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Girl Scout Thin Mints and Panama Geisha 

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NEW TOY!

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My roaster and I were very fortunate to visit origin last year. In El Salvador and Brazil respectively, we saw first hand where our coffee originates and what it goes through before we receive the beans in our warehouse.

Here's a wee video documenting coffee's journey from the nursery to your cup. Of course, it's not the be-all and end-all of coffee processing education, but it's a great place to start if you've ever been curious on where coffee comes from or how it's processed. 

This video begins at the farm, takes you through the processing station, and gives a snapshot of what happens once we get the coffee at our roastery. 

Complete with beautiful still shots and a few video clips, we've complied the timeline of events that must take place before coffee can be enjoyed. 

Thanks to Alexa Hunt, our former Production Assistant, for editing this video and bringing it all together!

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Click here for more coffee!

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a purrrrrfect latte! 

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These donuts are scaaaary good! #bigcentral #bigdonuts Thanks @cafeimports

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We know you’ve seen it, maybe you’ve tried it—but how many meltdowns (and overflows) have you had?  Introducing: The quick, no-fail, and incredibly foolproof Coffee Mug Molten Chocolate Cake for Two.  Get the recipe, and see for yourself.

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Another use for your favorite coffee mug! 

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Waxing (Roast) Philosophical

A term often thrown around the roasting end of the specialty coffee industry is “roasting philosophy”.   In particular, it is most often heard as, “What is your roasting philosophy?” 

But what exactly does that mean?

Is it how you choose to physically approach roasting coffee, or does it refer to something more metaphysical?

If asked about my approach roasting coffee, my response is typically something along the lines of, “Don’t mess it up.”  This may sound a bit snarky, and to the people who know me well that would come as no surprise.  However, it really is just a short way of saying something that I am pretty passionate about. 

The development of my roasting philosophy began during a trip to origin.  The manager of a farm held a seed, which was soon to become a coffee tree.  He told the group that at that point the seed in his hand possessed every bit of potential it would ever have to make the best coffee it could.  From that point on quality would only leave.  It is his job to nurture the coffee as a tree, he keeps as much quality in that coffee as he possibly can.  Then when it goes to the mill, it is their responsibility to preserve the state of quality that the coffee possesses when it comes to their hands... and so on.

With that in mind, “Don’t mess it up,” took on a whole new meaning.  It encouraged me to not only acknowledge, but also respect the hard work of all of the hands that the coffee has touched.  

“Don’t mess it up,” is now just my funny way of saying, “Roast with respect.”

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Vortex

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My #Panama cup runneth over. @bodhileafcoffee @HiUCoffee #geishastillrules

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Time for a Coffee Break Dance Party!! 

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Green Defects: Floater; Parchment; Hull/Husk

Floater; secondary defect: 5 floater beans = 1 full defect. 

Floater beans are white and faded looking. If you can't tell for sure, drop the beans in water - they'll float. 

The effect on cup quality is a straw-like, earthy, weed-like, and moldy taste.

Floaters are caused by improper storage or drying. 

Parchment; secondary defect: 5 parchment beans = 1 full defect

Parchment beans are a white or tan color and enclosed in a thick, paper-like husk. Parchment beans do not change the cup quality. This defect occurs in the dry mill.

Hull/Husk; secondary defect: 5 husks = 1 full defect.

Husks are a parts of dried pulp. Effect on cup quality can cause earth, moldy, and dirty taste if in high quantities. 

Hull/Husks happen in processing from poor calibration of depulping machines.

Annnd that's it. We have officially made it through all of the SCAA's Arabica Green Coffee Defect Handbook! I hope you learned something...or maybe you were just grossed out. 

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Green Defects: Withered Bean; Shell

Withered Bean; secondary defect: 5 withered beans = 1 full defect

Withered beans are usually malformed, smaller, and are typically wrinkled like a raisin. 

 The effect on the cup quality is a grassy, straw-like and weed-like taste.

It is caused by drought during the development of the bean in the cherry. 

Beans that are severely withered will float. 

Shell; secondary defect: 5 shells = 1 full defect

Shell beans consist of a malformed inner or outer part, the outer part having a seashell shape.

Shells produce a charred and burnt flavor in the cup. In high quantities, they can cause uneven roasting.

Shells can be removed at the dry mill using a density sorter. 

Coming up on Thursday: Floater; Parchment; and Hull/Husk

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Green Defects: Broken, Chipped, Cut; Immature Bean

First up: Broken Chipped Cut - Secondary defect: 5 broken beans = 1 full defect

Broken, chipped or cut beans are usually caused during the pulping or dry milling process and are recognized by their dark reddish color.

It can cause an earthy, dirty or sour taste in the cup.

Next: Immature Bean - Secondary defect: 5 immature beans = 1 full defect.

Immature beans are detected by their yellow-greenish color of the silver skin. They are usually smaller and curved inward and sharp edges.

This defect creates a grassy and straw-like flavor in the cup. 

On Tuesday: Withered bean and Shell