The Coffee Thread

Seasoned it today, and got a couple of roasts in before I had to pack. We have about 2kg of beans that are offgassing, and should be nearing their peak when we get back.

It's a local Arabica bean (La Trinidad) and should be an interesting way to kick off the roasting journey. We did cup it, and it wasn't terrible, so looking forward to seeing how it tastes as an espresso when we're back.

I'll throw some picks up of the roasts later.

Z...

 

https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/04/the-trick-to-making-great-pour-over-coffee-with-fewer-beans/

 

Oh hell yeah, coffee science, let's go. Can't wait for the hoffman video on it

 

That's quite an interesting article. Makes my wonder if using some sort of stick to pour the water down to guide it would help, is it would gather speed, but be held together as it flows down.

Z...

 

We'll end up with some kind of pressure kettle or something next.
Maybe we could put the coffee in a basket and run that pressurised water through it.
I got a feeling if we start at 9 bar and go from there

 

Alright, so, roast results...

We did 3 roasts - technically they all should have been "seasoning" roasts, but we decided to drop make the 3rd batch one we'd actually try.

The first one was dark. The second was bordering on black. The third (though it doesn't look it) is a medium.

Been about 2 weeks, and the taste is... Not terrible. Not great, but not terrible.

Not a surprise considering I know things went pear shaped at the start of the roast (power level dropped to 20% from 100% at charge - no idea why - but it took a good minute to realise).

Anyway, it's drinkable, and it's a baseline to improve upon, and a lesson to keep an eye on the power level bar on the software that connects to the roaster.

Now that we're back from our Thailand trip, I'll spend a bit of time over the remainder of the weekend doing some roasting.

Z...

 

The first batch looks good to me
Once youe dialled in I'd be keen to test some out

 

Man I can only imagine the smell at your place!

 

This is possible!

I have a friend coming to PH from Aus next month, I can do a roast and get him to take back 500g or so.

Can't guarantee anything - I'm totally inexperienced (like just started), and won't have too much yet in the way of notes to optimise beans - but, if you're willing to give me (brutally honest) feedback, I'm happy to ship you a one of the fresh batches at the time he flies back (end of May).

We're roasting on the deck of the backyard, so most of it goes to the "forest" behind the house, but there is a nice, very light "fresh roasted coffee" smell in the backyard area when we roast.
Z...

 

Count me in please
Happy to pay shipping/postage costs

I usually grind up the last of the beans from the old bag by when I get a new bag. Throw them in the knock box just for the smells

 

Indeed, Even if Roasting (and the coffee itself for the first ~day or so) smells like a slightly sweet burnt toast, and nothing even remotely like coffee . It's still great in its own unique way

 

Picked one of these up in japan last year and have been slowly enjoying it, so so good
https://shop.glitchcoffee.com/en/products/restock-colombia-risaralda-milan-nitro-wash

 

Any advice of reasonably-priced grinders? Would only be used for espresso.
Would prefer a hopper and timed type as I'd like the "non-coffee" people in my family to get a measured dose in the basket without too much fuss(after I have dialed it in).
If it was just me, id prob go a df54/64 but I'd like everyone to be able to make a decent cup.

Thinking of a Baratza Encore ESP or even a secondhand, something like a Mazzer luigi spa. The later would be a better 'quality' grinder but the ones on marketplace seem to be 10yrs+ old.
Any advice would be appreciated

 

2008 Mazzer Mini electronic S owner here. I've looked at getting more recent models but prefer the simplicity of its timed grind. The only replacement I've made on mine is burrs about 2 years ago (after I gave up looking for its replacement). You know what you need to do.

 

I'd go a eureka specialita for my money, but then I have one so I would wouldnt I

 

I still like my varia vs3, just make sure you get the Gen 2

 

then i don't see why the df54 would be any more difficult to use than the baratza or mazzer once calibrated for your espresso blend.

i guess only difference is lack of a hopper and you have to single dose. perhaps for the non coffee minded person, that extra step might seem like a huge pain...

 

This is basically Lance Hedrick style pourover.

Does anyone know what the easiest way is to get good water? I think after getting my beans, grind and technique right the only thing left to get me those crazy tea like light roasts is getting better water.

I do also like to drink "good" water, so considering getting some sort of RO system to replace the simple Brita filter I use now.

 

forget RO - it's only convenient if you have a plumbed in espresso machine, even then unless you spend thousands on a decent BWT system, the standard RO will result in about anywhere from 0-20ppm then remineralized to about 40-50ppm with a calmag filter. This makes it boiler safe and very tasty for drinking, but doesn't necessarily make the espresso super yummy. Still good, don't get me wrong, but once you're splitting hairs on the smallest detail, a randomly remineralized water output is not exactly ideal for taste in cup either.

Now, if you are talking about water for purely pour-over purposes, the biggest gamechanger here IS THE WATER, more so than technique, and even grind quality once you are using the higher echelons of flat burr grinders (p100 ek43, p01), if i have to be completely honest.

Get a cheap distiller like this:
https://www.vevor.com.au/water-dist...d-water-maker-1-l-h-w-timing-dual-temp-silver

Then buy a tin of aquacode, don't bother with third wave water, aquacode SLAPS and will completely change the quality of your pourovers.
https://thebasicbarista.com/product...mJ0LOYFjUBuMHx3JfugcEMfE6xQcGEHUxXTLftNi4-rLV

Then one of this cheap ppm meters:
https://www.amazon.com.au/B-Qtech-Portable-Drinking-Swimming-Laboratory/

Mix the 0ppm distilled water to anywhere from 60-90ppm based on your preference, watch your pourover game improve by leaps and bounds.

 

rpavlis water is just https://www.bulksupplements.com/en-AU/products/potassium-bicarbonate-powder
cheaper than TWW and others