Snaxx Senior Member Joined: 11 Dec 2008 Posts: 115 Location: Northeast Michigan, LP Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: KitchenAid A9 Drip: Technivorm Moccamaster Roaster: I Roast2
Posted Fri Mar 16, 2012, 7:52pm Subject: Re: roasting coffee with raw brown sugar?
A few years ago, not long after I began home roasting, I was listening to NPR's Splendid Table, and someone asked about Spanish Coffee, saying they had had some in Spain and thought it was interesting and different. As I recall from that piece, it was explained that Spanish Coffee was made with green beans which were sprayed with sugar water before roasting. I tried experimenting a bit with this process, but since I wasn't yet a very skilled coffee roaster and the whole sugar spray process wasn't described very well, the results from those attempts were just OK.
Here is a link that I found that goes into some detail about Spanish Coffee with an explanation of the process:
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,723 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Fri Mar 16, 2012, 7:55pm Subject: Re: roasting coffee with raw brown sugar?
Andy,
Thanks for the detailed explanation. It's intriguing to say the least, especially because I'm more of a softer earthier tone guy than the brighter notes. I may try it some day, but I'll probably check out those links you and Craig provided first.
I was lucky enough to be in Malaysia a couple years ago and the white coffee, either white or hot, is absolutely delicious. There's an aspect of it (probably caused by roasting the beans in margarine) that is unlike any other coffee I've tried. That, along with all the other great food in Malaysia, makes the trip worthwhile just from a culinary standpoint.
Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012, 4:48pm Subject: Re: roasting coffee with raw brown sugar?
OK ... this got me curious enough I had to try it. I searched and found several sites discussing "torrefacto" and there were many different descriptions about how it's done. Anything from spraying sugar water on the green beans prior to roasting to dumping the roasted beans in hot caramelized sugar or sugar water to putting sugar in the roaster with the coffee.
I gave more weight to descriptions that said "my father used to roast it this way" or "my coffee roasting company roasts it like this" or "I saw them roasting it like this" ...
My first attempt .. probably not done correctly but it wasn't a total disaster and it smells great ... but I think I made it a bit messier than it needed to be. Gonna wait a couple days to try an espresso but chewing the beans is pretty yummy right now. I used "Sugar in the Raw" and roasted until second crack was just about to start - then I started sprinkling the sugar on the hot beans as they were just starting to crackle. I use a BreadMachine roaster so the beans got a good stirring as the sugar was being sprinkled. I put a bit too much I think as the beans quickly started to look like they were covered in honey and stuck together and the temp started to fall as I had the lid up and the heat off (though the beans were still crackling with second crack). I let it go like this for maybe 30 seconds and then cooled it. (wish now that I'd kept the heat on it during this time)
And it cooled into a brick! I had read that you stir the mass as it cools and then the beans all separate ... but my cooler works so quickly that it just instantly turned into a brick of coffee brittle (that really, really smelled good). I grabbed a large stainless bowl and proceeded to manually break the brick apart into individual coffee beans. The sugar is not at all burnt - just nicely caramelized. So the beans don't have that black, shiny surface I've seen (mine look more like they are glazed - like sugar pops)
So ... if I were doing this again (and I'm sure I will try it again) I would use less sugar (I used a couple of tablespoons for 400 grams of roasted coffee) and I would put it in a little sooner and put the heat back on it and let it burn the sugar a little. Still not sure how I would cool it next time ... maybe on a cookie sheet with a fan blowing so I could separate the beans better.
I'll report back after I try brewing these ... I mixed them about 1 to 3 with regular roasted coffee. I'll let you know how the grinder handles them and how it works as espresso.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,723 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012, 4:58pm Subject: Re: roasting coffee with raw brown sugar?
Awesome Andy,
I'm so glad you're experimenting with this. I am extremely curious to hear how things go as you perfect the process. I asked my mother-in-law, but she didn't know much about the process, and wouldn't you know it, she said I should have asked her nephew when he was here visiting from Venezuela to compete in the Houston Rodeo. The saddest part is, I asked her about it two days after the nephew had left to go back to his ranch.
Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012, 5:34pm Subject: Re: roasting coffee with raw brown sugar?
I read lots of stories at several websites ... only one guy mentioned that his grinder got gummed up but he indicated it was easy to clean up. I suspect that if I were grinding nothing but these beans it would be more of a problem but I plan to grind a mixture of 1/3 of this coffee with 2/3 regular roast ... so I expect the regular roast will keep the burrs from gumming up. But for sure I have considered the possibility that I'll be taking the burrs out and cleaning them one tooth at a time. I'll let you know how it goes.
The beans don't feel the least bit sticky once cooled - unless you get them wet (or very hot) so I really don't expect the grinder to be bothered as it just doesn't get that hot (or wet).
But I do think I should have kept the heat on them after adding the sugar because all the pictures I've seen showed the beans looking glossy black and mine look like normal FC+ color but with a dull glaze.
farmroast Senior Member Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 1,417 Location: Amherst MA. Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Oly:Cremina,Maxi. MCAL... Grinder: Majors, Dienes Vac Pot: Hellem10 Drip: CCD, and more Roaster: 1kg. DreamRoast
Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012, 6:23pm Subject: Re: roasting coffee with raw brown sugar?
AndyPanda Said:
But I do think I should have kept the heat on them after adding the sugar because all the pictures I've seen showed the beans looking glossy black and mine look like normal FC+ color but with a dull glaze.
Traditionally most of this is very dark roasted but it was partly because of the poor defect village beans being used. I think you got it about right. Plan the level of roast you want then add the sugar just so it will brown but not burn by dump time.
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