BodieWavejammer Senior Member Joined: 21 Jan 2012 Posts: 23 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Expertise: Pro Barista
Posted Sun Apr 8, 2012, 7:13pm Subject: Re: Fred's NOOB learning machine and how to make good espresso questions thread
I have to side with IMAWriter on this one as all artisan roasters I've bought from roast each coffee to maximize flavor, then blend afterward. Open a bag of any blend from a reputable roaster and you should easily see variations to indicate this. This is what "layers" the flavors in a particular profile.
Based on my experience, if you have a really dark coffee blended with something quite a bit lighter the darker component can age and go rancid much quicker. This can drastically limit the amount of time one has to work with a particular coffee.
fredk01 Senior Member Joined: 20 Feb 2012 Posts: 115 Location: Canada Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Saeco Aroma Grinder: OE Pharos
Posted Sun Apr 8, 2012, 7:20pm Subject: Re: Fred's NOOB learning machine and how to make good espresso questions thread
JD in the two pulls where I used only the lighter beans I weighed out the dark beans I removed. They were 5.1 and 6.1 grams respectively. Hmm, I see my math skilz are as top drawer as ever. That puts the dark component at 24% and 27.5% respectively: a 3.5% difference between the two. Can I taste that difference? I don't know.
If I take a whiff of the Peru dark that I was given in a sample, it smells of the taste I find overbearing in the blend. Maybe I just don't like a darker roast bean (full city, full city+, French roast??)
Now, I have gone back to their website and they do list one French roast. Does that mean that their (premium) dark is something different than French roast? who knows. I'm going to email them to see what their roast levels equate to.
fredk01 Senior Member Joined: 20 Feb 2012 Posts: 115 Location: Canada Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Saeco Aroma Grinder: OE Pharos
Posted Sun Apr 15, 2012, 8:57am Subject: Re: Fred's NOOB learning machine and how to make good espresso questions thread
I finally got around to doing something I wasn't looking forward to: doing a French press brewing of the dark roast I did not like the smell of to see if I get the same bitter flavour. I used 12 oz. and allowed the brew to sit for 3 minutes.
I should not that the beans are 10-12 days post roast so I expect the will have mellowed quite a bit.
Surprisingly, there was barely a hint of bitter in the brew. I really don't like black coffee, but this was almost drinkable black. Hmmm.
I'm gathering the materials together for the first mod on my Aroma: a pressure gauge to measure pump pressure and a copper coil to pre-heat water coming in to the boiler during a pull. I'll see what that does.
Now I'm off for my second cup of the day. I'm going to increase the dose on this one so the full flavour comes out with milk.
fredk01 Senior Member Joined: 20 Feb 2012 Posts: 115 Location: Canada Expertise: Just starting
Espresso: Saeco Aroma Grinder: OE Pharos
Posted Sun Apr 15, 2012, 7:28pm Subject: Re: Fred's NOOB learning machine and how to make good espresso questions thread
Coffeenoobie. That is why I avoided trying the dark roast as long as I did.
The second cup with 16 g (not oz) of beans had more of the taste I don't like. Definately something I would never contemplate drinking black. I think its more than just the bitterness, because it wasn't really bitter. Maybe I just don't like dark roasts.
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