Let’s talk coffee

[pie_man_25]

Right on. Please let us know how you like each batch.
As for cold brewing season, I agree. It's been a great year so far for African coffees. Let's keep it going.
One thing I tried the other day, out of necessity since our fridge was full, was letting it brew at room temperature on the countertop. I went a little longer than normal, 15 hours, and it still came out quite good with a Limu.

Thank you @pie_man_25. I've learned a thing or two from you as well my friend.

-Mike

Hopefully more than, "what not to do"

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Ordered a couple pounds of Ethiopian Guji and a selection of Kenyan beans. Looks like cold brew season is going long this year (regardless of the weather)!

At the present time, cold brew season has been going on a couple of years straight for me, with no sign of ending. Had some hot while traveling, once in a while have to revert if I forget to make it the day before, but the cold is better to my taste at present.

 

[pisces_bass]

Making cold brew coffee appeals to my keep-it-simple impulses. I roast the beans with a popcorn air popper, grind, and soak.

This impulse carries over to my bass gear as well. I picked up a Quilter BB800 a few years ago and have no more interest in amps that allow tinkering with every level of the signal. Just like I’ll probably never own a nice espresso machine

 

[T_Bone_TL]

I now have two bass amps, (bought one a long time ago now, & rescued one that's more portable more recently) and I hardly use either one since the group I actually play music with is all acoustic, so I don't even own a pickup for the upright, and they get all squirrelly if I even mention the Yamaha electric bass. Setup is a breeze compared to any amplified group...

 

[pie_man_25]

This talk of cold brew has me thinking that it doesn't make sense to heat up water every morning in an office without ac.

I think I'll switch for the rest of the season, no sense making a hot room hotter.

 

[MJ5150]

This talk of cold brew has me thinking that it doesn't make sense to heat up water every morning in an office without ac.

I think I'll switch for the rest of the season, no sense making a hot room hotter.

Smart move. A batch of cold brew can last up to two weeks before it starts going stale and tasting thin if you use good quality coffee to start with. If you're using cheapo coffee, maybe a week.
Pack some whiskey stones, if the office has a freezer, that you can use to cool it down as you sip. Speaking of whiskey, be sure and enjoy your cold brew in small 2-3 ounce servings, sipping slowly so you really enjoy the coffee and experience the various flavours the beans will naturally offer you.

-Mike

 

[definenredefine]

Smart move. A batch of cold brew can last up to two weeks before it starts going stale and tasting thin if you use good quality coffee to start with. If you're using cheapo coffee, maybe a week.
Pack some whiskey stones, if the office has a freezer, that you can use to cool it down as you sip. Speaking of whiskey, be sure and enjoy your cold brew in small 2-3 ounce servings, sipping slowly so you really enjoy the coffee and experience the various flavours the beans will naturally offer you.

-Mike

Or freeze some of the cold brew for coffee ice cubes!

 

[pisces_bass]

My next batch of cold brew is a Burundi. Bigger body, more fruit than the Ethiopian Sadama. This is not a delicate brew. Loving the contrast!

 

[pie_man_25]

Smart move. A batch of cold brew can last up to two weeks before it starts going stale and tasting thin if you use good quality coffee to start with. If you're using cheapo coffee, maybe a week.
Pack some whiskey stones, if the office has a freezer, that you can use to cool it down as you sip. Speaking of whiskey, be sure and enjoy your cold brew in small 2-3 ounce servings, sipping slowly so you really enjoy the coffee and experience the various flavours the beans will naturally offer you.

-Mike

I just ran out of those Ethiopian beans from across town, back to the cheap stuff for a bit.

I think next time I'll ask for something more sweet, but who knows.

 

[MJ5150]

I just ran out of those Ethiopian beans from across town, back to the cheap stuff for a bit.

I think next time I'll ask for something more sweet, but who knows.

What you may want to do is start buying coffee from different regions, then learning what you like. That way you can be specific instead of asking about flavors since that can be subjective.
I recommend you start by comparing the way a coffee is processed, with the two main ways being washed and natural. Honey is a third process, but it has nothing to do with honey from bees. Jump down that rabbit hole first and start developing your own taste profiles and that will make buying coffee much easier.

-Mike

 

[kesslari]

Invalid Link Removed

 

[MJ5150]

My apologies to you @pie_man_25 if you have that all sorted out between washed, natural, and honey processes. I don't mean to insinuate you don't know your coffee. I know it just gets difficult at times when someone asks for coffee based on a flavor since we can all taste things differently. Knowing what we like and why helps us be more confident and decisive when it comes time to making that coffee purchase. With the prices some of these boutique roasters charge, most of us don't want to make a $20-25 mistake.

-Mike

 

[pie_man_25]

My apologies to you @pie_man_25 if you have that all sorted out between washed, natural, and honey processes. I don't mean to insinuate you don't know your coffee. I know it just gets difficult at times when someone asks for coffee based on a flavor since we can all taste things differently. Knowing what we like and why helps us be more confident and decisive when it comes time to making that coffee purchase. With the prices some of these boutique roasters charge, most of us don't want to make a $20-25 mistake.

-Mike

I actually don't, in all honesty. I know the coffee I like when I have it, I'm not so great at knowing what I like.

 

[definenredefine]

I actually don't, in all honesty. I know the coffee I like when I have it, I'm not so great at knowing what I like.

That's how I am with beer.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Hi all. Not a coffee aficianado at all and not looking to go down that road. But I like coffee. For the past few years I have preferred a medium dark roast made by a slow pour first thing in the morning. I drink it over the next 45 minutes or so while reading the local rag on the iPad and then brew another.

At least, until recently, which is why I am reaching out to the TB coffee braintrust. Lately I have lost the stomach for the second cup. I suspect it has something to do with age and acidity, and while there's nothing to be done about age, I have read a fair bit about acidity. Without going too deep into the coffee nerd rabbit hole, what can I do do decrease acidity in my morning brew? In full disclosure, I just buy from the selection they have at Kroger. They removed their grinders years ago and now mostly sell pre ground coffee. It looks like the grind is pretty fine, and that may contribute. I own a couple of those little grinders with 2 blades, but I've read those don't do a whole lot better.

Thoughts?

 

[pie_man_25]

That's how I am with beer.

Now that I can help people with.

But honestly when it comes to beer, no wrong answers - I'll drink a $2 tallboy of laker right before a $12 bottle of chimay and enjoy both.

 

[Lobster11]

Now that I can help people with.

But honestly when it comes to beer, no wrong answers - I'll drink a $2 tallboy of laker right before a $12 bottle of chimay and enjoy both.

No, no, no. You drink the Chimay first and then switch to the cheap stuff when taste doesn't matter anymore.

 

[pie_man_25]

No, no, no. You drink the Chimay first and then switch to the cheap stuff when taste doesn't matter anymore.

That's also a way of going about it

 

[the general]

Hi all. Not a coffee aficianado at all and not looking to go down that road. But I like coffee. For the past few years I have preferred a medium dark roast made by a slow pour first thing in the morning. I drink it over the next 45 minutes or so while reading the local rag on the iPad and then brew another.

At least, until recently, which is why I am reaching out to the TB coffee braintrust. Lately I have lost the stomach for the second cup. I suspect it has something to do with age and acidity, and while there's nothing to be done about age, I have read a fair bit about acidity. Without going too deep into the coffee nerd rabbit hole, what can I do do decrease acidity in my morning brew? In full disclosure, I just buy from the selection they have at Kroger. They removed their grinders years ago and now mostly sell pre ground coffee. It looks like the grind is pretty fine, and that may contribute. I own a couple of those little grinders with 2 blades, but I've read those don't do a whole lot better.

Thoughts?

How are you brewing it? Since switching to a pour over system, I've noticed a huge difference in my coffee tasting experience. I've got to tweak the grind size a bit, but I'm close to a great cup of coffee. Oil feel is close to non-existent and acidity is pretty low. Most of the time now, I don't even have to put any cream in my coffee or put a pinch of salt in when brewing.

The kind of coffee your using is a huge factor in the acidity. Example: I know for certain the Blue Mountain coffee from Jamaica is very acidic.

I've got kona coffee(from Kroger since I didn't feel like visiting a local roaster)and it doesn't seem very acidic to me.

Mike(MJ5150) will probably be able to help you out more than I can. He set me straight when it came to coffee lol

 

[MJ5150]

Hi all. Not a coffee aficianado at all and not looking to go down that road. But I like coffee. For the past few years I have preferred a medium dark roast made by a slow pour first thing in the morning. I drink it over the next 45 minutes or so while reading the local rag on the iPad and then brew another.

At least, until recently, which is why I am reaching out to the TB coffee braintrust. Lately I have lost the stomach for the second cup. I suspect it has something to do with age and acidity, and while there's nothing to be done about age, I have read a fair bit about acidity. Without going too deep into the coffee nerd rabbit hole, what can I do do decrease acidity in my morning brew? In full disclosure, I just buy from the selection they have at Kroger. They removed their grinders years ago and now mostly sell pre ground coffee. It looks like the grind is pretty fine, and that may contribute. I own a couple of those little grinders with 2 blades, but I've read those don't do a whole lot better.

Thoughts?

Give Sumatran coffee a try, or even better, a Sulawesi. Coffee's from that part of the world are naturally less acidic. Stay away from African coffee in general, especially Ethiopians. They are naturally acidic.
You could also invest in a cold brew maker. That'll cut down on the acid, and a batch will last upwards of two weeks. It brews over 12-13 hours, so not much maintenance into making it either.
With a cold brew, you could enjoy a lightly roasted Ethiopian, but may still experience some stomach sensitivity.
The other variable working against you is buying pre-ground coffee. The second you grind a coffee bean, the quality starts to deteriorate. Grocery store coffee is mostly stale when compared to fresh ground. In our house, we grind our beans 10-20 seconds before we start our brewing method. I suspect freshly ground coffee will contribute to a more enjoyable second cup.
The two blade grinders tear and rip apart the coffee beans, they don't actually grind anything.

-Mike