Mixing coffees

[Crawforde]

My daughter is the only other coffee appreciator, but the is on the pacific coast and I’m on the Atlantic so we don’t have a cup together very often. we did just do a coast to coast camping trip while we moved her and her stuff out there. Each had a French press and one pour through filter, just in case. We had a separate camp stove and pot just for the coffee. Our only stops other than gas, resupply, and parks were coffee and local beers.

 

[MJ5150]

Mike, that sounds pretty darn wonderful. The rest of my family are tea drinkers (but I love them anyway...) so that won't work in my house. But I love the idea.

Thanks buddy, yes indeed it is.
Yanno, I used to be a super snob about coffee. But after meeting Taj a few years ago and really learning about the experience of coffee, we could end up drinking coffee from a watered down broken Keurig and I would still be happy. It's the human connections that come from these moments that make my life worth living. Yes, I would prefer my hoity toity coffee in these moments, but I'd be OK with less than that.

-Mike

 

[two fingers]

A friend of mine is from Costa Rica. Every year when he goes home he brings me back a BIG burlap bag of beans. Several pounds. It's the biggest bag they'll let him take out of the country.

My wife and I tear up a little when we make the last pot from it sometime in the Spring. We have to wait until January to enjoy it again.

Those beans make for some ridiculously good coffee.

 

[Staccato]

Mixing beans is like mixing cabs. Might be great, might be a disaster. You never know til you try.

Blend, blend!

 

[sleddogn]

I too have been lucky to have had the real deal beans straight from Costa Rica, mmm

 

[jnewmark]

Well, looking at the Verona bag, it states that it was originally just called the " 80-20 Blend ". It also says it is all Arabica beans. Does that mean it is a single source, but different Arabica beans ? Gues I should know just what Arabica beans are, as opposed to Columbian.

 

[MJ5150]

Well, looking at the Verona bag, it states that it was originally just called the " 80-20 Blend ". It also says it is all Arabica beans. Does that mean it is a single source, but different Arabica beans ? Gues I should know just what Arabica beans are, as opposed to Columbian.

The Verona has an interesting history. The Verona blend uses two different types of Arabica beans, so not a single origin coffee. Blends are not single origin.
Arabica is the species of coffee bean, so not specific to a region. Almost all coffee we drink is Arabica. The other species you may see or hear about is Robusta. In simple terms think of Arabica like bass guitar, a bass is a type of guitar. Arabica is a type of coffee bean. In your example, a Colombian coffee is a type of Arabica bean just like a Costa Rican is an Arabica bean as is a Ethiopian, Kenyan, etc.
You can think of the coffee growing regions as brands. Fender bass guitar, Ibanez bass guitar, Yamaha bass guitar, etc.

-Mike

 

[kesslari]

My boss just posted about buying a burr grinder. I realized that the manual grinder I have (but haven't used except during power outage, and since we have a generator that means "in many years") is a burr grinder. So this morning I'm going to give it a shot.

 

[jnewmark]

My boss just posted about buying a burr grinder. I realized that the manual grinder I have (but haven't used except during power outage, and since we have a generator that means "in many years") is a burr grinder. So this morning I'm going to give it a shot.

I bought a Cusinart grinder a few years ago. I really like it.

 

[jnewmark]

The Verona has an interesting history. The Verona blend uses two different types of Arabica beans, so not a single origin coffee. Blends are not single origin.
Arabica is the species of coffee bean, so not specific to a region. Almost all coffee we drink is Arabica. The other species you may see or hear about is Robusta. In simple terms think of Arabica like bass guitar, a bass is a type of guitar. Arabica is a type of coffee bean. In your example, a Colombian coffee is a type of Arabica bean just like a Costa Rican is an Arabica bean as is a Ethiopian, Kenyan, etc.
You can think of the coffee growing regions as brands. Fender bass guitar, Ibanez bass guitar, Yamaha bass guitar, etc.

-Mike

Here's what Starbucks has to say about Verona : " Caffè Verona® is a seductive blend of beans from Latin America and Indonesia, with a gentle touch of Italian Roast lending depth, soul and sweetness.”

 

[MJ5150]

Here's what Starbucks has to say about Verona : " Caffè Verona® is a seductive blend of beans from Latin America and Indonesia, with a gentle touch of Italian Roast lending depth, soul and sweetness.”

It's a neat blend alright, coming from two other blends to make what you now enjoy today. It's not the way I roast and blend, but that's OK. My way isn't the only way to do things just like there are multiple ways to play a bass guitar. If the sound at the end appeals to your ears, it doesn't matter what playing style one uses to achieve it.

-Mike

 

[kesslari]

So the burr grinder experiment was not a success. I learned that there were parts missing, including the widget that holds the grinder spacing setting. That meant that although I could grind the beans I could not do so consistently (and it was a major PITA).
But I suspect, from the experiment, that the time it would take to hand grind my morning coffee would not be something I could happily fit into my already tightly packed morning routine.
Why not get an electric burr grinder? I don't have the counter space.
C'est la vie.

Though I'm still toying with hooking an electric drill up to the manual grinder (after rigging something to keep the grinder spacing set). LOL.

 

[jnewmark]

So I ordered 1/2 lb, whole bean bags of Sumatra and Costa Rican coffee. Start off with a 50/50 blend ?

 

[MJ5150]

Did it say how they were roasted? As in, how dark or light.

-Mike

 

[jnewmark]

Sumatra was roasted dark; didn't say about the Costa Rican.


CoffeeAM - Gourmet Coffee & Tea - Roasted Fresh Daily Since 1993!

 

[MJ5150]

Sumatra was roasted dark; didn't say about the Costa Rican.


CoffeeAM - Gourmet Coffee & Tea - Roasted Fresh Daily Since 1993!

Since you like the bold flavors, I would start with a 75/25 Sumatra/Costa Rica. The Sumatra is going to give you what you like more than the Costa Rica in this case, but the Costa Rica will prevent it from being overly bold.

-Mike

 

[Crawforde]

I normally do a 75/25 or 60/40 mix of dark to medium light for my press. to me it gives a nice strong but smooth flavor.
I used to be picky about the beans, now I just mostly like my dark/ light mix of whatever seems the freshest.

 

[pie_man_25]

So the burr grinder experiment was not a success. I learned that there were parts missing, including the widget that holds the grinder spacing setting. That meant that although I could grind the beans I could not do so consistently (and it was a major PITA).
But I suspect, from the experiment, that the time it would take to hand grind my morning coffee would not be something I could happily fit into my already tightly packed morning routine.
Why not get an electric burr grinder? I don't have the counter space.
C'est la vie.

Though I'm still toying with hooking an electric drill up to the manual grinder (after rigging something to keep the grinder spacing set). LOL.

I use a hand grinder most days. I ended up getting a 1-cup moka pot so it only takes a couple minutes at most for like 6 grams of coffee.

Honestly, if it's not worth the hassle, it's not worth the hassle, it just happens that I tend to be a fairly early riser, so I usually have plenty of time.

 

[MJ5150]

So the burr grinder experiment was not a success. I learned that there were parts missing, including the widget that holds the grinder spacing setting. That meant that although I could grind the beans I could not do so consistently (and it was a major PITA).
But I suspect, from the experiment, that the time it would take to hand grind my morning coffee would not be something I could happily fit into my already tightly packed morning routine.
Why not get an electric burr grinder? I don't have the counter space.
C'est la vie.

Though I'm still toying with hooking an electric drill up to the manual grinder (after rigging something to keep the grinder spacing set). LOL.

A manual hand grinder is my go to for grinding coffee, but we also have a Baratza Vario when I am lazy.

-Mike

 

[pie_man_25]

Thanks buddy, yes indeed it is.
Yanno, I used to be a super snob about coffee. But after meeting Taj a few years ago and really learning about the experience of coffee, we could end up drinking coffee from a watered down broken Keurig and I would still be happy. It's the human connections that come from these moments that make my life worth living. Yes, I would prefer my hoity toity coffee in these moments, but I'd be OK with less than that.

-Mike

Honestly if I got accustomed to the stuff you roast, I'd be pretty snobby too