Roasting and consuming coffee is a newer hobby of mine. I like to share “The Fruits of My Labor” with my friends. Hopefully they will gain some of the appreciation for the better aspects of Java with me.

Of course, the obvious question I get is “Why”? 

Why go to the all the trouble just to pump out the same ole cup O’ Joe we have been drinking for generations.

To get very technical, the coffee we Americans (its different in other countries such as Italy and France) is that we are not drinking the same steamy liquid our grandparents, or even or parents drank.

Mass production has gotten us accustomed to the very strong, burnt, stale, over cooked coffee in most grocery stores and restaraunts.  The first component is the fact that preground and packaged coffee can often be months to years old.  This greatly affects the freshness factor. 

Green Beans can be considered fresh from 12-24 months.  Roasted whole beans can last 3-6 months and be considered fresh, Ground Coffee even with fancy freeze drying and hi tech packaging is really only fresh for 1-2 months.  The lack of freshness creates bitterness and eliminates the depth of flavor, the subtle undertones and layers of different flavors.  We end up with a very consistent product that lacks complex and pleasing flavor making it just okay.

To counter the lack of flavor many coffee makers overbrew the coffee to create more flavor.  This leads to the bitter smoky flavor that most drinkers have become accustomed to. 

So not only is the coffee stale, but the prep method fights the most desirable flavors a coniseur is looking for.

So, Freshness is the primary reason I took to roasting myself.  As side effect of purchasing Green (unroasted) beans is that by nature the suppliers are much closer to the actual growers. I am able to source from much smaller operations.  I also seek out the most eco sustainable and healthy operations.  The beans I find are most often single source instead of a random mix of batches.

In selecting the beans I find it much like picking out a fine wine wherein the description includes the finer distinction of flavors.  Chocolty, fruity, floral, Vanilla, smoky, sweet, semi sweet not simply Full bodied or smooth. 

Another factor in roasting is I get to choose the “darkness” of the roast.  All coffees can be roasted to my preference, using airflow, temperature and duration of the roasting to determine the darkness.  Different beans are good darker some better lighter.  And it also depends on the end usage.  I get to experiment with all these factors as well as the coarseness of grinding and the method of brewing. 

Being a gadget and tinker kind of guy this is all fun for me.  If you want more information on this give me a call and we can really get into the nitty gritty of the art of roasting.