We live in amazing world in which I can hop a plane and be in China by tomorrow if I wanted to, but there is still a great deal that doesn’t move with that efficiency and many times it’s green coffee beans.
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This weekend we’ll be attempting something a bit different in the espresso, which I’m calling “Experience a Day of Roasting”.
I spent a full day roasting up 9 batches of espresso this weekend. The coffee is all from one farm (Santa Elena in El Salvador); however, each batch has its own story and personality. Stop in throughout the day and experience the many faces.
Too often we put something is our mouths and judge it according to what we’re expecting. This weekend will be an experiment in tasting what’s in our mouths and listening to the story it’s telling.
See you there.
After a rough week of a lot of batches not turning our. I feel really good about this batch.
The acidity is subtle and the caramel and chocolate notes balance so great. It’s sweet, which I’m realizing is the real goal of every roast.
Hope I can keep repeating this. Enjoy!
Roast Date: May 9th, 2011
More roasting more ideas. I roasted three batches on this day and got a little Goldilocks syndrome.
While all were about the same roast level, one was too short, the other too long, and the middle was just right. I know what to do with the just right, and if you came in you were drinking it. However, what about the other two? Neither had any roasting errors of scorching, baking, or over roast. They simply fell on the extreme sides of the spectrum and so weren’t as delightfully balanced.
Sometimes the answer comes in friends simple suggestion, such as, “Why not mix them?” Seems almost too simple, but we did so and sure enough the result was a coffee with great body and caramelization along with crisp, wonderful acidity.
Come on by and try the Single-Origin Blend.
Roast Date: April 28th, 2011
For those who have not been in the shop to experience our Brew Bar, check out my explanation.
On the brew bar we experience wide variations in steep times between coffees (from 2:45 minutes up to 3:45 minutes), which was not all together unexpected. However, I had thought the variations would exist between origins and varietals, but what seems to be more the case is that it’s the roaster that determines the steep time. As you most like know we use a variety of roasters at the shop, and it seems that coffees extraction rates really cluster around who roasted it.
This got me thinking that while I may have found a method that works for me, there must be a plethora of roast models that all roast the coffee well, but leave the sugars and volatiles more or less accessible. On in a very theoretical way I could not change my brew method (e.g. only steep for 3 minutes) and then roast my coffee to meet that spec. (I say theoretical, because I have no idea how to do that).
To some extent this makes sense. Most roaster will roast differently for espresso, which is really just a different brew method. However, it also means that coffees are most likely being roasted to optimize how the roaster brews the coffee, much the wine wines are made to go with the local food.
All this make me want a more collaborative roaster environment where we could share roast profiles and ideas and test our coffees for extraction rates. It also makes me want to get in the roastery and try something totally different, just for the heck of it.
Recently I’ve been trying to take the Brazil Recreio and roast it for espresso. The trial and error turn around on this is much longer than on the roasting for other brewing methods, since I have to wait two days to pull the shot rather than immediately cupping it.
Also,I’m not always sure what I’m trying to do to the bean. I know that I prefer espresso that leans toward sugar browning flavors rather than excessive acidity; this would seem to push for a slightly darker and longer roast.
I have three roasts that will be put out this weekend. Although each of the batches are similar in roast level, each batches took a different amount of time. I’ll be starting with the longest roast and progressing towards the shortest. My guess is that the acidity will become more noticable as the roast time shortens.
Stop by this weekend and find out.
These batches were very close to each other (in fact, roasted one after the other). They both took a more leisurely path to development which lead to a deep caramelization and sweetness. Very tasty.
Roast Date: April 18th, 2011
Awesome profile that developed at a clip, producing a coffee with excellent fruit and acidity. Great for a morning cup!
Roast Date: April 18th, 2011
A batch to bring home to mom; it treats you right.
As a roast, it followed build up of energy which slowed to a nice finishing pace (just like you always want… no tantrums).
In the cup, it’s sweet and balanced with nuanced acidity and a clean finish.
Roast Date: April 3, 2011
Andrew Kopplin creates some of the most brilliant coffees, tasty teas and delicious hot chocolate in the Midwest. His café, Kopplin\'s Coffee, has a comfortable and modern aesthetic make for a popular meeting spot in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, attracting a micro-culture of friendly people from all over the Twin Cities.