I was doing my usual light roast with a Yirgacheffe batch last week and it kept coming out super grassy. Like lawn clippings in a cup. Switched to a slightly darker roast level (just 30 seconds past first crack instead of pulling right at it) and man, the berry notes actually came through. Never realized how much that split second made a difference. Anyone else find a specific roast point that worked better for certain origins?
Heard a guy at the local shop in Denver last week say "you're roasting past second crack thinking it adds flavor but really you're just making charcoal." Hit me hard because I've been doing that for like 6 months straight. Pulled a batch right at the start of second crack instead of letting it go further and man the difference is night and day. Still getting some bitterness but way more drinkable. Anyone else roast too dark for way too long before someone called them out?
I was over at a buddy's house in Austin last spring. He pulled a shot on his setup there. Tasted completely different than my stuff back home. Smoother. No weird aftertaste. Same beans. Same grinder. Same brew method. Only difference was the water. He uses a simple carbon filter pitcher. Next day I bought one for $25. My coffee has never tasted the same since. Anyone else notice a huge difference switching water sources?
I was using this cheap blade grinder I got at a thrift store for like 8 bucks for the past 2 years. Last week I finally grabbed a decent hand burr grinder off Amazon for around 40. The first brew was a total shock to me. My coffee went from bitter and inconsistent to actually tasting smooth and fruity. The grounds were way more even and it only took me about a minute to grind 20 grams. Has anyone else seen that big a jump just from swapping their grinder?
I used a standard pour-over paper filter in my mason jar for cold brew last week. The coffee looked beautiful, no sludge at all. But the flavor was flat and had this weird papery taste I couldn't shake. My guess is the paper soaked up too many oils from the beans during the long steep time. Has anyone else tried this and figured out a workaround?
I keep seeing people online argue that rinsing the paper filter is a waste of water and time, but I've been doing it for 5 years with my V60 at home in Portland. When I skip the rinse, I can taste a slight papery flavor in the cup, especially with lighter roasts. Am I just imagining this, or do you guys think it actually changes the taste enough to matter?
He swore my beans were baking instead of roasting, and after 4 batches I tried it with a Ethiopian Yirgacheffe I got from Sweet Maria's. The flavor opened up way more than I expected, has anyone else been told to lower their charge temp and actually got better results?
I tried pulling shots right after roasting for months and they were always sour. Then I let a batch rest for 5 days and the flavor smoothed out completely. Who here rests their beans for a specific number of days and who just uses them whenever?
I started roasting green beans on a stovetop popper back in March and mostly got charcoal or sour results. Last weekend I pulled a batch of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that actually hit first crack at exactly 4 minutes 20 seconds. The final cup had that blueberry smell I kept reading about but never tasted before. I think the big change was letting the beans rest for 48 hours before grinding instead of rushing it. Has anyone else had a specific rest time that made their roast click?
I ran my first batch this morning and the beans were way underdeveloped even though my temps were perfect. Turns out the drum was sitting too close to the heating element and blocking airflow. Did anyone else's unit come with the gap set wrong?
Was grabbing a bag of green beans from a local shop last week and the guy behind the counter asked what I was roasting. Told him I keep chasing City+ but never quite get it right. He said you're probably overthinking it and downtown cafes in Seattle use a darker roast than people admit. Made me realize I've been way too precious about light roasts. Anyone else just let it go a bit darker and been happier?
Dude came over to try my latest batch of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Took one sip and said "you're running the drum too hot on the first crack." I had my Behmor on P3 for almost the whole roast. He showed me his numbers - drops the temp to P2 right when first crack starts. Tried it myself with a batch last Sunday. Completely different flavor, way less burnt tasting. Has anyone else had someone call out something obvious you were messing up?
I picked up a random burr grinder at a Goodwill in Omaha for $5 last month, just figured it'd be a backup for emergencies. Got it home and cleaned out the old coffee dust (took like 20 minutes with a brush), then ran some beans through it. Turned out it grinds way more even than my $40 new one from Amazon. Guess I learned that sometimes the old stuff just holds up better, especially if someone took care of it. Anyone else have a lucky find from a secondhand shop that surprised you?
I went through 4 pounds of green beans in 3 hours and every single batch came out even and hit first crack within 30 seconds of each other, has anyone else tried the flour sifter method yet?
I only figured it out when my Ethiopian beans came out looking like charcoal but barely hit first crack, so I stuck a probe in the bean mass and saw the real temp was way higher than my old reading, has anyone else dealt with false readings from their setup?