roastmaster general

For the first time in many days, it is in the low 90s – where’s my down parka? Taking advantage of the heat-wave’s intermission, I grabbed my coffee roasting paraphernalia & headed out to the back deck. Today’s featured selection is a Brazil Daterra Farm Reserve Espresso. These raw coffee beans were purchased recently form the Green Coffee Cooperative. I order the beans in 5 lb. increments – having never tried this crop, I ordered the minimal 5 pounds. The coop is a true coop – the distributors are in it for satisfaction and to help others, not money. Their dedication allows people like me to buy green coffees from around the world at very reasonable cost. On-line discussion forums are also available to learn from other’s roasting experiences. Another great resource all about coffee is Coffeegeek.com. (I’m dmankin on their forums - I learned nearly all of this from their forums.)

The green coffee beans are tossed into a 500 degree, preheated home-made roaster (the marriage of a popcorn popper and a convection oven… really!) The popper’s stirring action keeps the beans moving constantly as the oven cranks out serious BTUs. After 18 minutes, decided on by the smell, sound (they pop & snap) and look of the now brown coffee beans, the coffee is moved to my home-made coffee bean cool (another appliance marriage – this time a fan and a colander!)

The coffee needs to “de-gas” for a day or so – the freshly roasted beans give off carbon dioxide in abundance at first, slowing considerably in the coming hours. Tomorrow morning, I will grind the fresh beans & brew a pot of, what I am hoping will be, fabulous coffee.

I have been roasting my own coffee for just 6 months, therefore officially still a newby. In my humble Virginia-based castle, I am the “Roastmaster General”. Swing on by – grab a mug. Enjoy.