Coffee Corner... What's in your cup?

[Jimmie the Mum]

Coffee Beans Aren’t Actually Beans:

It turns out that the name we use for those tiny pods that are ground and brewed into a cup of joe is a misnomer. 
Coffee “beans” are actually the seeds found within coffee cherries, a reddish fruit harvested from coffee trees.
Farmers remove the skin and flesh from the cherry, leaving only the seed inside to be washed and roasted.

Coffee farming is a major time investment: On average, a tree takes three to four years to produce its first crop of cherries.
In most of the Coffee Belt — a band along the equator where most coffee is grown that includes the countries of Brazil, 
Ethiopia, and Indonesia — coffee cherries are harvested just once per year. In many countries, the cherries are picked by hand.

[MaytagMan]

Coffee Beans Aren’t Actually Beans:

It turns out that the name we use for those tiny pods that are ground and brewed into a cup of joe is a misnomer. 
Coffee “beans” are actually the seeds found within coffee cherries, a reddish fruit harvested from coffee trees.
Farmers remove the skin and flesh from the cherry, leaving only the seed inside to be washed and roasted.

Coffee farming is a major time investment: On average, a tree takes three to four years to produce its first crop of cherries.
In most of the Coffee Belt — a band along the equator where most coffee is grown that includes the countries of Brazil, 
Ethiopia, and Indonesia — coffee cherries are harvested just once per year. In many countries, the cherries are picked by hand.

True indeed!

[MaytagMan]

[MaytagMan]

Found a new local spot that roasts in house and pulls a great shot.

[MaytagMan]

[Domniomaestro]

While on vacation in SC, I stopped into Palmetto State Armory.  

While browsing and drooling over all the pretty weapons there, I came across a display for some coffee from the Caliber Coffee Co.

I opened the 9mm this morning and ground some.  It was actually quite pleasant.  Definitely nutty, and there was some sweetness to it from the caramel, but overall it was very good and I will probably be accessing a friend that lives down there to go in and get some more for me to send up here.

The 300 Blackout I opened this evening to try.  It is bold, and there is more caramel. Whatever that 'red fruit' is, is a definite turn off.  There is a subtle aftertaste that is not great...Now that said, its coffee.  Will I finish this bag out? Yes.  Will I ask my friend to obtain more of this for me? No.

Peace....

[Jimmie the Mum]

Interesting Fact: 

How Is Coffee Roasted?
Part 1 of 4

There are many types of coffee, but two uber-popular commercial varieties dominate the coffee market — arabica and robusta. Arabica coffees are most sought-after for their mild, balanced flavor, while bitter robusta coffees are used for cheaper blends, instant coffees, and some espressos. There are noticeable differences between these two common varieties, but beans from both species generally have the same origin story from coffee farm to roasting (and later, your cup).

Coffee farms are most commonly found along the equator, aptly named the Bean Belt, where young coffee trees take three to five years to produce their first fruit. The fruits, known as coffee cherries, are typically harvested by hand once or twice a year before being dried by the sun or in large, tumbling dryers. The beans of the fruit are then milled — a process that removes the dried cherry husk and leaves behind the green coffee bean that’s sold to coffee roasters.

Behind the scenes at a commercial roaster, the green beans are dumped into a churning roaster that keeps them moving while they’re heated to temps between 350 and 450 degrees. Prolonged heat causes the beans to undergo a Maillard reaction, a chemical process where amino acids and sugars in the beans cause browning and flavor development. It happens quickly — beans generally transform in less than 20 minutes, though the length and temperature of the roast determine how many times the Maillard reaction occurs and how the final cup of coffee will taste. Accuracy is essential during roasting because beans quickly brown along the roasting spectrum; overcooking coffee beans can happen within a matter of seconds.

[MaytagMan]

Good info!

Yeah roasting is definitely something you have to pay attention to - sights, sounds, and smell all come into play. I roasted coffee at home for quite a while, but it got too labor intensive for the amount I could roast in a given time.

[Jimmie the Mum]

Interesting Fact: 

How Is Coffee Roasted?
Part 2 of 4


How Are Light, Medium, and Dark Roasts Different?

While coffee beans are dried before roasting, they still have some moisture content, which plays a large role in how the finished cup of coffee will taste. Roasting removes much of that excess water, unlocking the beans’ oils and flavors. Light-roast coffees generally spend the shortest amount of time in a roaster at lower temperatures, leaving behind much of the beans’ water content for a mild, bright, and fruity flavor. Dark-roast coffees are roasted longer at higher temperatures, removing most of the beans’ water content for a richer, nuttier, and more bitter taste. High temperatures also pull out the beans’ natural oils, leaving a sheen at the top of your coffee pour that thickens the drink. Medium roasts fall midway on the coffee spectrum and generally blend the brightness of light-roast coffee with the depth of a darker roast.

[MaytagMan]

A bag from a local roaster and two more that came in the mail... I should be set for a bit lolol!