GRINDING AND BREWING
A lot of people ask me for info about grinding and brewing methods--so, I highly recommend anyone interested check out this link to a GREAT site: Sweet Maria's, here: http://www.sweetmarias.com/grind.brew.html
You will find terrific info here!
Have fun!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
To Rest or Roast?
That is the question!
Well, just back from Fort Lauderdale, Florida---where i spent 5 days on the beach and in the ocean and having a great time! We were able to visit with our friends Jenn and Roberto who have moved to Florida, and had a wonderful time "helping" Jenn in her new journalistic pursuits: reviewing the food offerings in Fort Lauderdale! YUM! Hey, be sure to check out Jenn's cool sites~~~ she really is the foodie QUEEN! You can even see me doing my bean thing in the hotel, thanks to Roberto's roaming camera-eye! http://www.travelcloseup.com/2007/05/22/product-of-the-week-lisabeeen-in-ft-lauderdale/
Thanks guys!
SO, too tired to roast? NAH!!!!!!! I will be likely firing up the new roaster tomorrow and doing a bunch of preparation for the contest. So all of you who requested a sample:I will be waiting until Monday to roast so that I can send out the samples first thing Tuesday so that when they get to you they will be rested and ready to sample!
Wishing everyone a very happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!
~Lisabeeen
Well, just back from Fort Lauderdale, Florida---where i spent 5 days on the beach and in the ocean and having a great time! We were able to visit with our friends Jenn and Roberto who have moved to Florida, and had a wonderful time "helping" Jenn in her new journalistic pursuits: reviewing the food offerings in Fort Lauderdale! YUM! Hey, be sure to check out Jenn's cool sites~~~ she really is the foodie QUEEN! You can even see me doing my bean thing in the hotel, thanks to Roberto's roaming camera-eye! http://www.travelcloseup.com/2007/05/22/product-of-the-week-lisabeeen-in-ft-lauderdale/
Thanks guys!
SO, too tired to roast? NAH!!!!!!! I will be likely firing up the new roaster tomorrow and doing a bunch of preparation for the contest. So all of you who requested a sample:I will be waiting until Monday to roast so that I can send out the samples first thing Tuesday so that when they get to you they will be rested and ready to sample!
Wishing everyone a very happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!
~Lisabeeen
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Summer Contest is gearing up........
Hi Folks!
Well, it is getting greener and greener and warmer and warmer...summer is on its way!
So guess what THAT means?
YEP: ICED COFFEE, FROZEN MOCHA YUMMIES EXTRAORDINAIRE......
and....
Lisabeeen's summer
"NAME THAT BLEND" CONTEST!
I have a wonderful blend of beans just waiting to adopt a name~~~~ so
Here's what you do:
Email me to request a sample---test out the beans, then email me back telling me how you brewed/prepared it and describing the taste and the name you picked for it. I will put all entries into my bean basket and pull a winner who will receive a free bag of the beans with their special new name!
Great and yummy summer fun!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
OUTDOOR ROASTING WEEKEND BEGINS!
Here is a nice one pound batch of Kenya YUM cooling next to the new roaster! Boy those beans are tasty! I am going to really smell up the neighborhood with tsome awesome coffee smells tomorrow! Six pounds to roast, all different beans...that'll make for a nice Sunday!
Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers!
Friday, May 11, 2007
TO freeze or NOT to freeze?
Ok everyone, I am going to attempt to address an issue i get a lot of questions about: How do I keep freshly roasted beans FRESH for as long as possible?
First, it is important ot know that beans undergo chemical changes as they are roasted and AFTER they are roasted! One of the important things to know is that CO2 emerges after roasting, especially during the first 12-24 hours. This is why freshly roasted beans often require a "rest" period before they are ground/brewed....the taste often changes SIGNIFICANTLY during this time and often beans require even longer rest-----many people swear by the 5 day rest rule to allow the complex flavors to emerge...often the body increases and the cup becomes more full and mellow after a few days...sometimes fruit emerges, as with certain ethiopian beans (some harrars are known for blueberry!) and other times certain flavors subside while others emerge (a good example is the Panama Gesha which has overwhelming jasmine initially which recedes as other flavors emerge.....) This is perhaps one of the most incredible aspects of home roasted coffee~ It is really wonderful to look forward to changes in the cup on a daily basis after a new roast!!!
Anyway, back to how to keep freshness:
Often people ask whether they should keep beans in the freezer. This is a pretty controversial topic among coffee fanatics BUT there seems to be a general consensu that freezing beans ONCE directly after roasting may maintain freshness for longer than usual. "... however, freezing older beans will certainly ruin the bean." A quotation from a posting on a on-line forum about JUST this topic. SO: you generally should NOT keep beans in the freezer and take them out and put them back as you use the beans! Condensation KILLS the bean quality!
Vacuum sealing beans is another way some people try to extend freshness. Vac sealing AND freezing directly after roasting is a combo some swear by....for MOST people, tho, the best way to keep your beans fresh is in an AIRTIGHT container. OXYGEN breaks down flavor chemicals and most agree that it is the NUMER ONE reason beans lose flavor.
I use stainless steel airtight containers and they work great. You can hear the CO2 escaping when you pop it open the first day and sometimes longer! BTW: the bags i ship my beans in have a CO2 valve built into them--that is what that little thingy is --so when you squeeze the bag it lets CO2 out but does NOT let oxygen in. It is perfectly fine to keep beans in these bags as you use them----just squeeze out the air after you re-seal them each time.
One last note: The most important thing really boils down to what YOU like! If you are happy with the taste of your beans with the method you are using that is GREAT! I offer these ideas so that you can explore other options, and maybe you will find you can experience even greater coffee pleasure! ENJOY your fresh roasted beans!!!!!!!!!!
First, it is important ot know that beans undergo chemical changes as they are roasted and AFTER they are roasted! One of the important things to know is that CO2 emerges after roasting, especially during the first 12-24 hours. This is why freshly roasted beans often require a "rest" period before they are ground/brewed....the taste often changes SIGNIFICANTLY during this time and often beans require even longer rest-----many people swear by the 5 day rest rule to allow the complex flavors to emerge...often the body increases and the cup becomes more full and mellow after a few days...sometimes fruit emerges, as with certain ethiopian beans (some harrars are known for blueberry!) and other times certain flavors subside while others emerge (a good example is the Panama Gesha which has overwhelming jasmine initially which recedes as other flavors emerge.....) This is perhaps one of the most incredible aspects of home roasted coffee~ It is really wonderful to look forward to changes in the cup on a daily basis after a new roast!!!
Anyway, back to how to keep freshness:
Often people ask whether they should keep beans in the freezer. This is a pretty controversial topic among coffee fanatics BUT there seems to be a general consensu that freezing beans ONCE directly after roasting may maintain freshness for longer than usual. "... however, freezing older beans will certainly ruin the bean." A quotation from a posting on a on-line forum about JUST this topic. SO: you generally should NOT keep beans in the freezer and take them out and put them back as you use the beans! Condensation KILLS the bean quality!
Vacuum sealing beans is another way some people try to extend freshness. Vac sealing AND freezing directly after roasting is a combo some swear by....for MOST people, tho, the best way to keep your beans fresh is in an AIRTIGHT container. OXYGEN breaks down flavor chemicals and most agree that it is the NUMER ONE reason beans lose flavor.
I use stainless steel airtight containers and they work great. You can hear the CO2 escaping when you pop it open the first day and sometimes longer! BTW: the bags i ship my beans in have a CO2 valve built into them--that is what that little thingy is --so when you squeeze the bag it lets CO2 out but does NOT let oxygen in. It is perfectly fine to keep beans in these bags as you use them----just squeeze out the air after you re-seal them each time.
One last note: The most important thing really boils down to what YOU like! If you are happy with the taste of your beans with the method you are using that is GREAT! I offer these ideas so that you can explore other options, and maybe you will find you can experience even greater coffee pleasure! ENJOY your fresh roasted beans!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
The new ROASTER is here!
I got the new drum roaster ALL set up and running- WOW!!!
She is GREAT!!!!!!!
Ready to handle 2-4 pound batches! YESsssssssssssssss.........
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