Coffee

Hookabelly

Hookabelly

Well-Known Member
I've been geeking out with my french press this morning and remember why it lives in the cupboard. BITTER COFFEE.

Anyone a pro at this? I measured and my bodum press holds 32oz of water. Tried w/ 50 grams on capresso grinder at next to the last coarsest setting (which imo is still pretty fine)

steeped w/ half water for one minute, stirred, then filled w/ remaining water, covered and let steep for 3 min.

What am I doing wrong?
 
abe supercro

abe supercro

Well-Known Member
WeedFreak78 said:
Any recommendations on grind and brews that aren't $500+
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Yea, don't get one. As you found out, once a portion of the contraption breaks you're left with a giant hunk o junk with only one part working. You can get a conical good burr grinder for 100$. How you like to brew your coffee is a personal choice, but I don't think it's a good idea to have a carafe on a warming tray continuously. Perhaps try one that brews right into a thermos.
 
zoic

zoic

Well-Known Member
abe supercro said:
Stale beans are ALWAYS the limiting factor as to why ppl have mediocre or bitter coffee
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I concur. I keep mine in the freezer (which no doubt is not optimal). I find it is the same great coffee at the start and end of the bag. My buddy gave me some beans from Mexico and the coffee was tasty, but I foolishly left them on the counter in a cheap baggie. When I made a second brew some weeks later it was bitter for sure.

What method do you use to keep your beans fresh, or do you just roast them as required?
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
zoic said:
I am sure you are correct. About 35-40 years ago I worked for a guy who sold beans. He used the big grinder to grind it so fine it was the consistency of icing sugar. It made very strong coffee, which I like, but the sludge was a bit much for me. This guy made it double strength sometimes and if he left his cup on the bench overnight with 1/2 inch or less it would harden. I tapped a few pucks out his cup, it was kind of funny. If you tapped the puck with a hard object it would shatter. :cuss:
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That's called 'cholesterol' and it's not good for you.
 
abe supercro

abe supercro

Well-Known Member
zoic said:
What method do you use to keep your beans fresh, or do you just roast them as required?
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I try not to freeze the beans, but if I end up w a surplus approaching 2lbs, I'll throw a variety into the freezer to get to last. Freezing will degrade beans some, yet it's better than leaving them out for two weeks.

When I'm not roasting I have a number of local roasters I visit. I ALWAYS examine the roast date. Fresh beans only hold up for approximately 10 days. The main thing is to keep them air-sealed and go thru them quick enough. If you can't get to a roaster, there are tons of roasters that will send them direct, immediately after they are roasted, so two days of shipping is fine.
 
abe supercro

abe supercro

Well-Known Member
Rrog said:
Abe- you roast beans?
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I haven't been recently, but I have a Hottop roaster the same as JP, the OP. My understanding is the Hottop is best of class in personal drum roasters, that do about a pound. However, I'd reccomend the Behmore, at a third of the cost, as a starter small drum roaster. My buddy had one and was satisfied. If you're open to air-roasting, there are even more affordable models.
 
Jp.the.pope

Jp.the.pope

Well-Known Member
Hookabelly said:
I've been geeking out with my french press this morning and remember why it lives in the cupboard. BITTER COFFEE.

Anyone a pro at this? I measured and my bodum press holds 32oz of water. Tried w/ 50 grams on capresso grinder at next to the last coarsest setting (which imo is still pretty fine)

steeped w/ half water for one minute, stirred, then filled w/ remaining water, covered and let steep for 3 min.

What am I doing wrong?
Click to expand...
Picture of grind size?
 
Jp.the.pope

Jp.the.pope

Well-Known Member
zoic said:
I concur. I keep mine in the freezer (which no doubt is not optimal). I find it is the same great coffee at the start and end of the bag. My buddy gave me some beans from Mexico and the coffee was tasty, but I foolishly left them on the counter in a cheap baggie. When I made a second brew some weeks later it was bitter for sure.

What method do you use to keep your beans fresh, or do you just roast them as required?
Click to expand...
Keep in freezer if they will be kept over a week. Air tight jars. Freshly roasted (within 1 month my preference, this is IF they are in freezer. I tend to drink about a lb a week). Freshly ground and used within a few hours. Only bring as much as I need for a week out of the freezer. Make sure you have a roast date if possible.

I like a city or full city roast (very medium) and tend to go for single origin cafes. Rarely do I encounter bitter if the grind size is uniform.
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
abe supercro said:
I haven't been recently, but I have a Hottop roaster the same as JP, the OP. My understanding is the Hottop is best of class in personal drum roasters, that do about a pound. However, I'd reccomend the Behmore, at a third of the cost, as a starter small drum roaster. My buddy had one and was satisfied. If you're open to air-roasting, there are even more affordable models.
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That settles it. I'm selling my house and moving next door to Abe
 
Dr.Amber Trichome

Dr.Amber Trichome

Well-Known Member
I enjoy the taste of coffee. Was a gold card holder at Starbucks for a while and enjoyed Pikes place tall for many months but it seemed to be giving me heart palpitations whenever i drank it and also stained my teeth pretty bad. The last straw, though, was when i spilt the entire cup all over the inside of my car. Now I drink cold coffee beverages. :pThey taste ok but dont have the the caffeine buzz that regular hot coffee has. I enjoyed a case of Monster cold vanilla meanbean for a while but got sick of em after a case.
Cant be bothered making coffee in the morning its too messy and a pain in the ass and i dont have time for all that...and never tasted like the ones i get at the store.:P
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Hookabelly

Hookabelly

Well-Known Member
Rrog said:
Whats the water temp?
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199 degrees. I have an electric kettle that keeps constant temp.


abe supercro said:
What's the roast date on the coffee? The coffee must be fresh!
.
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Coffee 101 dude. Yes, my beans are fresh. I posted earlier that I use beans from local roasters around the PNW. Used within a week or two of roasting.
And stale beans aren't always the limiting factor in bad brewing. the ratio is key and so is water temp. Too high water temp causes sour extraction. As does to large of a grind size.

Jp.the.pope said:
Picture of grind size?
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Will snap one tomorrow when grinding. I tried my FP this am and again it was sludgy. I am not convinced my Xmas present of a conical burr grinder goes coarse enough. There are 3 settings on 'coarse' and I had mine on the second to coarsest setting. I am not seeing a huge variation of grind with this machine.


 
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