I'm always roasting coffee, but it is not so often I have a new variety to share with you. I do have a special Colombian which I am sure @felobtc and @ecoinstant will appreciate..but that is for another post.
Today I am sharing a lovely Arabica coffee from Vietnam. Better known for it's Robusta coffee, I sell a large amount of the Vietnam Robusta "Dragon Balls", the quality of Arabicas is growing year on year. For anyone confused on the terms here, coffee tree's have many different varieties, in the Arabicas alone there are many genus that grow different tasting coffee beans. And then of course the region they grow in also affects taste. Robusta is a different variety of tree entirely, and this tree is able to grow in far more favourable low land conditions then Arabica which prefers very high mountainous areas. This is why Robusta crops are considerably less expensive then Arabica - personally Robusta can taste just as good when roasted right, it also has in the region of 25% more Caffeine then Arabica so is a real kick coffee - and is often used as part of an espresso blend because it improves the "Crema" (creamy frothy head) of espresso.
Here we have the Vietnam Arabica I roasted today, the sharper eyed will see some dark spots on the beans...this is called tipping - tiny burns which shows I had the drum of the roaster a little too hot. The roast time was right, but I had a slightly lower load then normal for the Vietnam, and it prefers a slower longer roast with less heat. Roasting coffee is a skill you learn through practice, and sometimes you make mistakes - this is only a little one but never the less I will make note to take more care the next time I roast Vietnam Arabica.
The green beans look very different to the roasted ones, to roast these it takes 12 minutes, with drop in temperature of 215 degrees Celsius , full gas until we hit turn around 3 minutes in (turn around is when the roaster drum temperature stops dropping from the cold coffee I added into it, and starts regaining temperature) and then I reduce the gas flame to extend the roast time - if I kept a roast on full flame it would complete in 7 minutes - far too quick to develop the flavours in the coffee. But the balance is delicate - if I make the flame too low, giving too little heat the roast can take too long baking the coffee which introduces undesirable flavours. All these variables change for every single coffee from every coffee growing region in the world - every time you roast you learn and adjust and remember, which is why coffee roasting is considered it's own art - you can not just walk up to a roasting machine and roast a coffee that will taste wonderful - and some people are lucky to start out roasting and not set fire to the coffee beans (it happens alot, very easy to do if you are not careful)
Fresh from my roaster today, the Vietnam Arabica beans are dropped out to cool. As usual I do not roast too dark as these beans are for brewing by filter, aeropress or Hario drip - where you can enjoy all the amazing flavours they contain.
Here are the beans inside a slightly damp Aeropress - I gave it a wash just before this brew.
And the beans after they have been ground into the Aeropress. You can be particular - and weigh the beans out according to the amount of water you add. I have learned (from alot of practice!) how many beans to put into the Aeropress to give me a good cup - then I tip them into the grinder and grind straight back into the Aeropress.
Now we add the hot but not boiling water, in wobblyvision holding an iPhone and pouring from a kettle is not easy one day I will invest in one of those incredible devices that hold a camera in place for you. As this coffee has been freshly roasted today, you will see the grounds rise up after I stop pouring, fresh roasted coffee gives off Carbon Dioxide after it is roasted - what you are seeing is referred to as the bloom. Freshly roasted coffee will give off Carbon Dioxide for upto 2 weeks after it has been roasted, but you need to keep it away from Oxygen and Moisture or it will loose it's flavours - which is why coffee is stored in bags with a valve - so that the Carbon Dioxide can escape while keeping out Oxygen and Moisture.
Now let's get ready for the plunge, I have a different cup this week - this one is a SCAE (Speciality Coffee Association of Europe) cup from an even some years back.
With the plunge done, all that lovely Vietnam coffee goodness is now in the cup.
And here we have it, all that lovely freshly roasted Vietnam coffee goodness in the cup. I drink all my brewed coffee straight up black - it's the best way to appreciate all the flavours from it. But we have to learn a little more about this amazing coffee.
I do not just roast this coffee for me (although the amount I drink I could do!), I sell it as well - here is the freshly roasted Vietnam coffee bagged in 1kg bags ready to send out.
And on the back, the tasting notes.
And the taste is just that, smokey, a hint of spice with a dryness that is not unpleasant with some earthy notes as well. This is not a coffee that will suit every pallet....
But I love it, another superb coffee from around the world. This could even be a #ShowYourEyes photo from @saffisara tag - not often a coffee gives me that expression .
Good news today as well, because the electrician wired me a three phase hook up for my new coffee grinder - this is the grinder I had to winch upright a few weeks ago - but as all the weight is at the top I had to ride on it to force the base plate down and get it upright! This is no ordinary coffee grinder, it weighs 350kg and will quite happily grind coffee at well over 30kg and hour - that's a kilo of coffee in 2 minutes which is really quick!
I left the Kilo of Vietnam Arabica coffee in place to give you an idea of size - this coffee grinder is nearly as tall as me (admittedly that doesn't take much).
Kind thanks to @enginewitty for employing his Ninja graphic design skills and producing this 🔥 banner
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