The Coffeehouse.... Baristi, Barista, Bariste

[struth]

Just some feedback on these beans... Whilst they're very good quality (beautiful aroma when the bag is first opened), and produce a lovely rich, full-bodied tasting coffee, they're still a little bitter for my tastes, probably because of the African connection.

As stated, I like a very smooth, rich coffee, with no obvious bitter edge [probably with being more of an Arabica lover], and on their own these beans don't quite deliver that flavour. However..... I bought a bag of these:



...and now mix half of those with half of the Coffee Masters beans, in the grinder (normal quantity I need for making a large espresso each morning, which turns into a cappuccino), and that creates an absolutely superb tasting blend indeed! The latter add just a touch more bitterness and 'bite', but also a unique 'dark chocolate' flavour, which produces a really lovely rich cup of coffee.

Just shows what happens when you experiment... I can see me sticking with this blend for a while, as it's very satisfying indeed

Marco.

arabica is generally less bitter, but over extraction will exaggerate bitterness especially in dark roasts. darker roasts should be extracted quicker than light ones.

[Marco]

Lol... Love how the pattern has stayed to the end!

What are your views on my comments about beans, above? As someone who's never experimented before with coffee beans, I'm shocked at just how different Robusta beans smell and taste compared with Arabica...

It appears that beans from Ethiopia and India have more of a bitter taste, than those from Central America. Would you agree? I'm wondering now what Columbian would be like?

I like a little bit of bitterness/acidity, but primarily a nice smooth rich roast.

Marco.

[struth]

I wouldnt say bitter... Ethiopian are often lightly roasted to avoid it but can be a little acidic/fruity. if you have a dark roast then dont extract it so long is the answer. I often mix 2 different ones i like that have different characteristics together to get a nice middle result. alas with your brewing method its difficult to alter the brew so i would advise a lighter roast.

[Marco]

Cheers, mate. Interesting comments about the extraction time - and no I can't really control that at the moment. It's certainly noted though, for the future.

I think when I finish the current bag of Coffee Masters, next time I'll go for this, as I'd like to try their 100% Arabica variety - and it gets great reviews: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coffee-Mast.../dp/B00Q0CQYMU

Check out this guy's review and the pic of his coffee (and machine)....



Looks great!

Marco.

[Audio Al]

I have just opened a 1kg bag of Columbi Suarez beans

Have another 1kg bag of Rowanda Cyato yet to be opened

Happy coffee drinking

Also just fitted a new punp in my ECM Barista now seems to be working again

[Svend N]

Lol... Love how the pattern has stayed to the end!

What are your views on my comments about beans, above? As someone who's never experimented before with coffee beans, I'm shocked at just how different Robusta beans smell and taste compared with Arabica...

It appears that beans from Ethiopia and India have more of a bitter taste, than those from Central America. Would you agree? I'm wondering now what Columbian would be like?

I like a little bit of bitterness/acidity, but primarily a nice smooth rich roast.

Marco.

Marco, you're using a moka pot, right? If your brew is too bitter then you may be overheating the brew water to the point of boiling. Not great for smooth taste. Try this: have the burner at med or med-high to start, then as soon as you see the coffee start to trickle out then turn the heat to med-low or lower. You want it coming out in a nice steady stream but without boiling it. If it starts to sputter and fart then it's too hot. Also, if you're packing it too tight in the grinds basket, then the water will overheat by default as it will need that extra pressure to get through. So easy does it on tamping the grounds.

Hope this helps...

Svend

[Marco]

Hi Svend,

Marco, you're using a moka pot, right? If your brew is too bitter then you may be overheating the brew water to the point of boiling. Not great for smooth taste. Try this: have the burner at med or med-high to start, then as soon as you see the coffee start to trickle out then turn the heat to med-low or lower. You want it coming out in a nice steady stream but without boiling it. If it starts to sputter and fart then it's too hot. Also, if you're packing it too tight in the grinds basket, then the water will overheat by default as it will need that extra pressure to get through. So easy does it on tamping the grounds.

That's an excellent tip, and indeed something I have already discovered

I don't think the bitterness in question, however, is related to overheating the brew water, but simply the characteristics of the beans themselves.

It exists in the smell, as soon as they've been ground. Before I even made coffee, using the Coffee Masters 'Full-bodied Espresso Blend' beans, I knew that it was going to be a little more bitter than what I had been used to with 100% Arabica, simply from the aroma.

However, you raise a couple of points....

Currently, I boil the brew water first, in a kettle, then fill the reservoir in the Moka pot up with boiling water, to just under the little valve (was recommended to do that, in order to speed up the brew process). Is that a good idea? Or is the water better going into the reservoir cold, and slowly heating up to temperature, simply by using the burner?

When the pot hits the burner after that, it's on a medium heat, not high, and pretty soon afterwards the coffee starts to trickle out, then turns into a nice steady stream. It never splutters. What would you say should be the average extraction time, from the pot hitting the burner, to the coffee being ready to drink?

Also, at the moment, I don't tamp the grinds at all. I just fill up the basket and tip it gently back and forth, so that the grinds are evenly spread, leaving about an even 2mm gap at the top of the basket (so not quite full).

So do you think I should tamp the grinds a little, or leave things as they are?

Marco.

[struth]

i wouldnt tamp(its not a pressure machine). you could adjust the grind a bit, bit maybe altering bean roast will change things

[Marco]

i wouldnt tamp(its not a pressure machine). you could adjust the grind a bit, bit maybe altering bean roast will change things

That's what I thought mate, which is why I don't. However, I'd still appreciate Svend's advice, as he's got lots of experience with Moka pots

I've been experimenting with the grind, and prefer it fine (as in for espressos), rather than any coarser than that, so that's how I've set the grinder.

Don't get me wrong, the quality of the coffee I'm getting is excellent, so there's no issue there. It's just a matter of experimenting with beans and discovering the right ones (or blend as such) for my palate.

Marco.

[Svend N]

Marco, it sounds like you're getting the hang of the moka pot and getting some nice results from it. You are right not to tamp. One could, but only very lightly. Best is what you are doing, and tweaking brew time with grind fineness. I had forgotten you had a grinder, and assumed you were buying pre-ground. As for pre-boiling the water, I suppose it doesn't matter as long as you're not boiling the water during actual brewing itself. Re. your question on brew times, I think it varies depending on the size of your pot. The little ones will be done quicker, obviously. I recall getting good results with a 6 cup pot and a brew time of about 3 to 4 minutes or so. Remember, this isn't like a pressurized machine where you're shooting for 30 seconds.

Good to hear you're enjoying the moka pot!

Cheers,
Svend