30 November 2010

Roasting Your Own – An Aside

Happy Christmas Dear Reader,

I know that some of you read my blog whilst enjoying a cup of coffee. I often am, as I am now, enjoying a cup of the bitter brew when I write to you. The difference for me today is that this coffee is unique.

Here are things that I know about the coffee I am currently sipping:
-It was grown in Mexico
-It is fair trade coffee
-I bought 25 pounds of it
-The beans were carefully roasted in 4 ounce lots
-The blend is a dark full roast and a medium roast
-It is the best coffee I have ever had
-I roasted it myself

I realize that saying it is the best coffee I have ever had is a bit arrogant and perhaps I am a little high from the constant contact with the oily caffeinated beans. I would say that roasting the coffee is almost as addicting as drinking it. But this coffee was roasted, allowed to breath for twelve hours and then sealed for twenty-four. I have a very excellent grinder that allows me to set the level of grind for the kind of coffee I will brew.

After careful reading and planning I made my first pot of home roast (the official name is Orion’ Blend). I have three roast colours; Dark – Betelgeuse, Medium –Bellatrix, and Light – Mintaka. I am working on a Rigel blend but cannot decide if I want it to be lighter or extra bold. I did burn one roasting in trying to get beyond the dark roast but as a friend said, “that happens.”

All of this may seem light and unlike my usual seriousness. I assure you this is serious business. Coffee is a multibillion dollar industry. Pound for pound I am paying about 50% less than I usually would. I enjoy doing it. It is benefiting growers directly and it is very easy. It takes about ten minutes to roast enough for a pot of coffee. Now before you think I have gotten too politically correct, it is rather that I am doing something I enjoy and saving money. I also am sure that the coffee I serve my friends is wholesome and has no odd chemicals in it.

Beyond that I have learned more about the bitter black bean that I love in a way I had not imagined to learn it. I have grown a new appreciation for the amazing thing that is coffee. I will do my best not to take it for granted again. My cup is empty and I am on to other things, the first being a hearty refill.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."

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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous30/11/10 11:18

    It is by the Beans of Java that I Set My Mind In Motion. . .
    It is by the Juice of Folgers' that Thought acquires Speed, The Teeth acquire Stain, The Stain becomes a BMW (in my dentist's driveway).
    It is by the Beans of Java that I Set My Mind in Motion. . .
    --- Found online, author unknown

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  2. J. Adams30/11/10 11:34

    Good for you! I recall when home coffee and restaurant coffee were about the same - weak and insipid.

    Since then, thanks largely to the caffeine requirements of the sunlight-deprived residents of the pacific northwest (the so-called "coffee cup" of the U.S.) the rest of us have discovered what a good cup of coffee can taste like.

    I'm looking forward to enjoying a cup of Orion' Blend, in any of the various roasts, next time we're up your way.

    I'm not ready to try roasting for myself, but I have discovered a local small-batch roaster, I Have A Bean (http://www.ihaveabean.com) who are also roasting without weird chemicals, and with a higher purpose.

    See you soon!

    J

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