Gone over to the dark side...

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coffeeloverlisa

Guest
For the past year I have sipped and sold expensive, City roast coffee. I love(d) it and thought it was amazing.

Last night Matthew and I tasted a sample provided to us from a roaster in Kona, Hawaii. One bag was medium roast and the other, dark. I was a bit grossed out at first since the back of the bags were transparent and the dark roast beans were very oily. They seemed to be swimming in oil and no beans I ever received my my roaster, some hours after roasting, were ever like that.

I contacted the roaster, not being nasty, just looking for education. Turns out fresh roasted dark city beans or closer to French Roast will do that, and the staler they get, the drier out they will be. Further research on my own told me the darker they get, the caffeine gets roasted out of the little darlings.

Now back to my dark side. We ground the coffee for a percolator at a friend's house and we all LOVED it. Truth came out they thought my coffees were too mild and this is what they like.

So shortly I will be offering dark in Hawaiian Kona and Jamaican Blue. Plus I am looking for the ultimate Sumatran or Ethiopian or something that will kick butt - but it has to be rare and pricey.

Any suggestions?

Cheers!
 

ElPugDiablo

New member
coffeeloverlisa said:
Further research on my own told me the darker they get, the caffeine gets roasted out of the little darlings.
While this is true, caffeine is very stable, its lost is a small percentage. A darker roast will lose more weight, up to 20% compare to 15% on a light roast, so by weight you will have to put more beans per batch thus offset the caffeine lost per bean. I would resist the temptation of the dark side and use other brewing devices rather than percolator.
 
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coffeeloverlisa

Guest
Interesting elPug, that is exactly what my roaster, George said! He said the yield would be less and so the price would be a bit higher. When we go to our friend's house, they use a percolator. I only use a beautiful 36 Farberware at trade shows. We use either a French Press or dripper.

Matthew likes a FP, I prefer the drippy... it keeps our marriage interesting 8)

Griz, true good coffee trumps expensive, but I have yet to taste an expensive coffee that did not knock my socks off. Esmeralda or Kopi Luwak and I am swooning!

Cheers!

Lisa
 
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coffeeloverlisa

Guest
Oh and now on the news front of the replacement for Rocketfuel Triple X, for a darker roast.

We have settled on Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Bold. A delightful ballsy bold Sidamo, organic, shade grown, fair trade, yadda yadda yadda.

Problem with choosing too rare a coffee for this label with Sweet Maria's is unless you buy 200 pounds green, when you run out, it may be out of stock and you have to change your product. I want a staple for the stable as it were, and this one looks like a winner.

Jeez this coffee business is fun!

Cheers!

Lisa
 
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coffeeloverlisa

Guest
Thanks for confirming that I picked us a winner!

Next in the program will be the ultimate espresso, but you-know-who-bucks uses Guatamala Antigua on their demo for making Espresso! I am not convinced you need to carry a specific espresso coffee to sit on to shelf unsold and going stale, especially when you sell online only. I like to sell my coffees within a week or 2 of roasting.

And you say...
 
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