For Trapper: Roasting coffee

[Inor]

Tell us about how to roast/process them.

Roasting coffee at home is about the easiest thing you can do in the kitchen. It is so easy, I can even do it and Mrs Inor usually does not let me anywhere near her kitchen.

In the summer, I suggest you do it outside as it does create quite a bit of smoke. The smoke is not unpleasant, actually it smells really good, but it did set off the smoke alarms in our Minnesota house. My ceilings are high enough in our current house that it does not.

We just use a cast iron pan with 3" tall sides. Heat the empty pan over medium flame until an oven thermometer in the bottom of the pan reads 200. Then put in the beans. Just be careful not to add too many beans. They grow in size considerably when you roast them so you can overflow the pan if you put in too many at a time. When the beans are in, start stirring slowly with a baker's whisk and keep stirring until they are done. The key is to keep them moving so they do not burn on one side. Roast them until they get almost, but not quite to the final color you want. It takes about 15-20 minutes to roast a batch to a full dark-greasy color, less for a lighter roast. Then just spread them out on a metal tray to cool down.

They get the best flavor about 1-2 days after roasting and the flavor starts to go down after about 6-7 days. They are still way better than you can buy at the supermarket even after 2 weeks, but just not as good as fresh.

I have also heard some folks just put them in an air popcorn popper. I have not tried that way, but it sounds like it would work.

I am really surprised more folks do not roast their own because it is so easy. Plus they taste FAR better than you can get from Starbucks or other similar places. AND you save a buttload of money if you drink much coffee.

[Mad Trapper]

Thanks Inor!!!

Sounds like my big dutch oven would work fine roasting beans.

What about roasted? Vac seal in lbs? I've an old time hand grinder

I love my coffee too!!!

THANKS AGAIN!!!

[Inor]

Thanks Inor!!!

Sounds like my big dutch oven would work fine roasting beans.

What about roasted? Vac seal in lbs? I've an old time hand grinder

I love my coffee too!!!

THANKS AGAIN!!!

Yes, a dutch oven would be perfect.

Do not vac seal. It will be just okay when opened. It is far better to just roast it as you need it. We roast about once a week or week and a half. The green beans can be stored as is, with no special packaging. In fact, they mold if you seal them. Just on a shelf in a dry pantry, they will last forever.

There was a semi-famous You Tuber (from MN - how I remember him) that did a video on making a coffee roaster from a soup can using an alcohol burner to heat it. It was a neat thing. I cannot recall his name or I would post a link. I'll search for it.

[Mad Trapper]

Thank you Sir!

[juskom95]

Yes, a dutch oven would be perfect.

Do not vac seal. It will be just okay when opened. It is far better to just roast it as you need it. We roast about once a week or week and a half. The green beans can be stored as is, with no special packaging. In fact, they mold if you seal them. Just on a shelf in a dry pantry, they will last forever.

There was a semi-famous You Tuber (from MN - how I remember him) that did a video on making a coffee roaster from a soup can using an alcohol burner to heat it. It was a neat thing. I cannot recall his name or I would post a link. I'll search for it.

I've been vac sealing whole beans and freezing them for a few years to keep the beans fresh, and it has worked. I break down the whole beans into 1lb or 2lb bags, seal them and freeze them. I just open a bag as needed and grind as needed.

[Inor]

I've been vac sealing whole beans and freezing them for a few years to keep the beans fresh, and it has worked. I break down the whole beans into 1lb or 2lb bags, seal them and freeze them. I just open a bag as needed and grind as needed.

That works. It keeps them safe to drink. But the flavor definitely goes down, even sealed and/or frozen after about a week. That is why places like Starbucks are not as good. By the time the store gets the beans, they are at least 2 weeks old.

Give it a try roasting them yourself. You can pick up a sample pack for under $10 at the second place I linked yesterday.

https://www.coffeebeancorral.com/

The quality difference from store bought/stored is very noticeable. We are refined men here at the OTP. None of this second-rate backbencher crap for us!

[juskom95]

That works. It keeps them safe to drink. But the flavor definitely goes down, even sealed and/or frozen after about a week. That is why places like Starbucks are not as good. By the time the store gets the beans, they are at least 2 weeks old.

My oldest beans stored that way were about six months, there was some flavor loss, but not much. I ground the beans right before each roast, so that might've been it?

Give it a try roasting them yourself. You can pick up a sample pack for under $10 at the second place I linked yesterday.

https://www.coffeebeancorral.com/

The quality difference from store bought/stored is very noticeable. We are refined men here at the OTP. None of this second-rate backbencher crap for us!

Roasting the beans myself is pretty much not possible where I live unfortunately, the downside of being in an apartment.

[bigwheel]

I cant find much coffee I like at the store. I tend to like pretty stout French Roast up to expresso and could mimic the flavor of coffee in small town jails..lol. Found the Wally World french roast and the Cafe Busco espresso fair but got to be something better. Any clues? Thanks.