Home roasting and brewing on a budget

[jb]

Okay, I've read old threads and stickies, looked at Target, checked out ebay, and I've got some beans thanks to tborren. Sometimes between stickies, archives and Sweet Marias I just drown in information and can't decipher exactly what a starting out brewer needs.

Without leaving anything out, can I get some advice on exactly what I need to go from green beans, to finished product being enjoyed from the appropriate container. Keeping in mind that I'd like to spend less than $100 total, machines, filters, presses, whatever. What say the experts?

[goldberg]

Green Beans
Cookie Sheet
Spoon
Oven Mitt
15-20 mins in oven
Clock
Grinder
Tea Kettle
French Press
Cup

Should fit your budget and gets the job done!

Good luck!

[jefslat]

Poppery from the thrift store to roast. Mad dawg finds them for <$10 ea.

[mshade]

Originally Posted by jefslat

Poppery from the thrift store to roast. Mad dawg finds them for <$10 ea.

Bodum French Press(32oz) goes for around $25 at CBC.

The grinder may be the most important peace of equipment you buy, especially if your going to use the FP frequently. If you can bust your budget, get a good burr grinder such as the Solis Maestro Plus, or something similar. Well worth the investment.

[Mad Dawg]

Thrift shop West Bend Poppery or Poppery II: $2-$5
Glass oil lamp chimney to replace the plastic top unit of the Poppery: $3-4 @ Lehman's or Home Depot
Tongs or hot mitts for handling the chimney at the end of the roast cycle: $3-4 @ Wal-Mart
Colander for cooling the beans: $3 @ Wal-Mart
Bodum Chambord 32oz French Press: $25 @ CBC
Low-speed conical burr grinder: About $35 (Capresso) to the sky's the limit for the upper end machines.

Total entry level ticket for the home roaster: Around $75

Given that green coffee beans typically cost around $5/lb (less with bulk discounts, more for some varieties), and that quality roasted beans typically cost $10-12/lb, you get your equipment money back pretty fast if you drink as much coffee as I do.

But even though the straight economics work out pretty well on their own, they can't take into account the fact that fresh-roasted coffee is truly superior to what you're used to drinking. Even if you're grinding your own beans, the very first time you grind truly fresh coffee, your vision of what coffee can be will change forever. The drinking will certainly convince you, but simply savoring the aroma of just-ground freshly-roasted coffee will change your world view, without a doubt.

On top of all that, it is incredibly easy to roast your own coffee. All the information you need is yours for free - just read through the "Common Coffee Conundrums" sticky at the top of this room and scan the coffee-related posts below. It's all here.

Try it, you'll like it!

MD

[gumby]

Doug, well said!

[jgbutler]

Jb

You must have been reading my mind. I was fixing to post the same thing, until I scanned down and found your thread. I have been thinking about getting started doing some home roasting myself.Same with me, I am overloaded with info from searches and needed some simplification on this. I just have a couple of other questions I hope someone will answer for me. Not intending to thread jack here, I just wanted to throw a couple of extra questions into the mix.

Going from green beans, to roasting, to grinding, to pressing, to pouring a cup to enjoy, what kind of time frame is involved from start to finish? (thinking of mornings and getting off to work time frame)

Do the beans need to be roasted right before pressing for best freshness and flavor, or could they be roasted the night before and stored in a certain fashion that would still allow almost peak freshness and flavor the next morning? (or instead would it just make more sense to go with some Killer Beans or the like, for the morning rush before work?)

[Mad Dawg]

Good questions, James! I'll take a stab at them:

Originally Posted by jgbutler

Going from green beans, to roasting, to grinding, to pressing, to pouring a cup to enjoy, what kind of time frame is involved from start to finish? (thinking of mornings and getting off to work time frame)

Depending on the roaster/roasting method you use (and, of course, on the roast you're shooting for with the bean in question), figure anywhere from 4 minutes to about 11 minutes to roast the beans, and another 5-10 minutes to cool them. Grinding is maybe 30 seconds, brewing about 3-4 minutes. See below for a continuation of this answer.

Originally Posted by jgbutler

Do the beans need to be roasted right before pressing for best freshness and flavor, or could they be roasted the night before and stored in a certain fashion that would still allow almost peak freshness and flavor the next morning? (or instead would it just make more sense to go with some Killer Beans or the like, for the morning rush before work?)

You're likely to get many answers here, but here's mine. After they're roasted, coffee beans release significant quantities of gas (mostly CO2) for a period of time ranging from a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the size of the beans and the degree of roast. Although you can certainly use them right away, most coffee experts suggest waiting some period of time to allow the beans to outgas before grinding and brewing them. How long that period shold be is the subject of great debate in the coffeegeek community, and is in large measure a matter of individual tastes.

The flavor of the brewed coffee DOES change over time, but only you can decide at which point those flavors are at their best. For sure, coffee beans remain truly fresh for no more than five days or so after being roasted, and no method of packing or storing can delay that. Store roasted beans in an airtight container away from sunlight, and grind them only when the water is hot and you're ready to make the coffee. Ground coffee goes stale very quickly.

I'd suggest experimenting to find out what works best for you. For me, 12-36 hours is the optimal aging time frame (less time for darker roasts, more time for lighter), and I typically roast coffee the evening before I intend to drink it. Translating that to the morning routine, given that I roast it the evening before, the coffee is ready to go when I am, which of course is no different than using pre-roasted beans.

Hope this helps!

MD

Edits added for clarification!

[jgbutler]

Thanks Doug, I appreciate the answers. That is exactly what I was looking for.

I figured that it was alright to roast ahead of time and then store for some length of time until use, just wasn't sure what that length of time would be.

Well since I come to this fine board, I have been led to a new land and a new smoke, so I figured I might as well aim for a new experience in the world of drink.

After all, I was told by all that there was nothing in comparison to the darkside, and ya'll were right. So when you guys say that nothing compares to a good home roast, I am inclined to have to check it out!

Thanks for the info!
James