Current Events > which of my new coffees should i enjoy tonight, CE?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Traditional Colombian (http://happymugcoffee.com/standards/ 247-traditional-colombia-microlot-coffee.html)

Colombia is a nice traditional coffee, with a smooth aftertaste, a bit of sweetness, not bitter -- that's why Colombia is a general crowd-pleaser.

This is a microlot that we picked out from the best crops in the Huila region. It's still a traditional tasting coffee, but it's a particularly nice Colombia.

Tasting Notes: Colombia Huila -- creamy body, hint of raisin, black cherry, caramel

Mokka-Java Blend (http://happymugcoffee.com/standards/111-mocha-java-coffee.html)

The oldest coffee blend in the world. Dutch traders took the heavy body Indonesian (Java Island) coffee beans up to Yemen (the name of the port is Mokka) and traded it for their bright fruity coffee. Put them together and discovered that together they could make a better mug of coffee than either one could by itself.

Today Mokka-Java is generally made using Sumatra and Ethiopian coffee instead of Java and Yemen because Java and Yemen are both expensive, but the taste profiles are the same, and the end result is fantastic a dark smooth very sweet fruity mug of coffeewith a satisfying thick mouthfeel.

Tasting Notes: Thick Body, Sweet, Smooth, Lingering Aftertaste
---

thinking about the Mokka-Java but hmmmm
---

What's your coffee rig?
---

rabbi_baby posted...

What's your coffee rig?

nothing too fancy.

hario skerton as the grinder
electric kettle w/temp control
stainless steel french press because i broke 2 glass ones in as many months because im clumsy and they're fragile
---

I have a skerton, couldn't stand the 10 minute grind times, so I upgraded to a Baratza Encore.

EDIT: Current setup

---

Giant_Aspirin posted...

Mokka-Java Blend

This one
---

I've smacked my glass FP around a bunch of times and it still hasn't cracked yet surprisingly
---

rabbi_baby posted...

I have a skerton, couldn't stand the 10 minute grind times, so I upgraded to a Baratza Encore.

EDIT: Current setup

10-minute? woah. how many tablespoons/grams were you doing at once? i typically grind 5 tbps or ~40 grams and it takes me like 30 seconds

i've been seriously considering an electric grinder for both the time savings and the improved consistency. i got pretty close to buying an Encore but the 1-star reviews on Amazon complaining about some breaking after < 6 months turned me off. you've been happy with yours then? how long have you had it?

that setup is sexy. i've considered upgrading to a Chemex/pour over but im weary about the extra time and effort it takes.

Two_Dee posted...

I've smacked my glass FP around a bunch of times and it still hasn't cracked yet surprisingly

both of mine that broke were just sitting on my counter and i just tipped them over. landing on the counter from an upright position was enough to crack them v_v

MACisBack posted...

Giant_Aspirin posted...

Mokka-Java Blend

This one

thats 2-0 for the Mokka-Java over Colombia.
---

MACisBack posted...

Giant_Aspirin posted...

Mokka-Java Blend

This one

Why not wait till morning?
---

dolomedes posted...

another for mokka
Giant_Aspirin posted...

i've considered upgrading to a Chemex/pour over but im weary about the extra time and effort it takes.

wtf i literally dump grinds in a filter in a pourover funnel and slowly pour water into it

it's the easiest thing ever

i thought you had to slowly pour the water, wait for it to drip down, repeat until done? basically babysit it for 3-4 minutes and actively adding water as needed. it's not so much 'difficult' as it is taking the time.

i like being able to pour the grinds and water into the french pot and do other morning prep while it brews.

ManBeast462 posted...

Why not wait till morning?

i have a cup in the evening on friday and saturday because i'm allowed to stay up late
---

Giant_Aspirin posted...

10-minute? woah. how many tablespoons/grams were you doing at once? i typically grind 5 tbps or ~40 grams and it takes me like 30 seconds

i've been seriously considering an electric grinder for both the time savings and the improved consistency. i got pretty close to buying an Encore but the 1-star reviews on Amazon complaining about some breaking after < 6 months turned me off. you've been happy with yours then? how long have you had it?

that setup is sexy. i've considered upgrading to a Chemex/pour over but im weary about the extra time and effort it takes.

I use a 16:1 ratio as standard for pourover, ~64g of coffee per ~1 liter of product. I also have to grind pretty fine compared to immersion/french press. (i.e. I use a 15-17 setting on my encore.

As for mine, i've been using it almsot a year without issue. I don't exactly baby it either, i've put it through the ringer and it's good as new.

I like the chemex, but it's a pain in the ass to clean, and i'm always afraid of breakage, so I use my v60 more often. Also the Kalita wave is a good option to get into pourovers with.
---

rabbi_baby posted...

I use a 16:1 ratio as standard for pourover, ~64g of coffee per ~1 liter of product. I also have to grind pretty fine compared to immersion/french press. (i.e. I use a 15-17 setting on my encore.

ah, yeah i can see that being a PITA. if i was making 1L at a time i'd probably be tired of it too.

rabbi_baby posted...

As for mine, i've been using it almsot a year without issue. I don't exactly baby it either, i've put it through the ringer and it's good as new.

good to know, thanks.

rabbi_baby posted...

I like the chemex, but it's a pain in the ass to clean, and i'm always afraid of breakage, so I use my v60 more often. Also the Kalita wave is a good option to get into pourovers with.

i'll take the plunge eventually, i suspect. i've been taking baby steps, improving one thing at at time in my quest for the perfect cup.
---

All I gots a FP, a hand grinder

I don't even have one of those gooseneck kettles either lol I just gotta pour slow
---

Two_Dee posted...

All I gots a FP, a hand grinder

I don't even have one of those gooseneck kettles either lol I just gotta pour slow

would a gooseneck even matter for FP? i just dump all the water in at once, set the timer, stir and then put the lid on.
---

hmm idk

i think every FP video i've seen on youtube they used a gooseneck, but i guess they use that because they also have a pourover setup as well
---

I heat the water on an electric kettle, then xfer it over to the gooseneck. You get a ton more control and a much more even pour.

As far as the time aspect, to brew a liter like I normally do, you babysit it for around 5 min once the grinds finish degassing. It's not a PITA tbqh, also, the flavor profile is completely different. It's a much more bright cup compared to immersion brewing (imagine a pourover is tasting the toppings on a pizza, whereas the french press is tasting the bread). French presses are great if you want a ton of body to your coffee, with less caffeine.

Here's a good guide/youtube channel for coffee stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcQZ7sdcTK4
---

Mokka-Java is pretty tasty. I had it once a while ago but Ive changed my recipe since then. Nice and dark tasting but it's a darkness in the beans and not from the roast, so it's still smooth with hints of other flavors. I don't really taste any sweet, which I was expecting from the description. maybe I need to steep for an extra 15-20 seconds next time.
---

Giant_Aspirin posted...

rabbi_baby posted...
I have a skerton, couldn't stand the 10 minute grind times, so I upgraded to a Baratza Encore.

EDIT: Current setup


10-minute? woah. how many tablespoons/grams were you doing at once? i typically grind 5 tbps or ~40 grams and it takes me like 30 seconds

over the last week or so i noticed an inconsistency with my coffee. one day it would taste amazing then the next day it would be a bit underwhelming/lacking flavor (under extracted) and the next day it would be a bit bitter (over extracted). i kept the water temperature the same and didn't adjust the grinder and was sure to be as precise as i could with the time, yet it was inconsistent.

well, i figured the only thing in that equation that wasn't consistent was the grind of the beans. i'd have pieces 2-3x the size of others in there, but i thought that was just normal for a 'coarse' grind. i did some research and it turns out it was doing it waaaaaaay too coarse. most stuff i saw recommended '7-8 notches' from the bottom of the grinder i use and i was actually doing like .... 20, or something crazy like that.

ANYWAY, when i got home i adjusted my grinder down to 7 notches and went to grind up some beans. i immediately noticed a lot more resistance when turning and it took me like 2.5 minutes instead of 0.5. so, yeah, i can definitely see a 10 minute grind time with more beans and a finer grind which a pour over typically calls for.

rabbi_baby posted...

As far as the time aspect, to brew a liter like I normally do, you babysit it for around 5 min once the grinds finish degassing. It's not a PITA tbqh, also, the flavor profile is completely different. It's a much more bright cup compared to immersion brewing (imagine a pourover is tasting the toppings on a pizza, whereas the french press is tasting the bread). French presses are great if you want a ton of body to your coffee, with less caffeine.

well that explains why the vast majority of people on the coffee subreddit use a pour over. now i really wanna try it.

the other thing people on that subreddit really like is the aeropress. i did a bit of reading up on it and it seems to take less coffee/water and it brews faster. you tried one of those?

thanks for all the info btw, this is great.
---

The decaf one, I'd say.
---

Kineth posted...

The decaf one, I'd say.

imo that's like drinking non-alcoholic beer. i just don't understand it, but to each his own.
---

Giant_Aspirin posted...

Kineth posted...

The decaf one, I'd say.

imo that's like drinking non-alcoholic beer. i just don't understand it, but to each his own.

Well you're drinking it at night, so I figured you wanted to sleep.
---

Kineth posted...

Giant_Aspirin posted...

Kineth posted...

The decaf one, I'd say.

imo that's like drinking non-alcoholic beer. i just don't understand it, but to each his own.

Well you're drinking it at night, so I figured you wanted to sleep.

if i have my standard cup it'll keep me up for ~8h. i had it at 6 or 630 but staying up till 230 am on saturday morning is fine because i dont have shit to do tomorrow except enjoy myself until like 4:00 pm.

yeah i get wild and cray
---

Yeah ive been wanting to get into pourover for some time now. The extra bit of time doesnt bother me

When i first switched to French press the flavor was really noticeable but oftentimes it just feels flat. Want to try something new
---

Two_Dee posted...

When i first switched to French press the flavor was really noticeable but oftentimes it just feels flat.

did you see my experiences with this up there? what's your grind look like?

since i had like half my beans 2-3x coarser than the others i just wasn't extracting the flavor from the thicker ones. when i made my first cup on the much finer grind just a couple hours ago the difference in the flavor intensity was immediate and very noticeable.

i feel like i need to go back and retry all of the beans/blends that i had prior to this because i wasn't getting the full flavor.

and after reading everything rabbi schooled me up on there now im thinking there's still a whole new section of flavor town to explore.
---

https://ineedcoffee.com/coffee-grind-chart/

i used to do something even more coarse than the 'extra coarse' on that chart with a majority of the pieces, but like i said, it was inconsistent because my grinder just isn't built for that.

what i just discovered is much closer to the 'coarse grind' on that chart.
---

I'm most likely grinding it too coarse, yeah

I try googling "course grind" on google images and the pics aren't very consistent, lol

will grind them finer for tomorrow's cup
---