Making Coffee
Oct. 9th, 2005 03:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsI've been making coffee. Not just brewing it, but starting from raw beans (an Ethiopian harvest) and turning it into real coffee. Since I've had pleasant success with it, I've decided to try and write down what I'm doing.
Most people own a colander, a wooden spoon, and measuring cup. Other than that, the only extra tool you need is a popcorn popper, the air kind. If you already own one and enjoy using it for its intended purpose, don't use it to roast coffee! The coffee oils will become a part of the popper and you'll never get the smell out, which is okay. Go to a second-hand store and buy a used one. They're usually only about three bucks.
The one I use takes about a half-cup of beans, and I made two batches this afternoon. Yes, I keep a fire extinguisher at hand although I've never needed it. And yes, this is done out on my porch because roasting coffee puts out a lot of smoke.
Start up the popper and let it run for a minute until it's warm. Then pour in a half-cup of green coffee beans. They'll dance around as you can see in the above photo. The chimney on my popper is too short and the beans tend to pop out, especially later as the roasting becomes more energetic, so I sometimes cover the chimney with a spoon. It's a good idea to have a long-handled wooden spoon (it must be wooden, for all the usual reasons); you can counter-stir the beans in the popper and check their progress. It usually takes only about eight to ten minutes.
At first, a lot of chaff flies off. That's the skin of the bean. Then the roast settles down and smoke begins to come out. After a time, the roast becomes energetic and it becomes necessary to restrain them with the spoon. You'll hear a cracking sound and the beans will become glossy, almost oily looking. And that is oil. That's the essential flavor, and this process releases it, making the coffee suitable for drinking. Once you see the oil, you can let it go from light roast to dark roast.
When it's the color you want, pour it into the colander and stir, fast. You want the cooking to stop, so you need to cool it down as quickly as possible. Store in a cool, dark place (I use a large amber kitchen bottle). Grind and drink within a week or two. It's really quite good, and you may never have to go to Starbucks again.
Most people own a colander, a wooden spoon, and measuring cup. Other than that, the only extra tool you need is a popcorn popper, the air kind. If you already own one and enjoy using it for its intended purpose, don't use it to roast coffee! The coffee oils will become a part of the popper and you'll never get the smell out, which is okay. Go to a second-hand store and buy a used one. They're usually only about three bucks.
The one I use takes about a half-cup of beans, and I made two batches this afternoon. Yes, I keep a fire extinguisher at hand although I've never needed it. And yes, this is done out on my porch because roasting coffee puts out a lot of smoke.
Start up the popper and let it run for a minute until it's warm. Then pour in a half-cup of green coffee beans. They'll dance around as you can see in the above photo. The chimney on my popper is too short and the beans tend to pop out, especially later as the roasting becomes more energetic, so I sometimes cover the chimney with a spoon. It's a good idea to have a long-handled wooden spoon (it must be wooden, for all the usual reasons); you can counter-stir the beans in the popper and check their progress. It usually takes only about eight to ten minutes.
At first, a lot of chaff flies off. That's the skin of the bean. Then the roast settles down and smoke begins to come out. After a time, the roast becomes energetic and it becomes necessary to restrain them with the spoon. You'll hear a cracking sound and the beans will become glossy, almost oily looking. And that is oil. That's the essential flavor, and this process releases it, making the coffee suitable for drinking. Once you see the oil, you can let it go from light roast to dark roast.
When it's the color you want, pour it into the colander and stir, fast. You want the cooking to stop, so you need to cool it down as quickly as possible. Store in a cool, dark place (I use a large amber kitchen bottle). Grind and drink within a week or two. It's really quite good, and you may never have to go to Starbucks again.
