Mmmmm...Char

Ever been in the middle of a roast and then you go off to do something "really quick" only to come back to shiny, black, black beans?

I just did that. I roast really dark on the Tom-o-Meter already, and an extra 45 seconds did it in.

Why does a bit o'char on barbecue taste so good, but not in one's coffee? So much for slow roasting my beans in the smoker...

Roger

ha, ha, ha
doesn't take much inattention....

We've all done it. Besides the char, it isn't wise to leave a roaster unattended because of the fire risk.

Scotto said:

...it isn't wise to leave a roaster unattended because of the fire risk.

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Well, you know - just like Steve Tyler, I'm livin' on the edge.

Roger

Its funny looking back....I used to love dark roasts. I never got into "Char"bucks, but Peet's has a similar style. I'm not sure when it finally dawned on me that I was, in fact, tasting flavors of the roast rather than flavors of the bean. Maybe it was because I was after something different from what I was used to.
I don't usually hover over my roaster, but it is SO easy to space out stopping it!

You probably have gone way past city roast through vienna and probably italian. When they get shiny like that its the sugars that have come out of the bean. if its really dark you can wind up with carbon and be very bitter but just plain dark roasts are liked by many.

I've met many coffee drinkers that seem to equate oily beans with quality. Also, many folks think "espresso" is a type of dark roast coffee. When I got into roasting my own beans, I quickly became a convert to lighter roasts.

tsmba said:

I've met many coffee drinkers that seem to equate oily beans with quality. Also, many folks think "espresso" is a type of dark roast coffee. When I got into roasting my own beans, I quickly became a convert to lighter roasts.

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I like this post, so I thought it was worth repeating.

Carry on.

Now that espresso seems to be everywhere (even McDonald's has a machine), I never ceased to be amazed that *very* few places make the effort to serve good coffee. Machines are expensive and it baffles me that a business owner would make that kind of investment, then fail to adequately train their employees.
I cannot recall ever seeing anyone order straight shots of espresso. The few times I've tried espresso from a Starbuck's or locally-owned coffee place, I've been served an undrinkable mess. My only conclusion is that, given the beans being used and poor espresso technique, the only way to make their offering palatable is to dilute it heavily with milk or add flavorings.
IMO, one cannot take bad espresso and make good espresso drinks.

I'm inclined to agree, but I suppose that I would be.

Which reminds me. It's "espresso happy hour" at my favorite local cafe.

Free espresso macchiato. Ends in 54 minutes. I'll be back.

I simply cannot understand a business owner making the investment in espresso equipment, yet failing to train employees to use the equipment. Perhaps they feel they are being frugal?
We had a kiosk located on the outskirts of the nearest city. The owner used a company called "Mud Hen" that franchises coffee huts. They built a beautiful little hut that had all the bells and whistles. They used a roaster they liked but, to save on shipping costs, bought large amounts of beans (as opposed to regular shipments of fresh beans). So.....to save a few bucks, they were usually serving old beans.
Watching so-called "baristas" in some of these places, I see glaring signs of poor training....grinding large amounts, not tamping the puck, not cleaning portafilters, etc. Its a shame!

tsmba said:

I simply cannot understand a business owner making the investment in espresso equipment, yet failing to train employees to use the equipment. Perhaps they feel they are being frugal?
We had a kiosk located on the outskirts of the nearest city. The owner used a company called "Mud Hen" that franchises coffee huts. They built a beautiful little hut that had all the bells and whistles. They used a roaster they liked but, to save on shipping costs, bought large amounts of beans (as opposed to regular shipments of fresh beans). So.....to save a few bucks, they were usually serving old beans.
Watching so-called "baristas" in some of these places, I see glaring signs of poor training....grinding large amounts, not tamping the puck, not cleaning portafilters, etc. Its a shame!

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I know. But to those owners, it's "just coffee". They see it as low-hanging fruit. If they build it, customers will come... or some such nonsense.

It's obvious to you, and probably even more obvious to me, but there are hoards of people dreaming of opening a coffee retailer. They think to themselves, "We'll have the best coffee ever!" Then they spend a fortune on atmosphere and new things and then skimp on the coffee. They are often ignorant of the fact that they are in need of training, and when the business begins to fail, they can't imagine why it was unsuccessful.

I see it every day. These sort of people don't see the value in investing in a non-tangible service, like training. I used to try to get them to understand, but I've given up. They are almost always a lost cause. You can't tell someone that they don't know what they're doing and then expect them to take it as constructive criticism realistically.

It's a shame. Economic downturns like this one tend to weed out the stragglers. Kind of like an impossibly difficult course to weed out certain students from an academic program.

What is most appalling to me is the lack of cleanliness at most coffee establishments. There is no surer way to screw up good coffee then pass it through filthy equipment. In the rare occasions I look for espresso outside my home, the first thing I look at is their espresso machine. Portafilter sitting on top of the machine, ice cold? Strike one. Steam arm caked with dried milk? Strike 2. And so on. My coffee area at home is like a freaking operating room.

Scotto said:

What is most appalling to me is the lack of cleanliness at most coffee establishments. There is no surer way to screw up good coffee then pass it through filthy equipment. In the rare occasions I look for espresso outside my home, the first thing I look at is their espresso machine. Portafilter sitting on top of the machine, ice cold? Strike one. Steam arm caked with dried milk? Strike 2. And so on. My coffee area at home is like a freaking operating room.

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Not mine. I don't mind coffee grounds scattered everywhere, or coffee stains on the chrome body of the machine, or a dirty group brush sitting in front of the drip tray.

But the business is always well cared for. The cups are always clean. Shots, always tasty.

Good points on cleanliness! Dirty pots and machines are a sure way to bitter, nasty brew. I guess I'm hyper-sensitive, but I see it even in my own family, some of whom never clean their coffee maker. At the most, the pot occasionally gets a rinse, but for the most part its dump old grounds and go.
Recently, several of the area coffee stands have gone belly-up. Most put all their effort into their storefront and big shiny machines. Ask them what kind of beans they use, and they don't know. From what I've overheard people ordering, I guess maybe they think it makes no difference. Around here, most so-called baristas don't even know the basics. Cappas are served like a latte, asking for a machiatto (if they've even heard the term) MIGHT get you something closer to a cappa. The few times I was brave enough to order an espresso, I've been looked at like I was crazy.
By and large, it seems the philosophy is that if you add enough milk and/or flavorings, they'll cover up their crummy brew.

I think those people just don't think coffee tastes good. That's how it's *supposed* to taste. How else would anyone be able to drink it unless covered in moo juice and sweetener?

Scotto said:

What is most appalling to me is the lack of cleanliness at most coffee establishments.

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Indeed! I used to fight against that when I was in the restaurant industry. Trying to get them to keep the coffee equipment clean was a never ending battle.

I worked a summer at the student union. We had huge urns of coffee, and a man from the coffee company checked them regularly. He told me a number of things I had never known.
Brewing big amounts of coffee and then holding it is not conducive to good taste, but there are things that can be done. He explained that coffee is an emulsion and showed how to draw off pitchers of brew, then pouring them back in the top to keep it mixed. He also showed me how to clean pots with salt and crushed ice, descale the urns, etc. I found that doing those things was not something that got done regularly.
Tea served in food service can be especially foul. I noticed many flunkies would simply place the remainder in the walk-in at night, then add more in the morning. Throwing it out at night, cleaning the equipment, and brewing new tea every day made a huge difference.
Again.....no one had ever told people what to do.