Klatch has quite the rep as a roaster/blender, and God knows their greens certainly look interesting. And they're local -- which makes them more attractive still.

There have been a lot of changes in our coffee life around here, including switching from the Paquini to La Cimbali brewing and grinding gear and also FUBARring our Behmor and replacing it with a HotTop Programmable a month and a half ago.

A lot of different coffees -- not all of them home roasts -- have flowed under the bridge too.

We wanted to try Klatch but we wanted to keep our explorations within the realm of the comfortable and not too exciting. We wanted something in between Monkey and Lenny Dee, something we could blend before roasting, but Klatch -- if that was possible. But Klatch didn't/doesn't offer anything like that.

I went through Klatch's online green offerings and put together something I thought would work, then e-mailed their roaster Mark and asked for his suggestions without cluttering up the conversation with my own ideas.

He suggested a combination which sounded good, and kinda-sorta suggested a ratio without being too specific. Here's what it looks like:

3 parts El Salvador San Juan de Bosco
2 parts Guatemala Genuine Antigua Covodinga
1 part Brazil Bob O Link

On 8/2 I roasted a batch to FC in the HT using a profile very similar to the one HT suggests for "espresso" and darker roasts (by which I think they mean FC+, Viennese, French and the like), with some tweakage to get a higher drop temp, and stretch the interval between 1st and 2d C. We're talking 1:45 after preheat for a drop temp above 250F (as reported by the HT), and roughly 13:30 min after drop to onset of 2d C and FC. It's Program 1 on my HT, works very well on most blends, and is my default.

I finished the (fairly good) mix that was in the grinder today, cleaned with Grindz, loaded the hopper with Klatch "Conversation" blend and pulled a double at my default temp (according to the sounds of the cooling flush) which I reckon to be slightly north of 200F. I think I used about 17g of beans to extract a slighly lungo 28g of coffee (naked pf with a "Strada" double basket). Pull time was low to mid twenties. Weights and time estimated and not measured -- will measure tomorrow.

Note: Still lots of gas in the beans. The stream got pretty fluffy near the end.

I had high hopes for this blend, got excited, and should have taken my time a little more nosing before tasting. It was further complicated by the fact that I was only good for one (more) cup of espresso and an insanely volatile stock market.

But even as a preliminary, the results were good enough to merit a post here. At FC, the roast's notes were not as present as the beans'. The impression was apricots and berries with vanilla, caramel and mixed milk and dark chocolates. Sweetness and bitterness well balanced, with plenty of action on the tongue as well as on the palate and at the back of the throat. Good body. Nice lingering finish.

First impression: An excellent blend, and a definite keeper. Roasted and brewed as it was, it seems to be worth just keepin' on keepin' on.

More tomorrow.

BDL

08/06/11 Update

At four days post roast, this blend is still maturing.

First Pour:
First pour of the day was ground on same grinder setting as yesterday's last -- the first pour ever with this coffee. Most obviously, today's first pour was extremely slow, even though made without pre-infusion, while yesterday's was "normal" (not to mention good looking).

Additionally, the grinder is controlled by a timer which, for today's first pour, was also on the same setting as yesterday's. The first pour was overdosed at 18.1g (Strada basket).

Because I was planning to weigh the extraction, I allowed for the extra time involved in taring the cup and took a longer cooling flush than usual. Too long.

Naked portafilter. Some spritzing and channeling. Slow pour (as already said) took awhile for the stream to come together. By that time it was already light. Crema too light. The whole thing was a "free pour" using the semi auto button so there was no question about stopping when things got really ugly.

Extraction: 30.0g

Nice sweet aroma, chocolate and florals, more florals than yesterday. Tasted like crap, and bitter as my second ex. Sinked it.

Talk about one thing after another. This pour is a data point on the bad technique curve, but not on this coffee's.

Second Pour:
Adjusted the grind coarser. And another thing... Grinder runaway inadvertently started when adjusting time. Whatever. Dosed at 16.2g.

Normal brew temp (probably 200F ish). Used pre-infusion and the "volumetric" double button (set to 80ml). Good looking naked pf shot, which came together quickly. The machine cut the extraction at the same time I moved the cup out of the stream. Yield was 32.4g (exactly double the dose, interesting coincidence)

Crema appearance was perhaps slightly on the light side, but still good.

Same aroma, some complexity to it, more florals than yesterday. Same notes as yesterday: Apricots; Berries; Caramel; Vanilla; Milk and Dark Chocolates. Finish is dark chocolate with dried apricots. Medium body (as you'd expect from a full-bodied blend pulled 2:1).

God shot? No, but very good.

Third Pour:
Dose = 17.3g, Extraction = 30.2g

Notes: Same as before but with more body. I thought there might have been a very slight tilt away from lungo to ristretto, with just an RCH of earth and funk, but am chalking that up more to knowing the exact dose and extraction weights rather than any real difference in the cup. Very pretty crema.

God shot? No, but slightly closer. 9/10

Fourth Pour:

Dose and Extraxtion -- not weighed. But dose was timed at same timing as the 3d pour, and cup was pulled with a (probably) slightly lesser extraction weight.

Switched portafilter to a regular, single spout with a different (but extremely similar) double Strada basket.

Notes: Pulled shot with slightly darker crema. More body. Sweeter, richer. 9.5

Nearer my God to Thee.



Preliminary Conclusions:
Too bad the runaway timer wasted a couple of baskets worth. This is a very good blend, too good to throw away. The Klatch beans are excellent. Just as greens, they're better than the Roastmaster beans I've been using lately. In fairness, poor storage of the Roastmaster stuff might be a contributor; and a few of the beans have netted some very good cups, e.g., CR Sin Limites Honey.

Back to "Conversation..." I've got 1/2 a hopper left, as well as another 190g roasted on 8/4, in the wings, and will roast one more load -- alla time same same -- later this morning. So will be playing with it, more or less "as is," for the next few days.

I can't help but wonder what it would be like without the Bob. I.e., 60/40 Bosco/Covadonga.

The roast program and timing to FC were appropriate. Neither more nor less roast artifacts sounds attractive. It would be interesting to try something faster and more nimble than a HotTop Programmable; but...

Overall, K Conversation plays in the same league as SM's Monkey and Lenny Dee blends -- without being quite as sweet or as "blendy" as either; but a little more New World, a little less Italian. Call it PSW.

It's too soon for final conclusions regarding this particular blend or Klatch greens in general. But at first blush Klatch is a top notch supplier, and the "top notch" applies to K Conversation as well.

Both merit further exploration.

BDL

PS. Your comments are welcome.

I have enjoyed some greens from Klatch too. But, for a blend that "plays in the same league" as some of the Sweet Maria stuff - don't you find the Klatch overly costly? I enjoy searching for alternate suppliers, but the cost/benefit analysis always seems to drive me back to SM - although for Brazils I cannot beat Theta Ridge when I can drive over and pick up my order.

Great stuff! I appreciate the detailed info.
I've been buying from Roastmasters and Klatch recently as well. And, as well, I went from a Behmor to a Hottop. Still using the Pasquini though
If it's ok with you I'd like to give your blend idea a try. I've been doing single origins for the last few months- Guatemalans and other Centrals mostly, except for the Sumatra Aceh that gets roasted for drip. Roasting a blend sounds like a jolly good challenge.

Okay with me? Hell yes. Feedback would be wonderful.

Thanks,
BDL

You got it. I need to get a replacement top filter first though. I need to drop the power to zero and remove the chute and filter to get more than 3.5 minutes between cracks right now Got the filter ordered though so I should know pretty soon if that is the source of my woes.

bean2friends wrote:I have enjoyed some greens from Klatch too. But, for a blend that "plays in the same league" as some of the Sweet Maria stuff - don't you find the Klatch overly costly? I enjoy searching for alternate suppliers, but the cost/benefit analysis always seems to drive me back to SM - although for Brazils I cannot beat Theta Ridge when I can drive over and pick up my order.

When Klatch runs their free shipping deals you can pick up really nice green beans for a little over $5 per lb if you buy 10 lb lots. To me this isn't too pricey - in fact the prices seem reasonable when compared to other green bean vendors.

You know what - I think you're right. I hadn't considered the free shipping and I think their new pricing had me confused - that is the start with 200 gram price and add from there. I'll have to give them another look next time they have free shipping. Thanks for the correction.

Re: Hottop roasting profile...
Is it the last profile on the link below adjusted for "those who desire a darker roast" that you're using?
http://hottopusa.com/profileP.html

Drew -- Yep. That's the one to which I referred.

The slight tweaking is as follows:

"Stage 1" bumped time from 1:00 min to 1:45. (Note, the roaster is running empty). I forget what the max stage 1 target temp, but whatever it is, that's what my "Program 1" is set to.

Stage 3, bumped from 1:30 to 1:45; same target temp.

Stage 6, bumped from 2:30 to 2:45; same target temp.

Stage 7, bumped from 2:30 to 2:45; reduced target temp from 408 to 403.

Stage 8, reduced from 3:00 to 2:45 (not that it matters, as I always eject before time has run); same target temp.

All fan settings, the same as the chart cited.

With temps as reported by the HT at the end of the stage, here's an actual temp plot, stage by stage:
1. 257. Also the bean drop temp, as they're dropped at end of stage 1;
2. 275;
3. 311;
4. 322;
5. 336;
6. 370;
7. 403; and
8. 414/415. The hiatus between 1st and 2d cracks, and ejection occur during stage 8. FC shading towards C+ usually has about a minute, FC shading towards FC+ usually leaves me a touch less than 30 seconds.

As you know HT Programmable target temps are barely similes, and "actual" temps merely metaphors for what's going on in there. But, you can get some nice roasts so wotthehell.

BDL