Espresso roasting preferences

Discuss roast levels and profiles for espresso, equipment for roasting coffee.
kwantfm
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#1: Post by kwantfm »

Hi there,

This is a pretty general question. But I was wondering how long it took you to establish your roasting preferences (degree of roast and green bean selection in particular)? Also did you find over time that your preferences changed?

I'm currently enjoying low acidity, heavy bodied espressos with dominant bass notes and tending towards the chocolate, caramel and nut ends of the flavour spectrum. I don't care at all for more acidic coffees and I'm conscious that I give up some of the more floral and fruity top notes that are associated with both lighter roasts and more acidic growing areas such as Central America and Kenya.

When I first started drinking decent wine, I found that I was mostly attracted to big extract, tannic wines with dominant oak (especially American) characteristics. Over the years my wine palate has mellowed a little and I now prefer more elegant Bordeaux blends and "feminine" red Burgundies. I'm interested as to whether I should be expecting similar palate progression for espresso?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Terence
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happycat
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#2: Post by happycat »

You can always roast up something more acidic and blend a few beans in with your deeper roasts. For awhile I had stock of a sweet espresso I'd roasted and I'd throw some into my doses of other beans.
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GregR
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#3: Post by GregR »

For me the beauty of home roasting is getting to try it all- whenever I feel like it. What I love is having a week of something deep, heavy and sweet like a great dark Sumatra SO then following it up the next week with a FC-ish Central or Kenya. Then maybe a blend and start over :)

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another_jim
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#4: Post by another_jim »

If you try lighter roasts of acidic beans, try slowing the roast down during the first crack and stalling it about 90 seconds to two minutes after the first crack ends. Go for about 4 to 5 minutes from first crack onset to end of roast, especially if you do not want to get into the second crack.
Jim Schulman

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boar_d_laze
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#5: Post by boar_d_laze »

I'm always fooling around with several different blends and SOs; but also always have a few basic blends for espresso and brewing. And yes, they do change somewhat over time. I used to do a lot of Pacific and Yemeni, but for the past two years have done mostly Centrals. I used to roast non-espresso much darker than I do now. Now, I'm roasting nearly everything in the C through FC+ range -- mostly C+/FC, whether for espresso or brewing.

My current roaster has forced me to concentrate on slow, gentle, sweet roasts -- the kind which sound like they're right down your alley. The roaster I have on the way should allow me to get a little more "terroir" without losing too much in the way of sweetness, chocolate and nuts by shaving a couple of minutes off the interval between EOD and 1stC. Or, at least I hope so.

BDL
Drop a nickel in the pot Joe. Takin' it slow. Waiter, waiter, percolator

kwantfm (original poster)
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#6: Post by kwantfm (original poster) »

Thanks to all for interesting responses.

boar_d_laze, just wanted to comment that I'm really enjoying your website and blog. Think I'll be spending some coin on knives because of you!
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