What coffees are you blending? - Theory and Practice

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

This thread is for the topic of blending. Both theory like blend pre or post roast, as well as practice, like the WOW blend I just tried that I roasted 4 days ago.

Blend of three dry processed coffees:

40% - Ethiopia Dry Process Shakiso Korommii
40% - Yemen Mokha Matari
20% - Brazil Dry Process Pedra Branca Lot 1

I did this blend post roast as I wanted to be able to taste each roast on its own as well. The complexity was incredible as well as the body.
I understand that blending post roast can add complexity but can also introduce defects as it's easier to screw up one of three of roasts.

Anyway the Brazil is now sold out. Got mine courtesy of Flint - so thank you sir for starting me down this blending hole.

Hopefully this thread helps people figure out what's out there to blend now as well as the theory of blending.

One basic article is the one from Sweet Marias
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Brewzologist
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#2: Post by Brewzologist »

Looking forward to responses given my recent post on this: Pour-over blend suggestions?

Currently roasting the following as SO's to optimize each roast with the intent of post-brew blending to find a sweet spot. Since I'm mostly a pour-over guy my blends will be tailored for that method. Will report back as I learn...

Sumatra Gr.1 Lintong Tano Batak - wethulled (Burman)
Brazil Premium Fazenda Vargem Grande e Pinheiros - Red Catuai Natural (Burman)
Ethiopia Gedeb Wuri Natural Gr.1 (Roastmasters)

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MNate
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#3: Post by MNate »

I'm just starting my home roasting journey tomorrow so I have nothing to contribute other than to say that, oddly, it was in reading about blending that I got most excited about roasting. I'm never going to roast a S.O. as well as any I could buy, but to blend things to suit my taste sounds quite appealing.

So carry on! Although I have nothing to contribute I look forward to learning at your feet!

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yakster
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#4: Post by yakster »

Here's an old thread that may help including a link to a Willem Boot article on blending that's still accessible.

What's your espresso blend recipe?
-Chris

LMWDP # 272

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Almico
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#5: Post by Almico »

Espressiale: Brazil 50, Sumatra 20, Costa Rica 20, Ethiopia 10. Pre-roast blend. Roasted medium-Agtron 50/56.
The Duke: Colombia 50, Brazil 50. Pre-roast blend. Roasted medium/light- Agtron 65/72.
Duke Dark: Same coffees as The Duke, Agtron 50/54.
Winter's Wood: Sumatra 60, Ethiopia 40. Post-roast blend. Sumatra 50/54, Ethiopia 75/85.
Fusion: Costa Rica 50, Ethiopia 50. Post-roast blend. CR roasted medium/light-Agtron 65/72, Ethiopia light Agtron 75/85.

Theory-No
Practice-Yes

I found the best way to figure out which coffees work well together is to blend post-brew. Two coffees that are OK on their own can make a spectacular blend. Two world class coffees as SO, can taste like feet when mixed together.

espressojr
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#6: Post by espressojr »

My GF enjoys a tangy-er capp so this is what I have been blending:

Base: Usually 50% Brazil (add Colombian sometimes)
side note: 30% centrals: costa rican, guats usually
tang: 20% East african- rwanda is usually my go to but also burundi and even a kenyan from time to time

personally I prefer a more chocolately capp but don't drink them often. In that case, I raise the base to 60% brazil and replace the East african with an ethiopian (and maybe a little yemen for complexity) and roast darker

% vary depending on what I have on hand and what I might want to drink as an SO from my lever

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another_jim
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#7: Post by another_jim »

I rarely blend for brew. I have a blending SOP for espresso, since I like lots of mouthfeel, balance between roast and origin taste, and a distinct hit of identifiable origin flavors. For this I do 2 component blends, one roasted light (middle to end of the first crack), one roasted dark (around the first pops of the second). The darker roast is mostly a sweet DP Brazil for all the wet processed light roasts. When I get a DP Ethiopian on the light side, I go Mocha-Java, and use a PNG for the darker roast. Not really recommending it to anyone else; but it does hit the spot for me.

This also allows me to do all the light roasts faster, brewing-style, and use the same roast for espresso by having a darker roasted mixer. Makes the roasting much simpler than when having to do both espresso and brewing roasts on the same bean.
Jim Schulman

rickj
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#8: Post by rickj »

I always blend; always post roast too. I could see by carefully selecting beans of similar roast times pre-roast could work without burning one and under-roasting another...there is enough difference in beans for that to be possible. Now that each roast doesn't require 1600 cranks (I got a real roaster!) I'll be more willing to experiment.

mathof
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#9: Post by mathof »

CarefreeBuzzBuzz wrote:This thread is for the topic of blending. Both theory like blend pre or post roast, as well as practice, like the WOW blend I just tried that I roasted 4 days ago.

Blend of three dry processed coffees:

40% - Ethiopia Dry Process Shakiso Korommii
40% - Yemen Mokha Matari
20% - Brazil Dry Process Pedra Branca Lot 1

I did this blend post roast as I wanted to be able to taste each roast on its own as well. The complexity was incredible as well as the body.
I understand that blending post roast can add complexity but can also introduce defects as it's easier to screw up one of three of roasts.

Anyway the Brazil is now sold out. Got mine courtesy of Flint - so thank you sir for starting me down this blending hole.

Hopefully this thread helps people figure out what's out there to blend now as well as the theory of blending.

One basic article is the one from Sweet Marias
I've just finished 250g of medium roasted Yemen Mokha Matari that I bought from White Rose Coffee Roasters in Yorkshire, UK. It's complex enough on its own to pass for a blend. The flavours are from a wild, earthy palette that I didn't even know existed. I've now obtained 1kg of green beans which I look forward to exploring in 50g batches with my little Ikawa Home Roaster.

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EddyQ
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#10: Post by EddyQ »

Almico wrote:Two world class coffees as SO, can taste like feet when mixed together.
Isn't that the truth! I used a nice DP Ethiopian with a pulped natural Brazil with great success. But mixing the Ethiopian with some Sumatra I had was simply horrid. Totally hit or miss experience.

I almost always blend the last of a small jar with something else I have roasted just to see what flavors result. Most often, the blend isn't greater than either separately. But every now and then it is a wow experience. And since I used the last of the jar, I cannot duplicate :cry:
LMWDP #671

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