Coffee

10 Blending Tips for Home Coffee Roasters

/ Pete Denison / 1 Comment

Blending

Background

In a recent post I outlined my first foray into creating a roast blend, which yielded reasonable results with minimal planning. As it contained the remaining beans from a couple of previous roast batches, there was no science (nor art for that matter) put into bean selection, consideration of flavour profiles or ratios of each origin, which I expect are required to achieve a blend where the final taste is both a pleasant drinking experience and at least resembles what you set out to achieve.

Some Resources

In this follow up, I will do a little more research into possible ways to improve on my earlier effort. First, a little reading into better ways of blending for the home roaster, where a search will provide some interesting views on the topic, some of which I found quite helpful.

In Coffee Blending for the Home Roaster, Michael Allen Smith presents a number of options in a concise, informative post on blending for the home roaster. These include:

  • Just a Pinch Blend (similar to my initial efforts above; simply what you have left)
  • Checkerboard blend (for successive roast variance and tips on order of roasts)
  • 3 crop roasts (advice on flavour profiles and roast levels)
  • Faking freshness blend (adding newly roasted varietal to extend the life of an older batch)
  • 7 Day Pre-Blending (as it sounds, here the beans a pre-blended and sit for a week which evens out the moisture content which often varies in different origins)

I highly recommend going to the original article, which explains in more detail (without being too lengthy) each of the above points and provides further background on the logistics of putting together a decent blend at home. The final point above does however touch on one of the initial questions I had myself when considering blending – that is, should this be done pre or post roast? A further word on this from Blending Basics at Sweet Maria’s:

If you have an established blend it certainly is easier to blend the coffee green and roast it together. If you are experimenting with blend ingredients and percentages you will want to pre-roast each separately so you can experiment with variations.

For my own situation, and I’m sure many home roasters are in the same boat, consistency of roasts can be a little difficult to achieve at times, so for now I will go with blending post roast. With this approach I have a greater likelihood of producing a pretty good roast on one variety of beans at a time, and will have better control through experimentation over how the final blend comes together.

Another source of information on blending is the Coffee Snobs Blending Room forum, an Australian based forum on all things coffee, where you can work through a myriad of recommendations, questions and answers on the specifics of blending. A great resource for obtaining advice on what proportions or combinations to use for the beans you have available to blend, which can be as simple or as complex as you choose.

These and other sites such as Home-Barista offer examples of blends and the rationale behind each, similar to the following from the Sweet Maria’s article referenced above:

Here’s a great starter blend for a sweeter, cleaner espresso… a sweet blend used at a street level roasterie/caffe in Rome. They use a Guatemala Antigua for the Central:
50% Brazil Dry-process
25% Colombian Wet-process
25% Guatemala or other brighter Central American

Ten blending tips for home roasters:

So, through my 12 months of home roasting experience and a little research, I would offer the following tips for anyone looking to create their own blend:

  1. Read a little (not a lot) on the subject – the aim is to experiment not follow a recipe
  2. Start where you wish to end (what is the final flavour profile you are seeking?)
  3. Have a variety of green beans on hand (or order based on point 4 below)
  4. Have some understanding of the flavour profile and characteristics of each varietal
  5. Know how well each varietal roasts in your own particular set up
  6. Consider medium roast levels to avoid one blend dominating the mix
  7. Begin with no more than three different bean varieties when starting out
  8. Use what you have read to guide initial proportions or ratios
  9. Blend after roasting, where there is unlimited ability to blend, taste, repeat
  10. Blend, taste, repeat (did a say that already?) and enjoy making your own signature blend!

Conclusion

That’s it! My top ten tips for setting out on your own blending journey as a home roaster. From reading around a little, I can say without a doubt there are really no wrong or right answers here, however as with anything, opinions and guidelines exist, your own experimentation ultimately provides the way. Hopefully you will come up with some fantastic blends, as will I in the course of time. If you do, I would love to hear about them in the comments below, or on Twitter.

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What’s Roasting #3 – El Salvador Finca El Capulin

/ Pete Denison / 1 Comment
Ubicación del subcontinente centroamericano en...

Central American subcontinent. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What’s in the roaster this week has been inspired by a tweet from @ministrygrounds, who supply the green beans used in all of my roasts:

“Beautiful new Central American coffees now available as green coffee”

So, on this advice we head to Central America for an origin from the Los Bellotos farm in El Salvador – Finca El Capulin

Fast fact on the farm (courtesy Ministry Grounds):

The farm management practice the ‘agobio’ or ‘parras’ system of coffee farming whereby the branches of the trees are bent in order to provoke new growth. This prevents the root system of the trees to be damaged (as opposed to other stumping methods) and promotes more efficient nutrient capturing. The ‘agobio’ or ‘parras’ method of coffee farming requires more space between the coffee trees and therefore this allows for less competition for nutrients amongst the trees and a less intense and more sustainable farming practice.

A second batch in the roaster today is a South American, this time of Colombian origin, Santa Rita La Chaparral Special Reserve. This varietal has been purchased with a view to doing a little blending over the coming weeks, a continuation of my exploration into this area which will be further expanded in a follow-up post to the recent Up Around the Blend earlier this month.

On the eight farms that make up this specialty Colombian coffee (courtesy Ministry Grounds):

These are “old Fashion Farms” where the coffee is handpicked, wet processed and sun dried in a “patio Quindiano” or concrete patio located in the roof of their houses.

Both batches roasted well, with the heat a little higher than usual given the cooler outdoor roasting conditions (compared to the usual ambient roasting temperature for this part of the world anyway). Both were taken half way to second crack, which produced nice, even batches, and once settled for a few days, should be great in the cup.

Something off the Vine on today’s roasting.

Tasting review to follow soon!

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Up Around the Blend…My journey into the unknown

/ Pete Denison / 2 Comments
Cerrado vegetation of Brazil Español: Cerrado ...

Cerrado vegetation of Brazil  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A witty title, or just a typo? Actually an attempt at the former, as I begin my education and experimentation into the world of coffee bean blending. The emphasis here is squarely on ‘begin’.

So far we have looked at roasting set ups, roasting, tasting and a few other bits and pieces set around the humble bean. All things I have been doing for a while now, some longer than others. One area I am yet to tackle is something I know considerably less about – the art of blending. Sure, I know when I taste a good one, though creating one is quite a different story.

Why do I consider this as something worthwhile to spend time on? The answer is a simple why not? It’s all part of learning and developing after all, and is something I hope will provide a better overall taste in the cup. I see two main approaches we could take down this road, and I hope over a series of posts on this topic you will learn something along with me.

Where should we begin?
1. Plan, consider, research, plan some more, roast, read a little and scientifically add a number of different bean varieties together; or
2. Throw together the remaining beans from a couple of roast batches – because it can’t be that hard right?

Where did I begin?
With option 2 above, which, all things considered is very out of character, but something I have been working hard to change (that is, over planning to the point of paralysis). I must admit writing on these pages is largely responsible for that, which is very pleasing given it is one of the main reasons for setting up this blog.

Method

The two bean varieties involved were the Brazil Toffee Cerrado, and Ethiopian Sidamo, both of which I have previously written about as far as roasting and taste testing posts. In combining these blends, my goal was to hopefully get the best of both worlds from their individual strong points. Namely, the body and chocolate / caramel flavours of the Brazilian, and the fruity blueberry profile and acidity of the Ethiopian.

Result – The Whack

What – Blend of Ethiopian Sidamo and Brazil Toffee Cerrado. Proportions used were 60% Ethiopian Sidamo an 40% Brazilian Cerrado

How – Aeropress, Latte

Assessment – Overall, a reasonable combination. In the Aeropress, the chocolate, sugar and caramel undertones were present, and with the addition of the blueberry, the overall flavour was somewhat reminiscent of a smoothie, this being particularly evident as you can imagine in the latte. There was a greater depth of flavour overall, however the blend did not reach any great heights. Perhaps this will be more difficult than I thought? In all honesty this is exactly what I expected given there are people who make careers out of roasting and blending.

Conclusion; Know This – Probably the point to make here is that the blend created above was certainly drinkable. Was it better than either of the varieties on their own? In the case of the Cerrado, I would say yes, as the addition of a little acidity and fruit flavours broadened the overall flavour profile nicely, whereas in the Sidamo, probably not, though in initially reviewing this varietal, I did rate it more highly than the Cerrado to begin with. Therefore in ‘knowing this’ I will say yes, a little more research is needed, however invaluable to this process is what we have now. A starting point, the very thing which will now move us forward.

Overall Rating: 3.75/5

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What’s Brewing #2 Ethiopian Sidamo

/ Pete Denison / 1 Comment

“Wake up and smell the blueberries”

Blueberry

Blueberry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The second of my tasting reviews, where we will assess the outcome of last weekends roast. I’m looking forward to seeing how this African variety fares. The quote above and image to the right provide a hint of what is to come in the review below.

Traditionally I’d expect lovely sweet, fruity flavours from an Ethiopian origin, with a little more acidity than the Brazil Toffee Cerrado that came out of the roaster the week before. So let’s give it The Whack:

What – Ethiopian Sidamo Special Process Unwashed Gr 4.

  • Origin: Africa
  • Region: South central mountains of Addis Abada; Ethiopia
  • Processing: Dry processed

Supplier: Ministry Grounds.

How – Latte, Aeropress

Assessment – Dry aroma: Face first into a blueberry patch. There is no other way to describe this. Begins on opening the cupboard and continues through to grinding the dose. The blueberries just keep on coming.

Milk course: The smooth blueberry tones remain, with addition to the sweetness from the milk; medium body and could probably be described as a milder brew when consumed with milk. A hint of chocolate comes through on the finish.

Aeropress: Medium acidity, smooth body, with a hit of blueberries early on whereas a little short on finish. Definitely an overarching blueberry flavour here, though probably lacks a little of the broadness of flavour and depth of sweetness in say, an Ethiopian Harrar.

Conclusion; Know This –
This bean variety is great value and certainly does not disappoint. As expected, a deliciously fruity variety on a backbone of blueberry, with a hint of chocolate for good measure. Works well in a milk drink however leans towards greater things when brewed in the Aeropress, allowed to cool a little, and consumed on its own. At its best about 4–5 days after roasting.

Overall Rating: 4/5

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What’s Roasting #2 Ethiopian Sidamo

/ Pete Denison / 2 Comments

You can be sure that when a tasting review is posted, another roast will soon follow. Today’s roast origin moves to Africa and is expected to bring back some “fruit” to what ends up in the cup.

This Ethiopian Sidamo, again from Ministry Grounds, is a great value origin, and I am keen to see how this batch turns out.

Ministry Grounds roasting notes as follows:

Expect a few underripes and in general, an uneven roast. But the end result is worth it! Go a little easy on the heat up front, and don’t try and take this one dark. The result will be a bitter disappointment (literally).

Roasted in the afternoon today on quite a cool day, this 500 gram batch ran a little slower than my usual roasts, taking just on 20 minutes to a light to medium roast level. Though not planned, something like a longer than usual roast time presents a good opportunity to assess the effect on flavour profile and other variables come tasting time.

Looking forward to sampling once it has rested a few days.