(01/08/13)
When we started shrub one of our big ideas was that it wasn’t just about getting these coffees out there but that we really wanted to have discussions about the coffees we put together with other passionate roasters. It’s been great to get comments on the coffees from folks, please keep them coming, but another way we’ve thought about getting some conversations going about the coffees is to directly engage with some roasters and talk to them about their experiences with this or that lot. Jessica Cole from Elysian Coffee in Vancouver, BC kindly agreed to talk to me a bit about one of our ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true.... ...more offerings from Pedregal.
1. How long have you been roasting, and what equipment have you used?
I’ve been roasting for about three years, first on a Diedrich CR-45 and now on a Probat L12. I play with a Primo 2-barrel sample roaster as well.
2. What’s the first thing you look at when roasting a new coffee?
Sometimes it’s nice to stare at and fondle the beans for a while. Maybe stand around discussing their size and densityThe density of a coffee bean is often taken as a sign of quality, as a more dense bean will roast more with a better dynamic. The density... ...more as if I know what I’m talking about. But really I’m all about the moisture meter right now. Knowing the moisture gives me something of a jumping-off place. I know that I’ll want to give a high-moisture bean like GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to... ...more La Soledad more energy to start. It’s a good conductor, it can take it, and it needs to be dried out lest it come off grassyGreenish flavor in the cup, usually indicating early crop, unrested coffee.: Greenish flavor in the cup, usually indicating early crop, unrested coffee. This is a fresh cut grass... ...more and underdeveloped. Inversely there are Ethiopians like Shakiso, which dry out faster and have to be treated gently in the beginning. I think. They’re still kind of making me tear my hair out.
3. What made you select this coffee and what was your approach to roasting it, + were there any challenges?
This coffee was a shot in the dark, to be honest, but we knew we could trust Shrub to curate their offerings; sometimes you really, really need coffee in a hurry, and you guys were very forthcoming with the info. When I sampled it, I was thrilled. At both a sample and production level, it was sweet and juicy. Great clarity for a coffee with so much bodyAssociated with and sensed by mouthfeel, body is sense of weight and thickness of the brew, caused by the percentage of soluble solids in the cup, including all... ...more. But when I first roasted it on the L12 I ran into stalling and lost all the sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly... ...more and depth. Fortunately, Chris had suggestions. Lengthening the drying cycle by 30 – 40 seconds and letting it come to first crackFirst crack in one of two distinct heat-induced pyrolytic reactions in coffee. It is distinguished by a cracking or popping sound in the coffee, and occurs between 390... ...more correspondingly later have offered greater complexity and sweetness. Where it felt tight and a bit one-note before, it’s now opened right up. With several days rest it gets even better. I feel I still haven’t wrapped my mind around getting through first crackAn audible popping sound heard during roasting. In coffee, one refers to "first crack" and "second crack," which come from two different classes of chemical reactions.: An audible... ...more without stalling because I can’t turn down as far with this coffee as I’d like, but I think that might be winter roaster blues.
4. What has been the reaction from your customers to this coffee?
Love it! It probably doesn’t hurt that our baristas love it too; that excitement is contagious. This is an approachable coffee. It’s not so bright or sparkly that it alienates the consumer, and its sweetness and fuller mouthfeelHow a coffee feels in the mouth or its apparent texture, a tactile sensation : A major component in the flavor profile of a coffee, it is a... ...more make it easy to drink. It kills it on a varietyA botanical variety is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy below the rank of species and subspecies and above the rank of form (form / variety / subspecies... ...more of brew methods. I love that we can suggest this to everyone, that it will show well on a Kone, AeropressA portable coffee brewer that makes a unique dense brew, somewhat similar to an Americano.: The Aeropress looks like a giant syringe: coffee grounds are in the bottom,... ...more, french pressA simple coffee brewer also called a Press Pot: grounds and hot water are added to a carafe, allowed to sit for several minutes, and then a filter... ...more. Some coffees don’t, right? And that’s what I want. People can drink this Colombian every day.
