Having a Difficult Time with Beans and Need Recommendations

[Mick]

StillShaving...I think you're spot on! I've always bought a Dark Roast Sumatra, Komodo Dragon, French or Italian style coffee.

So, my question is...what do I do with my second bag (link below) of light roasted coffee to make it more drinkable? Should I regrind it?

https://topecacoffee.com/shop/central-america/manzano-el-salvador/

I find when a coffee does not "make it" alone, I start blending with other roasted beans. 20% questionable roast to 80% good stuff is a good starting point. Most of the time blending improves the overall enjoyment of both roasts.

This morning I blended 40% Brazilian to 60% Mexican and the overall cup is better than either brewed individually

 

[StillShaving]

Blending as Turtle suggests is a good idea, if you still have any of your other coffee in the pantry. Regrinding may also be a good idea. I might try it as-is the first time to see how different it is from the other bag. It will have rested another week, so some of the bright flavor may be fading. It may also taste better if brewed using a different method, like in an auto-drip machine or pour-over device.

As for future coffee suggestions, perhaps a medium-to-dark roast Brazilian...though it is hard to be so general as saying Brazil or any other South American country, since a lot depends on how the coffee was processed and roasted.

 

[reverseapachemaster]

While I enjoy lighter roasts in a drip machine I do not really care for it in a french press. I think it makes the coffee too acidic and the flavors turn harsh. So for my preference I would not try using the lighter roast in the press unless you are blending it with another bean that is much lower in acidity. If you have one of the refillable kuerig cups then you could use the stuff from the Tulsa roaster that way. Otherwise, if you are dead set on using it in your press then I'd blend it into a much larger volume of something like a South or Central American bean with a medium roast. If you can find the Brazilian Sumatra in a mid-range roast that might be a good fit as well. I'd start off with around 20% lighter roast and adjust up until you like the mix.

 

[Jefebadskin]

Yeah I think you're in my boat. I've grown up on dark roasts, or super smooth medium roasted Guatemalan with "pan". This high end light roast stuff, the higher the reviews the less I like it. I have ceremony coffee roasters in my backyard, most of it is undrinkable for me.

 

[Cuttingboard]

I tried another coffee yesterday from Bean Fruit (http://beanfruit.com/collections/coffee/products/old-route-4-dark-roast) that is a dark roast and it too tasted sour with my French Press. I think I may do as you guys suggest and regrind the two previous coffees and combine them. I may do what reverseapachemaster suggested and grind them to a finer texture and use in my Keurig machine to see if I get a different less sour taste.

 

[Mick]

I tried another coffee yesterday....... and it too tasted sour with my French Press.

Have you examined your annual water quality report for the municipality where you live? Are you on a well?

Google for "(your city) annual water quality report" (no quotes).

If all of the coffee you try is "off" you may want to see what is in the water you are using to brew with.

 

[gearchow]

Where I used to live, the water was straight out of a swimming pool. Bottled water was almost necessary. Now my water comes from the Bull Run water shed. Although there are some issues with some of the close in reservoirs, it is the best water I've ever drank - right up there with water from Lake Tahoe's Westside.

I sure hope it isn't his water making the coffee taste sour!

Maybe we need to make sure that we are on the same page WRT to the word "sour"? Just want to make sure that the OP doesn't mean "tart" as in "acidity".


-jim

 

[Cuttingboard]

No idea what it means but here's the Annual Water Quality Report:

Hardness: 7.5 grains/gal or 128 mg/L
pH: 7.7
Chloramine Residual: 2.8 ppm
Fluoride: 0.7 ppm
Sodium: 22 ppm
Nickel: 2.1 ppb
Calcium: 39 mg/L
Chloride: 32 mg/L
Magnesium: 7 mg/L
Sulfate: 47 mg/L

 

[tossik]

Come to Oregon, best water out there

 

[Mick]

Come to Oregon, best water out there

The community spring we get out drinking water from (when we are up in the great white north) is rated as the 2nd cleanest/purest water source in the state of New Hampshire.

I WISH I had water 1/10 as clean/pure as what I use in NH down here where we spend the rest of the year.

Our local water supply here is no slouch but I still use 2 filters on it before it gets to a "glass" then to my lips (and beyond)

 

[TexLaw]

Thanks...will do. Any specific brand or roaster?

I get all my coffee from a couple of local roasters that I don't think sell much out of the Houston area at the time, so I don't know how much I can help, there. If Java Pura does sell mail order, their Costa Rican stuff is out of sight.

 

[Cuttingboard]

I regrinded the beans today from course to medium and tomorrow I'll use filtered water to see if the taste changes.

 

[StillShaving]

Also based on what you said earlier about using water straight off the boil, you may want to let the kettle sit for 30 seconds or a minute+ before brewing. Perhaps you are using too much heat with these coffees. Just another variable to consider.