Roasters Abound!

[TexLaw]

I came across THIS ARTICLE today about how local roasting is spreading through the USA. Really, it's more an annotated index of other articles the same folks have published over the last year, but it's interesting to see what's popping up where.

A number of new roasters are highlighted. One is just a few miles from Chez TL, too. Maybe one is near you.

 

[Mick]

Good coffee is becoming an "expectation". I'm surprised that the big box coffee places are still around. Once someone finds out about "real" coffee they usually steer clear of the coffee wanna bees and gravitate to the small specialty roasting places.

 

[bryant]

I've avoided coming in here in the hopes of not acquiring a new acquisition disorder...but alas I was defeated by the tapatalk app and it's suggestion of this thread as one I needed to checkout. I'm glad I did and thanks for posting that article...one roaster, Methodical Coffee, is only a 30 minute drive from the house and I've been completely unaware! Well, time to browse The Café and get lost in another rabbit hole.

 

[skiezo]

I have been a coffee snob for quite some time now, basically since I quite drinking alcohol. I do seek out fome of the finer coffees and grind before every brew. I have found a few roasters that are top notch and some that are not far below them.
I have a coffee subscription from counter culture coffee. 2-12 ounce bags a month. Their coffee is always out of this world. Never a bad batch in the 2 years I have been getting it.
My go to every day coffee is from a company called blue macaw coffee and I can say they do have some fine roasts and very fair prices.
I am no affiliated with either of the company's, just trying to pass on info.

 

[Mick]

Getting on a "coffee subscription" delivered twice a month as a good idea if you do not have a local roaster to support in your area.

Most big house roasting companies like counter culture, klatch, blue bottle, intelligentsia, etc will provide a good and consistent product.

If you want better, search out some small roasters. Look in roast magazine for small roasting houses that have made the cut with them for better than the big box suppliers.

I see that the small roaster here who was runner up last year made #1 in roast magazine for 2017. Makes me wonder why I roast my own when the #1 micro roaster in the US is a few blocks away. <sigh>

 

[LabGuy]

Sadly, I tried my local roaster for the first time and found that they will only roast Light - Medium and nothing darker than that. The resulting cup was weak tasting to me and my wife despite adding more coffee to the brew process. I left them some feedback today. I look forward to their response.

 

[Mick]

It is difficult to find a reputable roaster to take any SO (Single Origin) beans past city roast (light roast).

Once you go into darker roasts, most of the nuances of the beans is lost and all you get is burnt coffee taste so you might as well be roasting a blend of poor quality coffee, not something from one farm or a single co-operative.

If you want a darker roast, ask for an espresso blend.

 

[StillShaving]

I would also experiment with brewing parameters. Such as using a larger coffee dose, longer steep time, different grind, etc. In an effort to get more strength in the cup, or to at least change the taste which you may end up liking better.

 

[Mick]

The resulting cup was weak tasting to me and my wife despite adding more coffee to the brew process. I left them some feedback today. I look forward to their response.

How do you brew your coffee?

Most brew methods allow for change outside of just dumping in more or less ground coffee?

Are you buying your coffee pre-ground or grinding just before brewing.

Really good coffee suffers if it is ground for longer than 15 minutes before brewing so if you are buying a pound (or more) of already ground coffee, this might be a bigger problem than how you are brewing or the level the roast was taken to.

 

[mglindo]

I am also glad we have a roaster locally. I even go to their retail outlet rather than the local grocery stores since I don't know how fresh it is there. Only sell by date on the package there, not roast date.

 

[LabGuy]

Thanks for the replies. Let me address some of the questions:
The local roaster in question will not roast past medium on any of their beans! I ground the coffee seconds prior to brewing it using the grind size appropriate for the 2 brewing methods. I brewed it in both my drip maker and french press.

 

[Mick]

Thanks for the replies. Let me address some of the questions:
The local roaster in question will not roast past medium on any of their beans! I ground the coffee seconds prior to brewing it using the grind size appropriate for the 2 brewing methods. I brewed it in both my drip maker and french press.

Have you tried an espresso blend from the same roasting house?

 

[LabGuy]

Have you tried an espresso blend from the same roasting house?

It is quite a drive...I have not been back.