Kona Roasting Madness

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by opusxox

...I roasted my sample of Kona and agree with Dan on several points...

As you must. I have taken much advice in the past from Cea at Smith Farms. I admit she sent me to the light side whereas her husband has said there is no such thing as a bad way to roast Kona. (I respectcully disagree.)

...I was expecting a somewhat fuller bodied profile...

Which I'm sure you'll isolate with this fine, delicate Kona if roasted lighter and lighter, not darker and darker.

[Mister Moo]

Mine came out of the pot and fell into the cup this morning, speaking gently to me. It was saying, [SIZE=3]"Dannnnnnnnnnnn..... never surrender to the demon Kona over-roasters......" [/SIZE]I suspected last night that I took the roast a tad farther than necessary when I saw the wisps of smoke that warn of thicker smoke that warns of an impending second crack that abuses Kona, in my opinion.

In fact, this mornings coffee was medium bodied (Kona never goes heavy on my tongue like many other island coffees), had no pronounced acidity (I almost need to drink nitric or to feel the acidity in my stomach to notice it - must be from smoking*) and bragged slightly of the nutty taste that makes Kona special. I think another 24-hours of rest may bring out more. I drank half a pot this morning - it was pretty darn good.

To honor the (almost certainly incorrect) opinions of others in the world, I will split the balance of green and roast half of it just past first crack and the other half to an active second. On the lighter version I'll be killing the roast one minute after 1st crack snapping and smoke stops.

Expect honest reviews of the three versions, each rested 48-hours, and count on some belly-crawling low-down humble-a$$ed apologies if the darker actually roast outshines the lighter, which, of course, it will not.

[CigarGal]

Here's the IRoast profile I used:
Preset
Stage 1- 385/3 min
Stage 2- 425/4 min
Stage 3 455/1.5 min

AT=56 degress

1st crack-5:15min
2nd crack-8:30

Stopped the roast right at the second crack. Beans were already dark and oily. Waited 24 hrs and brewed in french press. Was a great cup of coffee. I am going to try the lighter roast on the next batch...and let it sit for 48 hrs like MrM suggests.

[opus]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

As you must. I have taken much advice in the past from Cea at Smith Farms. I admit she sent me to the light side whereas her husband has said there is no such thing as a bad way to roast Kona. (I respectcully disagree.)


Which I'm sure you'll isolate with this fine, delicate Kona if roasted lighter and lighter, not darker and darker.

Why you pompous..........self annointed...........ancient....................... .................................................. ................I can't remember where I was going with that. Oh well.

Dan, yada-yada-yada. I think I agree with her husband, there is no bad way to roast Kona, other than to make charcoal out of it. Roast it lighter and lighter he says, why not just grind it green? I didn't mod that SCCO just to let it sit and grind green beans. I have tried many roasts with Kona and seem to have the best results with mid way between first and second crack - to just before second crack. I think if stopped too soon you lose some of that nuttiness. However, in your honor I will walk a batch past the preheated SCCO and toss it into the grinder to test your theory. BTW thanks for the smithfarms link, I just ordered 6 lbs to try and hold us over for a week or two. They have very good pricing on the green stuff. If it is half as good as your perception of your self knowlege of coffee roasting is, it ought to be damn good.

[opus]

Originally Posted by CigarGal

Here's the IRoast profile I used:
Preset
Stage 1- 385/3 min
Stage 2- 425/4 min
Stage 3 455/1.5 min

AT=56 degress

1st crack-5:15min
2nd crack-8:30

Stopped the roast right at the second crack. Beans were already dark and oily. Waited 24 hrs and brewed in french press. Was a great cup of coffee. I am going to try the lighter roast on the next batch...and let it sit for 48 hrs like MrM suggests.

Don't let the coffee police (Dan) see this post. You will be busted for over roasting.

[opus]

I just love raggin on Dan when he is not online to defend himself. Dan, you wouldn't know an SCCO from a Senseo pod machine if it hit you in the A$$. Wow, that felt good.







Just kidding brother, you know I love ya..............doggie style.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by opusxox

Why you pompous..........self annointed...........ancient

[SIZE=4]KING ME!! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][/SIZE]

[Bigwaved]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

[SIZE=4]KING ME!! [/SIZE]

If you keep posting poses of yourself in frozen bean bag contraption garb, you will have to say, "queen me!"

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Bigwaved

If you keep posting poses of yourself in frozen bean bag contraption garb, you will have to say, "queen me!"

Yeah, yeah - whatever.

Dont mind poor old OpusXOX. He just needs more coffee. His last batch certainly incinerated most the volatiles, oils, aromatics and, esp., the CAFFEINE. He'll be OK after his 17th cup.

[Tristan]

I might have to send for some Kona now damn it! Sounds like very tasty coffee! The smith farm's website, wow, they have one of the longest web pages I've seen in a while! Any other sources you'd recommend that have good quality/price ratio?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by tristan

I might have to send for some Kona now damn it! Sounds like very tasty coffee! The smith farm's website, wow, they have one of the longest web pages I've seen in a while! Any other sources you'd recommend that have good quality/price ratio?

OpusXOX (below)



has roasted more recreational Kona than anyone else I know. He'd be a good suspect for green resources after the firetrucks leave. I've had good luck (but not low prices) with the meager amount of Kona I've bought the folks at Smithfarms. I'm not sure there is such a thing a low-priced Kona.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by opusxox

Why you pompous..........self annointed...........ancient....................... ............................

If it is half as good as your perception of your self knowlege of coffee roasting is...

And your point, is...

[opus]

Originally Posted by tristan

I might have to send for some Kona now damn it! Sounds like very tasty coffee! The smith farm's website, wow, they have one of the longest web pages I've seen in a while! Any other sources you'd recommend that have good quality/price ratio?

Good quality and prices here.
http://www.konamountaincoffee.com/precis/index.asp

And they even have peaberry, my personal favorite Kona vitola.

[dyj48]

Ok, ok, ok....here's the deal, I'm going to Hawaii for thanksgiving...for a week. I'm gonna visit the mill where my mom got the original beans. Don't know what prices I will get. But if I can try to bring some back in volume (at least 20 pounds), maybe I can sell about half or ten pounds at cost plus postage....(1 pound packs) so more folks can have a try at this stuff....what do you think?

Again, no guarantees, and dunno the price yet, but will try....the mill is run by John Kunitake who is one of the oldest and most respected Kona bean farmers and roasters in Kona (organizer of the Kona marathon).

[dyj48]

Originally Posted by Mister MaDuroo

As you must. I have taken much advice in the past from Cea at Smith Farms. I admit she sent me to the light side whereas her husband has said there is no such thing as a bad way to roast Kona. (I respectcully disagree.)


Which I'm sure you'll isolate with this fine, delicate Kona if roasted lighter and lighter, not darker and darker.

Actually, the smith farm prices are pretty decent....at only $12 per pound for the green stuff, that's decent. Maybe I'll try to get peaberrys and see how they differ from my sources...