Pursuing Perfection with Panama: Siphon Techniques

John says...

Today I am testing the Panama Carmen Estate
This coffee was roasted 9 days ago at a City roast.


Test 1:
Grind at 4 notches above espresso grind on Mazzer Mini.
9 grams coffee, 5 ounces water.
Coffee in. Water Boil and up. Stir to saturate grounds and distribute heat evenly.
Brew 40 seconds.
Heat off.
Stir Rapidly.
Cool and drink.

Test 2:
Grind at 2 notches above espresso grind on Mazzer Mini.
9 grams coffee, 5 ounces water.
Coffee in. Water Boil and up. Stir to saturate grounds and distribute heat evenly.
Brew 40 seconds.
Heat off.
Stir Rapidly.
Cool and drink.

Results.

This coffee being roasted a hair lighter, my suspicions were found to be true.

Test 1 was a balanced peach/vanilla with very subtle, yet sweet citrus notes.
As the cup progressed the citrus became more defined, but surrounded by an essence of vanilla.

Test 2 had more separation up front in the cup. Strong Peach notes with a bright citrus aftertaste. As the cup cooled, the vanilla came out and began to mingle with the peach.

The finish in Test 1 was sweet light citrus.
The finish in Test 2 was a bright citrus with the slightest hint of vanilla.

What does this tell me?

It's obvious that even with a small adjustment, there is a direct correlation between roast level and grind. And it is the balancing of the sweet, citrus, and more rounded, or even spice notes that are where the technique comes into play.

Tomorrow I will use the same method on the Papua New Guinea Peaberry, which has a lot of spice and tea notes.

more to come...

Revisiting Rwanda - Siphon techniques

Today I am testing the Rwanda Kinunu.
This coffee was roasted 6 days ago at a City+ roast.


Test 1:
Grind at 4 notches above espresso grind on Mazzer Mini.
9 grams coffee, 5 ounces water.
Coffee in. Water Boil and up. Stir to saturate grounds and distribute heat evenly.
Brew 40 seconds.
Heat off.
Stir Rapidly.
Cool and drink.

Test 2:
Grind at 2 notches above espresso grind on Mazzer Mini.
9 grams coffee, 5 ounces water.
Coffee in. Water Boil and up. Stir to saturate grounds and distribute heat evenly.
Brew 40 seconds.
Heat off.
Stir Rapidly.
Cool and drink.

Results.

Both the aromatics and coffee on Test 1 were slightly sweeter. A little more fruit and citrus note.

In the middle of the cup, Test 2 tasted more complex. It was a collection of flavors coming together vs. a layered effect of lighter and brighter vs. wood and nut/spice.

The finish in Test 1 was superior.

Preliminary Conclusion:
Do same test on Panama Carmen Estate and see if the results are similar, or is the method entirely coffee dependant?

Stay tuned...

Espresso: IN YOUR FACE

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been experimenting with some radical blends.
I have finished the degassing on a blend of eighty percent Kenya Ruiru Peaberry and tw Guatemala Finca El Injerto SHB. I roasted the Kenya at two different roast levels. 25 percent was roasted at a very light city roast, and the rest of the Kenyan and the Guatemala were roasted at a City + roast... just between first and second crack.

Pulled as a ristretto, 16.5 g @ 198 degrees, BRIGHT orange citrus, almond, hint of dark chocolate in the finish.

In cappuccino, lightly sweet orange and almond.