Tuesday, February 17, 2009

espresso monkey roasting notes 3

On 2009-02-15 I roasted the last of the Espresso Monkey, only 6.31 ounces, looking for a lighter roast than last time. Very little wind, outdoor temperature 36 degrees F. To have more temperature control I did not use the shroud, and had a steady 525 degrees at 2.5 on the gas control.


I was successful in achieving lower temperatures than last time, and first crack was at about the same time, but progression was much faster with the reduced bean quantity. Second crack overlapped first, and was quite noticeable by 180 seconds, at removal. I ended up with another pretty uneven roast, but lighter overall. More bean mass would definitely help. A half pound or less in the popper just seems too volatile. Final weight was 5.26 ounces (83%).


Pulled two shots a day later. Now this is very interesting. It's almost all high notes, with just a few midtones -- a totally different palate feel and experience. I'll have to do some further tasting to refine my impressions, but there's nothing that I don't like. It's just lacking the deeper chocolate flavors. I used the second shot in a latte and found it to be very sweet and pleasant. It is dramatically different from the recent roast in the hot air popper.

Two more the next day. It seems to have become a little fuller in flavor, with nice body. This was a slower extraction than yesterday, though, so I can't be certain this is a good comparison. But I can say that there are circumstances in which I like this blend quite a bit.

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