Merry Christmas = Great Coffee? (Part Three)

Wyatt and I are enjoying some Brazil Organic Camocim – Pure Bourbon that we just brewed in the Chemex. Camille had made some of the El Salvador – Orange Bourbon Cultivar this moring, but then said that WE need to go shopping at the mall and then take Wyatt to Chuck-E-Cheese (that is what Wyatt (almost 5 years old) opted to do with his Christmas money). I am not fond of mall crawlin' so I needed a brew with more KICK to get me going; I am with Wyatt on this one ... let's go to Chuck-E-Cheese!

I ground a few "ticks" courser than the last time and I stare at the cup in amazement. I had no idea that paper-filtered coffee could taste so good. When I use paper filters (Filtropa, Melitta Flavor-pore) in the Technivorm, it seems to "strip" a lot from the brew, but not so with the Chemex. The flavors from this cup of Brazil are dazzling, but suffice it to say that in the foreground there is an abundance of chocolate that seems to be sweetened with a graham cracker.

Gotta get another cup ... we're goin' in!

Happy New Year to you!

Merry Christmas = Great Coffee? (Part Deux)

This morning I am again awoken by the same cherubic chant, "There's coffee brewing." This time it was the Brazil Cerrado Screen-Dried Moreninha Formosa (Sweet Maria's - brewed in the Technivorm with a Swissgold filter). If I do say so myself, this roast (12-26-2007) came out perfect; as such it was consumed in short order. The richly-bodied, bittersweet chocolate with fruited / berry undertones was just incredible!

Again, in the afternoon, I found myself wanting another cup. It only made sense to give the Bodum Bistro a trial run since the Chemex had its turn yesterday; both were delivered by "Santa." The Bodum Bistro is a bit different in that it comes with it own Swissgold-like permanent filter; the packaging states "gold tone." A major difference between the Chemex and the Bodum Bistro is that the Bodum Bistro is made of double-walled heat-resistant borosilicate glass and has a stopper to help keep the brew hot for a bit longer than the Chemex.

The same brewing process was followed as with the Chemex although the difference in the brew would be that more solids and oils would make their way into the cup. This does make for a very flavorful brew, but also provides for some sediment as well; some find this objectionable, but I am not one.

Used the Bodum Ibis again to heat the water, but since I was out of the Brazil, Sweet Maria's Espresso Monkey Blend would have to suffice; again, the aroma of the wet grinds was incredible. In the cup, the caramel and chocolate was absolutely indulgent! I enjoyed the brew while chaperoning my son riding his new bicycle in the driveway. And, yes, that included a second cup that was quite hot due to the double-walled construction and stopper.

Two for two ...

Merry Christmas = Great Coffee!

Merry Christmas = Great Coffee?

Santa Claus (a.k.a. Camille) was very kind this year. Again, each of the coffee-related requests were granted including one that actually turned out to be a bit difficult to find: an 8-cup (40 ounce), handblown Chemex (CM-3). On Christmas morning, a vintage (~1980), handblown, 8-cup Chemex with a box of white Chemex filters was found to be hidden beneath some decorative cloaking; the filters are new and were purchased from our hosts along with the Chemex CoffeeMaker Cover.

There were doubts as to whether or not the the brew from the Chemex would be enjoyed because it uses paper filters - not a fan. Upon reading the box that ensconced the Chemex filters, the following statement was noted, "Chemex-bonded filters filter out all the bitterness, sediment and oils: produce a clear, flavorful coffee without fail." Oils? Musings of, "How then can the coffee be any good?" ensued. However, many of you constantly extol the virtues of this brewing method, hence the original Christmas request to "Santa."

This morning, the session of sleep was brought to quiet closure by a cherubic, "There's coffee brewing ..." It was the Bali Kintamani Arabica brewing in the Technivorm (with SwissGold filter), roasted last Friday (12-21) in the RK Drum. Ahhhh ... delightful!

This afternoon, there was a desire for more coffee; a perfect opportunity to try the Chemex. It was decided to brew the Bali since the cup could be compared to this morning's brew. A quick reference of Sweet Maria's tip sheet, grind coffee, pre-wet filter, preheat carafe, heat water in cordless Bodum Ibis (also delivered by Santa), etc., initiated the process. Grinds in filter and begin brewing, allow bloom, continue to pour, patience, continue to pour, sample the aroma of the wet grounds - WOW ... that is nice!

While the brew was being poured into the cup, the beauty of the crystal-clear elixir could not go unnoticed! The olfactory was obsessed as cups one, two and three were filled; Wyatt and Camille anxiously awaited their share too. The decision was unanimous; this is exquisite elixir.

Merry Christmas = Great Coffee!

The Behmor and Mr. Behm

While I was out of town for Thanks- giving, a brand new Behmor 1600 Coffee Roaster arrived with 8 pounds of Sweet Maria's precursors to exquisite elixir; all due to the generosity of my friend Aaron! Aaron had taken some steps that had worked out for him lately and made his life better; he wanted to share that with someone and as a net result, I was the recipient of generosity. Thank you, Aaron!

Now, one stipulation was that Aaron would get the first roast out of the roaster. Well, life has been so hectic that I have only had enough time to take it out of the box and snap a few photos. Starting tomorrow, I am on vacation until after the first of the year and I am both determined and looking forward to getting some roasting done with the Behmor 1600.

Given that Aaron is a fellow home roaster with a Behmor 1600, I want him to enjoy my first roast out of this roaster; I already have a bean selection in mind. What to do? Well everyone talks about how friendly Joe Behm (inventor of the Behmor 1600) is. I also remembered that I emailed him a Happy Thanksgiving message and he responded to call anytime. So I picked up the phone and called him. He answered the phone immediately, and it took Joe about 30 seconds to answer my specific question; the rest of the hour we conversed and shared stories on just about every subject one could imagine, including coffee and roasting. He even followed up with an email and some instructions that he mentioned within 30 minutes.

With this kind of customer service, Joe is sure to glean the benefits of his eight years of hard work to bring this roaster to the market. I wish him success,prosperity and a Merry Christmas!

Oh, and I was certain that his last name was pronounced Bame (Bām), and he confirmed this. However, the name of his roaster is pronounced, "Bee-more" (Bē-more) as in "be more," he wanted his roaster to be more.