The Dudeism Forum

For little background for this Coffee topic you can look over the this thread on TEA: http://dudeism.com/smf/living-the-life-of-the-dude/tea/
To see how it sort of got started.
But mostly it got started because I could Not find a good bag of quality bean coffee.....and I Love coffee! It's has to be a good 15 or so years ago after making a bad rancid cup of coffee I started looking for why it was so bad. Back then we; I guess like everyone else in the family...just picked up a tin of whatever was on sale when we picked up our groceries. I enjoyed coffee for breakfast, coffee break, and then after supper sometimes....Especially in the Fall and Winter. My own preference is black, but I also enjoy an "Almost Regular" with just a little sugar and dry creamer. I  am not fond of half and half for some reason.
So 15 - 20 years ago I make a pot of coffee from rancid grounds....it was a first for me. I had No idea coffee could go bad like that....and so quick! Turns out it's a moisture thing, and you Must keep the grounds dry. Keeping them in a bag or tin on a shelf is not going to stop the loss of oils that contain most of the flavor you want in the cup. If you open the bag/can/tin and can smell the aroma of the coffee you are smelling the flavor oils evaporating off your coffee at room temperature. It will not take long to lose all the flavor and be left with  "dead grounds" or worse Rancid gounds.
Buying the Whole bean and grinding it yourself vastly improves the shelf life of a quality bean....but even the whole bean losses oils over time.
Eventually, what is left, if it gets damp at all will turn rancid on you. My step father worked for the Cook Coffee Company way back when and they would have to pull all the coffee from time to time and re-roast it to....they just named it a different "Blend" or type of roast. Eventually it just got to dark and bitter to really sell....so they added flavors.
It is just like my opinion dudes....I have no proof what so ever, but I believe all the flavored coffees you are buying in the stores are to cover up bad beans and/or a bad roast. I had sent away for 3 different roasts/blends from coffee roaster up the line...they were all over roasted and bitter.
A quality raw coffee bean by nature will Never be bitter. You need to do something bad to the bean to give it bitter.
The whole trick to keeping and brewing a quality coffee is moisture control and keeping as much of the coffee oil that contains the flavor for as long as possible once you open the package/tin. As soon as you grind the bean you open it up and the flavor oil begin to evaporate.
My secret, and I have been doing it many years now and it Works! As soon as I open a bag I double bag it in a Zip and keep it in the freezer. Keeping the bean/grounds frozen preserves all the oil and flavor in. If you smell it as soon as you take it out of the freezer you will not smell much of anything. The flavor you crave will all be brewed into that wonderful cup of full flavored coffee.
You will read on the net not to do refrigerate or freeze coffee....they say it's a bad thing because of the way the beans can pick up moisture which can turn them rancid Double bagging and making sure my bag is air tight (plastic wrap over the opening of the tin and then into a ziplock) will preserve the freshness and flavor of a quality bean.
There is nothing you can do about a bad bean though...except make an Ice Mocha maybe.
If the bean has not been too over roasted and is not too bitter you can make a damn good Coffee Liqueur similar to Kahlua....but you can make it to your own taste and I really think the stuff I make tough very much like the "real" stuff is better.

Oops....went a little off again.

I wanted to tell  all about that first really awesome high quality coffee I found something like 15 years ago.
I was blended and roasted by The New England Coffee Company and as soon as I brewed my first cup I Knew it was something very special. I had tried a few of their other roast/blends...they sold it at Redner's Market in our area,  but this 4-Star Restaurant and Hotel Blend was packaged differently. Instead of the 1 pound bag this 4-Star came in a small silver mylar bag with brown Rooster on it. It was a one pot bag they shipped to hotels. It wasn't meant for the general public.
I fell in love with that coffee....so did my special lady...well as much as she could love a coffee, but that 4 star was the only coffee she would drink....and of course I had to make it at home.
I was happy and I drank a Lot of that coffee.
Ok, I  guess you already know....the roaster stopped roasting. For a long time we couldn't get anything from the New England Coffee Company. Even their other blends began to dry up....not that it mattered much....none of the other roast/blends came anywhere close to the 4-star.
It looks like someone else has taken over the New England Company, but I am not happy with any of the roast/blends. They may know what they are doing, it is hard for me to tell from this end or it could be they cannot get a quality bean.
I hear trying to find a high quality raw bean to roast is becoming a world wide problem.

That began my coffee quest and I did find a "second" best in a Diamond Station Restaurant Blend....I was ok with it and just happy to have a good quality coffee to enjoy while trying different roasts and blends from other roaster when  we came across them.
But yeah...they did it Again! They stopped selling the Diamond Station coffee....looks like they went out of business!
I went into a bit of a panic and started trying anything....even the store blends again. Nothing even came close to what I was looking for.
The Tea thread was pretty much my surrender thinking I may never have another cup of high quality coffee EVER AGAIN!!
I was of the mind it was a world wide raw bean problem and maybe no one was able to buy a quality raw bean to blend and roast.

Figured I need something to drink, and I am not much of a fan of Starbucks type coffee beverages. I did find out I do like an Ice Mocha though....I didn't think I would, but that is about the only way I can drink a lot of these coffees I have been taste testing. Got to cover it up with ice cream and lots of chocolate syrup!

Yeah, I actually gave up looking....then something caught my eye.... not sure where it was, but I heard there Was a coffee roaster who knew what they were doing and sold a coffee roasted from a good quality raw bean. The Seattle's Best Coffee Company Born in Seattle blend was supposed to be a very good coffee. The problem was....I could Not get it around here....not the whole bean or the a ground. I could buy a brewed cup at Burger King down the road from me....and I tried it, but right off i could tell they left it on the warmer way too long. I must brew it myself to actually know if it's a quality bean/roast or not.
I searched the net and I could order online, but then I saw both the Wal-Mart and Target supermarkets sold the grounds and several other roast/blends as well. Neither store is actually local for me and requires a little bit of a road trip.

But my hopes were back up! Way back up!!
Before driving all the way I called both stores....without any reason....both have stopped selling the Seattle's Best Coffee.
It looked as if I was out of luck once again.
But we had never been to a Target Store and there was something we wanted to pick up. We took the trip anyway just to see if they really did stop selling Seattle.
Yeah, they were wiped out, but in talking with one of the ladies there she said the were now offering a whole new line of coffee from a high quality roaster.

I looked through what Archer Farms had on the self....all the roast/blends looked just like what all the other coffee companies on the self were offering...House Blend, Breakfast Blend, French Roast....nothing special...same old same old. But Then I got into the Organic Fair Trade Coffees. The first one I saw was their Sumatra Bold Roast.
Kick Ass!!! I love it.
It is too long ago to remember if it is as good as the New England 4 Star Hotel roast, but it is right up there and the best tasting coffee I have had in a very long time. You can tell they used a high quality bean and they Know what to do with it. It is full bodied and not bitter....that takes a skilled hand on the roaster.
I picked up the other Organic Fair Trade Coffees they offered and will try them all, but even if none of the others brew out....I am a happy camper.
I found a really good quality coffee!

I will post here on how the tasting goes.

I use the recommended 2 Tablespoons of grounds for 1 cup of water to brew all the coffee. You can adjust to your own taste...it just so happens that 2 tablespoons/cup fits my taste.
I start out drinking it "as is"....a cup of Joe....Black...no sweetener or dairy at all because I really want to taste The Coffee and what it has to offer and Not cover up any flaws. I may then add a little sugar...not much....just a sprinkle....to see what a little sugar does for it....I'll do the same with a none-dairy none-flavored creamer. I do enjoy my coffee black, but from time to time I do like it "regular" as well....it all depend on the day and moods and what I maybe having the coffee with.

Since we were at Target and I picked up all these different roasts/blends I picked up a very simple 5 cup drip coffee maker to start out really fresh. My 12 cup drip machine was taking up too much room anyway since we usually only make 2 cups at a time. I'll use the 12 cup if we ever get any company and when I make another batch of Coffee Liqueur. I Know I will be making more of that!

(I also picked up a one cup French  Press coffee maker....I hear the French Press makes a much  better coffee than the drip....I have seen them around but they were always several cups big and looked like they would be messy. This One Cup Press looked like just the right size and may be just the right Espresso coffee maker!)

These are all Archer Farms Organic Fair Trade Coffee. On the bags they all  say they are "Premium Food Products" but from what I have found out so far Archer Farms is only a brand name for Target. They buy and resell. Which is fine with me just as long as they can continue to sell a high quality bean/roast.

I started out with the Fair Trade Sumatra. It says it's a bold roast" earthy & full bodied with herbal notes."
I found that to be true....not real sure about the "herbal notes" but it is earthy and full bodied and not bitter at all...I would call it mellow myself....I like mellow!

The other Fair Trades I picked up. Tierra Del Sol Medium Roast....the bag reads it's " coffee harvested in the mountains of Southern Mexico. Can't wait to  try it! This one came highly recommended by 2 guests on the Target web site, so it looks like I am not the only coffee lover out there who is finding these Archer Farms Organic Fair Trade coffees to be something a bit special.
I got the Ethiopian Light Roast which says it's "bright & light-bodied with notes of berries." This does not sound like my type of coffee, but to be fair I want to try all the Fair Trade....who knows....I might really like it!

We also picked up Archer Farms House blend....my special lady requested it. It says it's a medium roast...."rich aroma & well rounded body with walnut and chocolate notes."
I would Not have picked that one up for myself! But I am willing to give it a try. If it makes my special Lady lay happy....then I'm happy to brew it for her.

So so far I can highly recommend the Sumatra. I brewed two cups back to back and drank the first one black....it knocked my socks off! This is an awesome coffee. I drank the second with a touch of creamer and sugar....just as awesome....the quality of the bean really shows up in the roast. May they Never run out of this bean!
I brewed two more cups of this over the pass few days just to make sure it was not an illusion on my part....well I really cannot say for sure since everything is an illusion on my part really....but I still Love this Sumatra.
If you want to know what a high quality coffee that has been roasted and brewed from a high quality raw coffee bean....in my opinion...you will be very pleased with this Sumatra!

And your thoughts on beer?

Quote from: DigitalBuddha on July 03, 2014, 03:37:45 AM
And your thoughts on beer?

Awesome Image DB! Got a Flashback looking at it dude!
But it has only been the last dozen or so years that I could drink a beer. Not sure if it was because of all the skunk beer in our area, but I never liked the taste of beer....bottled, can, or tap.
Maybe I just  could not find the right one. Mostly beers around here are bitter and skunky. I am not now, or was I ever a "drinker". I could  manage a 7oz Rolling Rock from time to time though.
Over the last few years it has grown on me and I can have...and actually enjoy....a whole 7oz Pony Bottle of Rolling Rock with pizza or a steak...you know....to drink with Food.
But I cannot just sit around and drink beer. I cannot do it....you see I don't get drunk....no mellow alcoholic buzz....not happy buzz.I go from sober to sick drunk within ounces.
The 7 oz Rolling Rock is just the right size for me....any  more and I start feeling sick.
My White Russian's are light on the vodka as well.....very light.....most times no vodka at all....except for the cup or so that I used to make the 1.75 liters of Coffee Liqueur.
I enjoy the Coffee Liqueur just plain over ice more than I do a beer....and really taking it over the top...a shot or two in coffee as well.

I only recently found out that Rolling Rock was my grandfather's beer as well. That was on my father's side....I never knew him.

But that may be my next "quest"....to find a beer I actually like enough to just drink as beer.

Quote from: cckeiser on July 03, 2014, 04:26:53 PM

Quote from: DigitalBuddha on July 03, 2014, 03:37:45 AM
And your thoughts on beer? 8)

Awesome Image DB! Got a Flashback looking at it dude!
But it has only been the last dozen or so years that I could drink a beer. Not sure if it was because of all the skunk beer in our area, but I never liked the taste of beer....bottled, can, or tap.
Maybe I just  could not find the right one. Mostly beers around here are bitter and skunky. I am not now, or was I ever a "drinker". I could  manage a 7oz Rolling Rock from time to time though.
Over the last few years it has grown on me and I can have...and actually enjoy....a whole 7oz Pony Bottle of Rolling Rock with pizza or a steak...you know....to drink with Food.
But I cannot just sit around and drink beer. I cannot do it....you see I don't get drunk....no mellow alcoholic buzz....not happy buzz.I go from sober to sick drunk within ounces.
The 7 oz Rolling Rock is just the right size for me....any  more and I start feeling sick.
My White Russian's are light on the vodka as well.....very light.....most times no vodka at all....except for the cup or so that I used to make the 1.75 liters of Coffee Liqueur.
I enjoy the Coffee Liqueur just plain over ice more than I do a beer....and really taking it over the top...a shot or two in coffee as well.

I only recently found out that Rolling Rock was my grandfather's beer as well. That was on my father's side....I never knew him.

But that may be my next "quest"....to find a beer I actually like enough to just drink as beer.

CC I too have started gettin' sick if I drink a full bottle of beer. I am ok if  I drink the pony. My doc has changed my meds. so I figure that's what has happened. So far it hasn't affected my daily caucaisan.

Quote from: cckeiser on July 03, 2014, 04:26:53 PM

Quote from: DigitalBuddha on July 03, 2014, 03:37:45 AM
And your thoughts on beer?

Awesome Image DB! Got a Flashback looking at it dude!
But it has only been the last dozen or so years that I could drink a beer. Not sure if it was because of all the skunk beer in our area, but I never liked the taste of beer....bottled, can, or tap.
Maybe I just  could not find the right one. Mostly beers around here are bitter and skunky. I am not now, or was I ever a "drinker". I could  manage a 7oz Rolling Rock from time to time though.
Over the last few years it has grown on me and I can have...and actually enjoy....a whole 7oz Pony Bottle of Rolling Rock with pizza or a steak...you know....to drink with Food.
But I cannot just sit around and drink beer. I cannot do it....you see I don't get drunk....no mellow alcoholic buzz....not happy buzz.I go from sober to sick drunk within ounces.
The 7 oz Rolling Rock is just the right size for me....any  more and I start feeling sick.
My White Russian's are light on the vodka as well.....very light.....most times no vodka at all....except for the cup or so that I used to make the 1.75 liters of Coffee Liqueur.
I enjoy the Coffee Liqueur just plain over ice more than I do a beer....and really taking it over the top...a shot or two in coffee as well.

I only recently found out that Rolling Rock was my grandfather's beer as well. That was on my father's side....I never knew him.

But that may be my next "quest"....to find a beer I actually like enough to just drink as beer.

Good thoughts, cc dude, interesting observations.

This Tierra Del Sol came highly recommended by 2 guests on the Target web site...I am not the only coffee lover out there who is finding these Archer Farms Organic Fair Trade coffees to be something a cut above everyone else. There maybe other small roasters out there, but they seem to be few and very hard to find!
The Tierra Del Sol Medium Roast bag reads it's " coffee harvested in the mountains of Southern Mexico.
I agree with the 2 reviews....this is another hit roast/blend for the Archer Organic Fair Trade line of quality coffee....it is medium mellow and no quite as earthy as the Sumatra, but I really like this one as well. I think I still give the Samtra my first choice....and I keep brewing a cup of the Sumatra in-between tasting the others. I will need to pick up a few bags more in the very near future!
But if I could not get the Sumatra I would be very happy with the Tierra Del Sol...it's blown my mind that I went from No Coffee at all to now being able to pick and choose between 4 or 5 different roast/blends.
I'm in  dude coffee haven dudes!
I just think whoever if roasting these coffees have found a very good quality bean.
It all starts with the bean, and the bean all starts with the fields and doing due diligence in taking care of the farm.
No  One can roast a good coffee from a bad bean!
All anyone can do with poor a quality bean is roast the shit out of it and make coffee flavored drinks.
There should be no "bitter" in the bean unless the roaster wanted to put it here. If the bean/grounds are black and bitter they have been over roasted and frankly...burnt. There is little to be done with burnt beans except try yo cover them over by  adding all kinds of flavors.
Except for Espresso!
In my world an Espresso is a roast/blend that should be brewed heavy and have a bit of the bitter kick to slap you awake and kick your head back, but it should only be a "bit". It takes someone who knows what they are doing to  make a quality espresso from a quality bean and Not ruin it by over-roasting.
I'll get around to the Fair trade soon. I want to try the lighter blends first I think.

I  changed my mind and decided to brew the Espresso anyway....I think it may have been the coffee buzz I'm on that changed my mind!

Archer Farms roasts a awesome espresso!

It is only just like my Opinion dudes, but I do believe They did it Just Right!

Espresso is not my cup of coffee....but in my world....this is what a quality espresso coffee is all about.
I used the French Press to brew it thick and strong. Knowing I would probably be keeping this bean around for sometime to come I bought this Bean whole to grind myself. Whole beans kept dry with double bagging and frozen will last a very long time and not lose any flavor or go rancid.
In my opinion Espresso is a slap to the back of the head coffee. Bold...Strong and just packed full of Earthy Full bodied flavor. It should make you sit up and pay attention.
This one is spot on! Once again the quality bean, and the expert hand of the roaster come shining through.
There are Espresso lovers out there who I think would kill for this coffee.
I am more of a mellow coffee dude....but I knew their Espresso would tell me just about everything I wanted to know about their beans.
I am going to have to look for a name to thank for roasting all these Fair Trade coffees.
I will probably Not be brewing the Espresso again. Like i said....it is not my cup of coffee. I will keep it on hand, but use it to make Liqueur when my stock runs low....which....since it is a quality bean should make a really high quality Coffee Liqueur. I will not need to add so many sugars and syrups to cover over the bitter beans.

Now onto the lighter roasts.

After brewing another cup of the Sumatra to help set my taste buds I brewed the FairTrade Light Roast Ethiopian.
The bag reads "bright & light-bodied with notes of fresh berries." I brewed it 2 tablespoon grounds/cup as usual...I am not picking up the berry notes, but it is light bodied...too light for my taste...almost a tea rather than a coffee taste.
I will try using the French Press to see if I can bring out more coffee flavor....but I do not think I will pick up this roast again. I may have "settled" for the Ethiopian and brewed it extra strong if Archer was not offering the Tierra DelSol Medium Roast and the Sumatra Bold roast.
I will stock up on both of them with the Sumatra being my number one choice but the DelSol is not that far behind and I  think I can kick it up a notch with the French Press...if I really needed to.
I do like the French Press, but it takes too much hands on with prep and cleanup. I love the very simple 5 cup B/D drip maker I bought when I picked up the coffee....it has one lighted button....on/off. No fooling with timers and heat settings or anything else that can get in the way of simply making a cup of coffee. Now that's a dude coffee maker....easy and simple to use.
As for the Archer Farm's House Blend....at least it was not bitter, but in my opinion....why bother?
Not sure if my Coffee tasting and reports are over, but it sort of feels that way....I did them all.
I'll run this Ethiopian through the French Press just to see how much flavor I can extract....and to use up the grounds, but I am not holding out too much hope for it.
Since my Special Lady liked the House Blend maybe she would like this one as well....could always blend it with the Espresso too? NOw THAT IS and Idea!
Back to the Labs!!!..looks like i got more coffee testing to  do!

A shot of Kahlua kicked the Ethiopian up a notch....I need be I'll drink it all as "Dude Coffee"....coffee with Kahlua.
Ok back to the Lab again. Got to brew it with the Espresso!
Got a real good caffeine buzz going now!

The Ethiopian was billed as a light roast with hints of berries. I did not pick up on the berries at all...in fact I did not pick up of the coffee flavor at all either.
Way to mild for my taste.
I guess I can brew it if i want to make my "Dude Coffee". To make Dude Coffee....just add Kahlua to any cup of coffee. As much or as little as you like to your taste.
I added a double shot of my home made coffee liqueur to the last half cup....that kicked it into gear....I could drink that all night! All that caffeine would probably kill my ass...but damn it is tasty!

I ground up the whole bag of the Espresso so it's ready to brew...less fussing around the next time i want to brew it.
The espresso was too strong a roast for my taste and has a little bit of a bite to it I do not care for.

I was not holding out much hope, but brewing 1 tablespoon of the Ethiopian and one tablespoon of the espresso with one cup of water through the drip maker worked. It brewed a a good flavorful cup of what I would say was a medium roast coffee.
I now have a third choice if for any reason I cannot get any Sumatra or DelSol.
I am hoping I will not ever have to fall back to that, but I am happy to have it after all these years of not being able to find any quality coffee at all.
(Fuck it! I deleted the beer. I am not a beer drinker and I am happy with a pony bottle of Rolling Rock every now and then.)

But the Truth be told....all I really want to do is live the life of the Dude and maintain a limber and mellow mind with legal pot and a quality cup of coffee.
I do Not really want to get High or Stoned....just maintain a mellow in my old age.
Now....it is just like my opinion....but that would really be living the life of the dude.

ok, i just gave it a try. I heard about the French Press brewing a stronger cup of coffee from the same quantity of grounds. It's true....but stronger is not always better...in fact with the Sumatra it came out too strong for my taste. I do like bold, but mellow. 2 Tablespoons/cup water was a little too strong...there was no bitterness though....which just shows how good a bean and how good a roast this blend is.
I'm sipping on a fresh cup of the Sumatra I brewed 1 Tablespoon/ cup water through the French  Press and it is perfect!

The French Press does brew a really good cup of coffee with half the grounds needed for a drip coffee maker.

But it is still a lot of hassle with prep and clean up/out....and now that this Testing/Tasting is over I will be going back to making my 2 cup mugs of coffee I have always enjoyed. I'll try 3 Tablespoons of the ground/cup of water the next brew to see if that will be strong enough....if not I'll go to 4 Tablespoons/cup.
By the way....I brewed the DelSol first thing this morning....very good coffee....right up there with the Sumatra and I am delighted with both.
As a coffee lover ( I don't think I'm a "Snob"??) I am beside myself with joy on discovering these two Organic Fair Trade coffees!
It's simple pleasures like these that bring happiness to a dude's life and helps us Abide all the Fascist, paraquats and Dickheads we sometimes have to deal with.
Right now I am a contented dude...just sitting here enjoying my coffee.

Abide dudes.....abide.

I need to make amends to Archer Farm's Brand Coffee.
I guess I need to admit to myself I am  a little bit of a coffee snob....I was not my fault I became the way I am about coffee. I think if I had not accidently found that really high quality 4 Star Hotel blend coffee and discovered how exceptional a coffee a quality raw bean can brew...I would have been contented with almost anything the big box stores offer. Except for the over-roasted burnt low quality shit that is out there.
Sorry,but I equate most of the store brand coffees to be shite and not worth the brewing...it just does not taste good dudes....to bitter to be called coffee.
So when I see House Blend, Breakfast Blend, French Roast....I see years and years of trying one bad coffee after another....a pedestrian coffee roasted from the cheapest beans they can buy then roasted and flavored to give the masses something that almost taste like coffee.
These big box and supermarket offerings are people who do not know a quality coffee if they tasted one. Diner coffee is exactly the same...people who Really need that Caffeine kick to get started and keep going through the day....I was one myself and drank the swill offered just for the caffeine. But I did not enjoy it.
So when I saw the Archer Farm's standard blends of coffee...I saw all the past years of being disappointed with trying one bad store brand coffee after another.
I was wrong with the Archer Farms House blend.
My special lady though it sounded like a nice coffee...all I saw was Typical store blend....probably roasted from a poorer quality bean that did not measure up to the Fair Trade blends....actually  I still believe that,but we brewed another pot this morning and I was surprised. It is not bitter at all and it sips real nice.
Do Not get me wrong....I am still of the mind that the Fair Trade coffee are the best coffees I have tasted in a dozen years, and after I use up everything else I have on hand I will stick to to only drinking the Archer Farms Organic Fair Trade High Quality Roasted Blends...I felt it was only fair that I mention their House Blend is actually pleasant as well. Not sure if we will try their other store blends or not...like the 100% Colombian....but they just maybe better than the other brands out there as well.

Yeah....just sitting here sipping my coffee and rambling again.

Damn....I wish I could go bowling.

Coffee... snob?  No... connoisseur I believe would be more like it.  And you're not alone.

Additionally, rancidity is due to the oils in the coffee beans OXIDIZING!  How do the get around that with these pusillanimous PLASTIC coffee... "cans"?  Simple... they flush them with nitrogen.  Once opened though.... you better use that stuff up fast... OR... do as I do and re-package it in GLASS containers.

And THAT... is why you can't find any REAL.... FOLGERS COFFEE CANS out there.  Hey, I have mine.... but dammit... where you gonna get them these days?  Ebay?  Seriously.... we're talking the transmission of our mortal remains here!

Meanwhile....  Kirkland brand (Costco).... is actually roasted by STARBUCKS.

Just a little "inside" info forya.

Later!

Larry "Boneman" Bone
Cape Coral, FL