Embedded Files
Coffee Roasting Journey
Coffee Roasting Journey
Seattle's URL Coffee was where I first discovered anaerobic coffee, thanks to Isaac Stinson. "Peach Tea" by Wilton Benitez from Single V Coffee is an exquisite experimental roast that ignited my passion for roasting. For coffee enthusiasts looking to learn more about the roasting process, I highly recommend Sweet Maria's glossary of coffee terms and roasting basics. To perfect my own roasting techniques, I invested in a Fresh Roast SR800 and a RazzoRoasting V5T custom roast chamber. Check out my roasts below. To commemorate each roast, I've also been learning the art of linoblock carving and printing, creating unique mementos for each batch.
- The Goat.
Ethiopia Keffa Wush Wush Limited Oxygen Natural
Ethiopia Keffa Wush Wush Limited Oxygen Natural
Favor Notes: Blackberry, grape soda, elderberry.
For my first small batch home coffee roast I selected green coffee from the town of Wush Wush in the Keffa region of Ethiopia. I chose this region because the origin story for the discovery of coffee is that a goat herder named Kaldi in Keffa, Ethiopia noticed that his flock had a lot more energy after eating the coffee fruit. The herder gave an account of this to a local monk, who brewed the bean into a drink that allowed him to stay up all night with his prayers.
More than 600 years later, farmers are still growing coffee in those very same fields. A collection of 2,500 farmers gather fruit in the mountain region and bring them to the washing station in Wush Wush each year to clean and dry. A sign over the gate reads “GENALEM GEWYERO” which translates to “God Is Good.” I find myself thinking that same thing when sitting down to drink coffee with friends. For that reason, I decided to start roasting coffee to give out to people like you. These beans come from the birthplace of coffee, so they were an easy choice for my entrance into home roasting. I roasted them light-medium to preserve the berry origin flavors that Keffa is known for.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print that was stamped onto the coffee bag and card was first generated using DALL-E 2, the artificial intelligence art program included as part of Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-3) from OpenAI. I asked DALL-E to show us what it would look like for a goat to discover coffee, and this is what our AI friend came up with. I then carved the shape onto linoblock and stamped it to bag and card.
2. The Valley.
2. The Valley.
Colombia Las Mandarinas Anaerobic Natural Caturra
Flavor Notes: Raspberry, grape, cranberry, balsamic vinegar.
Colombia Las Mandarinas Anaerobic Natural Caturra
Flavor Notes: Raspberry, grape, cranberry, balsamic vinegar.
For my second small batch home coffee roast I selected green coffee from the town of Algeciras in the Huila region of Colombia. For this roast I hunted for an experimental bean that was grown and fermented with a tangy “wine-like” brightness flavor profile in mind. Many home roasters pointed me to this micro-lot from Las Mandarinas farm. The coffee cherry is allowed to ferment for a week in a tank, and then a further 15 days in drying houses to avoid seasonal rainfall and allow a sweet tang to develop.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print that was stamped onto the coffee bag and card was first generated using DALL-E 2, the artificial intelligence art program included as part of Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-3) from OpenAI. I asked DALL-E to show us what coffee growing in Hulia Valley would look like and this is what our AI friend came up with. I then carved the shape onto linoblock and stamped it to bag and card.
3. The Rainbow.
3. The Rainbow.
El Salvador Finca Rainbow Bourbon Natural Anaerobic
El Salvador Finca Rainbow Bourbon Natural Anaerobic
Flavor Notes: Tropical Fruit, grape, watermelon, lemonade.
Flavor Notes: Tropical Fruit, grape, watermelon, lemonade.
For my third small batch home coffee roast I selected green coffee from the town of Concepcion de Atacoin in the Ahuachapan region of El Salvador. I was attracted to this lot because of the mix of red, yellow, and orange Bourbon varietals. The Bourbon coffee variety is traced from Yemen to Bourbon Island and then to South America. Fernando Alfaro and family grow these on a 37-acre farm and ferment in barrels for 96 hours before drying for 20 days in the Illamatepec mountains.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print stamped onto the coffee bag and card is inspired by the packaging supplied by the Alfaro family that accompanied the beans when they shipped around the world. Having such beautiful art distributed with coffee is rare so I chose to honor that work here. I carved the shape onto linoblock and stamped it to bag and card.
4. The Diamond.
4. The Diamond.
Costa Rica "Black Diamond" Las Lajas SL28 Natural
Costa Rica "Black Diamond" Las Lajas SL28 Natural
Flavor Notes: Pomegranate, tangerine, lime.
Flavor Notes: Pomegranate, tangerine, lime.
For my fourth home coffee roast I selected beans from the Poás, Central Valley region of Costa Rica. I asked coffee aficionado Isaac Stinson, “Do other regions match the taste of Ethiopia?” and he told me to hunt for the very hard to find SL28 varietal grown in Costa Rica. SL28 originates in Kenya and has spread around Africa and to Latin America. SL28 is known for a delicious flavor and remarkable resilience. Trees can be left in the wild for 80 years and still be productively farmed. The Chacón Solano Family has been growing coffee in the area for three generations.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print stamped onto the coffee bag and card originates from the “Black Diamond” badge of honor given by the Chacón Solano family to distinguish their highest quality crop each year which was given to these beans. I carved the shape onto linoblock and stamped to bag and card.
5. The Village.
5. The Village.
Brazil Fazenda Vila Boa Anaerobic Natural
Brazil Fazenda Vila Boa Anaerobic Natural
Flavor Notes: Fruit punch, cane syrup, cocoa powder.
Flavor Notes: Fruit punch, cane syrup, cocoa powder.
In honor of my co-worker and friend Jayme Jacobson's birthday, I've chosen Carmo da Mata beans from Brazil for my fifth home coffee roast. The beans hail from Vila Boa Farm, founded by Monica Borges de Sousa in 1988. A coffee-growing pioneer, Monica's initial 7-hectare plot now covers almost 400, housing numerous experimental micro lots. Vila Boa, translating to 'pleasant village', encapsulates her mission of building a good, like-minded community - a trait she shares with Jayme, known for her knack for creating vibrant, playful communities.
Print Label
Print Label
To honor Jayme’s creative approach to art I'm venturing into an innovative technique that I've termed "dots and scraping." By transferring acrylic paint into a dropper bottle, I carefully arrange dots in linear formations. These dots are then manipulated with a rigid edge, morphing the paint into distinctive shapes. This method ensures that every bag and card is truly one-of-a-kind, each boasting its own unique visual appeal in the colors of Brazil.
6. The Blend.
6. The Blend.
El Salvador Finca Miravalles Caturra (50%)
El Salvador Finca Miravalles Caturra (50%)
Brazil Dry Process Fazenda Rio Brilhante (30%)
Brazil Dry Process Fazenda Rio Brilhante (30%)
Ethiopia Sidama Durato Bombe Kontama Natural (20%)
Ethiopia Sidama Durato Bombe Kontama Natural (20%)
For my sixth home coffee roasting experiment I’ve decided to step into the more traditional approach by exploring the blend. Most espresso around the world is traditionally a mix of beans from different regions. This allows the roaster to adjust and maintain a consistent flavor profile throughout the year, regardless of changes in crop profile. My approach with this blend was to mimic the rich and historic Italian Espresso roast profile that I adore while traveling in Italy. Like most Italian espresso, this blend consists of coffee grown in Central America, South America, and Africa that has been roasted dark to bring out a rich, bold flavor great for the moka pot.
Block Print Label
Block Print Label
The block print is inspired by the view I had while visiting my Italian American mentor and her wonderful husband in Italy in 2013. The photo was taken from the top floor of Carmen and Rico’s house in Mese, Italy which looks east toward the Val Masimo Alps. Even after a decade I still close my eyes and imagine this view often as the most beautiful and peaceful place I’ve ever visited. This roast is dedicated with lurf to Carmen “The Connoisseur” Werder and shares her many bold, rich and wordly qualities.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse