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Wikipedia posted:Ashwagandha in Sanskrit means "horse's smell" (ashwa- horse, gandha- smell), probably originating from the odour of its root which resembles that of a sweaty horse. Sounds like a wonderful way to start your morning.
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Oct 5, 2012 19:02
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traveling midget posted:Please also give up posting stupid 'alternative health' poo poo ITT For content, I am drinking a bad cappucino from a starbucks clone chain coffee shop right now. It's too bad, since DC has couple of good coffee shops, they just aren't located close enough to where I work.
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Oct 5, 2012 19:14
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mystes posted:I think Crikster took the "hot brown water" thing a little bit too literally. This thread probably isn't the place for beverages brewed from leaves, although the inclusion of roasted roots may be permitted on occasion. Bring an electric kettle, hand grinder, and clever coffee dripper/pourover cone/aeropress to work you filthy heathen. This post is sarcastic, I buy poo poo sugarmilk drinks from Starbucks all the time
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Oct 5, 2012 19:31
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Um, this may be a stupid question, but being fed up with K-cup coffee/pre-made syrup-god-knows-what-machine available to me here made me get a hand grinder, and an Aeropress to get me some good coffee I used to get from a local shop back home. I'll probably end up buying more stuff like a CCD/moka pot/good drip maker or something later when my wallet stops crying for help. Now, since I have no real experience brewing, I have to ask this even though it may seem dumb for you guys: how important is water temperature? All the brewing guides seem to recommend a temperature range lower than boiling, but I have a crappy hotpot that just goes full-tilt and has no temperature control. Is temperature important enough to justify one of those $100 variable-temp kettles? Or what do you guys do if you don't have one of those? Also, I read some posts about cold brew coffee and its convenience... Is it hard to do if you're new to brewing? Do you need a lot of equipment/really good grinders? Archer2338 fucked around with this message at 03:45 on Oct 6, 2012 |
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Oct 6, 2012 03:43
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Archer2338 posted:Now, since I have no real experience brewing, I have to ask this even though it may seem dumb for you guys: how important is water temperature? All the brewing guides seem to recommend a temperature range lower than boiling, but I have a crappy hotpot that just goes full-tilt and has no temperature control.
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Oct 6, 2012 03:54
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Archer2338 posted:Um, this may be a stupid question, but being fed up with K-cup coffee/pre-made syrup-god-knows-what-machine available to me here made me get a hand grinder, and an Aeropress to get me some good coffee I used to get from a local shop back home. I'll probably end up buying more stuff like a CCD/moka pot/good drip maker or something later when my wallet stops crying for help. It's not a dumb question. Water temp is crucial to any hot extraction method, be it steeping grains for beer, making tea or brewing coffee. They all have their own specific range and specific purpose. The water temp for coffee needs to be just north of 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping temp the same when brewing is nice, but really as long as you're not dumping it on from a full rolling boil or brewing at something south of 190, you'll be fine. If you let your water come to a boil and then give it 30-60 seconds to rest, you'll be fine. Temperature controlled kettles are much more important for tea because different teas need different temps and can range from 170-210. As for cold brew, aside from drip brewing using pre-ground coffee, which you've clearly graduated from (congrats!), it's easily the most simple brew method. There are a bunch of schools of thought on this, but I've always gone with grinding somewhere in the medium range and using a ratio of 3:1 water to coffee, mix the two in a jar and let it sit on counter overnight, then strain it in the AM. This is going to make a concentrated coffee which typically gets diluted with water or milk and poured over ice. Cold brew is really forgiving, far more than any other brew method in my experience so don't be afraid to give it a try. The only thing you need to do it is a filter or a fine mesh strainer. Sounds like you have the rest.
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Oct 6, 2012 04:02
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Awesome. So I'll try the boil-wait thing then. I might have an oven thermometer that might work in the kettle for a rough estimate, I guess. And wow, cold brew sounds really, really simple... I might have to try it! Since you mentioned ratios and such (which also seem very important): I should get a scale/measuring cup, then? Or do you usually measure with volume, which I would get a measuring cup for? Do you measure coffee after grinding or before? Really excited to try making my own (hopefully good) coffee! 
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Oct 6, 2012 04:30
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Scales are a lot more accurate than measuring by volume. You can get a decent cup of coffee just using volume measures, but for a good cup you gotta go by weight.
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Oct 6, 2012 04:33
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Jmcrofts posted:Scales are a lot more accurate than measuring by volume. You can get a decent cup of coffee just using volume measures, but for a good cup you gotta go by weight. Well, I tried.
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Oct 6, 2012 05:36
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The 3:1 ratio that I use is by volume, I'm actually not sure what the weight ratio is. For cold brew I've always gone by volume and it works out fine because it's so forgiving. Everything else I measure out by weight.
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Oct 6, 2012 05:49
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nwin posted:So I'm genuinely curious about upgrading my grinder...I have a cuisinart burr grinder that I bought a few years back for around 40 bucks. It seems to do a decent job for my French press and my CCD. Pretty sure my question got lost in the midst of butter coffee  Cleaned my grinder out today and noticed something that is pushing me in the direction of getting a new grinder. When I brew a new cup, it seems there is a lot of dust left in the storage container (not the hopper the beans go into, but where they go after they've been ground). The grind *seems* somewhat consistent (I have it on nearly the coarsest setting), but it seems like lots of static electricity builds up and tons of powder is accumulated. Does an Encore still produce powder at all, or is everything consistent? I have no desire to make espresso. The only things I would use it for is the CCD or a french press. I've read that static electricity build up is probably going to be a problem on any grinder within my price range (under $120...currently looking at nabbing a refurb encore the next Thursday they are available). On another note, is there any level of quality difference in french presses? I bought a Bodum Brazil a few months back and it seems to be working great. The only difference I really see is aesthetic or a nylon vs. metal filter (not sure which is better). Finally, what's the best way to clean the metal filters? I've been just rinsing it out with hot water after each use and then once a week I throw it in the dishwasher, but not sure if I should even be doing that.
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Oct 7, 2012 21:19
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nwin posted:I've been just rinsing it out with hot water after each use and then once a week I throw it in the dishwasher, but not sure if I should even be doing that. I unscrew the three part assembly from the bottom of mine after each use and give it a through rinse. Grounds can get stuck in there far enough that they won't rinse out otherwise. It's a good idea to replace the screen every 6-12 months, as it is a very fine mesh and it gets worn out. Mine is due for a replacement, but I forgot to buy one before I moved and now I have no idea where to find / order one.
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Oct 7, 2012 21:48
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moron posted:I bought an Aeropress and Hario hand grinder a few weeks ago, and have been having a few issues with the taste of the resulting coffee. If it's sour tasting to you, you might be extracting too quickly. I found with the Aeropress, you really don't want to push too hard at all, or it can end up sour like that. You might also want to try a darker roast. "Espresso beans" aren't really a thing, but often dark roasts are used for espresso. I personally have also had better luck using my Aeropress upside-down. Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp_bN8T7jUk
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Oct 8, 2012 00:15
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mystes posted:I think Crikster took the "hot brown water" thing a little bit too literally. This thread probably isn't the place for beverages brewed from leaves, although the inclusion of roasted roots may be permitted on occasion. Hey there DC buddy! Mind if I ask which coffee shops those are? I usually end up having bad chain coffee at the office too, but I'd like to figure out a place to stop by on the way to or from work.
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Oct 8, 2012 02:57
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Arnold of Soissons posted:I unscrew the three part assembly from the bottom of mine after each use and give it a through rinse. Grounds can get stuck in there far enough that they won't rinse out otherwise. Sweet Maria's has them: http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/coffee-brewers/french-presses/stainless-french-press-filter.html
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Oct 8, 2012 03:04
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beanbrew posted:Hey there DC buddy! Mind if I ask which coffee shops those are? I usually end up having bad chain coffee at the office too, but I'd like to figure out a place to stop by on the way to or from work. I also buy beans at Swing's and maybe they actually serve good coffee but the one time I actually got a brewed coffee beverage there (specifically espresso) it sucked. Of course, I don't know what the normal premade coffee at Peregrine and Baked and Wired is like either, since if I go out of my way to get to them I get a pourover, espresso, or americano.
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Oct 8, 2012 03:09
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psychic onion posted:Sweet Maria's has them: http://www.sweetmarias.com/sweetmarias/coffee-brewers/french-presses/stainless-french-press-filter.html Thanks, yeah that's where I got my last few. Now I'm over seas, though, so I need to either find someplace around here, or pay and arm and a leg and wait. e: just noticed my wife is wearing a Sweet Maria's tshirt right now 
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Oct 8, 2012 08:38
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beanbrew posted:Hey there DC buddy! Mind if I ask which coffee shops those are? I usually end up having bad chain coffee at the office too, but I'd like to figure out a place to stop by on the way to or from work. Of course there's Baked and Wired in Georgetown like mystes said but it can get super loving busy there; you might want to also try Big Bear Cafe if you go through Bloomingdale, because it's just a super chill place that I am going to try to work at if I can ever move to DC. M.E. Swings, which is right near the White House, has a big reputation but doesn't follow through on the actual coffee; I've drank from there before but I don't think I'll do so again unless they want me to run their whole bean stand. And I have real bad issues with Peregrine, mostly because my boss was told "they are the only place that does coffee as good as us" and my shop stocks french roasted Yirgacheffe coffee and doesn't believe in things like "pourovers" or "average espresso grinders" or really, anything that has entered the industry since 1996. I don't like the idea of a nice shop that gets compared to where I earn money.
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Oct 8, 2012 22:45
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Question on grinders...the maestro plus vs the encore. I know the encore replaced the maestro plus, but according to this review the Plus allowed the user to dial in their settings better than the Encore does. Also, the encore seems more geared towards being everything the Plus does, while also allowing users to enter the world of espresso. I have no interest in getting completely geared out and getting an espresso rig. I like french press and CCD. On the Baratza refurb site, do they ever offer the maestro plus anymore? If not, this is a moot point. However, if they do, would I be better off going with the Plus or the Encore, and why?
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Oct 9, 2012 00:09
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beanbrew posted:Hey there DC buddy! Mind if I ask which coffee shops those are? I usually end up having bad chain coffee at the office too, but I'd like to figure out a place to stop by on the way to or from work. You should check out Filter. It's only a couple blocks from Farragut West metro on 19th and I. They usually have like 4-5 coffees from Ceremony roasters that are available for french press or pourover. It seems to me to be a pretty legit place. I've had some great coffee from there.
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Oct 9, 2012 00:52
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I was down in DC 2 weeks ago and stopped by Union Market for lunch, had a couple macchiatos from Peregrine that were pretty good. When that market gets into full swing, it's going to be pretty awesome, I'm jealous I don't have anything like it where I live.
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Oct 9, 2012 18:48
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I went to an Espresso 101 workshop at the local coffee roaster in Carrboro, NC, USA this past weekend. I believe it to be a well respected roaster, and the guy teaching the workshop was the 2011 Southeast USA barista champion. It was very interesting, and a bit lol/sad because I was the only one there. So for $15 this very nice guy explained all about espresso for two hours. It probably didn't cover all the espresso I drank/ground/made :/. Some of it I felt like I already knew, having read more than I'd like to admit about espresso in the past ten months. What I took away from it that I had completely missed in all my reading was that you adjust your grind size to give you the specific size pour you are going for in the 20-30 second window. He also downplayed worrying about specific tamp pressures and even weighing the grinds (this is all for the beginner, I am sure). Long story short, I had been making the whole process way too complicated. I went home, filled the basket up, brushed it off like taught, gave it a decent tamp, and wham. It took me two adjustments on the grinder to pull a 2oz shot in the 20-30 sec window that tasted better than anything I had made previously. I also learned that what I really want is a ristretto :p. Anyway, if you are in the Triangle, NC area they have these classes (and others) every month or so. Certainly worth the small price, and you may even get a personal lesson.
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Oct 9, 2012 21:08
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Associate Christ
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Yay, got my shipments of beans, aeropress & CCD! I haven't tried the CCD yet as my kettle is a cheap hot pot not capable of pouring gently (does that matter for a ccd? videos seem to suggest it does), but I just tried the aeropress. I used the inverted method someone posted earlier, with 15g beans and 200g water as per video description. If the coffee tastes a bit light (it tastes like coffee flavored water, not coffee) what would you suggest? It still has more flavor than my local diner coffee though Using a hario mini mill... Any setting recommendations? I used 8-9 from the right as I read in some coffee geek thread. EDIT: Tried a different method (http://worldaeropresschampionship.wordpress.com/recipes/ first one from there) and seems to work better. A bit of coffee was already dripping through when I was pouring and doing that blooming thing, though. Much better than the first cup, though, so I guess it must be extraction time? Just smelling the fresh-roasted beans, though, reminded me why I love good coffee (though I usually bought it from a local shop). So I won't be giving up! And holy jesus I need an automatic grinder WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WALLET GOONS Archer2338 fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Oct 10, 2012 |
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Oct 9, 2012 23:45
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So this just showed up at my local (Augies in Redlands, CA) Yes, it does cost more than Technivorm.
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Oct 10, 2012 00:39
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nm posted:So this just showed up at my local (Augies in Redlands, CA) as was mentioned, augie's owns.
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Oct 10, 2012 01:41
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Oct 10, 2012 02:06
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GrAviTy84 posted:as was mentioned, augie's owns. You have to love a shop that buys something that takes 12 hours to make coffee.
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Oct 10, 2012 02:27
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It kind of looks like the thing Gale used to make coffee in Breaking Bad.
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Oct 10, 2012 03:56
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Bertrand Hustle posted:It kind of looks like the thing Gale used to make coffee in Breaking Bad. A lot of cold brewers are made out of lab equipment, the one pictured is pretty much exactly like the Hario (or other cold brewers) on the market, only 3 times more expensive.
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Oct 10, 2012 04:10
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Astronaut Jones posted:A lot of cold brewers are made out of lab equipment, the one pictured is pretty much exactly like the Hario (or other cold brewers) on the market, only 3 times more expensive. It is basically what gale would design. It is completely anal in that you can adjust the number of drops per drat second.
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Oct 10, 2012 04:24
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Picked up a 12oz french press and a pound of beans from a local coffee shop. I used my food processor to breakup the beans. Wondering if it would improve the coffee/worth spending another twenty bucks to get a coffee grinder or will the processor serve just as well? Cup tasted good, better than most from shops.
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Oct 10, 2012 06:13
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nm posted:And awesomer. Don't forget that. Right, my point was that the Hario brewer (and some other less expensive brewers) also have that ability, and people didn't go apeshit and spend $600+ on them just because they were on Kickstarter.
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Oct 10, 2012 06:28
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Astronaut Jones posted:Right, my point was that the Hario brewer (and some other less expensive brewers) also have that ability, and people didn't go apeshit and spend $600+ on them just because they were on Kickstarter. Oh, I'm sure that works basically just as well, but these are coffee spurgers we're talking about. $500 for a drip coffee maker is insane, but it is cool.
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Oct 10, 2012 09:34
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Astronaut Jones posted:A lot of cold brewers are made out of lab equipment, the one pictured is pretty much exactly like the Hario (or other cold brewers) on the market, only 3 times more expensive. If you've got any other examples of lab equipment being used to make coffee (that actually works), I'd love to see them. I'd love to build some ridiculous contraption for my study so I can have coffee while I work.
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Oct 10, 2012 13:24
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Death of Rats posted:If you've got any other examples of lab equipment being used to make coffee (that actually works), I'd love to see them. I'd love to build some ridiculous contraption for my study so I can have coffee while I work. I'm actually planning on building one myself too. You really don't need much equipment. I just wish I had access to a good workshop so I could build a metal rig for it. I'll probably end up making mine out of wood.
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Oct 10, 2012 14:48
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Well, obviously you'd need brand new lab equipment, and I don't have any specific links to glassware, I'd imagine it can't be too difficult to pick out an erlenmeyer flask, etc that are well suited: http://www.labdepotinc.com/c-21-laboratory-glassware.php I'm sure you can probably even find a stand to hold the dripper over the flask on most any chemistry supply website, it's just a matter of whether or not you like the aesthetics. The only thing any of the commercially available drippers really have to offer you is a fancy stand.
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Oct 10, 2012 16:21
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Voted Alligator posted:Picked up a 12oz french press and a pound of beans from a local coffee shop. I used my food processor to breakup the beans. Wondering if it would improve the coffee/worth spending another twenty bucks to get a coffee grinder or will the processor serve just as well? Yes get a coffee grinder, any of the suggestions in the OP will be fine (burr grinder, don't get a blade).
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Oct 10, 2012 16:34
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Ok thanks. Hopefully I can find one on the cheap that doesn't suck. I'm not a big coffee drinker and I'm also poor so I can't really justify spending a lot of money on this. Seems like a hand grinder may be what I want given the low volume of coffee I will be consuming.
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Oct 10, 2012 18:55
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Archer2338 posted:I haven't tried the CCD yet as my kettle is a cheap hot pot not capable of pouring gently (does that matter for a ccd? videos seem to suggest it does),
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Oct 10, 2012 22:27
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Another attempt to divert to grinder chat! What's the deal with Baratza stuff? All the discussion I ever see if about the Maestro/Maestro Plus, but there doesn't appear to be any mention of this skimming their website; just the Encore/Virtuoso and on up. Other options I'm considering are the Capresso Infinity and Bodum Bistro. There's also some Cuisinart thing that seems to get mostly good reviews. I use a press; no current interest in attempting espresso or anything - I'm really just looking to make a couple cups before I run out the door in the morning since my schedule this semester has my leaving for campus before the local coffee place opens their doors.
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Oct 11, 2012 00:41
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