Author Topic: What's caffeinating you today?  (Read 128216 times)

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #25 on: 05 October, 2010, 07:30:57 pm »
Steve's great like that. Tickle his interest and he always comes up trumps.

Anyway, how do you feel after your first few months? When you came round here, I sensed that you were wanting me to open you up to a new experience.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #26 on: 05 October, 2010, 07:49:42 pm »
I said I didn't want to get into it that much, but once you've crossed the threshold, it becomes difficult not to want more and more.   I'm still concerned about the temperature stability of my boiler though, and may have to go the whole nine yards and fit in a regulator.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #27 on: 05 October, 2010, 08:06:13 pm »
The problem with regulators is that they almost never live up to their claims. They make a lot of noise and don't really work. You'd have no difficulty squeezing one in though as they are actually quite small.


nicknack

  • Hornblower
Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #28 on: 06 October, 2010, 08:51:11 am »
The problem with Regulators is that they almost never live up to their claims. They make a lot of noise and don't really work. You'd have no difficulty squeezing one in though as they are actually quite small.

FTFY


There's no vibrations, but wait.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #29 on: 06 October, 2010, 12:19:58 pm »
The problem with Regulators is that they almost never live up to their claims. They make a lot of noise and don't really work. You'd have no difficulty squeezing one in though as they are actually quite small.

FTFY




But he's always happy to open a chap up for a new experience....

Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #30 on: 25 October, 2010, 11:52:46 pm »
Any revelations on the Toba Sulawesi Flatty old chum?

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #31 on: 26 October, 2010, 07:49:07 am »
Yeah, haven't managed to get a decent cup out of it yet. When I put it through the machine it had a really sour edge to it. I thought it might be something amis with machine or technique so I made a cup of filter. Strangely it was very much still there and actually it wasn't very nice at all.  A bit of a shame as much of what comes out of Indonesia makes great filter coffee. A duff batch perhaps.

Have you tried his Kicker stuff yet?

dasmoth

  • Techno-optimist
Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #32 on: 26 October, 2010, 08:21:33 am »
Sorry to hear that.

Am I right in thinking you're using a machine with a PID?  Have you tried any temperature adjustments?  I'm kind-of wondering now if these beans may be happiest if you bump the temperature up a degree or so.
Half term's when the traffic becomes mysteriously less bad for a week.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #33 on: 26 October, 2010, 08:43:27 am »
I havent fiddled with anything to be honest as the trying the coffee in a filter showed up the same sourness. 

I still have a bag of green so I might try a darker roast than Hasbean to get see if it'll back off the sourness. Indonesian beans do lend themselves to a heavy roast.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #34 on: 26 October, 2010, 01:59:47 pm »
Have you tried his Kicker stuff yet?

No, but it's up next.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #35 on: 26 October, 2010, 08:50:56 pm »
Actually I'm warming to the Happy Donkey Brazilian.  I've had a couple of stunners today.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #36 on: 29 October, 2010, 09:20:53 pm »
The Kicker is very intense and acidic - an orangey and lemoney version of Jailbreak but with more subtelty of flavour.  It's interesting but I won't be making it a regular purchase.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #37 on: 29 October, 2010, 09:27:42 pm »
Hmm... I'll not be trying it then. He's using some unconventional choices of bean for his blends at the moment.  I much prefer an earthier flavour and not too acidic.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #38 on: 31 October, 2010, 12:00:44 am »
Have you tried Jamaican Blue Mountain?  Not an Espresso bean particularly, but I tried it years ago and it was wonderful.  I wonder how it would go through a Rancilio?

Coffee - Connoisseur Coffee - Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Beans


Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #39 on: 31 October, 2010, 03:01:25 am »
I have had it a few times but not for years. The first time I had it the stuff was amazing, really really subtle. The following batches were no better than Kenco. It's about £100 a kilo and not many places sell it, which might give an indication as to the availability of decent stuff. I think most of it goes to Japan.

If I wanted something similar at non-silly prices I'd go for the stuff coming out of Papua New Guinea

Never tried it as espresso, but don't see any reason why not, apart from price

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #40 on: 31 October, 2010, 06:27:49 pm »
I get all my beans from a local deli, who roast on site. Just decided I  prefer the kenyan peaberry to the french roast, and have bought some Sumatra Lintong to try.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #41 on: 31 October, 2010, 06:42:51 pm »
If you like Kenyan then you'll like Ethiopian Yirgacheff  ;)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #42 on: 09 November, 2010, 12:14:21 pm »
If you like Kenyan then you'll like Ethiopian Yirgacheff  ;)

I got some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from Monmouth this morning, on the recommendation of the nice young lady behind the counter. They mention "black tea and bergamot" in their tasting notes, which is pretty much spot on. Bright and zingy but very smooth, not at all sour. Really very good indeed. (As it bloomin' well should be at £22/kg.)

She also suggested Indonesian Wih Bakong, which I might try next time.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #43 on: 09 November, 2010, 12:24:38 pm »
I'm back on the Happy Donkey Brazilian.

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #44 on: 09 November, 2010, 12:30:17 pm »
I like that stuff, and the monkey organic best.

Roasted the green toba beans myself a week ago, but darker than Hasbean. As I suspected, they are much nicer, although I've only filtered them.  Can't help thinking Hasbean got the roasting wrong on the batch I had.

Haven't fired up the Rancilio for a few weeks

border-rider

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #45 on: 09 November, 2010, 07:24:56 pm »
Mornington Crescent

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #46 on: 09 November, 2010, 07:49:00 pm »
Only an amateur would drink that shit.  You'd be better off with Red Mountain.

border-rider

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #47 on: 09 November, 2010, 07:57:53 pm »
 ;D

Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #48 on: 12 November, 2010, 01:50:26 pm »
Mornington Crescent

Green beans or ready roast?

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: What's caffeinating you today?
« Reply #49 on: 12 January, 2011, 11:09:29 am »
Kenyan Wathenge

Mild but bright and lively. More winey than citrussy. Nice.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."