Espresso Blend (First attempt)
After reading the “Blending Basics” article on sweetmarias.com, I decided to give it a shot.
I just happened to have a few bags of beans and came up with a fairly close approximation (in my opinion) to the recommended recipe. I started with a 50-25-25 blend.
The blend
- 50% Columbia Narino Taminango
- 25% El Salvador Finca Siberia Bourbon
- 25% Yemen Mokha Matari
100 grams of green beans
Starting with a total of 100 grams (3.5) ounces of green beans, I let the roast begin!
Since the timing of first crack was different for all three beans, I decided to bring the roast up to a high temperature, then cool, then raise again. Using ‘Old Melty’ (the Air Crazy), I tried to control the heat by shutting the power on/off. I really need to install a switch on the thermal cutoff wiring harness…
79 grams of roasted beans
Running through first crack and on to 2nd crack was also tricky. So, I threw another wrinkle into the roast. Once 2nd crack started in earnest, I dumped the beans into my stainless bowl and let them cool for about 30 seconds. Then, I dumped them back into the roaster and brought them back to second roast. This created a definite oily sheen on the beans. The final product weighed in at 79 grams (2.8 oz).
Rich crema
After resting for 2 days, I threw a load of beans into the grinder for a first taste test. The coffee has a rich crema and a mellow flavor. It is surely a light espresso roast, but very enjoyable. None of the unique flavors of the individual beans overpower the others, maintaining the mellowness. Not bad for a first attempt, but next time I need to add a robusta to bring out more body.