Roasting Virgin

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by w squared

I've actually given a lot of thought to doing my own roasting since I dumped that large pile of money into the garbage disposal that I call my Espresso machine. Will a guy that is happy with a Quickmill Silvano and a Baratza Vario be equally happy with a 3 or 4 hundred dollar Behmor drum roaster?

To be honest with you, the Kopi Lewak is really just a bit of an excuse. Ever since I've realized the importance of having freshly roasted beans, I've wanted to do the deed myself....

In view of that, I'd scotch the catshit beans and use the $50 for a five bean assortment; the Behmor (or SCCO if you're a tinkering sort) is a fine roasters but does not constitute an indoor sport. There are cold weather stategies for the possessed. Problem to consider is, once you get it right, going back to anything less than the best is very difficult.

Anyhow, I got this gold TAG/Heuer wristwatch about 20-years ago and my dad kept telling me that his $0.25 cereal box promo quartz watch kept the same time as my fancy-schmancy one. One day I said, "Pop, you got a watch so you'd know what time it was. I got one so my customers would ask, "Wow. What kind of watch is that?" There is a time and place for either one. Catshit beans are for people who want to tell someone they bought catshit beans. In a world with a limited supply of $50-bills I would MUCH rather have 3-lbs of Smith Farms Kona. In a world with an unlimited supply of fifties, I'd get 20-pounds of Smith Farms Kona.