Coffea arabica

[John Chardine]

I roast my own (in a West Bend Poppery corn popper as it happens) but did not see the photo potential before. Here's a first-go. maybe next time I'll turn them all face-up. No two are the same. Too bad there's no smell-o-vision on BPN!

Full frame, sized and sharpened. The sheen is coffee oil which usually disappears after a day or so. This is an espresso blend and is roasted to 2nd crack, medium colour. Life is good.

Canon EOS 5D, 100mm f2.8 Macro USM II
capture date: Saturday, 27 June 2009, 5:46 PM
exposure program: Aperture Priority
ISO speed: 200
shutter speed: 1/10
aperture: f11.0
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern
light source: AWB
flash: OFF

[denise ippolito]

John, I am anticipating my morning brew just looking at this! Very creative! I like the sheen and the pattern created by the beans. I think this is interesting.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

I can smell that coffee!
Looks great and healthy. Do you know where is this one from?

[Bob Allen]

I've bean waiting for someone to post coffee...

The rich tones are great. The substrate beneath them is too blue for my taste, it fights with the brown tones. Is it possible to reshoot them on something medium brown, like worn wood? I like that they face different directions, even more randomly would be nice. Now hand me a cup...

[John Chardine]

I can smell that coffee!
Looks great and healthy. Do you know where is this one from?

This is an espresso blend Juan Carlos, and I only know in very general terms where the three beans come from because it is proprietary information owned by my supplier. I do roast single estate origin beans from Nicaragua and Cuba occasionally. Not sure I've ever tried Costa Rican beans!

[Alfred Forns]

John ... we are working on the smell option as we speak :)

Love the view Really nice !!!

[Julie Kenward]

Now, I'm not a coffee drinker but even this makes me want a cup! My question for you, Sir John, is what is the BG? What lies beneath the coffee beans???

[John Chardine]

Ah Julie- the ultimate question.

Coffee roasting is a 2-stage process. The beans heat up and go through a 1st-crack at, give or take, 3-6 minutes. The beans pop and expand, although not like popcorn. Then things go quiet and after a minute or two a 2nd-crack takes place which sounds more like rice crispies in milk. At this stage the beans are heated up to a point where they start to burn on their own. This is an "exothermic", runaway process that goes very quickly and stopping it at just right moment to get just the right final colour is a matter of a few seconds.

That's where the background comes in. It's a simple cookie sheet on which the cracking, smoking beans are dumped and cooled as quickly as possible. The sheet acts like a radiator and stops the roasting process quickly.

Simple as that!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

John,
As a self roaster myself for a while until the machine blew, I am in awe and salivating looking at it. I know exactly what you mean by first and second crack Sir. Great image by the way. I am pretty sure I had some Costa Rican beans. Some of the dearer ones are the Jamaican and the Yemeni from my end anyway. Indian Monsoon Malabar was a great smooth espresso that I would normally even drink as a double shot. And that's me, who has milk and sugar with coffee. :D

I usually order our raw beans from Coffesnobs (http://www.coffeesnobs.com.au/) in Melbourne, Australia. Still have a few KG left. Must by a pop corn maker. Freeze dried is just no match!

I second your sensory overload of the smell. Oh that awesome fresh coffee smell! You da man!

[John Chardine]

Akos- Make sure you get a hot-air popcorn popper, and make sure down at the bottom of the place where the beans go has a ring of "fins" pressed out of the metal bean holder- all pointing in a single direction. This is where the hot air comes out and the fins act to circulate the beans so that they heat evenly. 1500 watts is better but the newer ones seem to be about 1250 watts. They work very well and are cheap! Lots of resources on web about roasting beans this way.

BYT congratulations on the on the discovery of a new species of fish. I had not gone to that link before. As a biologist I've always thought that just about the biggest thing you could do in a career is discover a new species.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Thanks for the roasting tips John. And the kind words. I am very, very lucky, humbled and honored all at once. :)