bradbrennan Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Coffee roasting is a growing passion of mine and since it appears there are many coffee lovers here I was hoping to pick your brains. This is a pretty general topic but would love some thoughts on any part of it. I've been home roasting for a few years now and thinking I'm ready to upgrade to a bigger roaster. I come from a large family so if nothing else I can share more with them. Looking at least a 6lb batch roaster but debating if I should wait until I'm ready for more like a 15lb. And of course I'd like the hobby to produce some sales. Does anyone even buy bulk coffee anymore? Has the K-cup taken over and around to stay? Do you appreciate good coffee enough to demand fresh every day and if so how do you get it? Do you find many prepackaged single serve coffees to be boring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbandz Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I roast my own and I am completely spoiled for good coffee. Prepackaged coffees are always a compromise between cost and available coffee,and the volume needed could cause some problems in buying quality beans. Then there is the seasonal nature of various beans,do you buy enough to get thru the season and compromise freshness,or adjust the blend and compromise taste? You should investigate the market in your area to see if there is enough demand to justify the purchase of a bigger roaster. Perhaps you can contract to roast for another company that is having trouble keeping up with demand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squarehead Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I roast my own and I am completely spoiled for good coffee. Prepackaged coffees are always a compromise between cost and available coffee,and the volume needed could cause some problems in buying quality beans. Then there is the seasonal nature of various beans,do you buy enough to get thru the season and compromise freshness,or adjust the blend and compromise taste? You should investigate the market in your area to see if there is enough demand to justify the purchase of a bigger roaster. Perhaps you can contract to roast for another company that is having trouble keeping up with demand... Tom,that brings to mind.Did you ever got the beans I sent you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookiemofo Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 We've been roasting our own for awhile now as well. If I have to buy commercial, I go to a shop that roasts daily/weekly. Usually Dunn Bros, I am then selective based on the roast date. I buy by the week, usually a half pound. Anything that will be older then a week and a half by the end of the week won't be purchased! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbandz Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Tom,that brings to mind.Did you ever got the beans I sent you? check previous post on messenger.............yes............big thanks to you...............!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potpest Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I buy a kilo every two weeks from my local roaster. All their coffee is fresh roasted and there's a really good selection of different beans. Buy by the kilo as i get 25% off, plus I drink that much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TypicalSituation Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Sweet Marias is by far the best place to guy green beans. In regards to roasting, moving to a large roaster is quite pricy. I've put my 1 lb Behmor through close to 400 lbs, and it still roasts like a champ. What's your current roaster and source for green beans? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 I roast my own and I am completely spoiled for good coffee. Prepackaged coffees are always a compromise between cost and available coffee,and the volume needed could cause some problems in buying quality beans. Then there is the seasonal nature of various beans,do you buy enough to get thru the season and compromise freshness,or adjust the blend and compromise taste? You should investigate the market in your area to see if there is enough demand to justify the purchase of a bigger roaster. Perhaps you can contract to roast for another company that is having trouble keeping up with demand... We used to have a local roaster. I started roasting my own after they sold out and the new owners didn't want the hassle. I've seen many coffee drinkers who seem to appreciate a good cup around here still drinking big can Folgers at home. Our local grocery stores carry a nasty bulk bean. Many people mostly drink coffee at work which normally isn't very special. I wouldn't have much competition but not sure there's enough demand. Although it would be mostly just an extension of a hobby I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Sweet Marias is by far the best place to guy green beans. In regards to roasting, moving to a large roaster is quite pricy. I've put my 1 lb Behmor through close to 400 lbs, and it still roasts like a champ. What's your current roaster and source for green beans? I use the same roaster. I've looked at Sweet Marias but never purchased. Burman Coffee is my normal source but I have secured pricing from a couple wholesalers where I'd likely have to buy for larger quantity. I've been looking at the Artisan 6 for just under $5,000. They claim it can roast 30lbs/hour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 We've been roasting our own for awhile now as well. If I have to buy commercial, I go to a shop that roasts daily/weekly. Usually Dunn Bros, I am then selective based on the roast date. I buy by the week, usually a half pound. Anything that will be older then a week and a half by the end of the week won't be purchased! I like Dunn Bros. in Fargo, I roast a lot of the same beans they stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StingMeadery Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 A mate gave me a bag of Civet coffee last week from his Coffee plantation in Vietnam..."funky" Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbandz Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 Artisan 6 says 6 lb batches,max. It claims 5 lbs dark roast in 8 minutes.that's fast,I wonder if it tastes as good as slower roasting. A one year warranty is not much on a pro-line roaster,and where is the nearest support office,and do they come to your town? Just looking at this objectively,but since the last roaster in your area packed it in,could you market enough coffee to pay for the unit in one year?Could you make any $$$ in that time to pay for upkeep and service? Like you say,it is a hobby,have you got the initiative to make this work? Figure all your market,expenses,time,license fees,add 10 % for unknowns,and then shipping and warehousing for the raw beans. Where will you put the roaster?Do you have close neighbors that would complain about the smell? Big decision............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaDisco Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 A mate gave me a bag of Civet coffee last week from his Coffee plantation in Vietnam..."funky" Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk When I first started going to Vietnam years ago, I'd heard about the 'famous' Weasel (Civet Cat) coffee. I was in Hanoi, where little english is spoken and managed to track down some Weasel coffee while running for the airport. Upon arriving home the next day I brewed up a cup and thought, "That's damn funky, and it tastes like it's also got vanilla flavoring." I figured I just got some cheap-ass ( ) beans and vowed to try again, because, well, this was the expensive, super-fabulous-exquisite-tasting coffee I'd been hearing so much about. Upon subsequent trips to Vietnam I spent more time wandering the independent coffee bean sellers (there are many as the market is quite fragmented). I would quiz the bean sellers as best I could as to whether or not they flavored their Weasel beans. I always got a "no" but the response also always came with that sense of uncertainty that the responder had never understood the question in the first place. Over and over again I buy beans, despite the scent of flavoring and every time I get funky + vanilla flavors upon brewing. By my fourth or fifth trip I'm still trying to crack the code of finding the legendary Weasel bean. By this time I've spent at least $100 on funky, vanilla flavored coffee, when I finally find a coffee seller who speaks decent english. Me, "Hey, do you put any vanilla flavoring in your Weasel coffee beans?" Coffee guy, "Yes, of course, always." Me, "What?! Why? These are expensive beans!" Coffee guy, "Because if no put vanilla, beans taste like ****!" And that was when I gave up on Weasel coffee. True story. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TypicalSituation Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 I use the same roaster. I've looked at Sweet Marias but never purchased. Burman Coffee is my normal source but I have secured pricing from a couple wholesalers where I'd likely have to buy for larger quantity. I've been looking at the Artisan 6 for just under $5,000. They claim it can roast 30lbs/hourDef try sweet Marias beans. Top quality. Owner travels the world finding awesome beans and micro lots. Price is best I've found and beans are crazy delicious. I can't tell you how many people I've converted to home roasting once they taste fresh coffee. 24 to 72 hours after roasting, there can be no better cup. Something else to consider, even with a large markup on beans if you're selling, you're going to make maybe 5 bucks a lb. A lb of green beans is only 13 to 14 ounces afterwards. Packaging, electricity and all the other overhead will nickel and dime you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Artisan 6 says 6 lb batches,max. It claims 5 lbs dark roast in 8 minutes.that's fast,I wonder if it tastes as good as slower roasting. A one year warranty is not much on a pro-line roaster,and where is the nearest support office,and do they come to your town? Just looking at this objectively,but since the last roaster in your area packed it in,could you market enough coffee to pay for the unit in one year?Could you make any $$$ in that time to pay for upkeep and service? Like you say,it is a hobby,have you got the initiative to make this work? Figure all your market,expenses,time,license fees,add 10 % for unknowns,and then shipping and warehousing for the raw beans. Where will you put the roaster?Do you have close neighbors that would complain about the smell? Big decision............ Good questions! I remember when our local roaster started, first few times I smelled them roasting I thought my truck was on fire. I live in the country, nearest neighbor is a mile away so no worries on the smoke. Yeah, I'm not convinced on the roaster yet, but I like the simple concept of it and the price as I can swing cash for that. I have a building on my property that will fit the licensing requirements with some minor adjustments. I honestly think marketing it without spending a bunch will be the tough part. Our Walmart sells some pretty affordable name brand coffee which may be the biggest competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Def try sweet Marias beans. Top quality. Owner travels the world finding awesome beans and micro lots. Price is best I've found and beans are crazy delicious. I can't tell you how many people I've converted to home roasting once they taste fresh coffee. 24 to 72 hours after roasting, there can be no better cup. Something else to consider, even with a large markup on beans if you're selling, you're going to make maybe 5 bucks a lb. A lb of green beans is only 13 to 14 ounces afterwards. Packaging, electricity and all the other overhead will nickel and dime you. Yes it could be a little tighter margin than ideal. And I'd like it to be affordable coffee. Personally I'll go way out of my way to find a good cup in the morning, yet I see so many that will choose McDonalds when there is a premium coffee roaster right next door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StingMeadery Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 When I first started going to Vietnam years ago, I'd heard about the 'famous' Weasel (Civet Cat) coffee. I was in Hanoi, where little english is spoken and managed to track down some Weasel coffee while running for the airport. Upon arriving home the next day I brewed up a cup and thought, "That's damn funky, and it tastes like it's also got vanilla flavoring." I figured I just got some cheap-ass ( ) beans and vowed to try again, because, well, this was the expensive, super-fabulous-exquisite-tasting coffee I'd been hearing so much about. Upon subsequent trips to Vietnam I spent more time wandering the independent coffee bean sellers (there are many as the market is quite fragmented). I would quiz the bean sellers as best I could as to whether or not they flavored their Weasel beans. I always got a "no" but the response also always came with that sense of uncertainty that the responder had never understood the question in the first place. Over and over again I buy beans, despite the scent of flavoring and every time I get funky + vanilla flavors upon brewing. By my fourth or fifth trip I'm still trying to crack the code of finding the legendary Weasel bean. By this time I've spent at least $100 on funky, vanilla flavored coffee, when I finally find a coffee seller who speaks decent english. Me, "Hey, do you put any vanilla flavoring in your Weasel coffee beans?" Coffee guy, "Yes, of course, always." Me, "What?! Why? These are expensive beans!" Coffee guy, "Because if no put vanilla, beans taste like ****!" And that was when I gave up on Weasel coffee. True story. Yeah I agree...a whole lotta funky Mine were fresh and unflavoured. My mate reckons the weasels get stressed where kept in cages and don't produce very well, so they enclosed an entire section of their plantation and let the weasels free range and collect the fresh deposits daily. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charltonc Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Fresh roasted but I dont drink more than a cup or two a day. Ihave a local roaster, but I usually order from southwestcoffeeroasters from texas. Great company. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzz Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Yeah I agree...a whole lotta funky Mine were fresh and unflavoured. My mate reckons the weasels get stressed where kept in cages and don't produce very well, so they enclosed an entire section of their plantation and let the weasels free range and collect the fresh deposits daily. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Kopi Luwak is banned in Australia for that reason. Too many sellers were force feeding the civets to produce higher quantities to support the demand. Not only was in cruel, but the quality goes out the door, as the civets are no longer choosing the the right berries to eat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron1 Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 mmmmmm. now I realy want some nice strong coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I get mine from a roaster in London - they roast weekly and send it up to me.Generally awesome stuff. Quite looking forward to today's delivery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianbeaver Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Kopi Luwak is the most faked coffee in the world, just like cigars. Only the real stuff tastes really good and even then, worth the $? Not so sure. As for the coffee biz? Find a local commercial roaster whose coffee you like and trust (not a store). Sweet Maria's is great but they don't roast, package it in Detroit for you. Make sure you can order in small batches and decide what varieties you want to carry. I suggest Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Something Guatamaulan or Peru Something Brazil Maybe another African. The important think about online biz is meta tags and key word 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TypicalSituation Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Kopi Luwak is the most faked coffee in the world, just like cigars. Only the real stuff tastes really good and even then, worth the $? Not so sure. As for the coffee biz? Find a local commercial roaster whose coffee you like and trust (not a store). Sweet Maria's is great but they don't roast, package it in Detroit for you. Make sure you can order in small batches and decide what varieties you want to carry. I suggest Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Something Guatamaulan or Peru Something Brazil Maybe another African. The important think about online biz is meta tags and key word search. image.jpg Yirga is tasty stuff. I enjoy the Sumatra and Yemen coffees quite a bit. If you order from sweet marias, you must try the liquid amber if they have it in stock. It's an espresso blend they do with monsooned coffee. Not for everyone, but man, if you like it, it pulls one of the best ristrettos hands down. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Kopi Luwak is the most faked coffee in the world, just like cigars. Only the real stuff tastes really good and even then, worth the $? Not so sure. As for the coffee biz? Find a local commercial roaster whose coffee you like and trust (not a store). Sweet Maria's is great but they don't roast, package it in Detroit for you. Make sure you can order in small batches and decide what varieties you want to carry. I suggest Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Something Guatamaulan or Peru Something Brazil Maybe another African. The important think about online biz is meta tags and key word image.jpg Thank you, Lisa! I'm mostly thinking a local regular delivery option. I'd love to hear about your roaster experience if you care to share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradbrennan Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 I get mine from a roaster in London - they roast weekly and send it up to me. Generally awesome stuff. Quite looking forward to today's delivery! Does that mean you get a weekly delivery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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