Kansas City roasters?

Discussion of various types and blends of commercially available pre-roasted beans, their best sources, prices, their respective merits, and the Vivaldi settings required to optimism flavor.
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jmcphail

Kansas City roasters?

Post by jmcphail »

I'm wondering if there are any other Kansas City people on this board, and what local roasts they've discovered?

I prefer to use a local roaster, if possible, and so far have used blends from The Roasterie and Broadway Cafe.

Any other local roasts I should try out?
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

Pt's Coffee in Topeka is an excellent roaster & their Bella Vita Espresso is supposed to be quite good.
http://www.ptscoffee.com/store/product_ ... 52&s=52220

I've gotten a number of different coffee beans from them & never been disappointed.

Looks like they have a store in Overland Park also.
http://www.ptscoffee.com/aboutus/contacts.php
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

Sounds like I need to try it!
woodchuck

Post by woodchuck »

PT's also sells greens. I highly recommend the Aida's Grand Reserve. I've had it roasted through CCC and it was terrific. Maybe a bit pricey at $24 a pound (green) though:-)

Cheers

Ian
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

JohnB

Post by JohnB »

Specialty Java isn't exactly local but not far by UPS. I've tried several of their blends & found the Velvet Soul very tasty brewed in a French Press.

I'm going to try a bag of this: http://www.specialtyjava.com/Espresso_Organico.htm Prices are very reasonable when you buy the 30oz bags.

I make a lot of Lattes for my wife & our friends so I might as well have something on hand that excels in a tall milk drink.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

I hate to sounds so cheap, but part of my quest for good local roasts is so that I can avoid shipping costs and get a shot pulled by a pro so that I have a taste benchmark.

The volume of coffee I consume post-espresso is at least twice what I consumed pre-espresso, and until I get my own espresso roasts palatable I'll need to buy retail. It's getting expensive, and goes against my nature!

I need to get to the point where I'm consuming my own roasts and blends on a daily basis, and only buy retail when I need to sample something for some reason.
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

Having a local benchmark to compare to would be nice but isn't an option for me. Having just dropped $$$ on the V2 & Macap buying a decent roaster also isn't in the immediate future if I want to continue my current marital status.

Given your situation I'd say you are very lucky to have a well regarded roaster/supplier/cafe like PTs in your area. I'll keep looking for deals on 5lb bags of roasted Espresso with on line coupons for free shipping until I buy my own roaster.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

I forget sometimes and can't see the forest for the trees - I have it pretty good! Right On re: roasting - it changed everything for my coffee consumption. Now I have to make that magic happen again with espresso.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

On the way home from a day trip yesterday I stopped at the local PT's Coffee shop.

They were out of retail/bagged Bella Vista, but the manager offered to weigh a couple of pounds for me. I asked about brew temperature, and he thought at first that I wanted to know about Bella Vista's roast profile, and the misunderstanding prompted a conversation about roasting. The manager is from Ethiopia and is an experienced roaster, and I *really* wanted to have more of a conversation about it, but conditions didn't really permit it. Like an idiot I didn't leave my card or ask him for his, but I'll make a point of meeting with him in the future.

The beans - don't shoot me, but I haven't drank any yet. I dialed in my grinder and futzed around and decided eventually, at 10pm, that I didn't want an espresso. That's my project for today. Last night in the store, their machine was torn down and covered in soap suds and I was the only customer, and I didn't want to impose by asking for a shot.

Here is a thread from another board where a PT's trainer discusses optimum brew & dose for Bella Vista. The 2nd post by barrrrista is of interest, especially the part about using a smaller dose for a different machine - http://www.home-barista.com/forums/pts- ... t5947.html

JohnB, thanks for the tip about PT's Coffee! The proof will be in the cup, but I'm getting a feeling that PT's is a true gem.
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

So what do you think of the La Bella Vita? Flavors in a straight shot? Its crunch time as my last bag of B/C will go quickly. So many choices; Redline, Terrior, LBV, ect.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

I have several pounds of La Bella Vita in my freezer, I *really* like it. I also have a couple of pounds of PT's "XV" competition blend, haven't tried it yet but soon.

The flavors seem to change for me, but a constant is always a chocolate-cocoa-orange combination. It likes a high temperature, too, 95 or 96 works for me, enough to give it an edge and keep the crema red. I need to try adjusting my pressure upward a bit and see how it affects it.

It's definitely my favorite so far, hope you try it!
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

Thanks John. Where is your pressure set now? 9 bar?
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

It's somewhere around 8.5, maybe a bit less.

It was at 9 bar even, but when I got the pressure regulator on the water line installed it dropped to 8.5.
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

From what I've read you wouldn't want to be less then 8.5 but 9 seems to be the ideal. That said I haven't played with brew pressure & can't say what differences you see in flavors with a lower pressure. I would think you would be grinding coarser to get the same shot time as someone running 9 bar.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

My guess is that lower pressure produces a creamier shot with less crema and clarity, and a higher pressure produces better clarity, edge and crema. Just talking out the other end until I actually try it.

Anyone?
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

It only takes a couple minutes to crank up the pressure. Let us know what you see for differences if you try it.
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

jmcphail wrote:I have several pounds of La Bella Vita in my freezer, I *really* like it. I also have a couple of pounds of PT's "XV" competition blend, haven't tried it yet but soon.
I went with the XV Comp Blend this time but will try the LBV in the future. You get 15% off the XV if you enter XV in the promo code area when ordering on line. This special started 2/21 & is running for a month.
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

My XV was roasted Monday & due to arrive Friday so it should be in its prime! Suggested brew temp from Jeff Taylor at Pt's:

"We developed this blend for competition. In SCAA/WBC Barista
Competitions all of the machines are at 200 degrees. That is also
where we dialed our GB5 during training sessions.

May I suggest you start at 200, then experiment with a slightly lower
temp as well."
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

Outstanding!

I have about a couple of days worth of LBV in my hopper right now that I need to get through before I try the XV, can't wait to see what it's like!
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

jmcphail wrote:Outstanding!

I have about a couple of days worth of LBV in my hopper right now that I need to get through before I try the XV, can't wait to see what it's like!
John - Have you had a chance to try the XV yet? I've been playing with it for a couple days trying the recommended temp range & I really didn't care for the flavor I was getting. Tried 91C-93C & tasted citrus but not much else. :( Today after a couple shots that had me wondering if I'd made a mistake buying the XV I tried 94C & finally got the chocolate/spice flavors they talk about. If my eyes don't bug out by then I may try one at 95C after lunch & see how that tastes.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

I haven't started, I've been playing with some home-roast. It will be closer to the end of the week before I can start the XV.

If it's anything like LBV it might like 95-96 better than 92-93.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

John, any luck with the higher brew temperatures?
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

I tried one at 95C this afternoon & it was pretty good but it seemed the earlier one at 94C was better. I'll have to try them back to back tomorrow as well as one at 96C, 3 doubles was enough for one day. So far I still prefer the Black Cat but we'll see what tomorrow brings.
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

Two 16g doubles this morning; 1st at 94C, 2nd @96C. The 94C was good compared to the lower temps & the 96C definitely was no where near as nice. I'm sticking with 94C, let me know what you find when you get into the XV.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

Finally opened a bag of XV. I've had enough Monkey Blend for a while, but at least now I have a working technique to roast it in the Behmor.

I tried it first at 93C, tight grind and light tamp, it was just OK, and a little sour. I increased the temperature to 94C, loosened the grind a hair and increased my tamp, and I'm getting a lot "lighter" flavor with great creamy mouthfeel. Maybe a spice flavor, maybe even pepper, I'm not sure yet. It seems sweet but not heavy. I love the finish - the tastes change as I drink it and I like the way it finishes.

Can you tell I'm confused about what I'm tasting! LOL :D I'm going to enjoy exploring this one, it seems more complex than what I've been drinking recently. Kind of like going from a Speyside to an Islay, if you know what I mean ;)

I like it so far, I might go to 95C and leave everything else the same and see what happens, and then try loosening the grind a little bit more, I'd like to bring out the midrange and high-end of this and see what I can identify.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

Minor update, I just had an XV cappuccino with a small pinch of baker's sugar, it was pure chocolate milk.

By "Small pinch" I mean about 1/4 packet of sugar, approximately.
JohnB

Post by JohnB »

I can see why you had to add sugar as I didn't care for the taste of XV in milk. Personally, as John already knows, I wasn't really fond of the XV as a straight shot either. It made a decent Americano but is not a blend I would ever buy again.

I am enjoying the Bella Vita which gives an almost milk chocolate flavor in a Cappo with no sugar required & makes a very tasty Americano.
jmcphail

Post by jmcphail »

Well, I always add a little sugar to a cappuccino, I just like them that way. In the afternoon or evening I switch to ristrettos with no sugar.
JohnB wrote:I can see why you had to add sugar as I didn't care for the taste of XV in milk.
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