adventures in roasting my own coffee beans

So last week I was talking with someone that I work with and for actually.  He is quite a gourmet cook and we have had quiet a few really great talks about cooking, places we frequent to shop and favorite recipes.  So the other day he stopped over at my desk to ask me about a meeting schedule and we talked about the trip to Portland and how crazy it was when we went to the Coava Roasting and "tasting room"  that we walked into such hipsterdom and them actually roasting in the middle of the freakin' room.  

He mentioned that he roasts his own beans. I said that it was on my list of things to do. Yeah that list that I promised I would update over on the sidebar?  Yeah give me a little bit and I will post it up over there... I promise that I will be accountable to you all. So we were talking about the Madagascar Single Origin that I ordered from La Columbe.  I have been drinking it most of the first part of the week.  Oh my gawd it's incredible.  But way more caffeine than I am used to.   personally haven't tried it because I have been working through my Sumatran I have in the grinder right now (oh did I mention I bought a burr grinder? yeah... kinda a big deal and makes a HUGE difference actually... didn't think that it would but yeah... "they" were right... ) and don't want to mix the beans up.  So probably by this weekend I will have the madagascar out.... but I wanted to bring it in so he could try it.  And then he gave me to try (I am assuming) one of their old roasters.  HOLY all that is really super nice right?

So here are the results from some beans that I don't have a clue what they are from when I bought green un-roasted beans from Paris on the Platte like 10 years ago.  PS I don't expect that it will be amazing coffee but green unroasted beans don't usually sour like roasted to.  Certainly this is not going to be great coffee and I get that but it's so so very very exciting!

I was really excited to try this process... add one more level of insanity to my coffee routine right?  Well.... the machine didn't work.  NOT because he gave me a dud... But because the machine uses more amps than my little house can handle with things plugged in on every breaker that I have. SOOOOO I tried.  But because I tried I think I get credit don't I?  But it was really great because honestly and this is the truth... one more accessory on my counters to make coffee is a little insane.  The roaster only works for literally two cups of espresso so not like a whole pot of coffee even.  That is silly to me. But I tried it (sorta) and made an educated decision that I can let someone else roast beans for me.  I don't need that added pressure.  I have the burr grinder and that is a huge leap in coffee snobbery and that is plenty ok by me.

I promise I will get the todo list up shortly.... promise...