Hey ya'll,

What is the coolest/ most eye-opening coffee experiment that you have done?

For me it was pulling shots of the same coffee on a Synesso with the same dose, so that I could manipulate flavor with just water temperature.

Of course a lot of us have done these experiments, what is you favorite experience?

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Much like triangular cupping always rely on your nose and confirm by taste. I almost never change my guess based solely on taste. Sensory Analysis is always a blast but very frustrating as well.
??? this last post leaves me a little confused. I always start with my nose, but the true end all be all for me is taste (think french cheese). Yes, some taste is psychological, but an experienced cupper/taster(of anything) can get past that.

I am thinking that you must agree and that is why I am confused.

thanks for your feedback.....love this website.
I enjoy making the same coffee as a SO espresso and then on the siphon, or a press pot, and see what flavor differences there are in the cup. Is the espresso a concentrated version of the coffee? Is there pronounced sweetness, bitterness, etc? Are there flavors that show up in one and not in the other? Do my pre-conceived notions hold true for X coffee, or am I baffled by the differences?
Pulling a Korati Full City Blueberry bomb on, Cremina, Astra, Conti lever, LaPav, 1T Moka pot, VacPot, Press, and Vietnamese drip pour over.
You can not believe the differences in pulls of 14±.5 gr of coffee. All with a SJ doserless mod'd for a grinder. Took some doing! I couldn't look at a blueberry pie for a week!
I think that I may do it again with the Vario. Much easier!
That will await winter as all that heat in a 144Ft² kitchen will wilt anyone.
Many Happy Pulls to All!
-Richard
PS a multi cut of any espresso pull into shot glasses can be eye opening for anyone. Three glass minimum. Five is better pouring every 5 or 6 seconds into each glass.
Yeah, that is what I am talking about. I seem to remember a similar "experiment" happening at the USBC/WBC. Thanks for the response.

Richard Penney said:
Pulling a Korati Full City Blueberry bomb on, Cremina, Astra, Conti lever, LaPav, 1T Moka pot, VacPot, Press, and Vietnamese drip pour over.
You can not believe the differences in pulls of 14±.5 gr of coffee. All with a SJ doserless mod'd for a grinder. Took some doing! I couldn't look at a blueberry pie for a week!
I think that I may do it again with the Vario. Much easier!
That will await winter as all that heat in a 144Ft² kitchen will wilt anyone.
Many Happy Pulls to All!
-Richard
PS a multi cut of any espresso pull into shot glasses can be eye opening for anyone. Three glass minimum. Five is better pouring every 5 or 6 seconds into each glass.
My favorite experiment is pretty much always happening. We run a different SO french press and a different SO Toddy everyday, then Saturdays... I love Saturdays... We run a different SO for espresso, put it on special and do cuppings. It's the best when you and your customers can experiment together.

Another really interesting experiment I liked was a coffee and cheese pairing that was held at Ristretto Roasters here in Portland. That was an experience for sure. A wide, full palate range of cheeses coupled with coffees from nearly every region. I heavily suggest trying that. It's unreal.
"Another really interesting experiment I liked was a coffee and cheese pairing that was held at Ristretto Roasters here in Portland. That was an experience for sure. A wide, full palate range of cheeses coupled with coffees from nearly every region. I heavily suggest trying that. It's unreal."

Alex, do you have any information on which cheeses were used? I love cheese, and I love coffee, so this sounds like something I should try.
Specifically for triangulation and matching pairs tests the taste always throws me off. I usually test more accurately when I choose specifically based on how the coffees smell. Once the times come for slurping I typically try to have my choices already picked out and the taste is more of a conformation. I agree that taste is the bottom line but for these tests the taste can make you second guess yourself. I hope that makes sense.

Jesse -D-> said:
??? this last post leaves me a little confused. I always start with my nose, but the true end all be all for me is taste (think french cheese). Yes, some taste is psychological, but an experienced cupper/taster(of anything) can get past that.

I am thinking that you must agree and that is why I am confused.

thanks for your feedback.....love this website.
Thanks, makes perfect sense now.

Portland Roasting said:
Specifically for triangulation and matching pairs tests the taste always throws me off. I usually test more accurately when I choose specifically based on how the coffees smell. Once the times come for slurping I typically try to have my choices already picked out and the taste is more of a conformation. I agree that taste is the bottom line but for these tests the taste can make you second guess yourself. I hope that makes sense.

Jesse -D-> said:
??? this last post leaves me a little confused. I always start with my nose, but the true end all be all for me is taste (think french cheese). Yes, some taste is psychological, but an experienced cupper/taster(of anything) can get past that.

I am thinking that you must agree and that is why I am confused.

thanks for your feedback.....love this website.
There was an extra aged gouda, a blue cheese aged six months, wrapped in cedar. Havarti, chevre, and one more I can't remember. Try it out though, definitely.

Jesse -D-> said:
"Another really interesting experiment I liked was a coffee and cheese pairing that was held at Ristretto Roasters here in Portland. That was an experience for sure. A wide, full palate range of cheeses coupled with coffees from nearly every region. I heavily suggest trying that. It's unreal."

Alex, do you have any information on which cheeses were used? I love cheese, and I love coffee, so this sounds like something I should try.
Jesse I also enjoyed that Synesso experiment (I don't think we were at the same one, but I have done one just like it... and with the 06 Idido Misty Valley (early 07 arrival)... whew that was fantastic).

The first cupping I ever did will always stand out in my mind. Just opening my eyes to the differences between different regions was mind blowing for me.

Now, some of my favorite experiments involve the roasting end of things. Changing the drop-in temp by a few degrees here or there, or how long we hold the coffee at lower temps in-between first and second crack, or how/if we cut back on gas after first... things like that.

Oh... I did an experiment on dirty vs. clean equipment once... yeah... keep yo' shite clean, mmkay?

-bry
wow, awesome. Keep em coming!

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