Penang Syphon coffee

Cupped to the roaster

2011-12-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

Fresh Roast SR 500, a typical hot air blower roaster,
where coffee green beans are blown to 'cooked'.
This is a very good design roaster, off which using simple heating element that generated up to 220c degree of hot air blowing green beans to roasted beans.

Hot-top Roaster, a heater roaster using iron bar to heat up temperature and sending out heat wave to 'cook' green beans.
Green coffee beans are roasted by its heated air/wave, baked, partially through the contact to the surface of its metal drum.

Direct fire roaster, in which flame is burning drum directly under.
Green coffee beans are put inside drum, through direct contact to it surface and hot air/ heated wave to 'cook'.
The coffee beans are roasted in the drum which is spinning through out the process.

There are still many ways of roast/cook the green coffee beans, such as; pan-fried, char coal fry, BBQ, micro wave oven and even pop-corn popper to 'cook' the green beans. You may try to steam or deep fried the green coffee beans if you wish.

As the heating elements and materials using are difference from each others, in which resulted in difference flavours and taste. No bluffing, with proper brewing, we could drink out to the roaster used. And, off course, this is 'particularly' for 'Discerning Coffee Drinker' such as those who could differentiate 'GOOD kopi Luwak' (wild Luwak ) from 'BAD and LOUSY, so called kopi luwak' ( caged cat ). For 'Ordinaly coffee Drinker' such as those who tasted and only know the 'caged cat kopi luwak' existed, This is merely a Mirage!!

Geisha Panama/Colombia

2011-07-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

Wonder What geisha coffee bean so famous of
??

Geisha from Colombia year 2011 vs Geisha from Panama ( not this year's harvest )

I shall tell you ^ ~^

Best Coffee in the World!!

2011-04-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Long Berry Mandheling@first day

Pulp processed/Golden Mandheling @3rd weeks

Aged Mandheling@ 2nd weeks

A lots of people like to ask, what is the best coffee in the world??
I used to search for this coffee for quite some time, luwak, blue mountain, panama gheisa, hawaii cona, huila regions' estates/typica/arabica, puerto rico, nigaragua, estate/micro lot/premium beans etc..let alone illy coffee, peats from US, lavazza,..etc

After hundreds of difference single origins at differences degree of roasting and blended coffee, i found myself the answer to this very question!!

And the answer is.....there is NO so call the Best coffee in the World!!!

As coffee tree growing all over the world have developed their very own characters and taste due to differences climate, soil, water etc..they have yielded difference coffee cherry carried with unique taste, even in the same region, these coffee tree have gr owned into varieties.

So, some coffee are rich in chocolaty, some are fruity, some elegance like floral, where as some herbs and spicy.

Let me quote you a example, if the Japanese say they cook the best fish in the world, then, the people around the world would just snub ed and laughed as some of country offering fish that japanese don't even know the existence. If the japanese say they cook the best salmon fish in the world, then, countries such as Norway, France and italy would scorned and giggled. and off course, many countries will just keep quiet as they don't have salmon fish in their menu.

But, if the japanese say they serve best salmon sushi in the world, then, I think, other country will not object to it as we all know sushi is Japanese cuisine.

So, when come to coffee, you can't say fruity coffee is the best, nor rich and aromatic coffee is the best coffee off all the coffee.

But, I pretty sure that there is a best period to drink coffee, we might call it 'Prime Period'.
Difference coffee beans @ difference roasting degree developing difference tastes, body and aroma.

After roasting the beans, 3 days to 7th weeks, if you try to drink the coffee during these period, then, you can proclaim you are drinking the best period coffee.

And, as to what coffee beans start to drink on the 3rd day, what to start on the 2nd week??
That would be an other story..

Coffee beans after 8th weeks of roasted?? May be Rubosta or Liberica can do better....

Something beyond fresh roasted coffee beans!!!

2011-02-07T23:20:00.001-08:00

Looking for something beyond fresh roasted coffee beans ?!

That's roast your own beans!!

Coffee bean to me, is like steak, you can make it rare (light roast), medium (medium roast) to well done (dark roast).

At difference degree of roasting, you can taste the difference aroma, body, finishing,taste, acidities, bitterness etc....

Even if at the same degree of roasting, the coffee bean keep devoloping from day to day, so, the vary complexities of the bean will emerge, if you brew a pack of very fresh roasted bean, you'll notice the changes.

After trying a numbles of diefference beans, I found some beans have better perfomance with hand raosting method, while some are excellence performance with roaster.

Can you tell what are the difference with these beans??

They are; Peaberry coffee green bean, Liberica coffee green bean, good grade coffee green and Premium grade green bean.

If you don't have the source to get good green beans, you may come to me : p
now I'm selling green beans as well.
From mass production green beans to estate and premium beans.
For people who looking something beyond buying fresh roasted beans from shops!!

Caffeine Content

2011-01-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

Some one told me that syphon brewed coffee contain more caffeine comparing to other brewed coffee using other method of coffee making, as syphon brewing method is directly boiling the coffee ground. And, Ice Drip coffee containt less caffeine comparing to any other coffee.

I grappled with these notion quite some time until I sent my coffee for the lab analyse, and that solved these puzzlement.

As the analyses tell, each cup of coffee each 100ml contain difference level of caffeine, the sequence as ;

No 1: Syphon Brewed coffee 0.060 gm of Caffeine
No 2: Coffee with Milk 0.100 gm of caffeine
no 3: Drip Coffee 0.110 gm of caffeine
no 4: Ice Drip coffee 0.240 gm of caffeine

So........., the proof is syphon brews the least caffeine contain coffee among others, the Kickestttt cup of coffee goes to ICE DRIP COFFEE!!!!

My conclusion; water temperature doesn't add to/ reduce of the caffeine in the cup while brewing coffee, the duration does!!!
So, French Press coffee will be on the top of caffeine ranking list other than ice drip (as in some cafe' such as StarBuck, they usualy steep the coffee for few minutes before serve to customers).

But, the question still ringging a bell!! Why a lot of people complaining espresso coffee is too strong for them while a cup of duoble shot espresso coffee contain merely 0.100 gm of coffeine!!
It's even less than a cup of 8 ounce 'brew of the day' in any cafe'!!!

Blue Mountain Coffee

2010-12-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

Blue Mountain, a nice name to name mountain, so, you can find ' Blue Mountain ' around the world , in the US, in Austraria and in Indonesia etc...
But, when people around the world talking about Blue Mountain coffee, they should be refering to that 'Blue Mountain' situated in the country of Jamaica.

But, not all the coffee bean from Jamaica Blue Mountain graded as 'Blue Mountain' coffee.

Coffee trees grown at the range between 910 m to 1,700 m could be called Jamaica Blue Mountain. Coffee grown at the range between 460 m to 910 m is called Jamaica High Mountain, and coffee grown below 460 m elevation is graded Jamaica Supreme or Jamaica Low Mountain.
Besides, Blue Mountain coffee beans futher categorized into a few catergories, no 1, no 2, no 3, peaberry, etc...

As I always get to know about this coffee through books, news paper, movies, stories, friends saying etc...and, every one seem's having their version of experinces, some says this coffee is simply excellence, some says this coffee is over boasted...

After trying the Blue Mountain beans from some of the roastry in Singapore, Australia and Taiwan, Finally, i got myself the opportunity to obtain difference catergories of these beans,
which i think is the highest quality blue mountain beans i have tried, thus far, and,
Off course, freshly roasted.

I took a couple of week trying out these beans, by comparison, I can notice the differences in between these beans. I Wouldn't say the tastes, the aroma, the characters, the body and the after taste vary so much in line with its prices, may be, I'm not up to the standard to tell the coffee prices yet, but, the prices do difference a lot.

If you ask me what's so special about these Blue Mountain beans?? I would say that Blue Mountain beans are all about fruitiness. As for me, High Mountain and Blue Mountain are both fruitiful coffee, sweet, sour and bitterness co-existed.

And, if you ask again, what's the difference since they all carrying all these taste??

I would quote you with a Citrus, a ripened Cheery and an Apple to reprsent each of them, and the slightly vary complexicy in between.

For me, they are really good coffee, even the High Mountain is a good cup to appreciate with!!!

Now started trying another Blue Mountain, it's from Wallen Ford Estate, said to be the most famous Estate in Jamaica..and the price, too

It's difference from the rest I've had previously. The sour-sweet, not as spiky sour, broader body, more sweet than sour, slight betterness notice, it's prune like, not citrus type fruitiness.

My thought; the more these coffee I take, the less feel of 'minum kopi', now drinking coffee to me is like biting on fruit .,guava, green apple, plume, prune, lemom...and sometime vineger and medicine

2009-12-21T03:17:00.000-08:00

See what's the differences??

Kopi Luwak 2

2009-11-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

I had a disheartened week after brought back these beans of Kopi Luwak from Indonesia.

I was saddened by its normal taste and plain character the first week I tried, it's pure and clean, though.

I almost come to curse these freshly roasted and overrated beans!

But, wait a minute!! it's fresh,and it could be too fresh to brew for its development is yet to complete its course.

So, I took 4 weeks finished trying these beans,

First week, I had to keep it to myself, as it's normal and plain.

Second week, the character was formed, sweetness tasted, pure and crispy. Pleasant after taste.

Third week, smooth, straight, neat and full body, mouth watering after taste, sensed of fully developed, tinge of fruitiness, like an ripened apple.

Fourth week, smooth and matured, sweet and tinge of cherry. Aftertaste like eating a sheer ripe fruit, pleasant!

And, after finished trying it, I've found a new way to brew it, it's the best way to brew these Kopi Luwak, I think : p , let's see what's the difference!

These beans appeared a bit darker, smelled rich and chocolaty.

I grounded into this size.

Slow boiling pace.

A moderato stay, near to stewing it

Look, rusult shows, creamy leftover,

Scummy surface. Yap, it's kind of 'turkish' coffee!

With a litte bit of scum soaked into the soup!

The locals of indonesia used to make this kind of coffee, directly boiled it, and drink it togather.

But, to me, just don't make it too much and over cooked, as this type can get it wrong easily.

See, the coffee cream maintained, hence, the aroma retained, I think.

and looks smooth, gloss and fine!

Now, it's a ready cup of Kopi Luwak!

The much talked and the Most Expensive Coffee in the World!
( Expensive because of much talked, or much talked because of expensive??)

Emmm....

After 7 types of its kind, I like this coffee much.

But, don't ask me what price it deserved, it is expensive, indeed!

The most original/real/trued taste of Kopi Luwak ....

2009-10-29T01:11:00.000-07:00

" Kopi Luwak " / 'Civet Cat's Coffee', or Animal Coffee,

is the most talked and expensive coffee. Many people, who'd tried it, majority of them can't really tell how's the taste, what's so special and how it really is, and, would say it doesn't desever the money.

I've tried 5 types of 'so call' Kopi Luwak, which come in difference packaging of difference companies, and, i can tell you that they are all difference from each other; and, I still can't make up my mind which one is the genuine 'Kopi Luwak'.

But, the price still maintain 'Mountainous High' for all the while.

After much of the curious talks and quetions, I decided to go after this legend

Than, I planned one trip for this 'legendary' journey.

After went through some special 'arrangement' in indonesia.
I got myself the opportunity to come close to this true.
And, it's still fresh !!

According to the coffee company, as the bean of 'kopi luwak' is limited souce, so, the quantity of fresh bean they can obtain is limited regardless of thier company size.

So, this the amount they reaped in for this time, a fews of Kg, they put it under the sun to dry it, natural process, according to them.

A couples kgs of fresh bean,
included mud, twigs and ssssshitsss!!!

Let's have a close-up

After so much talks about this 'legend',

at last, I have this opportunity to try it real fresh, and, I should be able to tell you all the genuine and the true taste of 'Kopi Luwak' after this!!

Let taste it!!!

Errrrrr, ,,,

Sorryyyyy...... to let you know that...i don't have the guttt.. to taste it..

Sorryyyy, dear friends, I still can't tell you the genuine and the real taste of 'kopi luwak'

but, it does smell a bit shitty...

It's not as smell as bad like those of cat, though.

About Syphon Brews Coffee

2009-10-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hario Syphon, consisting of 3 major components.

1) Lower Bowl, attached to the Standing Arm.

2) Upper Funnel, which comes with rubber neck ( Usually standing on its Cap ).

3) Filter with String, cloth or paper.

To brew, We need to fill the water amount which is suitable to the capacity of the Lower Bowl, for this MCA 3 model, the amount of water is about 360cc.

When the water is reaching 90 degree of Celsius after boiling it,

It's time now to set the Upper Funnel up which is filled with coffee powder.

Due to the hot steam pressure in the Lower Bowl, the hot water then, will be pushed up into the Upper Funnel, the water will start heating up the coffee powder, hence, the temperature will getting up until it reaches its optimum level.

The wonderful design of the syphon is, the temperature of the water coming into the Upper Funnel from the Lower Bowl will maintain a consistent of the 90 degree of Celsius (Which is deemed to be the optimum degree for brewing coffee, off course, some can choose between 85 degree to 93 degree). It's because of the remaining water in the Lower Bowl is keep heating up the temperature.

So, we can brew the coffee under this optimum heat so long as we wish!

Look at this bowl of coffee juice, so, creamy, so rich!!

(You can tell the coffee if the ground's fresh by just look at the bubbles when brewing)

Within 1 minute or 2, when the Lower Bowl became vacuum, and the temperature is colling down, the Lower Bowl will then be sucking the water in the Upper Funnel back onto it, and the scum will be filtered at the Funnel's neck (Which is pre-set).

And, the crystal pure coffee is reaaaaaady to served freshly!!

(Syphon brewed coffee is said to be the purest coffee of all brewing method due to it's optimum temperature and natural pressure, it really give you the taste of what the bean is up to!)

Qualita Oro, LAVAZZA's bean

2009-10-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Lavazza, Qualita Oro. Labelled as 100% arabica, come in 250gm pack of beans. Let see what's it! Emm, look is woodsy and natural, but, smell a bit of plum and earthy.

Let's try brewing with 24gm. Grouded into this fine, using Hario MCA 3 Syphon with 360cc of filter water.

Normal way of brewing, water temperature is about

87 degree of Celsius. Water staying for a bout 20's.

30's after, look at the leftover.

A bit dry, with little creammy scum.

Finaly, a freshly brewed of Qualita Oro!

Let's 'gulp'!!

Emmmm.............

Taste just like it smells. Aromatic, plummy, erthy,sweet and sour....n.....longggggggg aroma after bitter taste..

The Bean story begins

2009-10-10T03:10:00.000-07:00

Coffee Lane, Penang. Not a street name, but a cafe' with Syphon brewed coffee. My idea is, in Penang, should owned a place where coffee is Freshly Ground, Freshly Brewed and Freshly Served!

Thus, the Bean and I, begin the journey here,

10-B, King Street, Penang, Malaysia..........