What a difference a day makes...

Friday I roasted 2.2 kgs of Costa Rica don Oscar Limones and struggled with managing heat toward the end of the roast. I was concerned if all my fussing around had been enough to save the roast. So on Saturday we tried a cup instead of waiting at least 24 hrs to let the coffee 'rest'. To my taste it was totally blah... like having some water using your just-emptied coffee cup without rinsing it. I knew it was coffee but all the things I cherish were watered down. The Admiral (my biggest fan!) said I had no idea what I was talking about. I blamed it on screwing up the brew but that was no more than a WAG.

So I was uneasy about this 2nd try on Sunday. Everything was brewed the same-

• same amount of coffee (I measure the coffee for the morning brew by volume instead of properly using a scale);
• same amount of water (again, I use volume instead of a scale like I should);
  
• the temperature of the water (a bonaVITA kettle set to 197°F);
• wet the grinds and wait for the bloom; and last of all
• add the brew water in a slow single pour just in the center of the Melitta filter.

Like the song says, "what a difference a day makes..." My old friend was back and tasted better than ever. The Admiral said "it's so strong!", confirmation the previous day was watered down flavor. By 1/2 way thru the cup she was telling me it was great coffee. Thank the coffee spirits: we're back to normal. I'd hate to think I'd just roasted 4 lbs. of crap! [ 4 lbs./1.8 kg is the yield from 2.2 kg of green beans... nearly all of the difference is from water loss. ]

By way of explanation, there's a quirky thing that goes on with freshly roasted coffee. It has to 'rest' for 24 hrs before it's consumed. I'm told it has to do with CO2 trapped in the cell walls of the coffee bean and grinding alone doesn't release it. But 24 hrs is only a minimum and sometimes it takes as much as 48 hrs or more (certain Ethiopians, I'm told, can take 6 or 7 days). So I guess this Costa Rica don Limones is an 'or longer' coffee.

Normally we're talking about subtle changes in the nuances of flavor in the brewed coffee over a very short interval, not a total absence of taste that is magically replaced but everything great about this cup. So I got a lesson in patience. And an introduction to how coffee can improve with just a little time. Interesting.

Now I'm wondering if the odd temp variations during the roast (after 1C) go hand-in-hand with the rest-time required... ?? Something more to keep in mind as I keep learning.