Looking for recomendations for a milk based espresso blend

C-man

I want to do a blend next, thinking of using this Brazilian as a base
but not sure what to add with it?
It has been described by Gal. as a big Chock caramel bomb. I like the sound of that.

http://ministrygrounds.com.au/green-coffee-beans-1/south-america/brazil-toffee-cerrado-green.html

sounds like it just needs a little something to make it more juicy.

Ideas?  I just don't want anything with citrus taste, everything else I like and best to order the greens from just one place like MG or BG but not both.

keep the blend down to no more than 2-3 beans if possable

thankx

galumay

I use my take on the KJM Blend from coffee snobs, which is Sth American, Central American, African and Indo, if you dont want to use that many beans perhaps try the Brazil with an African, maybe 66%/33%, one of the Rwandans that Brendan stocks would work Ok I think. Do try some as a SO though, it can carry milk fine.

Kelsey

My wife likes the CSI blend I make for her - and I like it in espresso and dislike citrus flavour. 280g Columbian bauche supreme 220g Sumatran Kuda Mas 100g Monsoonal Malabar

askthecoffeeguy

Agreed try adding some Sumatra Wahana and or PNG Sigri to round out the palate and add depth of flavour - and maybe a smattering of something from El Salvador or Guatemala to add some pear and walnut flavours ...

C-man

thanks, I will roast separately so I will try each when I want to, I like Brazilian alone too I was wanting to try to create a more full palate using that bean as a base as it sounded really good. The Wahana is pretty lively, it may work? trouble is BG has the Wahana and this Brazilian comes from MG

Brett H

Okay, I've looked at your title all day C-Man and I finally caved and corrected your x in espresso.  I realise that you possibly spelt it that way ironically but I couldn't help myself.  Say the word and ill change it back... However... Before you do consider the following: 50% Brazil Toffee 35% Kenyan AA Dorman (BeanGreen) 15% Tiger Mountain (BeanGreen Specials) That's my useful contribution to the thread.

C-man

haha you still got it Brett, I did that  X just to bug you! I was also going to spell coffy wrong but decieded to be more subtil about it. anyaway how does this soound? 50% Toffy some waanna and abaout 20% MM

JamesM

I run a blend with the Brazil toffee in it and it's a big hit. It also has the Guatemala Ceylan in it, and the third can be almost anything. I run them all 1/3rd's and blend pre-roast. My latest blend with these two and another el salvador is an epic choc, hazelnut, vanilla, marzipan, caramel cup. Very sweet and creamy with milk

shape_shifter

Kelsey do you roast individually for that blend with the MM?

Brett H

on 1360527430:

haha you still got it Brett, I did that  X just to bug you! I was also going to spell coffy wrong but decieded to be more subtil about it. anyaway how does this soound? 50% Toffy some waanna and abaout 20% MM

Sounds very good actually. 

C-man

on 1360559000:

I run a blend with the Brazil toffee in it and it's a big hit. It also has the Guatemala Ceylan in it, and the third can be almost anything. I run them all 1/3rd's and blend pre-roast. My latest blend with these two and another el salvador is an epic choc, hazelnut, vanilla, marzipan, caramel cup. Very sweet and creamy with milk

Sounds like what the Mrs picked out to go with the Brazil toffee this El Salvador http://ministrygrounds.com.au/green-coffee-beans-1/central-america/el-salvador-la-esperanza-tablon-el-moises-green.html

JamesM

Bingo. You now know my blend Have fun!!!! I had 2kg fresh roasted in my backpack on the train this morning. It sent all the commuters crazy

Kelsey

SS - no, although I probably should, given MM's proclivity for longevity!

shape_shifter

Thanks Kelsey, I'll give it ago pre-blended and if I works I'll try it without I have an Indonesia Sulawesi Toraja to substitute for the Sumantran Kuda Mas, I have the other two.

shape_shifter

on 1360559000:

I run a blend with the Brazil toffee in it and it's a big hit. It also has the Guatemala Ceylan in it, and the third can be almost anything. I run them all 1/3rd's and blend pre-roast. My latest blend with these two and another el salvador is an epic choc, hazelnut, vanilla, marzipan, caramel cup. Very sweet and creamy with milk

Thanks James, I'm going to try this one as well, I have both Guatemala and El Salvador beans as well as the Brazil toffee

C-man

on 1360567094:

Bingo. You now know my blend Have fun!!!! I had 2kg fresh roasted in my backpack on the train this morning. It sent all the commuters crazy

I also ordered a kg of their Indian Robusta to add just a touch to the blend

JamesM

I cupped the Indian monsoon robusta a couple of weeks ago and the notes were "burning tyres and ash".

hiphipharar

My suggestion: equal parts of Brazilian, Ethiopian and central African. The one I made recently was 250g each of Brazilian Pulped Natural, Ethiopian Yirgachefe and Kenyan Kendara. I roasted the Brazilian to the start of rolling second crack; Yirg to the very start of second crack (or a little before) and Kenyan before second crack.  Get it right and you have a sweet choc-coconut flavour. So I call it the Bounty blend. As these beans have different roasting requirements, roasting separately is recommended. A pre-blend I made of it wasn't nearly as good. If you like a bit more choc in your espresso, take the roasts a little deeper but  you may lose some of the other flavours.  I haven't tried it with the western Ethiopian beans (Gambella or Ghimbi) as I'm not sure the spicy wine flavours would suit it. Could be wrong though

C-man

on 1360580374:

I cupped the Indian monsoon robusta a couple of weeks ago and the notes were "burning tyres and ash".

thanks, might skip that one as my order did not go through and I am doing it again

Koffee_Kosmo

In equal parts Brazil - Ethiopia Harrah - Yemen if available KK

JamesM

These blend suggestions are making my mouth water! Hiphipharrar, that bounty blend sounds awesome and I agree about roasting some coffees separately. I tried my new blend this morning. It was only roasted on Saturday arvo so it needs more resting but already it's tasting good. I'm getting tonnes of choc, vanilla and marzipan. I took the roast only to the first snaps of SC. Can't wait for the weekend... Even more flavour development. I'm thinking I could pull out a little of the el Salv and add some Yirg. Will see! Fun times

mycuppa

I think everyone is getting a little bit carried away here and completely failed to notice the elephant in the room. Indian Washed or natural. Doesn't matter Just about any varietal - plantation A, sln9, Cauvery, cattimore , etc. Pound for pound more likely to please than many of the exotics mentioned here We are talking about milk _ you still need to play very carefully with acid. Softer is the key

hiphipharar

on 1360627888:

I think everyone is getting a little bit carried away here and completely failed to notice the elephant in the room. Indian

Well the subject does say "recommendations" for "milk based espresso blend". We were only submitting ours. No disputing that a good Indian bean will work well with milk but it isn't the only one. PNG, for example. I prefer a good Centro or South American in milk to an Indian. Mexican, for example. But Indians work very well in blends too. A 40-60 blend of Harrar + Mysore Nuggets was one of my recent successes. There are countless blend combinations with the general recommendation that if roasting for milk-based coffee, go a bit darker to reduce the acidity and/or rest for at least a week. YMMV.

mycuppa

Suggestion was made in response to the the original request - a complimentary bean to blend with a brazil without citrus-like qualities. Those without extensive experience of roasting and blending may **discover** the very real and apparent risk of Centrals and Africans turning out a little citrus-like - thus the "getting carried away" observation.

JamesM

The Indian Merthi Estate stuff is excellent with milk, on it's own, or blended.. I don't have a lot of experience with others

Seeya Latte

Being only new to roasting, it was my first question too No doubt similar to others here, while I prefer espresso

Brett H

on 1360635322:

Suggestion was made in response to the the original request - a complimentary bean to blend with a brazil without citrus-like qualities. Those without extensive experience of roasting and blending may **discover** the very real and apparent risk of Centrals and Africans turning out a little citrus-like - thus the "getting carried away" observation.

Oops... Just re-read the initial post  :doh: Good info as always Jeff!  Thanks!

C-man

I really respect Jeff's opinion I was hoping he would say something but I am out of stock so I went ahead and ordered my first thought was to add a little MM but that was on another site and I wanted to just place one order. anyway you can get up to 5kg for $14 postage I got 1 kg of each of the Brazil's as they both sounded good and 2kgs of the El Salvador that the Mrs picked out because she loves hazelnuts and Marzipan I added an 1kg of the Indo instead of an Indian. all will be roasted separately and tasted on it's own before I try to blend anything starting with small amounts. I was unaware of the acidity needing to be low with milk, I thought the Brazial on its own would be good but sort of one dimensional, I thought it might need something a bit more lively in small amounts? But I can see now I have a lot to learn, should be fun.   

C-man

on 1360618120:

My suggestion: equal parts of Brazilian, Ethiopian and central African. The one I made recently was 250g each of Brazilian Pulped Natural, Ethiopian Yirgachefe and Kenyan Kendara. I roasted the Brazilian to the start of rolling second crack; Yirg to the very start of second crack (or a little before) and Kenyan before second crack.  Get it right and you have a sweet choc-coconut flavour. So I call it the Bounty blend. As these beans have different roasting requirements, roasting separately is recommended. A pre-blend I made of it wasn't nearly as good. If you like a bit more choc in your espresso, take the roasts a little deeper but  you may lose some of the other flavours.  I haven't tried it with the western Ethiopian beans (Gambella or Ghimbi) as I'm not sure the spicy wine flavours would suit it. Could be wrong though

sounds good,  I wonder where the coconut comes from?

C-man

so I now have this 7 bean stash to blend from Brazil toffee cerrado Brazil Daterra sweet may even mix these two together depending on how they taste El Salvador COE Honduras hazelnut Yemen Sanani Mocca Indonesian Sumatran 'Blue Batak' and the famous big fat MM Indian that I already roasted ahead to prepare it for the blending

askthecoffeeguy

I put an impromptu blend of singles together at work yesterday: equal parts of png Sigri one week post roast and Brazil Boa Vista two weeks two weeks post roast - wasn't expecting much but it was just damn delicious and gushing with Crema ! The oils on the Boa Vista were just starting to come to the surface which made the espresso shot appear quit dark in the cup - but it was great as an espresso and with 60ml of milk on top as a 3/4 flat white Haven't really experimented with mixed vintages much before but given the results in the cup I'm gunna try it more!