Blends & Blending

* Blending Coffees *

This is YOUR page. If you have any favorite blends or recipes, submit them to Onobeano and we will include them here. We will also include your name and City,State unless you say otherwise. We're looking for regular brewing/drinking blends AND espresso blends. Have fun!!

REGULAR DRINKING STUFF

Mexican Organic Pluma with Mexican Organic Pluma
This was a mistake that worked out ok.
Roast a batch just into the start of 2nd crack.
Roast another batch just to the end of 2nd crack.
Mix 50-50.
Mike - Weldon Springs, MO
Mike makes a good point: lighter roasts bring out the more subtle flavors in a bean, darker roasts bring out more depth and body. Combining multiple roasts, even 3 or more, gives you more of the flavor spectrum.

Kenya Peaberry and Tanzanian Peaberry
This is a combination I make for a few friends of mine.
  • Roast Kenya to end of 2nd crack.
  • Roast Tanziana just into 2nd crack.
  • Mix 50/50.
    Tim - Bloomington, IN
    Tim, like a lot of other home roasters, is finding that blending similar looking beans, i.e. peaberries, not only adds a little complexity not found in a single varietal, but gives you the added attraction of being aesthetically pleasing. Try it!

    I look for a very heavy body with chocolately undertones and a delicate balance between high acidity and pungency. Using a base of 4 parts Yemen Mocha Matari, 2 Parts Kenya AA, and 1 Part Ethiopian Yrgachaffee I get the acidity and body that I crave. To temper the acid I add 2 parts Indian Mysore and 2 parts Sulawesi Toraja. I roast one quarter of the blend to a dark medium to allow the acid to shine, I roast one half to a full city roast for body and I roast one quarter of the mixture to a very dark, but not burnt, roast to bring out the pungency and bittersweet qualities of the Kenyan and Matari beans. I make this in a stainless stove top mocha pot. The result is a creamy, bittersweet coffee with a real attitude and a finish that lasts hours. When I can get it I occasionally substitute the Kenya with Yauco Selecto.
    Joel Robert Schulz
    Calgary, Canada
    Mr. Schulz is quite an accomplished home roaster, who has refined his tastes with that experience. It's amazing what you can do; this particular blend of his gives us all something to aspire to.

    For a simple, yet awesome blend, mix (post roast) equal parts Peru Royal Corona - 15-20 seconds into a rolling second crack - with Costa Rican Tarrazu - just barely into second crack. wait, there's more...
    For a more complicated, more complex blend (this gets crazy, but trust me; it's awesome!):

  • roast 3 parts Colombia Supremo Popayan with 2 parts Indian Mysore Nuggets about 20 seconds into a rolling second crack...
  • then roast together one part each:
    Nicaraguan Laguna Verde Maragogype
    Ethiopian Harar Horse
    Kenya AA Mweiga, and
    Indian Monsooned Malabar Gold (optional)
    just a few pops into the beginning of second crack.
  • Mix all this together - yes, there's more!- and combine this blend 50/50 with Sumatra Mandehling roasted about 10 seconds into a rolling second crack. Jim says: I don't know if this is good blending, or just amateurish, but either way, it's really good !!!
    Jim Exline
    New Orleans
    It took me a while to get these posted and Jim emailed, wondering if the reason was his blends were subpar: NO WAY!! I have always deferred any opinion of my own to the opinion of the creator. That's the beauty of home roasting - YOUR OPINION is the only one that counts. Sure, this blend is a bit complicated, but it does sound tasty; I only wish everyone would try it just once; then I could buy a new boat!! - Russ

    "HAF-CAF" Blends
    My parents love good coffee but can't take all the caffeine, so they have been mixing a regular coffee 50/50 with a decaf. This stuff really tastes good; also good in the evening for those who want a little more kick than decaf, but not quite ready for complete imsomnia. Some of their favorites are:

  • Molokai Muleskinner and Mexican Esmeralda Natural decaf
  • Sulawesi Toraja and Sumatra decaf (super yummy).
    Roast each separately then mix the roasted beans. You can vary the proportions to balance the caffeine content with the flavor you want.

    ESPRESSO

    these first four are the result of Jim Schulman's distinguished pallette

    General Purpose Espresso Blend

  • 1/3 to 1/2 Guatemala Antigua,
  • 1/2 to 2/3 Sumatra Mandheling, preblended and roasted to a rolling second.
    The two beans reinforce each other and develop a potent straightforward earthy/spicy taste that will show up even in Lattes. If you want to add a bright note or a little complexity, I'd suggest a pinch (10 - 20%) of something citric, like CR Terrazu or a highline Kenyan roasted separately and lighter. Fruity or winey coffees would not fare well in this blend. Sort of the espresso equivalent of a bowl of chili ;)

    Mocha/Java Straight Espresso

  • 1/3 Yemen (any will do),
  • 1/3 Uganda Bugisu or Budadiri,
  • 1/3 Sulawesi
    Roast the Yemen to the first snap of the second, preblend the Uganda and Sulawesi and take them into a rolling second.
    The Yemen gives a fruit liqueur flavor, the Uganda gives a more intense chocolate than a dark roasted Yemen, and the Sulawesi reinforces both flavors with smoky notes but without overwhelming them in spice like a Sumatra would. This is a complex and balanced cup that's suitable for a straight espresso. Using it in a cap or latte would mask the fruit flavor.

    Mocha/Java Cappucino

  • 1/2 Maui Mocha, roasted to a few snaps of the second,
  • 1/2 Government Estate Java (like Jampit), roasted to a rolling second.
    The Java adds smoothness and mouthfeel to the intense milk chocolate flavor of the Maui Mocha (Other Indonesians will mask the Maui's taste) . This is an ideal blend for a short cap, a condensed milk macchiato, or a demitasse with cream or whipped cream. Tastes like the chocolate milk you'll be drinking in heaven. It's less suitable for a straight espresso, since it's a little low on crema.

    Espresso for Cigars and Single Malt Scotch

  • 1/2 Yauco Selecto,
  • 1/2 Molokai Muleskinner, roasted to a rolling second.
  • If you really want to take this one over the top, replace some of the Muleskinner with Monsooned Malabar.
    The title says it all; this is a seriously peaty and smoky espresso. Using Monsooned Malabar adds deeper, funkier notes. It will cut through milk, but it's best enjoyed neat. I haven't tried adding any bright notes to this blend; but if I did, I'd start with a light roasted, wine flavored Kenyan or Tanzanian.