Coffee
A beverage brewed from Coffee plant seeds (beans). Coffee lovers use it to jump start their central nervous systems in the morning. Had my first cup in 1958 at a Walgreen's lunch counter in downtown Milwaukee, WI.
Basic steps from plantation to cup are: harvesting, de-pulping, drying, grinding, roasting and brewing. Each step has many options/refinements to suit personal tastes.
Coffee fruit or cherries are red, & or orange when ripe. There are several ways to de-pulp the beans. Mechanical de-pulping with a fine grinder to scratch and score skin & pulp. The seeds are washed, removing all pulp, and dried. Or, pulp is partially removed. The remaining pulp is fermented. Fermentation is called "Honeying."
Man isn't the only critter interested in coffee. Birds, Civet Cats, elephants and monkeys eat coffee fruit. De-pulped beans are found in their feces. Hence "_________ Poop Coffee." I shit you not! Any doubts? Search Amazon or Google!
Coffee roasting and grinding are only of marginal interest. However, brewing is very interesting. Brewing brings coffee grounds and hot water together. Popular methods include: boiling, dripping,percolating & soaking.
Refining coffee separates grounds from liquid. I've heard that grounds are removed from boiled coffee by straining it through one's teeth. Legend has it that a raw egg added to boiled coffee will collect the grounds. Also, egg shells are said to reduce acid in coffee, making it less bitter. Coffee-grounds omlet anyone?
Some brewing methods isolate grounds from liquid. Sieves and filters are used. Drip uses before and after tanks. Perc's one tank served as both. The longer it perks the stronger it gets. Coffee flavored tar is possible. Drip often uses carafes, cups, etc. as the after tank.
The French Press uses a soak, squeeze, & filter method. C. 1960, on DDR 882 , I saw another process. (Note: weights/volumes are approximate). The Mess Deck coffee pot was: stainless-steel, 55 gal., and secured to a bulkhead. Water was permanently connected. Coffee was added to hot water using a pillow case containing 5 lbs. of grounds. The coffee bag was tied to a 1/2 size canoe paddle. A cook stirred till the brew was right.
The world would be less civilized w/o empty coffee cans for storage. I need another cup.
A beverage brewed from Coffee plant seeds (beans). Coffee lovers use it to jump start their central nervous systems in the morning. Had my first cup in 1958 at a Walgreen's lunch counter in downtown Milwaukee, WI.
Basic steps from plantation to cup are: harvesting, de-pulping, drying, grinding, roasting and brewing. Each step has many options/refinements to suit personal tastes.
Coffee fruit or cherries are red, & or orange when ripe. There are several ways to de-pulp the beans. Mechanical de-pulping with a fine grinder to scratch and score skin & pulp. The seeds are washed, removing all pulp, and dried. Or, pulp is partially removed. The remaining pulp is fermented. Fermentation is called "Honeying."
Man isn't the only critter interested in coffee. Birds, Civet Cats, elephants and monkeys eat coffee fruit. De-pulped beans are found in their feces. Hence "_________ Poop Coffee." I shit you not! Any doubts? Search Amazon or Google!
Coffee roasting and grinding are only of marginal interest. However, brewing is very interesting. Brewing brings coffee grounds and hot water together. Popular methods include: boiling, dripping,percolating & soaking.
Refining coffee separates grounds from liquid. I've heard that grounds are removed from boiled coffee by straining it through one's teeth. Legend has it that a raw egg added to boiled coffee will collect the grounds. Also, egg shells are said to reduce acid in coffee, making it less bitter. Coffee-grounds omlet anyone?
Some brewing methods isolate grounds from liquid. Sieves and filters are used. Drip uses before and after tanks. Perc's one tank served as both. The longer it perks the stronger it gets. Coffee flavored tar is possible. Drip often uses carafes, cups, etc. as the after tank.
The French Press uses a soak, squeeze, & filter method. C. 1960, on DDR 882 , I saw another process. (Note: weights/volumes are approximate). The Mess Deck coffee pot was: stainless-steel, 55 gal., and secured to a bulkhead. Water was permanently connected. Coffee was added to hot water using a pillow case containing 5 lbs. of grounds. The coffee bag was tied to a 1/2 size canoe paddle. A cook stirred till the brew was right.
The world would be less civilized w/o empty coffee cans for storage. I need another cup.
