Mexican Chiapas, Dominican Republic Barahona & Bolivian Colonial Caranavi Blend

Picture taken by a couple of girls in Tawian. (amazingdata.com)

Need Coffee?

Have you ever been so tired you feel as though you’ll fall flat on your face? Coffee is the remedy, if you could just get the moment to drink it.

The pot is hot. A cup is almost in hand. Then a three year old wakes up with the energy of six espressos and intercepts you before you make it to the kitchen.  What happens next?

I know, because it happened to me.

I helped my son get dressed, made him breakfast, and gave my dog his thyroid medicine. The psychological effects hit his 120 lb. furry body instantly. The three year old makes a game of instigating the dog into a game of crash-bash off the walls. Shoes are put on and the dog is leashed. I wanted to walk. They ran, pulling me along behind. With every step my mind is on the cup of coffee left untouched on the counter. Sleepiness had not been vanquished. The inevitable came to pass. I slid across three squares of concrete as I fell flat on my face.

While my son played on the elementary school’s playground, I watched my swollen wrist change colors like the horse in the Emerald City. Thoughts, boundless without the caffeine restrictions of order, began to wonder what kind of roast and brew contains the most caffeine? Can I make a blend that would utilize this knowledge? 

What I Know

Espresso has one third the amount of coffee a regular cup of coffee possesses.  

The extended time of the coffee being in contact with hot water is what allows more of the caffeine to make its way into your cup. 

This tells me my French Press is the best way to maximize the amount of caffeine out of the grounds and into my system.

Dark roasts have stronger, smoky flavors and lose the fruitiness light roasts maintain. I used to think this meant stronger flavor. It doesn’t.

The longer coffee beans are roasted the more caffeine is burned out of the bean. 

It is the numerous chemical changes coffee beans undergo during the roasting process which determines the amount of caffeine in coffee and flavors. So, the lighter the roast the more caffeine you have conserved.

This is a problem for me. I do not care for the fruitier flavors which typically accompany the lighter roasts. My husband like the intense dark roasts and I prefer the full city or medium roasts. How to make a blend that gives us a caffeine boost with flavors we both like? 

A Three Bean Blend

Mexican Chiapas: Two ounces were first roasted with low heat and a medium fan for two minutes. Then four minutes on medium heat. The first crack occurred with two and a half minutes remaining. A light or breakfast roast.

Dominican Republic Barahona: Four ounces began on low heat with high fan for two minutes. The heat was increased to high and the fan decreased to low for another six minutes of roasting. The first crack occurred with four and a half minutes remaining. The second began with one minute remaining in the roast. A medium or full city roast.

Bolivian Colonial Caranavi: Three ounces were dried out for roasting on low heat and high fan for two minutes, and then high heat with a medium fan for ten minutes. The first crack began with six and a half left in the roast. The second with three and a half minutes to go. A very dark French roast.

I mixed all the beans into one bag. We just made sure to shake it before grinding the beans to ensure near equal proportions of the roasts in each brew. My husband and I had drunk a pot of coffee and were onto our second by the time we were able to determine the flavors. There are no notable flavors. It is a well-balanced blend. Smooth, subtle flavors that are addictive. 

Has this blend has managed to utilized the knowledge of caffeine extraction? I doubt it, but that doesn’t matter. The sheer amount of this blend my husband and I managed to drink in one day was more than enough caffeine for a week. 

I nursed scrapes and a severely bruised wrist with multiple cups of this blend. The day I was able to drink my coffee in the morning before taking my boys for their morning stroll, I was the one running.

What kinds of blends, roasts and brews to you use to prevent falling on your face? Let me know by writing it in the comments box or emailing me at sarahjorichards@gmail.com.