Melange: A Medley of Roast Levels!

[@bdog111]

I always roast single origin for maximum control. I always do 150 gram batches in my Hottop so each pound of coffee comes out to 3 batches without leftovers and I get to roast 3 different coffees to get my 1 pound of coffee for the next 2 weeks. My favorite go to blend is a 1:1:1 ratio of a light roast washed central/south American, medium roast natural African and a dark roast giling basah Sumatra (or someone wacky like robusta, monsooned or aged). What is light and medium roasted here can be swapped around as well depending on the coffees. This ratio can only be guaranteed if you weigh and blend each pot of coffee at a time. It's the best of all 3 worlds! I also get to blend just 2 together and also try single origin brews. Of course if someone isn't vacuum brewing with a glass filter rod they really are missing out!

[@SweetMariasCoffee]

Yum! That sounds like a delicious blend.

[@tmoneyyy123]

I’ve always wondered about this! One thing I sometimes do as a home roaster is blend beans together pre-roast when running low on supply and then roast that melange in my air popper. I find that by doing so I often end up with slightly different roast levels between beans, which can result in an interesting cup. Is that considered “good” practice?

[@SweetMariasCoffee]

Good question! We don't think there's a definitive answer on whether or not that's "good practice," as the size and density of each lot of coffee varies - if you pre-blend before roasting, there's a chance that they come out uneven in roast level. We think it's great that you're able to get an interesting (and hopefully delicious) cup by doing so! Melange post-roasting is moreso to capture specific flavors or characteristics you want or find that one is lacking at one roast level.

[@bdog111]

@@SweetMariasCoffee Exactly, you lose control when you do this. You can always blend later, and, if you're crazy like me, you can weight out each blend per brew session. (this way I have a different blend every time)