# Disgusting v gorgeous



## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

I bought some Columbian coffee from Square Mile. Followed James method for v60 and it turned out to be gorgeous. Sublime.

i am running out so just bought some from a local roaster. Guatemalan. Medium roast. Followed same instructions. Tastes horrible.

before tasting I noticed a few things.

the volume of the horrible coffee was greater after grinding 30g. 
the bloom was more expansive 
there was no roast date just a best before Oct 2020

the coffee stuck to the side of the filter whereas the Square Mile coffee settled with a flat bed. See photo.

I still have a nasty aftertaste an hour later.

is this all normal? I dislike this new coffee. But it might be just me. Nothing to do with the coffee. 
ive a lot to learn.


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

With that much bloom, it could be pretty fresh from roasting. Perhaps let it rest a few days and try it again?


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## Ivanox (Jul 8, 2017)

Hmm a lot of unknowns here but any coffee can react differently when brewing. The expansive bloom suggests it's freshly roasted as more gas is being released. Would say give it a few more days for the coffee to develop. If it still tastes bad assuming your coffee technique is on point, it could well be a roasting issue or poor quality bean. Any specifics on how it tastes? grassy, burnt, flat, bitter, sour, fizzy etc. Normally a good indication of what's wrong.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

How much did you pay? Cost is a pretty good indication of quality.

A lack of a roast date is concerning. BB October 2020 suggests it was roasted October 2019.


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## catpuccino (Jan 5, 2019)

RoyB said:


> Tastes horrible


 Define horrible. Not being facetious, best practice is to adjust the brew method to taste. Describe what you didn't like. Many variables as everyone else has said, but important to recognise one brew method won't work for all coffees without adjustments.


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

Rob1 said:


> How much did you pay? Cost is a pretty good indication of quality.
> 
> A lack of a roast date is concerning. BB October 2020 suggests it was roasted October 2019.


 Just under a tenner for 350g. From a little deli. I might go in and ask them when roasted.


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

catpuccino said:


> Define horrible. Not being facetious, best practice is to adjust the brew method to taste. Describe what you didn't like. Many variables as everyone else has said, but important to recognise one brew method won't work for all coffees without adjustments.


 Hi. And thank you. I have no real sense of smell. So tasting is a little difficult to describe however it was bitter and unpleasant. Not sweet or floral. I will adjust the grind up and down. Try it in different brewing methods as suggested and leave it a few days in case it was freshly roasted. But the comment about October 2019 makes me think!


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

Ivanox said:


> Hmm a lot of unknowns here but any coffee can react differently when brewing. The expansive bloom suggests it's freshly roasted as more gas is being released. Would say give it a few more days for the coffee to develop. If it still tastes bad assuming your coffee technique is on point, it could well be a roasting issue or poor quality bean. Any specifics on how it tastes? grassy, burnt, flat, bitter, sour, fizzy etc. Normally a good indication of what's wrong.


 Bitter, uninvolving. Flat. I have little sense of smell so it is about how it feels. I will persevere. I'm not complaining. Just learning as I go. Absolute newby. Thanks for the advice and reply.


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

I think I found the problem. Lots of the beans were burned. My wife immediately said the ground coffee was burned. I inspected a handful of beans and lots were black!!! Some were light brown. It was meant to be medium roast.

Its going back tomorrow!!!

Thanks for the comments. Helped me out a lot!


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## Ivanox (Jul 8, 2017)

Ah roasting issue then, glad you figured it out.


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

Ivanox said:


> Ah roasting issue then, glad you figured it out.


 Hi Ivanox..... does one expect lots of roasting issues?


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

Not with reputable roasters


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

RoyB said:


> Hi Ivanox..... does one expect lots of roasting issues?


 No - "roasting issues" should be very much the exception.

Obviously if some beans were visibly burnt/dark and some were visibly pale.... something isn't right.

(Being an optimist) I suspect when you take the back to the roaster they will be mortified and immediately offer to exchange them, possibly even offering some level of compensation (money back, more beans free etc).

If they do - all good accept it as one of those things (albeit keeping an eye out for similar issues in future ;-) - I ain't that much of an optimist)...
If they don't - I would avoid them like the plague in future.....


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

I wouldn't be surprised if you find out they 'roasted' them in a frying pan.


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## allikat (Jan 27, 2020)

Roasting issues happen , a roast can go wrong, the machine can hiccup, or someone can get a phone call at exactly the wrong moment. But anyone reputable would pull those roasts out of the line.

I've had bulk catering beans that were burned, and the cash&carry was happy to swap them out for fresh packs. If they can do it, somewhere that depends on customer support can do it.


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## Ivanox (Jul 8, 2017)

RoyB said:


> Hi Ivanox..... does one expect lots of roasting issues?


 I'm a roaster so i'd probably be harsher on them than most, but you shouldn't expect it from any decent roaster as a part of quality control. However, on the off chance this is a very very unfortunate circumstance I would see what they come back with. The odds are they've distributed that entire roast so I imagine you're not the only one complaining about dodgy beans.


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

I have 3 lots of beans at present. Can you identify the row of beans that are the the ones I'm complaining about?


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## catpuccino (Jan 5, 2019)

I was going to ask for a picture.

1 and 2 look quite uneven.


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

catpuccino said:


> I was going to ask for a picture.
> 
> 1 and 2 look quite uneven.


 Its between 1 & 2


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## Ivanox (Jul 8, 2017)

Does look a little like rows 1 and 2 are uneven. Hard to see how oily they are but possibly row 1 looks slightly worse off?


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

Ivanox said:


> Does look a little like rows 1 and 2 are uneven. Hard to see how oily they are but possibly row 1 looks slightly worse off?
> 
> View attachment 39263


 Hi Ivanox

Row 1 is the one I consider poor, burned flavour.

2 is a darker roast but when tasting I don't get the burned flavour, There is still some sweetness in 2 which is lacking completely in row 1. I have used pour over for each now to try and bring consistency to what I am tasting. I am wondering whether the grounds that stuck to the sides in Row 1 were the burned bits. Sorry if I am sounding overly concerned but I am eager to learn!

Thank you


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## jazzersi (Apr 17, 2020)

RoyB said:


> Hi Ivanox
> 
> Row 1 is the one I consider poor, burned flavour.
> 
> ...


 The grinds in these photos look very course, lots of boulders. How long is your pour-over taking to complete?


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## RoyB (Apr 22, 2020)

About 3minutes 30. Seems ok from what I have seen online......


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