Outdoor Adventure USA

This net is all about camp coffee. Many of us enjoy a cup or two of coffee every day and it is no different while camping. We want our coffee for sure in the morning and perhaps again around the camp fire.
Being remote, we have to bring all the ingredients, equipment and brew it ourselves.
So tonight, we want to discuss what to bring and how to brew it when camping.
And having a back story about our coffee, the harvesting, cleaning, roasting, and grinding just makes it better.

We have to assume while camping we might have no electricity, limited space for gear, and limited trash & water.

Coffee is now in the realm of wine with coffee regions, single sourcing, varieties, boutique roasting and grinding complete with a rating system (1-100) on the final cup.

Any of these topics are fair game. I for one look forward to learning more about coffee from you.

• Benefits of coffee
• History
• Types of Coffee Bean & sources
• Types of roast
• Types of Grind
• Methods and equipment
• Perhaps water
• Additives (sugar, cream, alcohol, umbrellas …)

This is the 3rd net we have had on coffee. Lets continue to add to our collective knowledge.
Post away and be sure to add pictures.

Why do we like coffee?


Did you ever ask yourself why you like coffee? After all it has a bitter taste. Think back on that first-time cup - it was terrible. How did you acquire a
taste for it? Was it social pressure?

The truth is it is addictive, it stimulates the brain and you feel alive. You get a nice release of dopamine.

• Caffeine to stay awake, stimulates your brain
• Addictive --- Withdraw gives headache And irritability
• Our brain responds with a nice release of dopamine.”
• Calms nerves
• Warm you up
• Cuts through sweets (donuts)
• Good social drink
• Enjoy the smell of the ground beans• The ritual of its preparation
• The time taken to sit down and enjoy the coffee

For the trail, my son gifted me a very nice JETBOIL setup, so I have added this to my pack along with appropriate number of fuel cells, that and along with some BLACK RIFLE COFFEE, I'm all set!

For the Shack, I keep my java warm using my new special edition coffee warmer, Collins model 30L-1
I had to have a special outlet with horizontal blades, but I can also heat the shack with it, not just the coffee!
73 all! Jim AG6IF

Dave, Tom and the Net
Please check us in.
Kevin KK6DGL
Jack KK6WXQ
John KM6FXI

Thanks

I prefer to grind my own beans. I usually grind enough for 2-3 days using a blade type grinder.

https://ineedcoffee.com/coffee-grind-chart/


The advantages of grinding your own beans is that the fresh ground beans have less time to oxidize and turn stale before use.
I have a shop around the corner from my house that Roasts their Beans every day and no more than two pounds at a time. Most towns have smaller coffee houses that do the same. I like to buy local when I can and there is no better way to enjoy coffee.
The challenge of grinding your own beans is the consistency of the grind. Always grind in small batches to ensure a good circulation to the blades. I like a medium to courser grind.

When I am at home, I brew my coffee in a Keurig coffee machine that allows me to load my own coffee into a reusable cup rather than a using a disposable K-cup. These machines are essentially a drip system although they do use some pressure to quickly force the coffee through the K-cup.

By the way, the Kirkland brand coffees are excellent and are roasted at many Costco locations throughout the Country and then shipped to neighboring branches. If I purchase bulk coffee this way, I still grind at home. It takes a while to use their large bags of coffee and I find that 1/2 way through the package, the coffee isn’t as fresh tasting. But that’s me.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

NOTE: Part of this product spotlight appeared on the March 19th net preview entitled, "Urban Survival - The Corona." Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were not able to address this item. Usually, when we don't discuss a spotlight, we let it go, figuring that everyone had a chance to read about it and that should take care of it. But. since we had the "unavoidable circumstances" and, more importantly, a subsequent release of another improved flashlight, we felt that it would be worthwhile to bring these new and newer items to your attention.

When it comes to crowded fields for products, flashlights certainly have earned a spot at the top. And, in case you've wondered, this is a very good thing, because in most cases, it is the consumer that benefits when there are a lot of players, making a lot of products. Free enterprise, baby!!!

A little history, if you please. While the much older style alkaline AA and AA batteries are still in use in many flashlights, the current trend is heavily weighted in favor of a much more powerful and long lasting battery, the 18650 Li ion. It's benefits are many and it's no surprise that it has become the (or one of the) most popular energy sources for handheld flashlights in the market today. It's capabilities are so impressive that the 18650 battery is not only used in many flashlights, but some car makers use them (and lots of them) to power their electric vehicles. As time has passed we have seen the amp hour rating of the 18650 increase from 2400 mAh to 3700 mAh in a matter of a few short years.

Just a quick note here: The battery designation (18650) is not an arbitrary number, but a reference to the external dimensions of the battery itself. So an 18650 battery is 18mm in diameter and 65mm in length. No idea what that is in inches, but you get the picture.

Back to history, and in this case, current history. As with most things these days, they improve. In the case of batteries, we seem to be following the famous words of Tim the Tool man Taylor - MORE POWER!!! Yep, bigger is better!!! Drivers want more power, flashlight users want more power, and so do we. The result is that there is a never ending quest to build a better, more powerful battery, and that is where a certain new battery has been making an impressive appearance in the last couple of years - the 21700 Li ion battery. Just a tad bigger in physical size, but a significant leap in power at 5000mAh.

The Fenix PD36R

One of the first to employ the 21700 battery in a flashlight is the Fenix company with their new PD36R blaster, capable of producing a 1600 lumen light for almost 3 hours. For a few pennies less than a C-note, you can be the proud owner of one hell of flashlight.
The specs are impressive, both in terms of run time and light power.

From the Fenix website (https://www.fenixlighting.com)


The Fenix PD40R V2.0

At the time I wrote the above, the PD36R was the king of the hill, but apparently, not for long. About a week ago, I received an email from Fenix introducing their newest king of the hill, the PD40R, sporting 3000 lumens, a 21700 Li ion battery, and all in a package just slightly bigger than the PD36R. AND, it can blast out 3000 lumens for close to three hours. I personally like the controls on the 40 better!

Here is the flashlight and the specs.

10 Steps from Seed to Cup

In trying to get an overview of the coffee process and doing some research I found A great resource
The National Coffee Association website : https://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/10- ... eed-to-Cup


I have summarized the 10 steps they list. On the web site each step has interesting narrative.
1. Planting
2. Harvesting the cherries
3. Processing the cherries
4. Drying
5. Milling (includes Hulling, polishing, grading & sorting)
6. Exporting (i.e. the green beans)
7. Tasting ( called cupping)
8. Roasting
9. Grinding
10. Brewing
For most of us our contact starts with the last 3 roasting, grinding and brewing.
And of course drinking!

However, there are many interesting facts to be gained by studying each of the other steps.
For example, all the land impacts of growing coffee and the economic impacts.
But I will let you read that on their web site if you are interested.
What follows is a quick overview of key info on roasting, grinding and brewing.

Roasting


Grinds

This pictures of different grinds if from the National Coffee Association website:
The NCA Guide to Brewing Essentials

Brewing
I have extracted a few highlights from the NCA's Guide to Brewing Esentials

A general guideline is called the "Golden Ratio" - one to two tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water.

water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit

One study has shown that coffee drinkers typically drink their coffee at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

In a drip system, the contact time should be approximately 5 minutes. If you are making your coffee using a French Press, the contact time should be 2-4 minutes. Espresso has an especially brief brew time — the coffee is in contact with the water for only 20-30 seconds. Cold brew, on the other hand, should steep overnight (about 12 hours).

I don't drink coffee, but my wife doesn't function without it. So in the spirit of "Happy Wife = Happy Life" I have refined the process of making coffee while camping. We started our 3 month Alaska trip with a glass French Press and several bags of coffee strategically hidden in various compartments of the truck. However, a month or so into the trip I shattered the French Press while washing it out one morning. To say that my wife was unimpressed would be an understatement. We had a few packets of Starbucks VIA to get her through a couple days, but I was advised in no uncertain terms that I had better find a way to brew "real" coffee quickly. A bit of on-line research led to the AeroPress which we had Amazon ship to a friend's house in Anchorage. That got me back in my wife's good graces and we spent the next few days/weeks refining how to make her preferred cup of coffee.

For basic "quick" camping we've pared the kit down to just the essentials - a way to heat water, a way to make coffee, and something to drink it from... The JetBoil Zip works well for heating water and a full jetboil cup (27oz) is one travel mug of coffee. I've never tried the JetBoil French Press, as I usually boil a second cup of water for my breakfast, oatmeal packets and hot chocolate. For short trips we'll pre-measure coffee into snack size ziplock bags, which along with the paper filters can be stored inside the handle of the AeroPress. The AeroPress funnel is bulky, but I find it essential when pressing the coffee into a 20oz Contigo Autoseal travel mug. Our favorite coffee comes from Star Spangled Roasters, a Veteran owned coffee roaster who donates $1 from each bag of coffee to military charities.
https://www.starspangledroasters.com/ After a bit of experimentation, we've settled on the "Inverted Method" of brewing - https://www.moustachecoffeeclub.com/aer ... ow-to-brew
We use about 3-tablespoons of grounds, let them brew for 2:30, then press out the coffee. Once the coffee is pressed, then fill the cup up with the remainder of the hot water. I love how easy the AeroPress clean up is, especially compared to the French Press, pull off the bottom and press out the "puck" of grounds straight into the trash. A quick wipe of the bottom of the plunger and the cleanup is done and you can enjoy your morning in camp instead of washing dishes!

Grinder

Since I have been using a french press, the ground coffee from the super market wasn't quite right, so I needed a grinder.
My original thought was I would needed a grinder with 80 different grind settings. With prices in the $300 range, on refection, I decided to start simple and cheep.
If warranted I could upgrade.

So far this Cuisinart which cost about $60 on amazon has been perfect. As you can see in the picture, I am using the 6th dot under course. I tried the grinds above and below and settled on this on.

Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill



4 To 18-cup Slide Dial
Removable 8 Oz. Bean Hopper
Electric Timer Automatically Shuts Off
18-position Grind Selector

Removable grind chamber holds enough ground coffee for 32 cups. Burr grinding provides uniform grind and optimum flavor 4 to 18-cup slide dial and removable 8 oz. bean hopper Electric timer automatically shuts off when grind cycle is complete. 18-position grind selector - from ultra-fine to extra-coarse