Who uses Australian grown coffee?

steve · June 2004

Hi folks.

Please be patient with the newbie.

In looking around here, and since most of you folks seem to be at the roaster/retail end of the game, I was curious about one thing in particular: how many of you use Australian grown beans?

If yes, what have been your experiences?

If no, why not?

I get the impression not many cafes, baristas or roasters have, outside of a few regional areas like Lismore/Byron, and Cairns, much experience with the stuff.

If no means you haven't thought of doing so, perhaps I could invite you to come on over to my site

http://www.australiancoffee.com and check out the 50+ (and more to come) Australian coffee growers I've turned up, each with their own coffee brands, and with a surprising diversity of product.

We coffee folks in the Northern Rivers area of NSW in particular, where there are about 40 growers with their own labels, shouldn't keep these local beans a secret anymore.

Steve

FreshCoffee2 · June 2004

Hello Steve, you mentioned something about 50 growers listed, and with quite a diversity of product... Purely from an academic point of view it would be interesting to know how many different varieties of coffee are being grown up there, and what part of the world they originated from before planting in Australia. FC.

steve · June 2004

Purely from an academic point of view it would be interesting to know how many different varieties of coffee are being grown up there, and what part of the world they originated from before planting in Australia.

A good question. Short answer: lots of coffee varieties are in cultivation in northern NSW, as well as in Queensland. Over the last decade or two there has been a lot of CSIRO and industry research into the best coffee cultivars to grow in Australia, balancing off liquoring quality, hardiness, yield characteristics, and ease of harvesting. Most growers nowadays select from a palette of about 16 cultivars that have been extensively assessed by govt researchers as most suitable for planting domestically, and which are available from wholesale plant growers around the place. Of these 16, about 2 cultivars probably dominate NSW production: K7, originally from East Africa, and Condong Range Bourbon (CRB), an indigenous Australian cultivar that has naturally evolved in the northern rivers region of NSW since the 1880's, from plantings put in when coffee was last extensively cultivated in Australia. K7 is favoured for its liquoring quality, high yield and also because it works well with machine harvesting, CRB is popular also for its taste quality, high yield, and natural hardiness, having evolved a good tolerance to the cold and pests of the region it calls home over the last 100 years or more. There are also lots of other varieties in cultivation too, depending on grower preferences and background. I know one grower from near Murwillumbah using a cultivar originally brought in from Ethiopia, others experimenting with other indigenous Australian cultivars found growing wild in the hills and now farmed, etc. That's part of the fun about the local scene. In QLD there is a similar story - some indigenous cultivars, some varieties brought in from PNG, Costa Rica or Tanzania. It all equals lots of variety to explore. - Steve

ristretto · June 2004

Steve, I am a long time member of the forum but have been MIA for some time. Just got back on the site this morning and I have to say that your post is one of the most informative of all that I have read. I always hoped the site would evolve into something where great information was the order of the day. As for locally grown coffee I have never tried it, perhaps a marketing or availability issue more than anything else. Would you say there are 3 distinct categories: Overseas grown and packaged eg Lavazza Overseas grown and locally roasted and packed eg Vittoria and Andronicus; and Locally grown Ristretto 8)

john · September 2004

Thought that I would resuscitate this topic. Who is actually using Oz grown coffee.

kingcoffeecoffee · January 2010

Does anyone know where i can buy some of these plants

askthecoffeeguy · January 2010

Try contacting: Eureka Coffee 332 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North VIC 3068 (03)

Cherry · October 2010

Rio coffee is roasting mountain top From hills of nimbin doing a good job. Would like to have more contact with other growers

Springbok · July 2011

Im a traditionalist - so just going on what I have read I wouldnt try a cofee grown at less than 1000m asl - the higher the better! And I think I can taste the difference However I am certainly not equipped to argue against the boffins at the CSIRO so I could be wayy wrong.

adelaidecoffee · July 2011

Hi Steve, Your website is for sale? And it only has sponsored (relavent & unrelavent) listings? It doesnt show anything to what you have mentioned in your post. I wouldnt mind ordering some aussie beans sometime for my personal use at home.

Dry_bean. · July 2011

I've tried Aust grown coffee on a number of occasions and have been totally underwhelmed each and every time, insipid, flavourless dishwater without any body. Have never tried roasting any Aussie beans myself, might just buy some green next time I see them on offer and try roasting to my taste.

Koffee_Kosmo · July 2011

on 1309678714:

Hi Steve, Your website is for sale? And it only has sponsored (relavent & unrelavent) listings? It doesnt show anything to what you have mentioned in your post. I wouldnt mind ordering some aussie beans sometime for my personal use at home.

I dont think that Steve will answer your query as his post dates back to 2004 However this is a good and important thread to be discussed further Australian coffee growers deserve a little support as long as the product deserves it KK

Dry_bean. · July 2011

on 1309678714:

Hi Steve, Your website is for sale? And it only has sponsored (relavent & unrelavent) listings? It doesnt show anything to what you have mentioned in your post. I wouldnt mind ordering some aussie beans sometime for my personal use at home.

This is a pretty old thread AC, Steve's last post was on 7th June 2004, 7 years ago.

Dry_bean. · July 2011

on 1309680581:

However this is a good and important thread to be discussed further Australian coffee growers deserve a little support as long as the product deserves it KK

The big question is does the product deserve it? I see Green Bean have Australian - Skybury Estate listed, described as (Naturally low in caffiene, but this bean has a delicate citrus flavour and bright acidity.) which translates to me as, not to my taste, regardless will buy a kg next order and give it a go.

hiphipharar · July 2011

on 1309680474:

I've tried Aust grown coffee on a number of occasions and have been totally underwhelmed each and every time, insipid, flavourless dishwater without any body. Have never tried roasting any Aussie beans myself, might just buy some green next time I see them on offer and try roasting to my taste.

I've tried two Aussie MTE beans and found (a) they don't work in milk-based drinks but do work well using a manual brewing method such as syphon or filter (b) require careful roasting (c) you can enjoy honey/toffee apple flavours and even some florals if roasted lightly (d) no body, as you said

Dry_bean. · July 2011

on 1309682518:

I've tried two Aussie MTE beans and found (a) they don't work in milk-based drinks but do work well using a manual brewing method such as syphon or filter (b) require careful roasting (c) you can enjoy honey/toffee apple flavours and even some florals if roasted lightly (d) no body, as you said

My preference is for Espresso, not a fan of syphon, filter coffee or lightly roasted beans with grassy or citrus flavours. I guess all of this means low altitude Aussie grown beans simply don't suit my palate.

beanflying · July 2011

I love the MTE478 I have, taken carefully to first snaps of SC then drunk as a Syphon or Plunger is excellent with decent body and plenty of flavour depth. The MTE Bin 35 is super sweet and does milk fairly well as an espresso at just beyond SC, havn't tried it at a light roast but I thinlk Chris Blair may have? The 549 I have only done a couple of roasts of but the last time I used it was pre SC for Syphon and it was a really nice cup. Got to watch the roasting on the 478 it doeasn't run away from FC to SC in particular. Are they worth the $$ well the 35 I think is but I have had better cups for less $ from non Aussie beans then again we do ask a little more than $1/day for wages. Give them a go and support an Aussie or two I reckon.

Vinitasse · July 2011

Not all Aussie coffees are insipid dishwater... I roast a nicely washed Red Catuai, screened at between 16-18 and from 500m altitude in the Atherton Tablelands in QLD ("Basalt Blue" from Coffees With Altitude/Howe Farms). Mid to full bodied with hints of custard, molasses and toffee. I managed to shift 7gk of this earlier today.

Vinitasse · July 2011

whoops... should have been "7kg"

hiphipharar · July 2011

on 1309685136:

The 549 I have only done a couple of roasts of but the last time I used it was pre SC for Syphon and it was a really nice cup.

Yes, processing costs are much higher in Australia leading to their higher farmgate prices. At least twice as much as imported beans. I have the Bin 549 which must be the 2008 crop. It was challenging to roast via corretto; never really achieved a good one. Best roasts were from the Coffee-Tech Baby roaster, stopped before 2C. Early florals evolving to toffee apple with 'wild' fruit notes. The only other Aussie I've roasted was the MTC D10-107 honey-processed which is a sensational bean that went very well in my KKTO. Very sweet, smooth and pleasant. Love to try the fabled Bin 35 some time. Anyone know what has happened to MTE? Did they get a buyer? Anyway, some good info on their website. See here: http://www.mountaintopcoffee.com.au/media.php

beanflying · July 2011

on 1309733704:

Love to try the fabled Bin 35 some time.

Di Bella currently have Bin 35 on their website and St Ali are/where doing it from time to time.

Dry_bean. · July 2011

on 1309685136:

Give them a go and support an Aussie or two I reckon.

Morning Tim, all things being equal I'm happy to support Aussie made/producers, however I refuse to pay a premium for what I perceive as an inferior product at an inflated price.

Bottom Line · July 2011

on 1309702012:

Not all Aussie coffees are insipid dishwater... I roast a nicely washed Red Catuai, screened at between 16-18 and from 500m altitude in the Atherton Tablelands in QLD ("Basalt Blue" from Coffees With Altitude/Howe Farms). Mid to full bodied with hints of custard, molasses and toffee. I managed to shift 7gk of this earlier today.

I have roasted this bean too. While the green bean has some mould defects it isn't too bad, quiet nice actually. It does cost more then other beans of greater quality though.

WotB · July 2011

The last bit of MTE Bin 35 I had was like dark fruitcake, rich and complex. Remember, Australia is still fairly new at producing coffee, so it can only get better.

beanflying · July 2011

on 1309742417:

Morning Tim, all things being equal I'm happy to support Aussie made/producers, however I refuse to pay a premium for what I perceive as an inferior product at an inflated price.

And have you tried them all? Price and value for personal consumption I choose to ignore largely in preference to trying a very wide array of beans types and blends this is a large part of the fun of coffee for me. What I sell commercially is chosen on a different basis.

Dry_bean. · July 2011

on 1309782343:

And have you tried them all? Price and value for personal consumption I choose to ignore largely in preference to trying a very wide array of beans types and blends this is a large part of the fun of coffee for me. What I sell commercially is chosen on a different basis.

Nope, cant say I have

however have tried enough for Aussie beans to make my 'Do not buy list" my motivator as far as coffee is concerned is what I finish up with in the cup, if I like it, great will buy again, if I dislike it, my choice is obvious.

Bottom Line · July 2011

on 1309782343:

Price and value for personal consumption I choose to ignore largely in preference to trying a very wide array of beans types and blends this is a large part of the fun of coffee for me. What I sell commercially is chosen on a different basis.

This is pretty much the same sentiment as me. The Basalt blue I wouldn't buy again for personal use but others that I roast for like it.... so be it. The MTC Double pass "honey" was very expensive but worth every $ for me. Others when told what I could sell it to them for were not interested.

shape_shifter · July 2011

I've had the Bundja from Real Coffee in Maitland, he roasts it himself. The first time I tried it last year it was a gorgeous bean, I drank it hot and cold, it wasn't roasted all that dark which I loved. This year he has got it again but it's roasted way too dark and is coming out bitter. I'd love to try roasting it myself but I highly doubt he'd sell it to me as a green. The problem I keep finding with beans roasted by others is that it's always roasted too far, I know I've said this before but one of the local roasters I've talked to said that he doesn't like roasting as dark as he does but it's what the customers want. He does a lovely blend that I really like as a lightly roasted bean but when I went to get some more it was roasted way to dark and it was horrible, the lightly roasted one was a one off I'm guessing as his wife? said that it's how it normally is. These things above could be my fault, maybe I don't know enough about changing grinding settings for different beans ???

hazbean · July 2011

When we got our espresso machine from Rio in Adelaide a few years ago we picked up some MT Bin 35 at the same time and liked it. So for my own roasting I've been picking up different MT varieties as the opportunity arises (Bundja and Bin 478 come to mind, as well as 35). It seems to need radically different grinder settings to work well. In fact I usually thow away the rule book altogether and go with the flow as it were. Some of the best shots I've had (and close to "god shot" category) were super ristretto 50 sec pours. Even in syphon the draw down time is a lot longer than others. I recently got a couple of kg of current crop. Haven't tried it by itself yet but it is working very well in an experimental "slow roast" green blend of PNG / Monsoon Malabar / MT35.

Divey · October 2011

I've only been roasting in a Breville crazy popper for just on one month. I have amassed 19 different varieties in that short time and one of those is a Whitsunday Gold. Now, here is the interesting part.....these green beans did NOT crack....not a single sound and I dumped them going wholly on colour only. The whole roast time on this bean was 7

Brett H · October 2011

on 1320000557:

I've only been roasting in a Breville crazy popper for just on one month. I have amassed 19 different varieties in that short time and one of those is a Whitsunday Gold. Now, here is the interesting part.....these green beans did NOT crack....not a single sound and I dumped them going wholly on colour only. The whole roast time on this bean was 7

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