Camp Coffee (1 Viewer)

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I love the cleanup of the Aeropress vs a French Press.
 
I use a Planetary Designs french press. Buy some coarse ground at the local coffee shop. Put it in the bottom, pour the hot water in put the top on and go. It brews while I am at home or on the road. Clean up, just dump the grounds rinse it out and ready for the next morning.

I have had mine for over 20 years, they were Porter Products back then and USA made. Mine has been dropped off the car many times. Rolled down the highway and been run over by school buses and what not. Lost it for a few weeks and found it on the side of the road on the entrance to my kids school about 5 years ago. It lost the handle and messed up the lid and press but housing was fine, still works. Bought a lid and press for the housing. Told Planetary Design about it and they sent me a brand new black one on the house. Very well built and still mostly use the old green one.

The Desk Press French Press Mug |

Below are before and after the buses ran over it and it was MIA for weeks. The before picture is however after many trips off the top of my vehicle and slides down the pavement. My kids got to the point they were like "hey dad, there goes your cup" as it traveled down the road well within the speed limit. I removed the handle completely.

100_5056.jpg


100_5688.jpg
 
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Although I mostly use the french press above I sometimes use a camp percolator on a campfire. Enjoy the smell and I think it makes a good strong cup of coffee. Kind of your typical enamelware percolator.

I see others use the Bialetti Moka pot coffee makers and similar. I am looking to get one. They are not expensive at all used. I first read about them in the Overland Journal.

Camp-spresso: The Moka Pot
 
I ended up getting this via Amazom last week.
Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker with Tote Bag and Accessory Value Pack
Amazon.com: Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker with Tote Bag and Accessory Value Pack: Kitchen & Dining

Tried it this morning using the metal screen instead of the paper filters, and I found it was kind of hard pushing the plunger down.
Next time I will try one of the paper ones.

Also whe you pour the water in, it starts going through the filter and into the cup right away, barely giving you a chance to insert the plunger.
Is this normal with the AreoPress?
 
Corey said:
I ended up getting this via Amazom last week.
Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker with Tote Bag and Accessory Value Pack
Amazon.com: Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker with Tote Bag and Accessory Value Pack: Kitchen & Dining

Tried it this morning using the metal screen instead of the paper filters, and I found it was kind of hard pushing the plunger down.
Next time I will try one of the paper ones.

Also whe you pour the water in, it starts going through the filter and into the cup right away, barely giving you a chance to insert the plunger.
Is this normal with the AreoPress?
Click to expand...

Try it inverted, with the plunger on the bottom & filter on top. Unvert just before plunging.
 
You guys have it all wrong. I have a very simple method. My method is easy and all the ingredients, gear and gadgets can fit onto a modest 6 foot by 5 foot roof rack with a combination of 2 large pelican cases and 4 action packers.

Let’s first start with your heat source for your water. It is a must to begin with high quality silica sand. I have found that Fairmount Santrol provides the finest. Its sub-rounded grain shape is proven to reduce expansion defects and comes in convenient 10 lb. bags for transport. This must be delicately mixed with native soil to a specific gravity of 2.70 for maximum thermal efficiency. I use only American sourced granite gently placed were I have removed existing boulders in pre made fire rings. I found that a large Pelican case is the only way to transport seasoned American Granite boulders to protect their integrity. The old iron fire rings in the national parks, a Coleman stove or a jetboil will simply not create an effective ambiance needed for the preeminent cup of coffee. For fuel, I use only Bolivian rosewood with a Janka Hardness of 1960. You must use no more than 4 lbs. arranged in an 18” circumference with no more than 4 refined portions evenly spaced. Given this wood is very dense, you will need a fuel source, and not just any fuel source for ignition. Extra Virgin Olive oil distributed by Novella, more specifically, Crete Gold PDO Kolymvardi creates the most effervescent fragrance suitable for bringing water to gentle boil and an adequate temperature that can be sustained for exactly 3 minutes and 48 seconds with an ideal desired temperature of between 195 to 205 F. The closer to 205 the better. The oil is a bargain at about $30 a bottle and you only need about 4 ounces poured evenly (one once per log) to assure equally dispersed ignition. For igniting the oil, I use only a Sparxx electric lighter that does not rely on butane which can disturb the gently balance of aroma and temperature.

Now let’s discuss the coffee beans. Pre ground coffee is simply not an option. Pre roasting beans is not an option. In my opinion, the beans must be sourced from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Not just any beans from the Blue Mountains, I am not a savage. Those obtained from the leeward side of the second highest peak on the western edge closest to the only paved road will do. Dirt roads often create too much of an earthy dust deposit on the virgin beans that spoil the natural attributes that are carefully cultivated into the growing process of the local population that hand harvest the beans for export. I won’t get into the transport of the virgin beans in order to keep this write up in the context of coffee making. I will write up a separate forum response on the proper transport of coffee beans in order to assure purity. And in the interest of time, because I could go on and on about the packing and transport talents needed.

Now for roasting the beans; first off, it not actually a coffee bean, it’s a seed of the coffea plant and should be referred to as such by all real aficionados. You will need a few simple things, heat, a stainless steel popcorn popper (as plastic can warp or melt) and a baking sheet (for cooling the beans). For heat in this instance I use a camp chef pro 90 with propane since a fire ring or charcoal is not hot enough for roasting. The pro 90 creates a high enough BTU of 90,000 and 3 burners for multitasking. The propane, or liquefied petroleum gas LPG, in this case helps neutralize the off gassing of the beans as they are roasted. Of course I cannot prove this, but the sophisticated pallet and sense of smell of a Somalia can certainly distinguish the use of propane compared to say natural gas. I won’t get into any more detail on the actual roasting as I am sure most of you already understand the importance of technique when roasting, especially when using a popcorn popper as the preferred method. This has got to be the simplest part of preparation when making coffee although an important one, almost as important as how to transport and store the seeds.

Grinding coffee; a grinder that grinds beans to a uniform size for optimal extraction is the single most important piece of equipment for making good coffee. Besides the actual transport, storage and vacuum sealing of the virgin coffee bean. Even the best coffee beans run through the best brewing process will taste overly bitter and sour with uneven grounds. After more than 40 years researching and testing nine top-rated coffee grinders, the Baratza Virtuoso was by far the best grinder for making coffee on the trail. Of the nine models I tested, it produced the most uniform grind consistency, with an output comparable to that of the $2,500 Mahlkönig EK43 commercial-grade grinder. Even science editors couldn’t even tell the samples apart after examining them under a microscope. It is in line with other expedition level equipment at a mere $229 on amazon. Weighing just a bit over 8 lbs. it will hardly be noticed in all of your gear. Since this is a 120 volt grinder it will require a large inverter and at least 2 - 100 watt Renolgy solar panels mounted to only the best solar controller with 6 deep cycle die hard platinum or equivalent agm batteries. I will do a separate write up on effective outback and sustained outdoor back country expedition style camping and all necessary power needs for tablets, radios, navigation, TVs, grinders, electric heaters, cooking lighting, mood lighting, general camp lighting, refrigerators, freezers, sound systems, and of course electric razor (Again I am not a savage using a straight razor) in another forum response.

Before we get to brewing let’s talk about water. Besides the actual coffee that you select to brew with, water is the most important element that goes into a cup of coffee. The mineral content and ph level of the water you use, can have drastic effects on the finished product. Using the wrong water can ruin a beautiful coffee and nobody wants to see that happen. At the most basic level, water chemistry isn’t a huge deal. Conventional coffee wisdom is, if your water tastes good for drinking and is very expensive to acquire it will taste good for coffee. I choose to only use pure mountain spring water collected by me from the tributaries of Iceberg Lake in the eastern sierra mountains. Upon taking initial samples and having them analyzed by Blackstone it was the purest and provided the best combination of tastes. I attribute this to the vinyl quality of my camelback used to transport the water and the filtration used when collecting. I use only the Katadyn KFT Expedition water filter which is an ideal potable drinking water solution. Often used by big trekking outfits and relief organizations around the world, it's practically indestructible and intuitively easy to use so it’s got to be good. An exclusive, silver-impregnated ceramic element produces up to 26,000 gallons before it needs replacing, and a durable stainless steel design is built to withstand extreme environments and daily use of an expedition. Offering the highest flow rate of any portable filter at one gallon per minute, the Expedition comes complete with a pre-filter and convenient carrying bag. At prices just under $1,200 I can’t find a reason not to have this in your essential coffee making kit.

Now let’s get to the brewing; there are two basic brewing concepts you need to understand, percolation and maceration. Percolation means water is allowed to flow around the particles and through the aggregate of ground coffee. Maceration means the ground coffee is soaked (or steeped) in the water. Percolation is by far the best method according to the experts who know such things, so I don’t question them. Maceration dulls my imagery of a good cup, simply by closing my eyes thinking of a Friday the thirteenth movie and saying Maceration three times very fast. Try it, it will ruin your morning and make you want to pack up and drive home from your favorite expedition surroundings. Now who wants to macerate the carefully transported and packed virgin coffee seeds. This will hurt their feeling.

Understanding the extraction process will enable you to learn how to brew coffee successfully. First, the grind (aggregate size) of the coffee is crucial as stated above. The finer the grind, the more surface in relation to mass is exposed to the hot water. An un-ground coffee bean results in the least amount of surface area in relation to mass, and would be impossible to brew successfully. The tendency is to assume that the more finely coffee is ground, the better the resulting infusion will be. This is where you can destroy a good cup of coffee. If the grind is too fine, and the exposure too long, you'll get much more than you want. Over-extraction of the aggregate will dissolve too many of the undesirable compounds, generally referred to as "bitters" or a “yukky” taste. The trick is to get just what you want out of the coffee, and no more.

It is of the utmost importance that you understand that the brewing time must be controlled exactly. Just like the boiling of water mentioned above, improper brewing time is one of the main reasons that people get different results when preparing coffee. If you shorten the extraction time, you'll fail to dissolve the essential flavor compounds that were so carefully developed during the roasting process. Again, over-extraction of will dissolve too many of the undesirable compounds. The challenge is to get the aggregate size and the extraction time in perfect balance.

There is an important exception to "exact brewing time". 90 percent of the solubles are extracted during the initial phase of the brewing process. It is possible to achieve your best results with a grind that's slightly on the fine side, and shortening the extraction time. It comes down to experimentation, and finding your perfect brewing formula. Don’t even get me started on the proper clothes to wear when brewing, yet another necessary discussion for a later time.

The type of percolator is by far the most important part of making coffee besides the seeds, transport of seeds, roasting, fuel used, ignition method etc. you get the point, no need to go into further detail on the actual percolator. All you need to know is that how much you spend does not matter. I choose the Faberware Classic which features the stainless steel percolator in polish finish with a permanent basket filter. You may find this classic coffee percolator to be an old design, yet it retains the principles of percolation, which is the main reason why the coffee is not only flavorful in taste, but also enticing in its aroma. If it was good enough for your father it is good enough for you I always say. The stainless steel construction of this percolator makes it sturdy, which is actually quite durable and ideal to use more so than all the other thin metal type of percolators used on expeditions. The positive side of this classic percolator is its durability and stylish design. As you find the entire appearance to be more appealing in its polished finish, you will also find its efficiency as a percolator to be exceptional, especially with its filter that uses no paper in it. It is also heavy-duty and it can brew more cups of coffee than the usual percolator that are smaller in size. That will take you from camp zero to camp hero as you share your knowledge and bounty of the best cup of coffee. Overall, it is beautiful inside and out, very stylish, efficient, and large enough to brew 8 cups of coffee. It feels like taking your coffee the old style way, like a manly man. But be careful drinking coffee that is so strong it causes chemical burns which does not prove your masculinity.

The type of cup used is also important. First off it must be blue to offset the rose-brown hue of the coffee. Ceramic and plastic are for losers and posers at coffee shops. Real coffee drinkers on an expedition use only Yeti insulated ramblers in the 20 oz. variability. Now finding a blue Yeti is somewhat like finding Bigfoot in an urban setting, of let’s say downtown Tokyo. So be patient and expect to pay for this luxury. After all its only money. Let’s face it even scientific studies of lesser brands have proven there to be equals, but you can’t match the performance of the exact same rambler. It’s simple actually, because it costs more and says Yeti is all you should care about.

Finally I close with this thought. To be a proper and unadulterated coffee drinker you are encouraged to enjoy the natural sweetness of coffee. Do not put sugar or cream in until you have taken the first sip of the original. Respect what you are paying for.

All this prep is very easy after your first time setting it up. I have been able to set it up in less than 3 hours in the early morning, which is a very short span when compared to a life time in order to prepare the perfect cup of coffee. And as stated I estimate the weight to be only about 100 lbs. of gear easily stored on a medium sized roof rack in 6 containers, or just a bit more for extended trip, of say 2 days or more for the extra wood, fuel and sand. Remember the American Granite fire ring is better seasoned and is reusable and environmentally sustainable.


Or you could just use a jetboil and instant coffee…………………eeephhh. :meh:
Sorry for the satire but after the first page of reading I had to check if I was on expedition portal or not. Were things that are more complicated and more expensive are always better.
 
Dragos80 said:
Try decaf next time.


Do you really expect me to read all that?
Click to expand...
No, for the same reason I stopped reading at the first page. I just never thought of coffee as a science worth all the effort and was just having some fun.
 
ntsaint said:
I stopped about 2 sentences in. I hope that was a 100% humorous copy/paste from somewhere. Otherwise that tells me all I need to know...
Click to expand...
Most was copy and paste and some added satire poking fun at the time spent making and planning coffee. I guess I am a simple camper enjoying the outdoors in an expedition world.
 
I was nodding in agreement with everything until you got to the instant coffee part at the end :flush:
 
so I need to bring my US made granite boulder WITH ME? shoot, I've been doing it all wrong
 
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