Coffee, anyone?

Eric started roasting his own coffee back at Christmas using a homemade contraption that his father made him. It is fantastic!! It looks like a big popcorn popper that automatically rotates and evenly roasts the beans. I tried to document his first roast!

Caleb was his little helper. Here they are showing off the "green beans".
This was Caleb's job- turning the shop vac on and off when needed.
Eric starting the roast...
See the beans roasting? The smell was a little interesting, but not terrible! :) The outside "husks" of the beans would fall off the beans and fly out of the roaster...that is what you see on the table.
Caleb decided that the shop vac was a tad loud!
Some where in the process...
Once the beans roast, they are dumped (lovingly) into a stainless steel bowl with small holes in the bottom. A shop vac is then inserted into the bottom of the bucket that the bowl sits on, and it rapidly cools the beans (to stop the cooking process- just like submerging blanched veggies in ice water will stop the cooking process and prevent them from overcooking). Here's Eric stirring the beans while they cool...
He's so proud of his accomplishment!
What a cool hobby!! :)
(What?? We have to wait 24 hours before we can drink this?? *sigh*)