View Full Version : Hydroponics (no not for that)
ezkcdude
2010-05-08, 10:02
Does anyone here happen to dabble in hydroponics? I'm thinking about starting a hydroponic garden in my apartment. I heard that the simplest things to start with are spices like rosemary and basil. But I'd also like to grow peppers and tomatoes, if possible. Also, if anyone is familiar with hydroponics, is it possible to grow coffee? Any advice or experience is welcome. Also, if you have pictures of your garden, post them! :)
Interesting. Subscribed.
I don't know much about hydroponics but biology is very interesting. Maybe if no one here has any experience you could tell us about your setup and keep us updated?
Does anyone here happen to dabble in hydroponics? I'm thinking about starting a hydroponic garden in my apartment. I heard that the simplest things to start with are spices like rosemary and basil. But I'd also like to grow peppers and tomatoes, if possible. Also, if anyone is familiar with hydroponics, is it possible to grow coffee? Any advice or experience is welcome. Also, if you have pictures of your garden, post them! :)
I don’t know anything about hydroponics, but coffee needs very specific conditions, especially regarding soil and altitude. The best coffees come from above 6000ft (though you can get great coffee from around 3k).
On an even further unrelated topic, if you’re interested in doing DIY coffee growing, you’ll need to learn how to roast it! Head over to sweetmarias.com where they have instructions on roasting coffee with a $10 popcorn popper. It’s a lot of fun and you really learn the differences between various coffee-growing areas. I roast my own small batches and my knowledge of coffee has soared since I started. I really recommend giving it a shot.
ezkcdude
2010-05-08, 12:53
On an even further unrelated topic, if you’re interested in doing DIY coffee growing, you’ll need to learn how to roast it! Head over to sweetmarias.com where they have instructions on roasting coffee with a $10 popcorn popper. It’s a lot of fun and you really learn the differences between various coffee-growing areas. I roast my own small batches and my knowledge of coffee has soared since I started. I really recommend giving it a shot.
Funny you should mention it...I've been roasting for a few years now. In fact, I just got my second roaster from Sweet Marias - the new Fresh Roast SR500 (after my Fresh Roast 8 pretty much gave out). The SR500 is a huge improvement, with a bigger hopper, stronger fan, and better controls. Anyway, that's why I want to go even further and try growing the beans myself. :D
billybobsky
2010-05-08, 13:07
I don’t know anything about hydroponics, but coffee needs very specific conditions, especially regarding soil and altitude. The best coffees come from above 6000ft (though you can get great coffee from around 3k).
This is only true when cultivating coffee outdoors... essentially replicating the need of the coffee plant for cold(er) dry(er) winters and very wet springs/summers should probably be sufficient, which is to say that it is unlikely that coffee can be grown effectively in a hydroponics environment...
Funny you should mention it...I've been roasting for a few years now. In fact, I just got my second roaster from Sweet Marias - the new Fresh Roast SR500 (after my Fresh Roast 8 pretty much gave out). The SR500 is a huge improvement, with a bigger hopper, stronger fan, and better controls. Anyway, that's why I want to go even further and try growing the beans myself. :D
Awesome! I didn’t know AN had any other coffee roasters. I’ve been thinking about maybe upgrading to a better roaster, but I think it’s going to have to wait, right now I’m eyeing a better grinder. I just home roast as a learning experience anyways, most of my coffee comes from a local pro roaster.
We should probably move this to a new thread, but how do you brew? I just picked up a Chemex today, until now I’ve been using a Melitta filtercone and a french press. Still love my presspot, but I like the variety.
This is only true when cultivating coffee outdoors... essentially replicating the need of the coffee plant for cold(er) dry(er) winters and very wet springs/summers should probably be sufficient, which is to say that it is unlikely that coffee can be grown effectively in a hydroponics environment...
Ah, got it. Like I said, I don’t know anything about hydroponics. :p
ezkcdude
2010-05-08, 13:18
Awesome! I didn’t know AN had any other coffee roasters. I’ve been thinking about maybe upgrading to a better roaster, but I think it’s going to have to wait, right now I’m eyeing a better grinder. I just home roast as a learning experience anyways, most of my coffee comes from a local pro roaster.
We should probably move this to a new thread, but how do you brew? I just picked up a Chemex today, until now I’ve been using a Melitta filtercone and a french press. Still love my presspot, but I like the variety.
I used to make espresso all the time, but have gotten lazy on that end. I just use a Mr. Coffee now and distilled water. I use a Solis burr grinder.
I used to make espresso all the time, but have gotten lazy on that end. I just use a Mr. Coffee now and distilled water. I use a Solis burr grinder.
I’ve never had the inclination to do espresso myself. Love the stuff, but the money + space + time required far exceed what I have available, especially as I’m living in a dorm. I love manual pourover for the control it gives me over brew time and water temperature, plus I can see exactly what it’s doing.
How much better are home-roasted beans compared to a good local roaster's? I've thought about trying the air popper thing but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the hassle.
RowdyScot
2010-05-09, 20:30
...Interesting. I'd like to see how it goes for you with the herbs. :)
How much better are home-roasted beans compared to a good local roaster's? I've thought about trying the air popper thing but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the hassle.
In a popcorn popper? I’d say they’re not as good as beans from a good local roaster. If you’ve got a knowledgeable source who sells fresh beans and knows what he’s doing, it’ll take a lot of work to make better beans. Like I said, I use it to learn.
Now, ecksdude has a better popper and it sounds like more experience than me, so he probably gets better results, but that’s how I view it.
ezkcdude
2010-05-09, 21:08
How much better are home-roasted beans compared to a good local roaster's? I've thought about trying the air popper thing but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the hassle.
There are a few good reasons why you would want to home roast:
1) It's much cheaper. A pound of green beans can easily be found for under $5, compared to the $10+/lb that "premium" roasts tend to cost.
2) You can roast on demand, so that your roasted beans are always fresh. Most people buy a pound of roasted beans and by the time they get to the bottom, the beans aren't that great. I roast just enough beans for about 2 days of use.
3) Variation. You can really experiment with different roasts/beans and figure out what you like.
4) It's fun!
In terms of quality compared to "professional roasters", I'd say it depends on the bean and the roast, really. I very rarely run into coffee that's better than what I brew at home.
That’s true, the variety is something I forgot about. I’ve got a couple of Guatemalans right now that I rotate between.
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