coffee in a post shtf world

[Manwithnoname]

Faiago, being a former USCG Boatswains Mate, I can only speculate on the squids (no disrespect meant) but for the USCG that's pretty accurate!!

Walkingtree, I hear what you're saying. I love a good French press but a percolater is still my fav. The key is, percolate to desired effect then just keep hot. Had a friend studied abroad in Greece. Their method, same basic priciple as the press, just one cup at a time. A teaball like contraption. It's really good too. I prefer the percolator cause it's more than 3-4 cups (like the biggest press I've seen) and you just move the pot back from the flame or coals. Stays hot but doesn't keep perking.

[kyratshooter]

French press???

Percolator???

Teaballs???

Where am I?

Did I hit the wrong button on the keyboard?

[Manwithnoname]

French press???

Percolator???

Teaballs???

Where am I?

Did I hit the wrong button on the keyboard?

Nahhh, we're just trying to culture you a bit. Figured you needed a break from rat shooting

[madmax]

2 words. Cowboy coffee.

[Manwithnoname]

24 cup percolator loaded one day and kept on the fire/coals and just water added and re-perc'd as needed. Not my preference, but been there, done that. I'm from Osage county in Oklahoma where it's cattle, oil, or go somewhere else for a job.

[Faiaoga]

I am astonished that with all the emphasis on "survival" and "bushcrafting" going on, we have not seen more development of specialized tools and special discussion of the topic of coffee.
Mors Kochanski has his bushcraft coffee video, but I have not yet seen any televised survival instructor pounding coffee beans with the butt end of an axe or using a metal pommeled knife to grind his coffee

[crashdive123]

That's because it is just another "normal" activity. Sort of like pooping in the woods. There are a few vids out on the subject, but not too many are filming and regaling in the pluses of normal activities.

[Manwithnoname]

Well, probably too, if it's TV they don't want to freak the general masses too much. Too much freak factor and you're changing channels. Also, as much as us coffee afficienados like to think, the basics remain the same. Water, food, shelter and lastly fire. Coffee really doesn't factor into the mix.

[Rick]

Just so there is no misunderstanding. If there is no coffee in the post shtf world I won't be attending. A man has certain standards to maintain.

[WalkingTree]

I am astonished that with all the emphasis on "survival" and "bushcrafting" going on, we have not seen more development of specialized tools and special discussion of the topic of coffee.

2 words. Cowboy coffee.

That's pretty much it right there. Wherein I'll say that the French press is one of the best routes, cowboy coffee is just about the same thing. Almost. Can be done very well with this method at least. Get the water to boil, take off heat and leave off heat, throw in coffee and wait 5 minutes. Then you're golden. Like a 49er pans for gold, 'done' coffee grounds try to sink to the bottom and you pour from the top. At least to good enough of an extent.

So...cowboys on the frontier with their simple pot and fire have been drinking some good coffee. Well, as long as they're not cooking the crap out of it or leaving it on the coals.

[Phaedrus]

Ok...so...now...many people who hate coffee will still hate it no matter what. Same as with many things. However, a lot of people who hate it, or think they hate it, simply had the misfortune of only being exposed to generally bad coffee, hence their impression of what coffee is...is inaccurate and greatly skewed - believing from then on that they know what coffee tastes like when actually they've never really had it yet. Ponder this: Ever hear people comment that they love the smell of coffee, but hate how it tastes and can't drink it? Do you have this experience yourself? This demonstrates a possibility - your nose is giving you a hint of what it's supposed to be, per what's carried through the olfactory in that limited fashion, but isn't quite. So when you get the full sense of it by drinking it, you discover that it's bad. But don't know what's really going on. Because it was a poor quality, it pulled a bait-and-switch on you...on your nose then your mouth. Lied to you. And just left you with the wrong impression.

Actually "taste" and "flavor" are not the same thing. Your tongue can taste only a few basic different kinds of tastes (eg salty, bitter, sweet, sour, umami). Food tastes are very basic if you can't smell. The nose is capable of discerning thousands of things that your tongue cannot. You can easily test this yourself; taste something aromatic, then hold your nose and try it again. Much of what you ascribe to the "taste" of coffee comes from its smell. I am a chef so I'm fascinated with the mechanics of taste, flavor and aroma.

I have had coffee reputed to be superb but I just don't like it. My own pet theory is that you need to be exposed to it early on. Probably you also need to have a bit of maleability and suggestibility. I don't think anyone would like coffee if not for being pressured into drinking it long enough to acquire the taste for it. It may be a lot like smoking. I've never personally met anyone that enjoyed their first cigarette. In fact, most coughed and gagged and many vomited. Inhaling smoke is an inherently unnatural act, counter to a million years of survival instinct. So why on Earth does anyone endure something so vile? Well, the nicotine and other drugs does provide a rush if you get past the gagging. And there are many addictive chemicals added to the tobacco (hundreds in fact).

Oddly I am fond of many bitter foods. Back when I drank I loved dark and bitter beers. I'm fond of many strong flavors that many folks don't like (extremely moldy cheeses, weird Asian foods, fermented stuff like Kimchee and kraut, etc). I also really like tannic stuff like teas (and again, when I drank I was a fanatical devotee of tannic reds like Cab Sav).

Realistically I can see how people would like it. We all have the same basic "equipment" in the biological sense yet we have a very wide range of preferences. Some are rooted in individual genetics (eg about 10% of people have a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap to them- no amount of exposure will change the way your biology processes it), others in culture. I'm not bothered by the fact that people love coffee but I am baffled that anyone would be passionate enough about it to incorporate it into the SHTF plans. That makes me think it must be addictive in the sense of nicotine, alcohol and narcotics. I'd be very leery of addictive substances in a world where regular supply lines were nonexistent.

[hayshaker]

when i camped out it was a sm,percolater cooke over mequite or kiawe in hawaiian,
chocolate macadamia nut coffee of choice, gunna order some soon hawaiian isles brand.

[Faiaoga]

Somewhere, I think I saw a picture of a Civil War era firearm that had a coffee grinder built into the butt stock. Perhaps one .of the firearms companies needs to make a Mad Max post-apocalypse survival rifle with a coffee grinder built in.

[Faiaoga]

As I use my academic skills of learning pointless information and useless facts, I was able to find out that a model of the 1859 Sharps carbine had a small grinding mill built in the stock - supposedly to grind corn and wheat for rations. I also found an interesting article about coffee during the Civil War.

"How Coffee Fueled the Civil War" by Jon Grinspan is from the New York Times (July 9, 2014). It tells about the role of coffee during the conflict. Perhaps the Confederacy became the heroic Lost Cause when they could not smuggle in enough coffee through the Union blockade.

http://www.opinionator.blogs.nyt.com...the-civil-war/

[Manwithnoname]

Knowledge to me is never pointless or useless. I learned from your research, I've never seen or heard that about the Sharps before, so thank you. The sharps is one of my all time favorite rifles.

I can very much understand the coffee issue during the civil war or any for that matter. It has to do with morale. You break the other sides morale, it saps their will to fight.

[hunter63]

Have had to have a few "No fire camps" lately.....so snuck in the stove.....
Had to put pot and stove in wash basin.....as the boil over kinda made a mess.....LOL

3 scoops of grounds, fill pot, heat till boil over, twice....shut off heat...or take off fire....if possible.
Let it settle long enough to get a cup and pot holder...to pour a "Cup a' Joe".....
Strain through teeth.....repeat till 5:00 PM...

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[randyt]

Just so there is no misunderstanding. If there is no coffee in the post shtf world I won't be attending. A man has certain standards to maintain.

you'll have to go with tea when that happens

[Manwithnoname]

This just popped in my head, anyone here ever try making coffee with the sun tea method?

[WalkingTree]

^ You got me wondering how that'd turn out...

[Faiaoga]

I am not trained as an historian, but have always been interested in the history of the Civil War. It was apparently a time of innovation in coffee - coffee concentrates were developed, and there was at least one portable coffee machine developed for Union forces. A lot of info available on the internet, some of it must be true.

A Jacob Dunton of Philadelphia is supposed to have patented a 105 gallon wheeled coffee maker, but I have no way to verify this.