If anyone has a desire to choose a green coffee and lead a discussion for January, feel free to PM me. Moving forward, we're going to open up the structure of the RLT discussions. I don't want to run it entirely on my own, but rather help others guide it along. Over the years here on HB we've seen a growing body of very talented hobbyist roasters using better and better manual roasting gear. With that in mind, I think the discussion needs less structure and more freedom. Going forward I'd like to see discussions and months planned out more democratically i.e., do folks want to profile a geisha that is outside the normal price range? What about other "super coffees", etc?

Folks who are interested in picking a coffee, our general approach is to select a green that is widely available, reasonably affordable (under $8-9 per pound and most falling somewhere near the $5 mark) and from a reputable vendor. The more information someone has about a green coffee the better. We need to be inclusive of as many different vendors as possible, who can meet the above requirements, meaning avoiding just one monopoly of who gets sourcing rights.

I'll reach out to the folks at the Green Coffee Buying Club (GCGC) and see if they want to collaborate as well. They're a spectacular source of greens, one of my favorite actually.

The general structure will need to remain the same for continuity and ease of reading. State your roaster, your roast date, charge weight on each roast, and edit your post with updated cupping notes so other readers can view results in an easier, more linear way. Most importantly, have fun!

Unlocked for commentary.

Everything you say here makes a lot of sense to me Tom. I know I would enjoy it if someone with a fair amount of practice and skill roasting high end geisha would lead a discussion on the topic. That's an area where I have never been quite satisfied with my own efforts, and blind experimentation with such coffees gets expensive.

I have been in touch with Ka'u Coffee Mill, in Pahala Hawaii, regarding them helping us with January's Roast and Learn. I am forwarding a proposal to them that will be considered by their General Manager; I asked for fifty pounds. This is not a Kona Coffee. Their farms are on the South side of the Big Island.

They are just finishing a natural processed bean that we may be able to get below cost. Last year when I discussed this with them, shipping from Hawaii cost one dollar per pound. Our cost might be $8 to $10 per pound plus shipping from the mainland to your location. I didn't discuss having them distribute the coffee to our members but I will mention this to them.

Any interest in a Hawaiian Natural for January?

It could be interesting, but it would be nice if we could have a member cup it before committing. Hawaiian coffees can sometimes be underwhelming, especially relative to their price point. But there are exceptions to every rule, and if this coffee is one of them, it could be fun to take it for a spin.

it would be nice if we could have a member cup it before committing.

I can propose having Ka'u send a sample to one of our "experts" for cupping, and we could get their cupping notes too.

This could be interesting depending on cupping notes.

Hi Tom and the gang, this is Joe from GCBC..Someone on homebarista has my name already so I had to register by my old handle at Coffeegeek and the GCC. We would love to open the opportunity for me or any of our distributors provide any support you would want for this. I am personally humbled that Tom considers our club as one of his favorite places. Any partnership opportunities would be really fun.

I have often lurked on the forums here...for longer than I should admit, it's a nice contrast to other coffee forums and I appreciate what HomeBarista has done to elevate coffee on several platforms.

I'm not sure if you have a locked group for this but if I can get into the action as well I would love to. I could even drag the samples down to inter-american and cup with them at their office, or I have several people who normally cup with me that would like to....

Joe, welcome and thanks for jumping in. Dan (HB) can provide his input shortly and we'll go from there.

Sweet sounds good.