Shoalsville Coffee Co. is a small batch roaster located between the soulful sounds of Muscle Shoals, AL + Nashville, TN - with a taste just as smooth!
The Shoalsville Coffee Co. Story
A few years ago I had a curiosity about home roasting coffee. My wife had this popcorn popper and she ordered me a few samples of green coffee beans so I could try it out… I was hooked!
My popper, being un-modified, took a while to get to that medium dark roast I enjoy so much…but once it did… mmmmm!
And so it begins…
That little rotary popcorn popper of my wife’s proved to be quite the roasting machine. Good thing she prefers making her popcorn on the stove these days and didn’t ask for this popper back. I’d set it up on my deck and fill the air with an amazing aroma as I got those beans to first crack, then push ‘em just a bit longer…
If you Google these machines for coffee roasting, you’ll find most are modified with some kind of different heating element. I didn’t really know how to do that or have the patience to wait so I just jumped in.
Now, as if the process of roasting wasn’t enough, after waiting a bit I finally ground those little brown beans up and proceeded to brew said fresh home roasted coffee…. ☕️
No turning back….
As I continued my quest for knowledge of home roasting on our little popcorn popper, and as good as I thought it was turning out (and it was pretty tasty), it couldn’t get hot enough to get all the way to second crack and still had quite a bit of inconsistency and several lesser roasted beans throughout.
I started using the lid on the popper to keep the heat on the beans and this definitely seemed to help. It only melted a little around edges due to how long it would take, so all good there.
The “little popper that could” continued to satisfy my desire to roast coffee while simultaneously feeding the fire…
After many fun and successful roasts on our “little popper that could,” my wife got me a real deal drum roaster for Christmas!
The Behmor 2000 AB Plus! Now I was really rolling… pun intended as I watched those little green beans roll and tumble inside that drum through the glass window. Pale green….hint of tan….light brown….medium dark….dark brown… ahhh, It was like the joy and satisfaction of watching a cake rise through the oven window as I did as a kid while my mom baked in the kitchen.
Finally... the heat, the timing, the consistency... that 2nd crack, that flavor… All so delightful!
Even though this little guy - about the size of a countertop toaster oven, has a pretty decent smoke suppression, getting to second crack on this thing set off the fire alarm every time due to the smoke at 2nd crack.
But, man, what a good smelling smoke it is. Bonus that your house smells like an amazing coffee house for a short while, too!
The heat is on…
For the past couple years, my Behmor 2000AB Plus has proven worthy time and again. What a great machine! I’ve pushed it pretty hard to get those little beans to second crack and a full city plus roast, but it’s so worth it.
Just look at that rich color….and what a smooth rich flavor to match!
But, as time went on…the length of time from start to finish for only a max 1 pound per roasting session only added to my desire to try to crank out more delicious coffee.
Don’t get me wrong, if I only wanted a pound or so a week for my own household needs, this guy does the job!
Why stop there….
While visiting our son, daughter-in-law and grandson in California I had a new roasting experience that really set me on a new path in considering which direction I’d go in my own personal roasting journey.
My son and I roasted a small batch of beans on his new Fresh Roast SR540 fluid bed air roaster….
This was the first time either of us had used an air roaster and I must say it kind of blew my mind!
So fast… so clean…. so good!
Now, this particular roaster is just a small, personal sized roaster just big enough to prepare a couple cups of really good fresh roasted coffee every few days.
That said… somethings in the air….
After that maiden voyage roast on my son’s small air roaster in California, and while I continued to search for a larger, but realistic home roaster to satisfy my continued intrigue, I ran across a company and roaster that seemed like it just might be the next next step in this wonderfully aromatic journey of mine….
The Coffee Crafters Artisan 3-e fluid bed air roaster has proven to be just that. Capable of roasting up to 18 lbs per hour, was delivered within just a couple weeks and had a super simple set up and easily gets me to that 2nd crack - full bodied, rich and bold, but not burnt! The consistency of the roast so far has been wonderful.
I’m very much enjoying the results, and, it seems a few others are as well.
Shoalsville Coffee Co.
Small Batch Locally Air Roasted Coffee
What's in a name?
Shakespeare says, through the voice of Juliet, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Shoalsville… what… er…. where is that?
Well, the answer is, it’s right here in my head. It’s my own little fictitious place somewhere between where I come from and where I am.
Most of my life I’ve been enveloped by music. I grew up listening to my dad’s old albums on my mom’s old turntable. I was mesmerized by the sounds and the experience of music. I was fascinated with the names in the liner notes, most specifically those in the parentheses under or beside the song titles.
I was born in Michigan, but my family all being from Alabama relocated back to a small town when I was turning 7 years old - Hamilton, AL. It was interestingly positioned in what could be the crossroads of Memphis TN, Tupelo MS, and Muscle Shoals AL.
The legendary musicians, producers, and songwriters that have come from this area (and I’m only speaking of Hamilton here) is astounding in itself. Combine that with the King of Rock and Roll being from Tupelo, the King of the Blues residing in Memphis, and the guy who discovered Rock and Roll hailing from Florence, AL and landing in Memphis to discover said King of Rock and Roll, not to mention the massive legacy that is Muscle Shoals…well, there was no escaping it!
Long story longer, my entire career - from being a working musician to the past 30 years and counting has been working with and for those names in the parentheses in multiple genres of the music industry. All that’s for a different story on a different day. My independent music publishing company is called Shoalsville Music Publishing Co.
So, it just seemed like a natural extension when I (and other folks) started to take my coffee roasting a little more serious to the point of needing to create an entity around this and to call it something.
My desire is that the coffee will be as rich and smooth as the melodies that have provided the soundtrack of our lives over the years. And, of course, I hope you love it, too!
If you love great music, awesome coffee and the experience of both… hold tight, keep watch…I know a place ya’ll….I’ll take you there…🎶
THE ART OF THE
AIR ROAST
At Shoalsville Coffee Co., we believe the finest beans deserve a gentler touch. We're a local, small batch roaster utilizing the air roasting method - a process that uses a levitating bed of hot air to ensure an even, clean roast without the bitter char of traditional drums.
What began as a personal quest for the perfect cup has grown into a community of coffee lovers dedicated to sustainable sourcing and artisanal excellence.
Shoalsville Coffee Co. Retail Partners:
Hampshire Springs Farm
Bruno's Italian Deli & Market
2500 Hospitality Drive, Columbia, TN
https://www.facebook.com/p/Brunos-Italian-Deli-61555121940395/
***If you're interested in selling Shoalsville Coffee in your retail store or serving our fresh roasted coffee in your business, feel free to contact us to discuss at any time at
shoalsvillecoffeeco@gmail.com