>> IBA is strictly a synthetic chemical substance. It is NOT found in plant tissues. It actually has been discovered in several plant species. For example, see the work done by Jutta Ludwig-Müller titled "Indole-3-butyric acid in plant growth and development" back in November 2000 (Plant Growth Regulation Journal, Volume 32, Issue 2-3, pages 219-230). Basically, it was found that some plant species do produce IBA using IAA as the precursor. Not that it really matters though >grin>> IBA is generally easily available and very effective in inducing root formation at certain times of the year. Most commercially marketed rooting preparations are quite expensive and not very effective. IBA is good stuff and works well. You can find it very inexpensively at Wallyworld, K-mart, Home Depot and other places.. a 2oz bottle of Schultz Take-Root (0.1% IBA) powder can be had for around $6 and is good for several thousand cuttings. I've used it for years and it sure is easier than trying to make my own rooting mix.

Here is Imperial Coffee: and Seafoam Green (which I think is amazing!): MGSI is a supply place in Chicago that has a great website. http://www.marble-granites.com/gallery.aspx

I’m excited for Kevin and you, Lars! Annie’s spot on, Burman’s has the most comprehensive information when it comes to descriptions and roasting recommendations. I usually print out that info when I order something new, put it in my coffee binder and leave an area for our personal roasting notes, and grade it by ‘stars’ and commentary. I guess I do have some nifty taste buds because I usually can taste the floral, smoke (not my preference), caramel, and chocolate, and nutty notes (the latter 3 my fav, love those caramel notes especially). Mind you, it’s not like drinking caramel or flowers, just subtle notes as with wines. Drinking a fresh cup, unadulterated, slurping it on your tongue will help find those notes as well. Yes, I am a coffee fanatic! Sadly, I’m of no help in specifics as I packed our coffee binder and DH has done our ordering since then. I do remember there was one we couldn’t get to taste of anything other than mustiness no matter what the roast, and I’m thinking it was the Indo Blue Moon, but your results may vary. I do look for those that are lower acid, not higher. Most beans from Costa Rica tend to be our favorites. And Papua New Guinea. And Brazil. And Hawaiian. As dcarch says, year to year, lot to lot, they change, so buy a lot of what you love in that lot! When in doubt over the years, we just try small batches from the same regions, or go by Burman's tasting notes. Regarding the roast, I always preferred darker roasts too. Then we started roasting our own and far prefer medium roasts, just before or right at 2nd crack, so I suggest you try a bit of everything : ) Light roasts made us rather sick at our tummy’s, and tasted musty. Dark roasts tend to obliterate the flavor. Roasting can be an art, but it doesn’t have to be. I think Kevin will love this gift as he can really experiment. Watching youtubes to hear how the 1st and 2nd crack stages sound helps, but different beans don’t always sound the same. We never roast to the oily point, or where it will later produce oils. We try coffee from all over, in smaller orders, then try various roasts. When we find a favorite with a roast we like we order a ton, like Annie! Also, some get better after the 2nd or 3rd day of roasting. One Hawaiian was unpleasant the 2nd day after roasting, but by the 3rd day I couldn’t get enough of it! We typically love the peaberry coffee’s, as well as some of the microlots. Some will produce more chaff, some less. DH’s method is to start out at a lower heat, then go higher. He puts an oven mitt on top (careful, the top can fall apart and the glass carafe can break), lifts the whole machine up and holding it on top with one hand and the mitt, and on the bottom with the other (pressing together) he shakes it gently up and down during the first part of roasting as the beans are heavier then and don’t mix as well – this technique is practiced by many to get a more even roast. After a short while the beans start to color and he sets it down to finish. He also uses a small flashlight to look at color so he can get close to 2nd crack but not on it. Smoke, yes. Not as noticeable at first, but it builds up with a lot of roasts. DH is roasting in our garage now, but if you’ve a porch, or an oven hood that vents outside or just open some windows, that works. It sets off our hard-wired smoke detectors, but not our battery ones. The top gets hot. It’s not silent, and you wouldn’t want to entertain guests and roast as it is not quite. Good water, fresh grind, and your set!

petalique, most green coffee bean sellers have a date on their beans, so you know when they were shipped from the coffee grower to the seller you buy from. We use ours pretty quickly, but it's said they keep from 1 year to 3 years. I'd not want to go past 1 year. We keep ours in the plastic zip bags they come in from Burman's, and inside a translucent bin with a snap on lid, in a dark area. Burman's (not sure about Sweet Maria's) gives a flavor profile, and even tells you which crack point to roast to for certain flavors. So when we first bought beans, we tried a number of profiles that described 'chocolate, caramel, floral, acid, smooth, etc.' Higher acid is a stronger, sharper taste, 'smooth' is lower acid. When you find a bean you like, and the roasting time you like, after a year, there will be a new crop, with a different flavor. We typically stay within the region or Country, for similar flavor. And of course, we read the descriptions. FWIW, when we started roasting, and even now, our preference is chocolate and caramel flavor tones, and I can taste it. DH can't, he just knows he likes it. Floral is nice, but I don't care for higher acid cups. On the Fresh Roast, if anyone is interested in that, we use hot pads to hold the top and bottom (they come apart, and some is glass) together and lift the roaster when the beans first start - shaking it a bit to move the beans, and also start with lower temps as green beans are heavier. As they roast, they puff a bit and lighten up in weight so move more easily in the air and roast more evenly at that point. Again, you can watch a lot of videos. We listened to a couple just to hear the 'crack'.