Coffee on Campaign Confederate and Union Soldiers Roast their
Own Coffee, and You Can Do it Just Like them and other Little
Beans about their Coffee Drinkin’ Habits and the War Between the
States
by Paula McCoach as dictated by the Coach The Coffee Customer
Spoilers
Roastin’ their own coffee was a common activity among soldiers
in the War Between the States. They would carry only a few items
and sometimes they would have been issued green coffee that they
would roast. Their tin cup was what they had to complete the
entire process. Some of them did have a frying pan, but for the
most part, they would roast the beans in their tin cups.
To do this at home, use a heavy iron frying pan. Roasting in
your tin cup will mess up the solder joints. Pour the beans in
the pan. You can’t just throw the in and leave them. Move them
around. Stir them until they start to turn brown. The green
beans have moisture in them and roasting them will draw the
moisture out. The beans will even pop a little, not like
popcorn. The roasting beans don’t jump out of the pan, but they
will crackle and snap some.
The beans now get a little chaff on them, but and keep stirring
them. They will start to get different shades of brown. Stay
away from real brown, which is like a French Roast. If you roast
the beans this long, they will get an oily look to them.
Different kinds of coffees have different kinds of reactions. I
like mine the color of a milk chocolate bar not the color of
bitter –sweet chocolate. It’s up to your individual preference.
When you have the beans roasted to your taste, let them cool
before grinding them.
Once the roast is to your liking, and the beans are cooled, you
need to break them up with something. Civil War soldiers didn’t
have much in the way of special equipment. They traveled light.
That’s how they could get around so quickly and efficiently.
Jackson’s Foot Calvary could march 20-30 miles a day. Some of
them marched barefooted. They were just incredible people. So to
imitate what they probably did, I would break up my freshly
roasted coffee beans with the lug portion of my bayonet like a
mortar and pestle, but it would not be as fine. I would take my
bayonet and the round lug part, and I would put the coffee in
the tin cup and put the cup between my feet and chomp the beans
to a fine a grind as I could get. A stick can also be used but
it will not be as fine a grind. Put that freshly roasted and
ground coffee in your tin cup.
Heat the water until just below boilin’. Don’t ever pour
boilin’ water on the ground coffee. Remember, these Civil War
soldiers only had one cup, so after they would chop it with
their bayonets, they would pour the cold water right on top of
the grinds and heat it over the fire. To make a better cup of
coffee, heat the water in another container until it is hot and
pour it over your grinds in your cup. Give yourself about 2-3
inches of space at the top of the tin cup, so you don’t burn
your lips when you drink it.
A crust will form on top after the water is poured in the cup.
Stir it until the crust falls to the bottom. Let the crust rise
again, and stir it down one more time. Now, sit your cup of
freshly made coffee with freshly ground AND roasted beans on the
ground and the crust will go down. Your own roasted and ground
coffee, just like the soldiers used to do, is ready to drink.
Now, you are back in the field with those heroic men and you
have an excellent cup of coffee to enjoy your time there and
appreciate the Confederate and Union soldiers for their bravery
and pure stamina while you drink your cup of coffee.
Coach and Paula McCoach have been serving coffee in the field to
America’s reenactors since 1997. Cups of coffee made with their
special coffee makin’ technique, Open-Pot Brewin’ have been
enjoyed by thousands Coach’s Coffee is the creator of many
blends and coffee enjoyin’ techniques.
For specifics directions on the exact temperature of the water,
the feel of the fine grind, what to look for before you stir,
what type of strainer to use, and how to serve, and for more
information, email coach@coachscoffee.net.
ã2003 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on
your website so long as the paragraph above is included and the
contact information is included to coach@coachscoffee.net.
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