been doing a 2 min preheat and roasting 400 g on the one lb setting to get far into first crack, sometimes a bit far for me, but friends like the dark roast. Bought some little burlap bags to keep the green beans in.
anybody start roasting yet based on this thread? Having an incredible amount of fun and the coffee is the best I have ever had. Been roasting almost daily and friends are blown away by the quality and freshness. Wife loves it.
A few tricks learned along the way have helped considerably. I take notes so that subsequent roasts of the same bean can be modified or repeated. I do a 2 min preheat so I can push the roast darker if desired. I roast 380-400 grams on the one pound (454 gram) setting to get darker if desired. P2 is for me the best setting (Behmor) for the Central and S. American high elevation beans I use. Vacuuming is easiest way to clean chaff out of the machine post roast. Letting the roasted beans sit for at least two days before trying is really better, as they degas and the grassiness disappears. Beans look darker as they roast than they actually are–due to the lighting in the roaster. First crack is not very loud, often quite subtle, and not each bean “pops.” Vigorously shake the drum over the sink after roasting to get rid of remaining chaff before pouring out the beans.
Best bean I have yet found is Guatemala Las Rosas from Bodhi Leaf, very much as described: chocolate and peanuts.
I have done 48 roasts and can now get to the desired roast level almost every time.
Love it!
I have been out of town for three weeks and got home last night and tried to do some roast later than I should. I was kind of distracted and didnt drop at 100c but closer to 115 so my turn around was higher than normal. I kept it on a steady rise to around 7 minutes at 170 and then ran it full heat to first crack. At first crack, i dropped the heat to zero and ran the fan full for a minute, then half heat to 230.
What i didnt know was that while I was gone apparently my son had dropped my cooling fan tray and broken the wires out, so i dropped the beans, hit the switch, and nothing happened. Second crack had just started and I had to watch 300 grams of hot smoking beans just sit there and go way past done. Not to mention it filled my whole garage with smoke…wife loved that.
I tried the beans this morning just for giggles and they were way overcooked…not as bad as I expected, but on the burnt toasty side for sure.
Oh well, live and learn…test out equipment before use, and dont do this when rushed, tired and not thinking well.
If it makes you feel any better Mark, I screwed up some beans last weekend. I didn’t have the drum in tightly and it dropped to the floor of the machine. I didn’t notice immediately and the entire house smelled like burnt coffee for about 24 hours. Live and learn.
And Alan, while I didn’t start roasting based on this thread, I recently placed an order for Bobolink Brown beans based on your effusive praise. Of course after I placed my order I saw you now favor Guatemalan beans, which are my longtime favorite!
you will blow through those Bobolinks and like them. I am buying 20 lbs of Guatemala Las Rosas Thursday.
How do you normally roast it Alan? I’m planning on ripping through it all this weekend.
400 grams, 2 min preheat with beans in drum. P2, 1 pound setting, about 20 min, trying to get to Full City or Full City +, end of first crack but before second. Been doing most of the beans that way.
P1 is a bit hot for some of the beans I have used.
Thank you Alan, I’ll try that.
Btw, are you ordering the new panel that allows darker roasts?
Just ordered 5 lbs of Yemen harazz a++
The cupping notes say these have the most silky mouthfeel the vendor has ever seen. Since I drink mostly espresso, and have now gotten an Espro press for my office I wanted to try something on the milder side. Also picked up some El Salvador bourbon beans as well to try (Corey, threw you in 250g of these too)
I think it would be fun if a few of us tried roasting and drinking the same beans to see how each of us roasted and what we thought of the beans.
Mark, I’d be game to do an online tasting of various beans. And thanks for the El Salvadoran beans, that’s extremely generous of you. My favorites have generally been Central American beans, specifically Guatemala. The best beans I ever had were purchased from the Guatemala City airport on a layover coming back from Costa Rica. the CR coffee was good but the Guatemalan was truly complex and excellent.
Btw, does anyone else think that it’s funny that coffee tasting notes are almost exactly like wine tasting notes except maybe more OTT with their taste descriptors? My Costa Rican has notes of blood orange, cardamom and Turkish Delight candies? Umm, I don’t think so.
going to wait on the new electronics, as I want to see what the community thinks. Got my roasts dialed in and can get to Full City + so not sure I need darker. But it might also allow more roast versatility and that could be fun.
Would be in for roasting the same bean w others. Guatemala rules in my house now!
Received and roasted the Bobolink Brown yesterday. Did a 380 gram batch and roasted 21 minutes. Came out fairly light – I had opened a window for ventilation and I think that explains why it wasn’t significantly darker. Will try the beans Sunday…maybe tomorrow if I get antsy.
Worst case scenario is I blend with some other beans that I roasted. Will probably roast more on Sunday too.
Definitely. It’s also amusing to see the same misuse of “varietal” for variety. ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
Current favorites hereabouts are a couple from Papua New Guinea.
have the house to myself so I can roast without the wife wanting to be in the garage (her workout machines are in there) Going to roast 4 different batches.
My wife is starting to call the roaster my drug lab as I run my exhaust hose out the garage door to vent the smoke…go figure.
Corey… going to roast the two I sent you so I can compare to what you think.
Mark – I’ll try to roast yours this weekend if I get them. I’m pretty excited to do a virtual roasting/tasting.
What kind of roaster do you have w an exhaust hose? I have been banished to the laundry room.
21 min is long for 380 gm to come out light. P1 or P2? Any preheat? In a cold room?
I did two minute preheat with beans in the hopper, then roasted an additional 19 minutes. Set for 1 pound on P2 like you suggested. Room was cool, not cold. I should have trusted my ears – thought I must have missed first crack. Looking for color in the machine is very hit or miss for me.
Low supply voltage can/will lengthen the time it takes to roast a given bean. This time of year, with millions of ACs running, I sometimes roast with as low as 117V, and times are distinctly longer than when I roast the same beans (same weight, curve, etc.) at a more normal 119.5-120V.
I have a huky 500