# General roasting



## eusty (Dec 6, 2016)

OK, by Gene arrives tomorrow with some green beans.

I plan to mod it and experiment but being like a kid at Xmas I'll have a go before doing this.

I've been reading and my brain has officially been frazzled. Can anyone give me a BASIC outline for my first few roasts? Using temperatures rather than power, at least for now.

Something like heat at x then after 1C turn down to y then cool after z.

Sorry for the newbie post, I just need something to get me started in the right direction. ?

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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

Hi Eusty

If you bought it from Bella Barista it will come with a guide that gives quite a few options as to how to roast to receive a desired result and was written by DaveCuk.

If bought from elsewhere (and apologies if missed a for sale thread or other queries) then a good place to start would be to read through the todays roast thread on here or the roasting log on the coffeetime wiki site to give you some pointers.

More specific information would require knowing what bean you roasting, hence pointing you at the above.

Hope of help

John

John


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## eusty (Dec 6, 2016)

I've been watching a few youtube videos, including one from a man named Dave Corbey!









Yes I bought it from Bella Barista and also some of their beans, so I guess I'm worrying over nothing!

I'm not sure about the log you mentioned, but I found https://creator.zoho.com/davec_coffeetime/coffeetime-shared-roasting-log/#Page:Coffee_roasting_reports1 which is also by Dave!

Thanks for your reassurance


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

That's the one and if you search back through this you will also find, as long as someone filled it in, and indication of what temps / profile they followed. The coffeetime Wiki also has a downloadable roast recording temp log sheet that would advise you use as allows repeatability or at least working out where went wrong / how to improve etc.

The guide is an excellent resource and bearing in mind comes as part of the price paid for the gene a genuine "value add".

If you haven't already found this from the above then the main wiki site has lots of resource on that will help (have linked straight to the roasting section for ease)

Post your results in the todays roast sections and you will get helpful feedback (sometimes a pat on the back too







)

John


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## PottyMouthedBuddhist (Oct 18, 2016)

From another relative newbie, I'd say to worry more about logging what you do, and just get in and give it a go. Some of my best roasts have been the ones I thought didn't go so well, and some of the less good ones I had really high hopes for. As long as you have a record, you have a decent chance of repeating those good ones.

I'll be interested in your experience with the Gene, been increasingly tempted to buy one myself - have fun!


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## Robbo (Feb 17, 2016)

My advice would be to keep it simple. I work on a modded gene but i have learned not to over complicate things

First buy a halogen workmans lamp and clamp it so that it shines directly onto the roasting chamber. Mine was about £5 from homebase. This allows you to see much more clearly what colour/roast level you are at.

Get a Venting tube to vent out the window.

Stick to using max 250g beans, your supply voltage will determine how fast the roast progresses and when you need to hold or lower the temp. Im running at around 235v (1230w) so usually set temp to 240, time to 18 mins and i just leave it going until first crack, then leave it a bit longer, 1 minute or so, until 1c has slowed then lower the power to stretch out the time between 1st and 2nd crack. Some larger, softer beans require more of a drop in temp than others. I would end the roast just before i reach the desired colour and time after 1c. Using the gene cool cycle it will coast for 20 seconds or so. (Continue to roast as it cools)

I dont preheat or e stop.

If i were using the unmodded gene, when i wanted to slow the roast just after 1c, take the set temp down to a couple of degrees below the recorded temp. This will switch the heater off temporariliy to slow the rate if rise. Then just keep it going until desired colour. If you have a higher supply voltage your roast may be too quick and you may need to hold the temp before 1c. I aim for a 16-17 min roast time from a unpreheated gene.

I would defo reccomend doing the mod as it makes it easier to produce even roasts. Buy at least 2kg of each bean type so you can perfect each one. And keep a record.


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## Robbo (Feb 17, 2016)

Heres my set up.


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## Hal.E.Lujah (Aug 19, 2014)

I used two of these for a while, and have to say they're great. My advice would be to ignore some of the weird and wonderful advice surrounding them (i.e. unplugging them to cool the beans outside of the roaster, putting the chaff collector in the fridge) and just stick to the basics for the first few roasts, meaning;

1. Measure out your green beans to whatever you're roasting.

2. You take the drum out by flicking the little catch, and tugging. Do this gently the first few times to get a feel for it. Fill it with green!

3. Twist the temperature controls and the timer controls round to increase/decrease. Set the temp as high as possible and the timer to 5mins.

4. The roaster beeps 1minute before it reaches the timer you set it to. So at 4mins it will beep, and you can check the temp. It should have reached around 200. Decide if you want it to keep climbing or to even out, by leaving the temp on max or lowering it to 190. Remember it's not bean actual temp. At a later date it will help to set up a probe inside or look at some charts about actual bean temp average to drum heat.

5. Change the timer to whatever length you need left.

Once you've found your feet a bit, my method for getting a decent roast out of these was;

1. Turn the temp dial to as high as you can (I think it can vary, mine is 240).

2. Set it to start, let it run for a little while to reach a high temp.

3. Unplug the machine right as the drum lines up with the bit you can take it out at. Wear an oven mit if you have sensitive hands.

4. Take the drum out, fill it with your pre-measured green, plonk it back in asap

5. Set the timer for 13mins (give or take depending on what you're roasting and to what style)

6. Let it ride

7. When you're ready to drop, hold the button down to initiate emergency stop. Then take the beans out and put them in whatever you have to cool them, e.g. a powerful fan pointed at a sieve.

Hope that helps!


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

No preheating. No dumping beans to cool.

Reduce temp to 5c below temp 1st crack takes place when first crack has gone past the rapid pops stage e.g FC starts at 235c, reduce temp to 230c after first crack is well underway. You could possibly reduce temp a little sooner so experiment. Roast profiles will vary from bean to bean, for some you might want to end 30 seconds after first crack with a slow start, for others you might want to go darker and stretch time between first and second crack after a fast start.


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## iroko (Nov 9, 2012)

A power monitor from Maplins to check voltage while roasting would be good. Don't worry If you don't hear 1st or 2nd crack at first, do a few roasts

to get a feel of the roaster, keep a log and have fun roasting.


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