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## CoffeeMagic

Most people who frequent this topic don't need a 101 thread, so I thought we could expand the subject in another to discuss the various aspects and pool knowledge. Perhaps it could become a sticky







.

First thoughts are that we cover the hardware, software, process, experiments and above all the reasons why people indulge themselves.

Please don't feel left out just because you aren't roasting yet, as it would be great to get your questions (however abstract they may sound) / aspirations and help demystify the subject or better still stretch the thought.

Let's kick things off by understanding why. In my own case, I have always had a fascination for Physics (or real magic as I like to put it) and it's effects on the things we eat and drink. For a time I looked at gastro-physics and tried to understand why a souffle collapsed if the oven was opened too soon. My interest is more to do with the process of roasting, the dynamics and how different coffees can compliment each other in a blend.

What is your motivation to roast or start roasting?


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## MikeHag

I'm at the point where learning about roasting is one of the logical next steps. Reasons?

- I find I can't fully understand or describe how a coffee tastes without knowing more about what has happened to the bean before it reached me.

- It seems like being good at it would demand a lot of learning, so that seems like an interesting challenge.

- I'd like my cafe to eventually be a roasterie. Fresh, high quality products are a critical success factor for cafes and coffeeshops these days, in my opinion.

Thanks for starting this thread. Good idea.


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## vintagecigarman

Totally agree with Mike - it's a great idea for a thread.

Why do I roast?

Primarily because it's fun!

I also think that it brings a closer connection to the end product.

And the sheer enjoyment of learning a new skill without having to demonstrate to someone that I've attained my objectives - which is something that bugs me about part-time vocational courses where everything has to be evaluated. I enjoy learning for the sheer pleasure of the learning itself - I don't need to prove what I've learned to some external assessor.

Sorry, rant over.

Sent via Tapatalk from my HTC Desire HD.

And, actually, the world DOES revolve around my Glen of Imaal terrier!


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## CoffeeMagic

It would be ideal to get a few more participants in the thread. That way we can get a good cross-section.

One of the reasons I asked for motivation is that it will certainly influence the choice of roaster. Is it a stepping stone in becoming a commercial roaster? Do you want to experiment with different coffees? Fed up of planning your purchases a week in advance? Or just too much cash and it's the next cool thing







.

Secondly, the amount of coffee you consume will have a bearing on choice of machine. There is really no point in buying a shiny 7kg Deidrich if you only get through 250g per month - at least there is no chance of becoming a slave to the machine.

How much coffee do you get through in a week? Let's look at roasters available currently and the methods they use in roasting.


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## vintagecigarman

No motivation to roast commercially - I'm only doing it for my own use, with the occasional batch for close friends. I like the experimentation, and also the ability to have a selection of bean on hand ready for roasting with no fear of them going off before use (which could be the case if I bought roasted).

On average, I'm roasting a half pound every other day, sometimes daily.

I'd seriously consider moving up to a 1kg roaster, but having trouble getting information about them and talking to current users, so would appreciate any help in this direction.


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## CoffeeMagic

vintagecigarman said:


> ...
> 
> I'd seriously consider moving up to a 1kg roaster, but having trouble getting information about them and talking to current users, so would appreciate any help in this direction.


I believe Coffeebean has a 1Kg Toper and would probably be more than happy to provide some of his experiences. The 1Kg roasters that I can think of, off the top of my head, include the Has Garanti, Toper Cafemino, Sonafresco (fluid bed), Torrefattore (Coffee-Tech), Discaf TN-1. Don't forget that there are many 2-2.5kg roasters (for not much more £) that will roast 500g batches and upwards.

My own roaster is a 2kg and I am hoping that once the full setup is complete I can post some experiences (perhaps on the blog).


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## CoffeeMagic

...and if you have big pockets the Geisen W1


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## vintagecigarman

Thanks for the info. I can see some serious research coming up.


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## DavidBondy

I have been an ardent home roaster for years and years. I started just for fun roasting in the oven. The house smelled lovely but the coffee wasn't great! I tried all manner of popcorn roasters but decided to go for something a bit more up-market.

I think the first home-roaster available here was the FreshRoast which worked well but had a very small "payload". They also had a quality problem in that the steel mesh would de-laminate from the glass cup. After my third replacement, I decided it had to go.

So, next up was the iRoast. Great but not programmable enough for me and the very dark roasts I love. Also had an age problem whereby the top would come off during the cooling cycle and scatter beans everywhere. Eventually I had to tie the bloody top on stop this from happening. Also had a noise level disproportionate to it's small size and payload. Time to move up again ...

Now it was the turn of the Alpenroast. The biggest mistake ever! Tons and tons and tons of smoke and rubbery tasting, burnt coffee. I started having to roast in the garage with the door open - the neighbours almost called the fire brigade! A total bugger to clean and I wouldn't ever recommend another. After a couple of weeks it was left to rot in the garage and it was back to the iRoast!

Until I discovered the Behmor 1600 about eighteen months ago. I bought mine from Steve L. and couldn't be happier!!

I roast about 500g a week and the Behmor is perfect for this. I like a dark roast and find that Profile P4 with some time added on is perfect. It is easy to clean and produces a very even roast without too much smoke.

I keep (or kept) a paper log of all my roasts but have just bought Roastmaster for my iPad. If anyone has suggestions for using this with the Behmor then please post 'em here!

Glad to see this thread!

David


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## vintagecigarman

David:

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but you may like to take a look at the Roasterthing software - it was originally designed for the Behmor, and is by far the best roasting record software I have seen. And it's free.

Sent via Tapatalk from my HTC Desire HD.

And, actually, the world DOES revolve around my Glen of Imaal terrier!


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## CoffeeMagic

Hi David, glad to see another roaster chipping in. I also use RoastMaster and utilise the profile graphs for each roaster. I have used the GeneCafe for some time, with very good results. Having just installed a new roaster, I want to continue using the Gene for sampling.

Recently though, there have been issues with the heater and temp cutout. There have been a few instances of the same thing happening in other parts of the world and that these roasters may suffer from degradation of the outlet temp sensor that causes a difference of >5deg across the roaster and cuts the heater element out. However it hasn't managed to spoil a roast yet, just means I have to change the profile slightly to compensate. It is a good little roaster and quiet, which allows you to hear both cracks. Chaff collection is great and there isn't too much smoke - unless you go into 2nd crack.

With RoastMaster I setup heat profiles for different type of bean or blends and record the temp curve as the roast progresses. RoastMaster will conduct a search of roasts to find like graphs based on the criteria you select, or use the default set. It allows you to judge approximate crack timings and determine if there is a significant difference from other roasts of the same profile.

Personally, I continue to use RoastMaster as it is easy for me to work with the iPad than a laptop, hence the reason I have not ventured any further with a trial of RoasterThing. Just my preference, but by all means you should take a look and see if it is more suitable for your use.

Hope to catch more of your posts here.

Ron


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## DavidBondy

Until Behmorthing / Roasterthing is ported to the Mac platform, it will remain unavailable to me!

David


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