# Am I The Only "Finger in Air" Roaster?



## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

Confession time: I roast my own beans on my Behmor, but with being constantly tired (baby brain) for the first couple of years I had it I stopped trying to understand roast profiles and other things that just zipped out of my limited retained knowledge and now use things like the following to judge my roasts: -

1. This smells like it's ready.

2. This sounds like it's ready.

3. This doesn't fall into either of the two above categories but I know from last time these beans are sneaky and are pretty close to going on fire. So it's ready.

4. That tastes fine, I must have done OK. I must remember to do something broadly similar next time.

Am I the only one that roasts like this? To be honest my approach to extraction is the same but I suspect I could do better if my brain would let me get even a teeny bit sciency. I just don't know if I've got it in me at the moment (I have to barricade myself in my utility and hide from my kids to do it), but I feel guilty for not knowing more.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Its the same as pulling shots with no measuring or timing, it can work, i have had some roasts that have been great just by going with smell/sight, but trying to get the same with the same bean a second time was a total fail.....

Like espresso, first time you play around based on other roasts, weigh/time and write everything down then when you go back you revert notes.


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

Even if you record basic details using the below, will allow repeatability if you follow your options 1 or 2 for roasts that suit your taste buds. Plus if you try lots of different beans helps when you return to a previous one.

http://coffeetime.wdfiles.com/local--files/online-roastlog-application/roastlogprintout2.pdf

Hope of help

John


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

What they both said +1


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

Thanks guys, that helps. Choking my way through a less than lovely lot of roasted beans after a run of pretty spot on roasts from the same green beans has made me feel maybe I need to lift my game. I have one coffee a day. It should be superb.


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

That's the way I roast with my Nuvo handheld roaster. Smell, sounds, heat being given off, the look/colour and glancing at the clock on the wall. So far so good. I only roast in tiny batches though so it wouldn't be the end of the world if I get a batch wrong


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

Ramrod said:


> That's the way I roast with my Nuvo handheld roaster. Smell, sounds, heat being given off, the look/colour and glancing at the clock on the wall. So far so good. I only roast in tiny batches though so it wouldn't be the end of the world if I get a batch wrong


Well, if you have the cuppa you make yourself to try the beans out off a small batch you've probably covered yourself lol. I roast 200g at a time which takes me a week to consume. Ever the optimist I always drink it all. If only to teach myself a lesson for next time


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## Ramrod (Feb 9, 2016)

I only roast about 80g at a time


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## Coffeejon (Oct 10, 2014)

Not sure about smells like it's ready(apart from burning!)? but... agree with before, 'WRITE IT DOWN' as then you you can go back and correct. Still,

- Pre-heat roaster (makes it much more consistent)

- Try slowly roasting at the beginning (I use from preheat - 220 for about 8 mins)

- then slowly increase by 10 degrees, wait till hit temp then wait another min

- do increase in temp again until (max I'd use is 240) and wait until first crack (easy to hear & till the beans are popping away) & beans beginning to look choc brown

- I'd then kill it.

- Wait a least a day to try the beans)

- Try this roast again and if it too acidic or 'grass' tasting it's underdone. Do same as above but go a bit more past 1st crack (30secs - 1min) & taste again until it's where you need it.

- repeat with different beans (as different beans are totally different at the last stages of roasting).

Hope that helps!


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