Re: my roasting progress

"Robert Harmon" <r_h_harmon@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I use two roasters; one a White Westinghouse air popper for batches of 1/3
cup or less (usually for blends), & a TurboCrazy for larger (production
<gr>) batches.

I never tried the TC set up, but after spending some time with the air
roasters (Hearthware Precision and Gourmet) I found that once I
started drum roasting I never looked back). Air roasting can be
accomplished, but the air roasters of yore were just too fast and
created a too-bright taste for me. The new iRoast is quite capable of
creating a great coffee- far more so than any other such appliance I
have tried. The best solution ($$ value + capacity + quality output)
is probably a modified BBQ, but that does not fit into all life
styles.

I was taught by my roasting mentor that sight & sound are the best
indicators of degree of roast. A City roast has finished first crack & a few
second cracks are heard and a Full City is stopped 10-20 seconds into second
crack. If it goes further into second crack & oils are just beginning to
showing up in random beans as spots then it's a Light French or Vienna.

The amount of time that the roast goes into second is dependant on the
speed at which it arrived. In an air popper, 20 seconds into second
can be a long time when the total roast time was just 6 to 8 minutes.
In a drum where the roast can be from 12 to 18 or more, it is not so
much- again, depending on how the roasting curve is controlled by the
device or the user.

For espresso, the guidelines you gave are generally a good starting
place, but for other methods of preparation, don't limit yourself- or
at least to say, experiment. As an example, try a Colombian roasted to
just after first ends (or mid-way between first and second), rested
for two or three days, brewed as drip. It's a very different taste,
and you won't know if you like it until you try it.

Randy "but it ain't good brewed green" G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com



.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: iRoast 2 -- is it working?
    ... People suggest that with air roasters, the outside of the bean doesn't ... roast may just help the inside catch up with the outside. ... don't want to bake the beans either. ... Good luck and keep roasting. ...
    (alt.coffee)
  • Re: Zach & Danis roasting outdoors/Cold weather
    ... All fluid bed coffee roasters pull air at ambient temperatures into ... If the ambient air is cold, the roaster is going to have ...
    (alt.coffee)
  • Re: Get "MET" it pays...
    ... the input air temp) about the same throughout the roast. ... If you PID an air roaster for bean temp, the inlet air will tend to ... the roast and fine tune the settings, rather than for direct control. ...
    (alt.coffee)
  • Re: I-Roast Flavor vs. Professional Roasts
    ... >> misquoted or he was referring to something else. ... I am on dial up, and by the time I download a podcast, coffee ... Air roasters too fast.. ... >roast to get more character in an I-Roast roast. ...
    (alt.coffee)
  • Re: Newbie home roasting....
    ... Air poppers roast beans much faster than drum roasters. ... point with no gap from first to second crack. ...
    (alt.coffee)