Home Roasting Coffee

[flyangler18]

Consider this an ongoing thread/general depository for all things related to homeroasting coffee (bean recommendation, roasting profiles, techniques and so forth).

I've been roasting my own coffee for close to a year now, using the ubiquitous DB/HG technique. To this point, it's been entirely manual - holding the heat gun in one hand and stirring with the other.

My mother-in-law is a pro yard/garage saler and scored a new-in-box bread machine for $5, so I'm claiming it for the roastery in a configuration similar to the image below. :D

http://www.sweetmarias.com/homemade-homeroasters/phil_kniss.jpg

[Big_John]

Consider this an ongoing thread/general depository for all things related to homeroasting coffee (bean recommendation, roasting profiles, techniques and so forth).

I've been roasting my own coffee for close to a year now, using the ubiquitous DB/HG technique. To this point, it's been entirely manual - holding the heat gun in one hand and stirring with the other.

My mother-in-law is a pro yard/garage saler and scored a new-in-box bread machine for $5, so I'm claiming it for the roastery in a configuration similar to the image below. :D

http://www.sweetmarias.com/homemade-homeroasters/phil_kniss.jpg

The improvisation with the desk lamp is way cool. How's this contraption working for you so far?

I'm working on building a DIY drum roaster. The concept only exists in my head so far and it may never get built, but I see no reason why one could not build a decent 1/2 lb capacity drum roaster for under $100. I came across one that used tube type halogen light bulbs as the heat source. Others I've seen use a BBQ rostisserie type arrangement with an SS perforated drum over a propane burner. No one has yet come up with a compact, easy to build and low cost DIY roaster. One of the best ideas I've seen uses a Stir Crazy popcorn maker in combination with a Turbo Roaster convection oven. The problem is that those two items alone can get the cost up very fast and you still don't have the precise temp control that is most desireable. I'll be working on it.

[flyangler18]

How's this contraption working for you so far?

Haven't picked up the bread machine yet, but I know it'll work well.

[Big_John]

Haven't picked up the bread machine yet, but I know it'll work well.

Oh, I see that one is not yours. Duh...I should learn to read more carefully.

[BeerBilly]

We've been roasting for 6 mos or so with an I-Roast 2.It works well but is kind of a fuss for only 1 cup capacity.We'd love a bigger roaster for sure.A 100$ 1 lb machine would sell like hotcakes.

[flyangler18]

Got the bread machine from my inlaws last night; this thing can hold well over a pound of beans with a fair bit of headspace during agitation. I rarely roast more than 4 oz at a time, however.

[flyangler18]

Just finished roasting a batch of Sumatra Takengon Classic using the bread machine/heat gun combo. Took it to a FC - probably the most evenly roasted batch yet. The continuous rotation of the mixing arm in the bread machine keeps the beans moving so they get an even application of heat. I may drill a small hole in the basket to thread a thermocouple for a better understanding of the bean temperature for repeatability down the line.

Tom @ Sweet Maria's has this to offer on Takengon Classic:

Formerly offered as Classic Mandheling, the name seems less suited to any coffee from Sumatra these days. Why? Mandheling has been been loosely applied to any coffee from North Sumatra or Aceh district, but the actual Mandheling district has little coffee remaining but some low-land robusta. Mandheling was a historical name. We can respect that, but we like to keep the romance in check, and prefer some real-world specifics. Indeed, this is a special coffee from a small area near Takengon, the city on the shores of Lake Tawar in the Gayo area of Aceh. And it has "classic" Sumatra character, that reverberant, deep-toned, mildly earthy, low acid heavy body cup. This sub region has unique plant material too; our classic comes from trees that predominately have large cherries, resulting in 18-19 screen green coffee. This coffee is grown by smallholder farmers and when I visited there it was clear that the trees were unique in form and the very large cherries. Whether this is a TimTim, Ateng or Djember cultivar is unknown at this point, but I walked the farms with Andy Irham and his father, local Takengon coffee millers who source this lot for us, and they believe this is a local mutation of old seedstock from the early days of coffee in the Gayo area. What I have found consistently is a great flavor profile; aggressive, yet with a foresty sweetness too, hints of earth, but not dirty or musty. The fragrance from the dry grounds has semi-sweet chocolate roast tones (FC+) with woody tree bark hints and darkly caramelized sugar sweetness. Adding water, the tenor-to-bass range of the cup is clear, reiterating what we find in the dry fragrance, with the addition of a deep sandalwood aromatic, brown bread, bran muffin, and molasses. Low acidity means the cup has less dimension and perceived complexity ... but that's what a Sumatra is all about as well; heavy body, chocolate, a coffee profile painted in earth-shades. While the cup showcases pleasing bitterness over sweetness, there is clear presence of both; dark brown sugar, baker's chocolate. There is a touch of black pepper in the finish, as well as earthy tones, and a bit of truffles. There are also muted ripe fruits; plum-prune, fig. Of course, a coffee with this flavor profile doesn't chart well on a cupping form, hence the strong use of the Cupper's Correction.

[Ó Flannagáin]

When I was in the HBS in Tampa this weekend I saw they were selling green beans now. Thought that was pretty cool.

[flyangler18]

When I was in the HBS in Tampa this weekend I saw they were selling green beans now. Thought that was pretty cool.

$15 - $25 for a heat gun + the cost of beans and you can join in the fun.

[Ó Flannagáin]

Sounds like you have to do one cup at a time though, that's a lot of work for a cup of joe. I want to get into the hobby, but I think I'll wait for a tax refund or something and buy a bigger system.

[flyangler18]

Sounds like you have to do one cup at a time though, that's a lot of work for a cup of joe. I want to get into the hobby, but I think I'll wait for a tax refund or something and buy a bigger system.

I know I've said this before, but home-roasting coffee is one of those hobbies/pursuits that you can say without hesitation saves you money in the long run. Unparalleled freshness for a fraction of the cost.

If you use a heat gun and a dog bowl, you can easily roast larger quantities than someone who roasts with a old table-top hot air popcorn popper. The hot air poppers are limited by the strength of their motors in keeping the beans moving; more than 3-4 ounces and the beans don't move - the ones closest to the heat source burn to shit and the ones furthest are barely roasted.

My wife isn't a big coffee drinker, so I usually just roast for my personal consumption and occasionally give some away. Besides that, I like to keep a couple different beans ready for the pot on hand, so roasting smaller quantities gives me choices. :)

[JXLT]

I think I'm going to give the heat gun/dog bowl a shot and see how I like it.

[Big_John]

I think I'm going to give the heat gun/dog bowl a shot and see how I like it.

You will regret it. That's how it begins. You will soon be just as hooked on home roasting coffee as you are on home brewing. The anticipated cost savings will soon evaporate as you will find yourself drinking twice as much coffee as you normally would. The wife will frequently ask, "should we brew another pot, honey?". That seldom happened in the past with store bought coffee. Be afraid. Be very afraid. My house is beginning to smell like some kind of a weird fucking botique shop these days. Roasted coffee, hop aroma, yeast fumes and incense all wafting through the place regularly.

[Ó Flannagáin]

You will regret it. That's how it begins. You will soon be just as hooked on home roasting coffee as you are on home brewing. The anticipated cost savings will soon evaporate as you will find yourself drinking twice as much coffee as you normally would. The wife will frequently ask, "should we brew another pot, honey?". That seldom happened in the past with store bought coffee. Be afraid. Be very afraid. My house is beginning to smell like some kind of a weird fucking botique shop these days. Roasted coffee, hop aroma, yeast fumes and incense all wafting through the place regularly.

Now I'm scared...

[JXLT]

I doubt if my wife will be doing any of that. She adds that flavored creamer crap to her coffee. I told her that I think she likes the idea of coffee better than she actually likes coffee.

[Ó Flannagáin]

I give props to the flavored creamer, it made me start drinking coffee in the first place. Wouldn't bring it near a cup now though.

[flyangler18]

I think I'm going to give the heat gun/dog bowl a shot and see how I like it.

Did you ever do any roasting, JXLT?

[Big_John]

I give props to the flavored creamer, it made me start drinking coffee in the first place. Wouldn't bring it near a cup now though.

I was a heavy cream & sugar guy for most of my life until I started roasting my own. Been drinking it straigt up strong and black for about four years. Now the thought of doctoring it up never crosses my mind. Drinking some Tanzanian Peaberry roasted to Full City++ right now. Dem Tanzanians make good shit...Christ!

[Lerxst]

I think I'm going to give the heat gun/dog bowl a shot and see how I like it.

If you want to try it with little to no investment, give stove top roasting with a cast iron skillet a try. It takes a bit more practice and is hard to get even roasts but even your worst attempt at home roasting will be better than all the grocery store coffee.

[Joos]

I really want to start doing this.

[Big_John]

If you want to try it with little to no investment, give stove top roasting with a cast iron skillet a try. It takes a bit more practice and is hard to get even roasts but even your worst attempt at home roasting will be better than all the grocery store coffee.

That's how I got started. It's similar to brewing in that regard. The first batch will be pretty darn good, just like your first extract batch, but soon you will be looking for ways to improve on your roasting methods.

[Lamppa]

you guys are killing me. you know I will start doing this after a while!!

[Big_John]

I'm tempted to send you some of my home roasted coffee. I think I will. I'll roast it on Sunday if I can remember to do so and get it in the mail right away. It should be quite fresh when it arrives. This will give you a better idea of what we are talking about and you will be hooked immediately. I'll roast some Columbian Supremo No. 1 for you. There's no turning back now!...Christ!

[Lerxst]

ohhh....a homeroast swap would be a neat idea!

[flyangler18]

ohhh....a homeroast swap would be a neat idea!

I'm down.

[adrock]

Can we set something up where you guys roast coffee, grind it, and then deliver it fresh to my house weekly? Thanks.

[wolf08gang]

Can we set something up where you guys roast coffee, grind it, and then deliver it fresh to my house weekly? Thanks.

I have something like that arrangement right now with a couple of my friends. Though I won't pre-grind it for them. Freshness goes downhill withing hours of grinding.

It works out pretty nicely. They give me money and creative control. I give them fresh coffee. It helps pay for my coffee habit.

[adrock]

Awesome! So, just add me to the list, and grind it for me. But don't ask me for any money.

[Lamppa]

i can get a heat gun and try this soon. Where is a good place to start looking for raw beans?

[wolf08gang]

sweetmarias.com

burmancoffee.com

sweetmarias has better tasting notes, and a nice tutorial on recognizing different roasts.

[Big_John]

I sent out the Columbian Supremo No. 1 to Lamppa today. Roasted it late yesterday to a Full City+ level. Should be pretty good. Now, let's see how he reacts. I bet we have him roasting his own within a week. What do you think?

[Lamppa]

well john, it was not within a week, but I did create a plan to roast using my old brewpot, a heatgun, a little knowledge and info and a wooden spoon....I have the green beans now, I have a french press. Coffee is my new hobby.

It used to be a fun thing, but I am a bit of a coffe snob (and a beer snob) so this coffee thing is AWESOME!!!!!

[flyangler18]

How large is the old brewpot? You might have better results with a small metal mixing bowl; use the thermal mass of the beans to your advantage.

[Lamppa]

ok, ill try some kind of bowl, cuz the pot is 16 qts

[flyangler18]

Lamppa -

Check out these links:

http://www.homeroaster.com/heatgun.html
http://www.sweetmarias.com/homemade-homeroasters.php
http://www.sweetmarias.com/roasting-VisualGuideV2.php

[JXLT]

Flyangler,
I still haven't tried home roasting yet but a friend of mine gave me some Finca El Socorro - Maracaturra from PT's coffee roasting Co.. This stuff blew me away. I never knew coffee could be so delicious. Do you suggest giving the dog bowl/heatgun a shot or should I save some money for a Behmor 1600. I usually drink close to a pot a day by myself so buying from PT's is definitely out of my budget but I do need a way to roast larger quantities than the smaller roasters and air poppers allow.

[Lamppa]

Just get the bowl. Any stainless dish will do. My fav is a 12 oz little stainless bowl. I like to do 3 batches (I have 3 kinds of green beans) in one shot. I get enuf to do 2 half pot brews In each roasting. I use the french press, so its a pile of cofee in each one. Just try it out using little money to see how you like it.

[Lerxst]

Do you suggest giving the dog bowl/heatgun a shot or should I save some money for a Behmor 1600. I usually drink close to a pot a day by myself so buying from PT's is definitely out of my budget but I do need a way to roast larger quantities than the smaller roasters and air poppers allow.

my 2 cents:

Gun/bowl
+cheap
+easy
-outside: weather, smoke, chaff
-relies on you developing a tiny amount of skill to achieve specific roasts and consistent results

counter top roaster
+roast anytime, day or night...rain, snow or sun, inside the house w/ some ventilation (range hood for me, crack the kitchen window for dark roasts or heavy chaff)
+consistent results
-more expensive
-batch size might be limited, degree of roast might be limited or roast profiles might be limited depending on the machine
-some machines can be noisy or sensitive to electrical supply voltage

To generalize, I found the gun/bowl roasts to be a little brighter than the roasts with the same coffee in the Behmor....the Behmor roasts seem to be a bit more "round." The roasts in the Behmor are very consistent and the convenience factor can't be understated.

I would grab a gun & bowl and get roasting on a few pounds of coffee. See if it's something you're going to want to do on a regular basis. You can always add a counter top roaster at any point and still use the gun for batches here and there...so it's not like a bad investment either way.

[JXLT]

Any suggestions for a good heat gun? Would this one work?

http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-heat-gun-with-digital-temperature-settings-97114.html

[Lerxst]

Any suggestions for a good heat gun?

I just use a cheap old black and decker paint stripping gun that I picked up 15 years ago or so to strip a cabinet. If you want to go on the cheap, hit harbor freight. Otherwise, depot/lowes/hardware store and grab what your wallet likes. You could probably find prefs and recs on one of the home roasting forums.

[Lamppa]

As long as it says it heats up to 750 or higher, it will work, regardless of brand.

[flyangler18]

JXLT,

Sorry I'm a bit slow in responding; haven't checked the forum much since last week. In any case, my thoughts:

I really like using the low-tech heat gun and dog bowl approach because it helped me develop an eye for when a bean reaches the correct stage of roast. Timing, temperature, settings on a more automated roaster are signposts along the way - but actually looking at the roast is what's important, at least to me. Further to that point, the initial outlay is low, and you'll certainly press the heat gun into other areas should you not like the hobby. I'll typically roast approximately a pound at a time, using the contraption in the first post of this thread. Low-tech with an edge over manual agitation. :)

While a commercial tabletop machine like the Behmor is tempting, I've been extremely pleased with my cobbled-together system. YMMV.

[Lerxst]

FWIW if you are on the East Coast and looking for online bean suppliers, check out Roastmasters.com. I like SMs sourcing policies and selection better but Roastmasters has a decent selection and I received my beans in two-three days w/ their lowest rate shipping (priority mail)

[flyangler18]

FWIW if you are on the East Coast and looking for online bean suppliers, check out Roastmasters.com. I like SMs sourcing policies and selection better but Roastmasters has a decent selection and I received my beans in two-three days w/ their lowest rate shipping (priority mail)

I'll have to check them out. Thanks!

[JXLT]

Stopped by Harbor Freight this weekend and picked up a heatgun. Going to order the sampler pack from Sweet Marias. I'll prob give roasting a shot sometime next week.

[zoebisch01]

I may just make an attempt with our convection oven. It goes to 550. I am not sure if we'll get too much smoke in the house though.

[Big_John]

These guys have very good prices. They also ship fast at reasonable rates. Their green been selection could be wider, but they stock the ones I most often buy. The quality is also top notch IMO. I've bought about 60 lbs of green beans from them over the past few months and I'm a very satisfied customer: http://www.ccmcoffee.com/index.php?cPath=21&gclid=CMeulYOa-JgCFRBbagodwGo8lg They've been around awhile too, which is always good to know.

[JXLT]

I ordered the 8 lb sampler from Sweet Maria's. It should be here Monday. Maybe I'll get some roasted Tuesday.

[zoebisch01]

I am so fucking done with grocery store coffee. I have missed this quality since 'Cup O' Joe's' in Raleigh. Ordered 4 lbs from the site k4 recommended. Convection oven works extremely well. I just put it on a baking sheet and zapped it, shaking the tray a few times during the roast. By the end of these 4 lbs I think I'll have it pretty well dialed in. I had to cut back the temperature a wee bit, first batch hit first crack in just under 4 minutes. Not really much smoke to speak of either which was one of my concerns. Right as it was just before the stage I wanted it, into a large SS bowl and I went outside and winnowed it. Had some Organic Sumatra Mandheling and holy fuck I was buzzing like crazy. Wife and myself had a cup and my daughter had half a cup around 6 and by about 7 I could actually feel it in my body, I remember this from the days in Raleigh. That was the pilot roast and second crack came up on my fast so I think next time I might bring it to just at the brink of second crack. I also ordered Guatemala Antigua, Ethiopia Yrgacheffe (Koke farms), and Flores Green Dragon (Organic). Still have to get more familiar with the roast colors, that will come with experience. Can't wait to try the Dragon tomorrow, never had that bean.

[Lerxst]

Sounds like we had a similar order from Roastmasters!

Shipped: 1 Flores Green Dragon Organic $6.28 = $6.28
Shipped: 2 Sumatra Mandheling Organic $5.61 = $11.22
Shipped: 1 Bolivia Lucio Villca micro-lot $6.91 = $6.91
Shipped: 1 Costa Rica Arce / Finca Chepe microlot $6.91 = $6.91

I've tried everything so far except the Bolivia Lucio...all very good. For what ever reason it seems that all of Roastmaster's roasting guidelines for their beans are almost always FC+ -> Vienna

[zoebisch01]

Weird, yeah a lot of their recommendations are indeed very full roasts. I loathe that about Starfucks and there is a small roaster in town that does the same damn thing. Why is it that some folks don't get the concept that each coffee really has an optimum roast range?

My wife really likes the Green Dragon, I need to have another cup to decide. One of my favorites has always been the Yrgacheffe, but it's never worth buying in the store because it never has those citrus notes. I think they degrade really fast. I wasn't aware that green coffee kept as long as it does, so next order is going to be larger to bring down the shipping proportion of the order. I love all of the information on Sweet Maria's but I find the site a little bit of a pain to navigate.

[JXLT]

My order from Sweet Marias arrived today. I ordered the 8 lb sampler and received a lb of each of the following:
India Sanskrit Arabica: Moderate sweetness, nutty roast character, earthy, aromatic wood, basmati rice, mild acidity, heavy body, great balance of minerality and sweetness.
Papua New Guinea Waghi Peaberry: Apple pie aroma, stone fruit flavors, cane sugar sweetness, violet floral notes, blackberry, wheat chaff hint, bright and refreshing.
Guatemala Bourbon-Finca San Diego Buena Vista: Balanced profile with vanilla and caramel, citric zest, red apple fruit in light roasts, blackberry and chocolate in darker roasts.
Nicaragua Nueva Segovia- Un Regalo de Dios: Complex cup with cinnamon, spiced cider, dark caramel, wild flowers, mint, sage blossom.
Panama Finca La Camiseta:Caramel maple aroma, brown sugar sweetness, apple like brightness (malic acidity), creamy mouthfeel, a classic, balanced cup.
El Salvador Finca La Florida: Soft, sweet citrus and red berry accent notes, caramel-butter, bittersweet balance, light creamy body.
Ethiopia Wet Process Guji Oromo:Very unique flavor profile, sweet spice notes, tea, flowers, fruit, gingerbread, graham cracker, violet blossoms, honey, aromatic, delicate cup.
Ethiopia Organic Shakiso Wet Process: Moderate brightness, lemon-wafer scent, caramel sweetness, jasmine notes, mandarin fruit marmalade, syrupy body.

I also ordered 2 lbs. of Sweet Maria's Espresso Workshop Editions #14-El Santo and Johnny: Tangy chocolate roast notes, balanced sweetness. Orange Slices dripping in chocolate.
I roasted about 4-6 oz. of this:
3654
This was my first roasting experience. I used the heatgun and the bowl pictured. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was and I hope it tastes as great as it looks and smells.

[zoebisch01]

Dang, this is a new addiction! :D

I just placed a Sweet Maria's order as well. Since the green beans store well I put in a fairly substantial order, doubling up on some items. I am really excited to try the Limu-Nigusie Lemma.

El Salvador Siberia Estate Bourbon - 1 lbs
Ethiopia Dry Process Limu -Nigusie Lemma - 2 lbs
Sumatra Blue Batak Tarbarita Peaberry - 2 lbs
Guatemala Acatenenango -Finca La Soledad - 2 lbs
Ethiopia Harar Organic Dry Process Biftu Genema - 2 lbs

[zoebisch01]

So in my convection oven I have been playing around with the temperature. I might even go lower so that I can get better control. Things really cooked along at 500°F and I lowered it to around 495°F (which in convection mode, the oven automatically shifts the temperature down I *think* it's 30 °F in mine, so that's 465°F) and second crack occurs somewhere around 8 minutes generally. I am going to keep tweaking until I get it right, but for now I don't see a roaster in my future if I can fine tune this as there really is no need. It has worked way better than I had anticipated! I can do roughly 1/2 lb on a sheet pan that gives me excellent circulation with the fan blowing on it and a few shakes of the pan during the roast. Any more than that and as the beans swell they crowd. I plan on roasting tonight and think I am going to back down another 5 degrees.

[JXLT]

TheGuatemala Bourbon-Finca San Diego Buena Vista from Sweet Marias is absolutely delicious.It's like an explosion of brown sugar and caramel that slowly fades into milky way like caramel covered cohocolate that lingers on your palate. I will be ordering quite a few pounds of this on my next order.

[Lerxst]

Weird, yeah a lot of their recommendations are indeed very full roasts. I loathe that about Starfucks and there is a small roaster in town that does the same damn thing. Why is it that some folks don't get the concept that each coffee really has an optimum roast range?

My wife really likes the Green Dragon, I need to have another cup to decide. One of my favorites has always been the Yrgacheffe, but it's never worth buying in the store because it never has those citrus notes. I think they degrade really fast. I wasn't aware that green coffee kept as long as it does, so next order is going to be larger to bring down the shipping proportion of the order. I love all of the information on Sweet Maria's but I find the site a little bit of a pain to navigate.

The Green Dragon was good but I don't think it was very distinctive at their recommended roast level. I roast in 1/2 lb batches so I do their first batch at their recommended roast then do the second one at what I think will be more interesting or appropriate.

Overall, I like SMs offerings better than the Roastmasters stuff. IMO SMs are more unique (and their suggested profiles are definitely more appropriate). The last Yirga that I got from SM was really good. I have about 2 pounds of Roastmasters yet to go and I'm going to probably go back to SM. I also like the farm gate pricing concept.

[zoebisch01]

Kind of cool, I had emailed SM while my order was processing because I wanted to add a lower acid coffee to the mix in my order (trying to home in on my wife's coffee preference and I *think* in part the higher acid coffees are too much for her liking) and he told me about the coffee that just came in I scored the Sumatra Mandheling Grade 1 prior to it going live on the site. That was pretty cool. So I'm set with green bean for a good while to come. The Farm Gate pricing is very very cool.

I backed off on the Sumatra I got from roastmasters, down from a full city+ to a city and it was way too flat.

[zoebisch01]

Well clocking in around $1 ~ $1.50 a day with the home roasting (including shipping), which is pretty damned good especially considering that I gave away probably at least 2 lbs (which is pretty significant wrt to the cost basis). Usage is falling in around 100 grams/day which is about 2 full (10 cup) pots. And of course French presses on the weekend. So yeah consumption is up but I think it's sooo worth it. Just made a PHAT order :D, which included 5 lbs of the Ethiopia Harar Organic Dry Process Biftu Genema. Really really like that coffee just at the door of second crack. It really does have the blackberry just like the description mentions. Wicked good stuff, imo.

I have definitely noticed that kinetics affect the roast time. I also noticed with the convection oven method that stirring the coffee in the early stages is key to an even roast. I stir it about every 1.5 minutes during the roast and it has been working great.

[karmabrew]

My wife read about home roasting in one of her craft blogs and she is all gung ho about getting in to it now. It looks like I'll be looking for a popcorn popper at one of the thrift stores! :D

[zoebisch01]

And so it begins....

[karmabrew]

And so it begins....

LOL yep. I found a popcorn popper for $6 at the thrift store, and now I'm just waiting for my order from Sweet Maria's to arrive. :)

[flyangler18]

LOL yep. I found a popcorn popper for $6 at the thrift store, and now I'm just waiting for my order from Sweet Maria's to arrive. :)

I always found a popcorn popper to roast too quickly to the detriment of flavor development. If you use an long extension cord, you effectively lower the voltage in the line to slow down the roast a bit.

[zoebisch01]

I have been getting excellent results with the convection oven at 475 °F. Every 2 minutes I stir the beans and shake the pan really quickly. Shorter intervals tend to drop the heat way too much, longer ones contribute to inconsistency.

[Lamppa]

Mine is good but it never gets a depth of flaovr I would like. Its just acid and roast, newver deep complex flavors.

[adrock]

I have been getting excellent results with the convection oven at 475 °F. Every 2 minutes I stir the beans and shake the pan really quickly. Shorter intervals tend to drop the heat way too much, longer ones contribute to inconsistency.

I have some green coffee that I got on my trip to India several months back (hope they're still good), and I'm thinking I want to experiment with your convection oven method. I see that you say stirring every 2 minutes is just about right, and I know overall roast times can vary, but about how long will it take to achieve a Full City roast using this method? And is the window only 15-20 seconds long for each roast level, as indicated on SM's website?

[zoebisch01]

I have some green coffee that I got on my trip to India several months back (hope they're still good), and I'm thinking I want to experiment with your convection oven method. I see that you say stirring every 2 minutes is just about right, and I know overall roast times can vary, but about how long will it take to achieve a Full City roast using this method? And is the window only 15-20 seconds long for each roast level, as indicated on SM's website?

Well, here's my take on it and I am by no means an expert...but the coffee has been coming out quite excellent. @ 475 convection what I do is typically set the timer for 20 minutes. It's just what I do, nothing magic about that. What you are going to find right quick if you progress with roasting coffee is that it varies greatly by bean, which by the way your green beans should be fine...they claim months to years is typically fine for green bean storage.

For full city it typically has been running about 12 minutes for me, give or take according to bean. This also depends on quantity it seems, I am guessing something to do with thermal mass and heat flow with smaller batches turning around quickly. My standard batch is 1 lb on a sheet pan. You'll want to put it on the shelf in the middle of the convection fan. I always allow the sheet pan to heat up with the oven. You just have to listen for the fall off of the first crack. Then there will be a lull followed shortly by the first part of the distribution to hit the second crack. It's OK to have some beans hit it! Think about the distribution, not the individual beans.

Yes you should act fast but in all honesty it's not going to make or break a batch if you are shooting for full city and 5% of the beans go beyond that. Yes these changes happen very fast once you hit the about the brown stage but like I said, just be on stand-by and ready to act. It's very much just getting familiar with the process. Second crack sounds much different than first crack. Dry process beans seem to roast less evenly than wet process...at least that's my perception so be ready for that. So the long and short is between 10 to 13 minutes should get you there. Just be observant and try to eliminate background noise so you can hear those cracks. I typically have not been going by color that often but rather can hear the rise and fall of each crack stage. It really is a Gaussian distribution.

[adrock]

Thank you sir, I will try that tonight! Would full city be a good roast for french press? Or maybe espresso? If not, what would be? I'm afraid I know nothing about these beans except that I got them at a local place in Chennai, India. The shop was quite literally a hole in the wall.

[Lamppa]

French press is simply a way to make coffee. The type you put in the press doesn't matter. I do, however, adjust the amount of grounds in a serving with different types and/or roast levels. You can do them all, and should experiment.

[adrock]

I can appreciate the sentiment to not be bound by conventional wisdom for fear of it limiting me, but surely the french press method accentuates certain aspects of the coffee that are better utilized with at least a certain range of roasts. I'm not saying I won't try everything eventually, but I would like to start somewhere that will give me good results right off the bat. Just like I didn't wander off the beaten path on my first beer brewing and make a citrus/mocha/java/pepper/fig belgian dubbel.

[Lamppa]

Word. French roast.

[BlindLemonLars]

Just like I didn't wander off the beaten path on my first beer brewing and make a citrus/mocha/java/pepper/fig belgian dubbel.

Damn...recipe?!? Have you got an extract version?

[Beezy]

Damn...recipe?!? Have you got an extract version?

Don't post it public or there is a nano brewery near me that will be making it.