Sweet Maria's: Roasting successes and failures

[abooja]

Incidentally, the Colombia "Dos Payasos de Tolima" beans, when properly roasted, were quite tasty. Nothing exotic about them, but then that's how I like my coffee, apparently. I've finally been able to enjoy good (for me) coffee. The stuff is so fresh, it effervesces as I add the hot water, so constant stirring is required.

Yesterday, I repeated the heat gun technique with some more Brazil "Fazenda do Sertao (Lot 50)" beans, to be tasted tomorrow morning.

I also reordered -- two more pounds of Colombia "Dos Payasos de Tolima" and two pounds of Costa Rica "Lourdes de Naranjo" beans. I have high hopes for the latter.

[rotuts]

nothing like home roasting for finding your "perfect cup" after you find a bean you really enjoy, consider roasting it a little darker, a little lighter and even adding two different roastings of the same bean to a single bean blend.

keep that grinder very very clean!

[mkayahara]

What roast level did you take the Colombia "Dos Payasos de Tolima" to, abooja? I just roasted a batch this afternoon, aiming for City+, though I'm not sure I made it quite that far.

Lately I've been worrying about how first crack takes place. Not all the beans hit the same temperature at the same time, so when the last beans reach first crack, the first ones that reached it have been continuing to heat. I know that some unevenness is to be expected, given the method and depending on batch size, but it makes the finer distinctions of City+ and Full City a little hard. The only things I can say for sure are "cleared first crack" or "first snaps of second crack," because those cues are audible.

[chileheadmike]

I haven't read all the responses yet, but I got rid of my iRoast II. The thing never did seem to get hot enough to roast the beans. I roasted in the garage and it did sort of OK but not great in the summer, but they never would roast properly in the winter. I went back to my hot air popcorn popper.

I'm almost out, I need to place an order. Looks like that have some good Ethiopian, I usually get some from Central America too. I miss the monsooned Malabar, that was good stuff.

[abooja]

What roast level did you take the Colombia "Dos Payasos de Tolima" to, abooja? I just roasted a batch this afternoon, aiming for City+, though I'm not sure I made it quite that far.

Lately I've been worrying about how first crack takes place. Not all the beans hit the same temperature at the same time, so when the last beans reach first crack, the first ones that reached it have been continuing to heat. I know that some unevenness is to be expected, given the method and depending on batch size, but it makes the finer distinctions of City+ and Full City a little hard. The only things I can say for sure are "cleared first crack" or "first snaps of second crack," because those cues are audible.

My assumption -- and this is based purely on timing (around one minute after First Crack) and color -- is somewhere between City+ and Full City. I have the same problem in that some beans are roasted more than others. Perhaps an actual dog bowl is needed. Its larger diameter would cause the beans to spread out more, giving the heat gun access to a wider surface area at one time.

[Steve Irby]

If you like espresso try the Ethiopia Sidama Deri Kochoha. The SM description includes amazing mouthfeel and dark chocolate which is dead on. It is also billed as the "A-Bomb" of single origin beans that are currently in stock. I roasted on the light side and when brewed in the french press it was a good cup but really shines as espresso.

Edited September 8, 2012 by Steve Irby (log)