First crack at roasting

[floydpink]

and made it all the way to the second crack.

Since I am very new and haven't used any other roasters, I will just share my first experience.

After a long wait, the box arrived from California's Sweet Maria.

Pretty straight forward and i read up and knew what to expect.

I was really close to the Iroast, but after Evan recommended the Freshroast 8, I started comparing the 2 and found nothing but praise for the FR and some complaints about uneven roast on the Iroast, but lots of good stuff as well.

The FR is half the price, roasts half the amount and has a fraction of the controls. Since I am pretty much a 1-2 person coffee household, it seemed ok for now.

Reviews calling the FR a workhorse and lots of bigger roasters holding onto theirs for backup and travel was a defite plus.

I just didn't feel right trying the popcorn route and feared I would give up.

For an extra 12 bucks, I opted for the 4 pound espresso sampler, biught a 2 pound bag, and went for the pressure relief jar. All in all, about 110 bucks on my Visa.


Putting the FR together was a snap and I set up on my patio for my first try.


Just in case, I put a fire extinguisher within reach and also set up a collander ontop a fan, as I saw someone do.

Now the roasting.

2 scoops in the FR, which is 43cc, and yields 3 ozs of roasted coffee, and they say 14-16 cups of cofee, which I can't personally see....


4 minutes, in things started getting brown, and the first crack was easy to hear.



The new FR goes to 8 and apparantly the old one went to only 6, which is 6 minutes, with a 2 minute cool down, leaving the operator to put on another 2 minutes manually for full city plus or French Roast I am told.

The controls on the FR couldn't be asier, just a knob that goes to 8 and you can turn it to cool anytime you want to stop the roast.



I set the timer to the recommended 6 but at 6, I wasn't satisfied with the darkness and put on the extra 2, but stopped it at 7 minutes, as the second crack just started.

[floydpink]

I was a little surprised at how much chaff was in the beans when I opened it up, but might have put the lid and chaff collector on wrong..


Once I took it off and threw it onto the collander with the fan under it, the chaff flew all over the lanai and I was glad I was outside.

I will let this rest and try it in the morning, once it degasses a little.


Please feel free to critique me, make fun of me, tell me to upgrade, or anything else that might help.

Looks good Pete, let us know how it tastes when you make some.

Originally Posted by floydpink

I was a little surprised at how much chaff was in the beans when I opened it up, but might have put the lid and chaff collector on wrong..


Once I took it off and threw it onto the collander with the fan under it, the chaff flew all over the lanai and I was glad I was outside.

I will let this rest and try it in the morning, once it degasses a little.


Please feel free to critique me, make fun of me, tell me to upgrade, or anything else that might help.

Pete,

1) Nice start right out of the box.

2) Are you sure you heard second crack? It's hard to be really sure from the pics, but if my eyes are seeing right it looks like the beans are still a little mottled, and, more importantly, it looks like I can still see (some call it cracks, some lines, some fissures, etc), in the surface of the beans. By the time you are into second crack, generally speaking and this will vary from origin to origin, the beans should be pretty uniform in color, and smooth, you shouldn't see that cracking in the surface of the bean.

I'm guessing you are somewhere between first and second crack, that looks more like a city-city+ roast to me, not even at a full city level yet.

I'm sure Mr. Moo, Norm, and others will be by to weigh in though.

Since you ordered from SM's you may already have seen this page, but if not this is a good pictorial of roasting stages. Sight is only part of the process though, gotta use your nose and ears as well.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/roasting-VisualGuideV2.php

Congrats on the new gear!

[floydpink]

Not sure at all, it may have been the end of the first crack.

I am trying to figure it out still and am guessing another couple minutes?

According to the manual, you will begin to get smoke at 2nd crack, and there was no smoke.

Originally Posted by floydpink

Not sure at all, it may have been the end of the first crack.

I am trying to figure it out still and am guessing another couple minutes?

According to the manual, you will begin to get smoke at 2nd crack, and there was no smoke.

Usually, yes you will get smoke. But some beans, like Sumatran beans, can fool you and there will be no or little visible smoke at all.

Watch, smell, and listen. The sound of first crack is that of popcorn popping, loud, sharp cracks. The sound of second is like rice crispies crackling when milk is poured on them, softer and faster.

The smell of beans changes as they roast, the smell of beans first roasting goes from a bready odor to a sweet smell as you hit first crack. The smell leading up to second crack is more acrid and pungent.

You have to use your peepers as well to keep an eye on the color.

Much easier than it sounds once you get used to it.

[germantown rob]

Was that a blend you roasted? It does look like you may have heard the start of 2nd on some beans but I think it could go a tad further unless it was that Bonko.

[GreekGodX]

This looks like something I will be doing in the near future. I am just amazed, let us know how it tastes as that should be the real test

[itsme_timd]

Great thread, thanks!

I've considered trying this myself. I've got one of those stove top popcorn poppers with the crank and I've heard that's not a bad place to start. Think I may order some beans soon and try it out.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by itsme_timd

Great thread, thanks!

I've considered trying this myself. I've got one of those stove top popcorn poppers with the crank and I've heard that's not a bad place to start. Think I may order some beans soon and try it out.

Excellent place to start, be aware there is smoke when roasting so with out a good exhaust hood roasting outside is great option on a camp stove. Some go as far as removing the handle and putting a variable speed drill to turn it for you.

[itsme_timd]

Originally Posted by germantown rob

Excellent place to start, be aware there is smoke when roasting so with out a good exhaust hood roasting outside is great option on a camp stove. Some go as far as removing the handle and putting a variable speed drill to turn it for you.

Thanks for the tips. I've got a grill with a side burner so that sounds like it would work well... I've got a cordless drill, too.

[kenstogie]

Great thread learning a lot as someday I'd like to roast my own.

sweet thread..ive heard nothing but good things about SM's...i soon will be a roasting man myself

[floydpink]

Freakin unbelievable, but had to happen.

Keeping the tradition alive of breaking everything in my path, I broke the glass roasting chamber ,putting it back on for a roast.

Didn't seem like I was roughhousing it, it just chipped off a piece.

Don't try this at home, but I put a piece of tape over the hole and pulled off another roast!!!

For those keeping tabs, that's a grinder, machine, and now a roaster.

On a VERY positive note and big kudos for Sweet Marias, I told them and they are 2nd day air sending me a new one free after I told them what happened. It's enroute and tracking shows it will be in my wreckless paws before I get through the first two batches.

They may be exaggerating frshness, but won a customer for life with that move.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by floydpink

Freakin unbelievable, but had to happen.

Keeping the tradition alive of breaking everything in my path, I broke the glass roasting chamber ,putting it back on for a roast.

Didn't seem like I was roughhousing it, it just chipped off a piece.

Don't try this at home, but I put a piece of tape over the hole and pulled off another roast!!!

For those keeping tabs, that's a grinder, machine, and now a roaster.

On a VERY positive note and big kudos for Sweet Marias, I told them and they are 2nd day air sending me a new one free after I told them what happened. It's enroute and tracking shows it will be in my wreckless paws before I get through the first two batches.

They may be exaggerating frshness, but won a customer for life with that move.

You need to live in a rubber house!

SM's is great, I have yet in over two years had a single complaint, just praise.

[floydpink]

And to put icing on the cake, I decided to spend 200 bucks on the new Panoptix transitional lense motorcycle glasses that get really dark when it is sunny and really light when it's dark.

I was enjoying them immensely until they flew off my head the other day and got crushed under a car.

Shoulda used the straps.

Orlando Harley wasn't as kind as Sweet Marias but offered a 10% discount on new ones.

I keep reassuring myself that this is why you work so hard, right?????

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by floydpink

Freakin unbelievable, but had to happen.

Keeping the tradition alive of breaking everything in my path, I broke the glass roasting chamber ,putting it back on for a roast.

For those keeping tabs, that's a grinder, machine, and now a roaster.

OK - so you're a little rough on equipment. At least the coffee is finally fresh! Nice job.

I don't savvy that 4-day fresh thingie either. Your roaster and espresso machine will show you, without a doubt, some beans aren't developed for 4-5 days and then may drink brilliantly for a week or two thereafter.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I don't savvy that 4-day fresh thingie either. Your roaster and espresso machine will show you, without a doubt, some beans aren't developed for 4-5 days and then may drink brilliantly for a week or two thereafter.

Yemens can be at their best at 7-9days IMO for espresso SO shots. This brings up freezing roasted beans so that they can be kept at their peak flavor for espresso.

[kenstogie]

I am buying a popcorn popper and was wondering

what's the best blend to start with??

I tend to like the darker roasts but if I get an actual fresh roasted coffee you never know.

[floydpink]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I am buying a popcorn popper and was wondering

what's the best blend to start with??

I tend to like the darker roasts but if I get an actual fresh roasted coffee you never know.

I've been enjoying the first pound of a 4 pound sampler that came with my roaster.

It's Sweet Maria's Espresso Monkey blend.

I've gotten a little better at the roast timing and have been roasting this dark.