Popcorn Popper Coffee Roasting

[kenstogie]

I will definatley try it also. I didn't know it was an option but will definately give it a shot. What kind of beans should I get for the first attempt?

[floydpink]

I'm a babe in the woods when it comes to roasting, but at this point, the Freshroast plus8 was 80 bucks well spent and I have now roasted a dozen times with great success and am drinking a latte from the CCM Costa Rica hardbean as I am reading this thread and am in, uh, nirvana.

Granted, the Freshroast roasts in small batches, but that seems to be a plus for me as I enjoy watching the roast and do it every 2-3 days now.

[trogdor]

I started with the popcorn popper method, but quickly moved on. I use the heat gun/dog bowl method now. Easy, more control over the roast, very little extra equipment needed. Needs to be done outside or on the porch or something, though. I have a nice large metal dog bowl, put the beans in, put it on my gas grill with the gas on low, and then fire up the heat gun. I roast on low for ~3 and 1/2 minutes, then switch to high until done. Stir constantly with a metal spoon (wrap the handle and your hand in a towel to avoid burns). The roast can be slowed down by moving the heat gun a little farther out, and sped back up by bringing it in closer.
One tip: if you roast with the heat gun completely vertical, it will get very hot and eventually poop out. The heat gun needs to be angled so the whole body isn't directly over the bowl. If the handle of the heat gun starts heating up a lot, readjust the position. Also, get the extended warranty on the heat gun if you can. Roasting is hard on them. In my experience they tend to last a bit over a year if you roast several batches a week.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I will definatley try it also. I didn't know it was an option but will definately give it a shot. What kind of beans should I get for the first attempt?

It is worth a try since almost everybody has the equipment to pan roast anyway.

As for selecting beans... I think sweet maria's descriptions can help to find a flavor you like to help choose.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.greencoffee.mvc.php

I would suggest for new roasters to look for beans that can handle a variety of roast levels as well. By choosing a bean that can take city+ to full city+ will let you discover the sounds and smell and colors and still have a drinkable cup. To roast a coffee that is limited to a smaller window of roasts before you even know what the level of roasts look, smell, and sound like is more likely to give a bad cup.

As for peaberry beans SM's has 4 of them right now. Peaberry is just a bean that is easier to roast in a pan but is also a tad more expensive so it may be worth picking as I suggest above for a while.

Btw I am not saying pop corn poppers can't do the trick and with simple mods like a couple of 100 foot extension cords you can play with the voltage to the heating element or to add a dimmer switch would improve what it is capable of. Every popper even the same ones will vary so some that love this method and moding will buy 6 poppers to pick the one that best fits their needs.

Roasting your own opens up the entire world of beans you can get and allows full control of the roast level. There exist roasters that will roast this way for you but it costs a pretty penny. Hell I still buy roasted beans once in a while to keep me honest about my own roasting so I don't mind paying $38 plus shipping for 2lbs.

[kenstogie]

When I went shopping at Sweet marias I noticed they rate the roasting range in "city" ranges which may be confusing to some.

city=lighter roast
city+=slightly darker
Full city=dark roast

If I am missing something let me know, like where does french roast and espresso roast fit in to the scheme of things?

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

When I went shopping at Sweet marias I noticed they rate the roasting range in "city" ranges which may be confusing to some.

city=lighter roast
city+=slightly darker
Full city=dark roast

If I am missing something let me know, like where does french roast and espresso roast fit in to the scheme of things?

Roast levels and pics

What do you like to drink now? Even if you like Charbucks french roast I won't think any less of you, but as you can see when looking to choose some beans there are many to choose from.

[OLS]

I agree with Rob on this one, if roasting your own coffee succesfully is all down to
hearing certain audible clues, you don't need an air popper fan covering up the clues.
I have never roasted my own coffee, but I DO KNOW that air poppers are not even good
at popping corn. A whole lot of popcorn that salt won't stick to. It might be fun for a few
raosts, but I would think if you have a goal, and a goal by the way that is not necessary
to enjoy the final product, coffee, I would save my money for that goal and wait it out to
get something purpose-built.

[kenstogie]

I must admit. Sometimes I like Charbucks but sometimes I also think it tastes burnt. So far the best coffee i have had has been through a press.

That was a great link Rob!

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I must admit. Sometimes I like Charbucks but sometimes I also think it tastes burnt. So far the best coffee i have had has been through a press.

That was a great link Rob!

Take a look at some Kenya's, not my favorite but they work well in a french press and are a hard bean that can take a lot of heat, most Kenya beans don't like to get to 2nd crack.

Costa rica is another good choice for FP and usually can handle more levels of roast

Sumatra is a bean that can usually go from city to vienna so may be a good starting point.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by floydpink

I'm a babe in the woods when it comes to roasting, but at this point, the Freshroast plus8 was 80 bucks well spent and I have now roasted a dozen times with great success and am drinking a latte from the CCM Costa Rica hardbean as I am reading this thread and am in, uh, nirvana.

Granted, the Freshroast roasts in small batches, but that seems to be a plus for me as I enjoy watching the roast and do it every 2-3 days now.

I was under the impression you went with the i-roast. Keep putting some money aside for a big boy roaster since I get the feeling you will get into this end of the hobby and wear the freshroast out in less then a year.

I will stick to my guns and say there is no better purchased home roaster then the Hottop B. There is the Quest M3 roaster that is stirring up interest so it is also something to keep an eye on. Looking at the price of these roasters scares most people away but after wearing out a Behmor in 6 months of heavy roasting I knew I needed something that could stand the test of time, 2 years into the HT B and a few mods the thing is bullet proof and anything that can go wrong is easily replaced at home.

[floydpink]

Nah, switched to the Freshroast last minute.

Figured it would take longer, but I am already looking at Hottops...

Not scared.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by floydpink

Nah, switched to the Freshroast last minute.

Figured it would take longer, but I am already looking at Hottops...

Not scared.

I do believe I warned you about this , I guess the up side is you didn't spend the $200 to have upgradtitus so soon after purchase. I am hoping to upgrade my thermo coupler soon to one I can usb to graph out roast profiles, hopefully I will be able to have this done before you upgrade.

[raisin]

Originally Posted by germantown rob

I will stick to my guns and say there is no better purchased home roaster then the Hottop B. Looking at the price of these roasters scares most people away but after wearing out a Behmor in 6 months of heavy roasting I knew I needed something that could stand the test of time, 2 years into the HT B and a few mods the thing is bullet proof and anything that can go wrong is easily replaced at home.

Even though my Behmor has almost lasted two years of Hard roasting, I have to agree.
That is where the cheap air-poppers have true value - such a small investment is easily tossed aside when you want/need/evolve to upgrade.

Originally Posted by OLS

I agree with Rob on this one, if roasting your own coffee succesfully is all down to
hearing certain audible clues, you don't need an air popper fan covering up the clues.
I have never roasted my own coffee, but I DO KNOW that air poppers are not even good
at popping corn. A whole lot of popcorn that salt won't stick to. It might be fun for a few
raosts, but I would think if you have a goal, and a goal by the way that is not necessary
to enjoy the final product, coffee, I would save my money for that goal and wait it out to
get something purpose-built.

popcorn poppers do an outstanding job at roasting coffee, so good that some never move on to something else.

[kenstogie]

Whether they do or they don't, I have one now so I'm gonna use it and find out!

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by Resipsa

popcorn poppers do an outstanding job at roasting coffee, so good that some never move on to something else.

Vic, are you saying an unmodded popcorn popper can roast with an experienced user as well as a Hottop or any machine that gives full control over profile.

Originally Posted by germantown rob

Vic, are you saying an unmodded popcorn popper can roast with an experienced user as well as a Hottop or any machine that gives full control over profile.

What I'm saying Rob is there is no "better" , simply what the roaster is looking for.

Does my Iroast, or a popcorn popper for that matter, do a better job if I'm looking to bring out certain attributes of a bean, say the brightness of a kenyan, than my Hottop does?

Maybe it does.

My point is you cannot compare air roasting to drum roasting and conclude one is the better than the other, because they are designed to produce different results. It's like saying grilled chicken is "better" than roasted chicken. All depends on the taste you're looking for, and personal preference.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by Resipsa

What I'm saying Rob is there is no "better" , simply what the roaster is looking for.

Does my Iroast, or a popcorn popper for that matter, do a better job if I'm looking to bring out certain attributes of a bean, say the brightness of a kenyan, than my Hottop does?

Maybe it does.

My point is you cannot compare air roasting to drum roasting and conclude one is the better than the other, because they are designed to produce different results. It's like saying grilled chicken is "better" than roasted chicken. All depends on the taste you're looking for, and personal preference.

Roasted chicken is far better then grilled chicken and smoked chicken kicks both their butts .

I will not argue the air vs drum but I will argue profile vs no profile. Drum or air when the ability to break a roast up into 3 segments of profile, drying, pre first crack, and first crack on, control over the outcome of flavor can be changed. I think a modded hot air roaster is in the same game as any roaster you can buy.

I feel like popcorn roasters are a bit like the Silvia, a huge fan base with lots of internet info but far from the ultimate answer. I do think for anyone that wants to get into roasting or to try it on a low budget there are better ways to learn without all the noise and lack of control and even the high fan speed with fast roast times keep a newb from getting the basics down and many give up before they give it a real chance and sell on ebay. I want newbs to have a fighting chance at this hobby not get discouraged by limitations of equipment, I am sure we can agree that this is a wonderful skill to possess and I don't think I will slow down the sale of popcorn poppers by having this opinion.

Originally Posted by germantown rob

Roasted chicken is far better then grilled chicken and smoked chicken kicks both their butts .

I will not argue the air vs drum but I will argue profile vs no profile. Drum or air when the ability to break a roast up into 3 segments of profile, drying, pre first crack, and first crack on, control over the outcome of flavor can be changed. I think a modded hot air roaster is in the same game as any roaster you can buy.

I feel like popcorn roasters are a bit like the Silvia, a huge fan base with lots of internet info but far from the ultimate answer. I do think for anyone that wants to get into roasting or to try it on a low budget there are better ways to learn without all the noise and lack of control and even the high fan speed with fast roast times keep a newb from getting the basics down and many give up before they give it a real chance and sell on ebay. I want newbs to have a fighting chance at this hobby not get discouraged by limitations of equipment, I am sure we can agree that this is a wonderful skill to possess and I don't think I will slow down the sale of popcorn poppers by having this opinion.

I think we basically agree Rob. I just think those who are new need to learn basics prior to worrying about profiles. Hell, I've been doing this for several years, and I get intimidated and confused at times, especially when things don't bring the results I planned for.

[floydpink]

Well, whatever happens, it's comforting to know that blowing the best part of a grand on a Hottop roaster isn't necessarily inevitable, however likely it seems.

Looking forward to comparing my progress with Kenstogie's.

I'm tryin to take baby steps over here....