@CoffeeTalk

[Too Tall]

After a few months of damn good coffee I finally nailed it and cooked 2 lbs of the best beans I've ever had. Right up there with the peaberry my buddies cousin picked and roasted for us from his coffee plot at 5,000 in Costa Rica. I'm jazzed.

I'm using the crazy Ronco Showtime roaster that "metalman" on ebay sells. This is a purely manual rig but like everything you learn by doing.

I keep detailed notes on pre-heat time, amt. of green beans and when I hear the first crack and when that becomes a full on symphony. I listen for what sounds like a popcorn machine when all the kernels begin to pop at one time. That is the magic moment when I yank the drum and run it over to my bean cooler. Timing is everything. If I wait longer they are burnt and shorter you won't get the lovely Carmel notes that we love.

I'm letting my beans rest for a full 5 days before they really come on. These are really nice bags for storage of roasted coffee and they do include a valve: Amazon.com: AwePackage 1 lb(16 oz) Stand Up Zipper Pouch Coffee Bag with Degassing Valve (5, Matte White): Kitchen & Dining

[Jimmybagadonuts]

Good on you! Are you not getting to second crack at all?

[Too Tall]

Good on you! Are you not getting to second crack at all?

I probably am but not aware of the first crack. It must be subtle. The cracks I'm listening for are very obvious.

[defspace]

Hmm, in my (extremely limited) experience, first crack is louder. Sometimes I have a hard time hearing the start of second crack over the noise of my roaster.

[Too Tall]

Hmm, in my (extremely limited) experience, first crack is louder. Sometimes I have a hard time hearing the start of second crack over the noise of my roaster.

Does either crack sound like all the popcorn exploding at once? That's really the only crack I hear. If I go further there will be a house fire. At the point where I hear everybody cracking and see alot of smoke is when I'm done and headed for the bean cooler.

[defspace]

Interesting. I wonder how much of this has to do with differences in roasting methods. I'm using a popcorn popper.

At the start of first crack, the beans are too green for me to even consider drinking them. You're definitely describing what I know as second crack.

To me, first crack sounds like snapping a pencil in half. Second crack sounds like snapping matches in half.

[Too Tall]

I'm definitely not hearing 1st crack at all. Maybe the loudness of my exhaust drowns it out?

[gkk]

Like defspace, I can hear 1C much more clearly than 2C and sometimes can't hear 2C at all over my roaster and have to go by sight. But if your beans are burnt immediately after the crack you hear, that sure sounds like 2C is what you are hearing. Or else your roaster is ramping the heat up super fast after 1C?

[Too Tall]

Like defspace, I can hear 1C much more clearly than 2C and sometimes can't hear 2C at all over my roaster and have to go by sight. But if your beans are burnt immediately after the crack you hear, that sure sounds like 2C is what you are hearing. Or else your roaster is ramping the heat up super fast after 1C?

The roaster is not capable of changing the temp. The only control over that I have is manually shutting off the heat elements or turning the fan off.

I'm missing 1st crack. Not a deal really.

[Jimmybagadonuts]

Second crack is faint like rice crispies. Lot of smoke beginning at second crack. Usually have about 30 seconds to 1 minute before very very quick cook rate begins. I like to step down temps at first crack, then roast until just the first few snaps of second crack. Quick cool down at that point is essential.

When your roast is cool, and at City + you should be seeing very rounded beans with a mostly smooth surface. Fairly easy to crush the bean with your finger/thumb. Just the faintest hint of oil on the exterior too.

[Too Tall]

That is Ninja level insight. Which roaster do you use?

Second crack is faint like rice crispies. Lot of smoke beginning at second crack. Usually have about 30 seconds to 1 minute before very very quick cook rate begins. I like to step down temps at first crack, then roast until just the first few snaps of second crack. Quick cool down at that point is essential.

When your roast is cool, and at City + you should be seeing very rounded beans with a mostly smooth surface. Fairly easy to crush the bean with your finger/thumb. Just the faintest hint of oil on the exterior too.

[Cookietruck]

check out the third row of pics, the city vs. full city pic. they look very similar except the softer edges on the longer roasted bean.

roasted coffee macro images | Sweet Maria's Coffee Library

also, i've noticed that some beans (some columbia and costa rica) usually look darker than they actually are. with those i'm always on the verge of being underdone even though they look like a full city roast in color. the beans are smallish, but dark...but also still splotchy and they feel heavy still. bite into some lighter roast beans, they don't crush like a full city roast.

[Too Tall]

Hmmmm. I can not find anyone online who uses the hillbilly roaster that I've got so am going to interpret some of what you are pitching. I do have a electronic control panel which allows me to maintain or shut off: fan, heat, rotation in any combo. Sooooo, I'm thinking I'll try cycling the heat after 1st crack (if I can hear it) and tease it into second crack to see if I can get the beans more even, rounder and smoother surface. Copious notes of course.

Chef, what is your rig?

[defspace]

On the subject of hillbilly roasters...
I've been roasting in a modified popcorn roaster. I can only roast about 0.25 lbs per roast. I'd like to bump up my capacity to about one pound per roast.

I've checked out the bread maker and heatgun method. That seems reasonable. Does anyone here use that method?

I was curious if anyone else had any other suggestions for DIY methods of at-home coffee roasting for under $150.

[Too Tall]

The link I supplied previously is to the guy in NJ who does the modified rotissery roaster. His ebay prices are double what he charges once a year before New Years. I only paid $275 for my 1 lb roaster. The only other method I can think of that's cheap and will roast 1 lb might be making your own rotissery to attach over a gas BBQ grill. That's not a new idea, I've seen pics. of what people make and I think it would work ok as long as you can see the beans while they are roasting.

That said a Behmore is about the same price. You are only minor larceny away from a legit solution.

On the subject of hillbilly roasters...
I've been roasting in a modified popcorn roaster. I can only roast about 0.25 lbs per roast. I'd like to bump up my capacity to about one pound per roast.

I've checked out the bread maker and heatgun method. That seems reasonable. Does anyone here use that method?

I was curious if anyone else had any other suggestions for DIY methods of at-home coffee roasting for under $150.

[gkk]

As TooTall notes, it is not hard to cost-justify a legit roaster if you are roasting all of your beans. Here's a graph showing actuals + forecast for my coffee costs since I bought my roaster (Gene Cafe). The comparison line is buying beans from Verve, which is what I was using before I roasted my own. Break-even was in just over a year.



Just like with gruppos, you can't afford not to upgrade!!

/gkk

[gkk]

In case it isn't clear:

- Blue line is the cost of the roaster then the incremental cost of the green beans. (My roasting time is valued at zero.)
- Green line is cost of buying Verve beans at the rate I actually go through beans in my house.

/gkk

[defspace]

Just like with gruppos, you can't afford not to upgrade!!

I'm waiting for the Behmor to go wireless.

Good points all. I'll check out used/refurb Behmor options

[Cookietruck]

i have an old version of the behmor. it works nicely.
i use batch size as a variable (so time doesn't expire before the beans are done), but the newer ones allow you to add time and to bypass heat settings.
can roast a full pound in 20-24 mins, then another ~10mins to cool...

[Jimmybagadonuts]

My set up is trash art at best, but the thing is, it roasts really well. I gutted a bread maker and disposed of the Teflon dough pan. I mounted the assembly to a butcher block cutting board of which I cut an opening for the drive belt and installed some small feet. I then mounted a threaded pipe base and made a two part adjustable height riser clamp for the heat gun. In place of the dough pan, I drilled a common sauce pan to mount the paddle shaft and drive assembly. The entire assembly gets a 24" high windscreen of Reflex material around it to maintain all heat during roasting (I roast outside at 6,500'). The adjustable height heat gun riser allows me to vary temperature by gun height. Temps are tracked via infrared thermometer.

This is the craziest looking Rube Goldberg set up, but it roasts really well. 1-1/2 lb. capacity per roast. usually 12-18 minute roast cycle (depending on outside temps)

All told, the roaster cost about $20. The heat gun is a quality Steinel model which I think is essential for consistent heat and that cost $80 on sale.