What's coming out of YOUR roaster?

[APBinNCA]

Sorry for the cruddy photo

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• APBinNCA
• Nov 26, 2023

Klatch Decaf Mexico Altura

Some of these decafs are weird, the loss percentage never correlates with regular coffee. This was the second of three; the first one was not an optimal profile, but I got it to something usable in the end. The second and third were as identical as you could hope for and the profile was good. This took me some head scratching to figure out as I had two competing problems with the first roast, but my plan worked so I repeated it. 11% loss, but it's definitely City+(198°).

 

[APBinNCA]

I find their roast recommendations too dark almost every time. They often say to roast "XX seconds past the end of first cracks" or "XX seconds after the first snaps of second crack" on things I prefer to end well before.

I assume this is because they are using a commercial machine that can rapidly dump and cool the beans, I might be wrong. It would seem that the best approach, if they say 20 seconds, would be to make sure it's in to second and dump it because it will still be snapping for some time. 15 seconds less could give Rick a 16% roast.

 

[Wid]

I rarely go as far as Happy Mug suggests. I’ll go as far as a bit after first crack but I never try, on purpose, to go into second. The wife doesn’t care much for a real light roast so I have to have a bit of a happy medium.

I have an external cooler so the roast does get cooled quite fast.

 

[Dnallehekaj]

I'm with @Wid not purposely going to second cracks for myself. I do roast for people that prefer dark and oily, but none for me, thanks!

I might be a weirdo. I like a lot of Ethiopias dropped before first crack is finished. I get a lot more berry and dried fruit flavors that way. It goes against what I've read on the Internet, but if a bean is a dud when taken to the end of first crack, dropping early gives it a chance for redemption.

Sometimes it comes out vegetal, or tastes like wet wood. I'm not sure if that's better than charcoal.

 

[JeffJ]

Finished up roasting the last two pounds of Sweet Maria's Ethiopian. Garage smells terrific.

 

[APBinNCA]

Whoops, I uploaded the photo and forgot to post my roast yesterday

burundidecaf1223.jpeg

• APBinNCA
• Dec 2, 2023

•Burundi Kayanza SWP Decaf •22% development time •13.5% loss

I roasted this exactly the same as the Ethiopia a couple weeks ago and all the times were essentially the same, both are African coffees. I have concluded long ago that weight loss percentages are meaningless with decaf, this is a City+ roast. I did a second roast after this one and it was identical in every way.

The previous weeks Mexico decaf did turn out to be just barely Full City as planned, there was some oil on the beans the next day. The loss percentage would make you think that it was below City, but dump temperature says otherwise.

 

[Wid]

First batch this morning. Keep the heat down and air flow up. Took it to just before 225° and ended with a 12.8% on loss. Right where I wanted it. This will be drank by me only, the wife doesn’t like fruity coffees.

 

[Wid]

This one I took the heat to. Never roasted it before and looking at the instructions it says to take to second crack. Not sure I got there but the loss is pretty high at 16.8%. Gonna try it by itself and as a blend. We shall see

Edit: looking at that pic I’m sure second crack was hit.

 

[Wid]

Made this Columbian to blend in with some Sumatra. Took it right to 15% loss. Sounds like it will work but we will see in a week or so.

 

[APBinNCA]

After the weirdness of roasting the Mexico decaf two weeks ago, it was nice to get back to the reliable Colombia EA decaf. Roast profile was exactly as I have always done, nothing strange happened and it's hopefully medium roast. I finished the bag, did two roasts yesterday. Decided to skip posting a picture, it's nothing special.

kenyalight1223-1.jpeg

• APBinNCA
• Dec 10, 2023

•Sweet Maria's Kenya Nyeri Kagumo AB •23% development time •12.5% loss(City)

Then I decided I needed to get back in my stride roasting regular coffee, this was a good choice! Completely predictable, two identical roasts within tenths on all parameters. Three roasts left on this bag to be done next weekend and then maybe I will give the Gesha a go. Oh course I had a cup right out of the roaster after the first roast, just to make certain.

 

[Wid]

Came in right at 16% on loss. I upped the batch size from 275 to 320 grams. Just enough to fill a mason jar.

 

[Wid]

Well 320g seemed a bit too much. Cut it down to 300g and for this roast that worked well. I pretty much ruined the first batch. To much heat not enough air and ended up with a bit to many very dark (burnt) beans. That batch now resides in the back yard.

These came in just short of 14% loss. Should be a nice cup.

 

[APBinNCA]

ethiopialightroastexperiment.jpeg

• APBinNCA
• Dec 24, 2023

•Ethiopia Organic Gera Nano Challa •22% development time •11% loss •0.454 g/ml density

I haven't been posting everything I have been roasting, last weekend I did over a dozen roasts! This was the result of some research into what makes a Nordic roast, the third and finally successful attempt. This was a fast roast, but it's not under roasted. I tasted each attempt before making changes. I am running as high of a heat as I can get away with until the beans change from green to golden then reducing the heat quickly, but in steps, to slow the rate of rise and give the beans time to develop. This roast was pulled just after first crack finished whereas the previous ones were still cracking as I pulled it. The flavours are really interesting, definitely would be polarising. I have some very limited Ethiopian that will get this profile when it's turn comes up now that I have it figured out.

 

[Wid]

Trying to get a dark roast like the coffee the wife claims is good. So here is a Columbian taken to 17% loss. Looking at it side to side with the Dunkin dark roast I’m no where near what it is. This Dunkin must have been roasted on one hot roaster.

Mine is on the right

 

[APBinNCA]

Jeez, you aren't kidding about ash, you would need a torch to get your's to that level. I still think from looking at it that you can go a bit further though. You need to use a different profile to roast past second crack, or at least to it. That doesn't look like it's past City+ which is nice for me. I would focus more on the colour instead of the percentage in this case.

 

[Wid]

Jeez, you aren't kidding about ash, you would need a torch to get your's to that level. I still think from looking at it that you can go a bit further though. You need to use a different profile to roast past second crack, or at least to it. That doesn't look like it's past City+ which is nice for me. I would focus more on the colour instead of the percentage in this case.

I’m trying another one now. We shall see. That Dunkin taste bad!!!

 

[Wid]

Some serious second crack going on with this Sumatra. I’m certain this is going to taste bad. It came in at 22% loss (yuck). Plenty of oils on the bean too. Honestly I don’t like roasting like this so it might be store bought for the wife. Don’t want to burn the roaster up. The second attempt is on the left.

 

[APBinNCA]

Well, at least see what she thinks about the taste of the Sumatra!

 

[Wid]

Well, at least see what she thinks about the taste of the Sumatra!

I can’t even imagine lol

 

[Wid]

Did a few roasts tonight. All were 275g batches and the Panama and Honduras came in at 15% on loss. The Flores Island was a bit over 16%. That’s about as dark as I’m willing to go.

I honestly do not like the dark roast I made last week. Way too bitter for me. The wife liked the Columbian.