Any coffee bean roasters here?

[Bman]

I've been roasting for a year now...I purchased a Caffé Rosto from Sweet Marias...I've been getting my beans from there also...man you just haven't had a real cup of coffee until you do some fresh roast...although we do the Killer Beans at the office....I to f^*k up a couple of batches from roasting outside when it was to cold....I really am fond of the Panama Boquete and the Bolivian Organic....Fresh roast and a good havana, what a life :smt026 :smt026

 

[Ironman]

I received the beans while I was away in Atlanta, damn they smell awesome, my wife said that when they came she could tell they werent cigars..hehehe

I'll fire them up this weekend and let you know what we think!!!

Thank you very much for letting me try these beans, I appreciate it:smt023:smt023

Ironman

 

[Black Dog]

RiverRat!
Great coffee, man! I brewed some up this morning. I'm not enough of a connosieur to describe all the nuances and such but here's my review:

Full bodied, rich complex flavor. I love it!

Thanks for letting me try it. I'm definitely enjoying it on this cold snowy morning!

 

[Ironman]

RiverRat!
Great coffee, man! I brewed some up this morning. I'm not enough of a connosieur to describe all the nuances and such but here's my review:

Full bodied, rich complex flavor. I love it!

Thanks for letting me try it. I'm definitely enjoying it on this cold snowy morning!

I agree my wife and I enjoyed a pot this morning and it was awesome, it was full of flavor but not too strong or acidic. Keep doing what you doing....Great stuff!!!

Thank you again!!!!

Ironman

 

[Mad Dawg]

Another home roaster on board here. I've been into home-roasting for about a year and a half, and I'm totally spoiled. Can't ever go back to canned crap!

Of course, I see a lot of familiar names in here....:mrgreen:

 

[Bum Fudge]

The Dawg knows beans about coffee.. Welcome bro.

 

[RiverRat]

Bum Fudge, just how did you make your heat shroud? I have four poppers, and an I-roast. The I-roast works great, and two of my poppers are quite hot, but 2 of them won't get to full city if the ambient temp. is below 55 degrees.


My concern is that they will get TOO hot, and shut off before the roast is complete.

But it sure would be nice if I could use them in colder temps. Care to share your idea? pleasepleaseplease?[-o<

Fudge, I made a shroud for my poppers. I use a chimney to keep the beans in, so it's quite tall. I used a large cardboard box. Taped the bottom shut. cut a hole on each side about 2"X3". left the flap on for adjustment. This way, all the heat can't go out the top, and it circulates in the box when I turn it up-side down over the popper. I do this as the beans reach first crack. The ambient temp was 40 degrees. The shroud allowed the beans to go to second crack in about 3 1/2 minutes. If I left the shroud on, I could get them to a french roast at 40* ambient. Great Idea!!!!!! Thanks..... it works great!:smile:

 

[RiverRat]

And to those which I sent the sample coffee beans... it is the Columbian excelso from www.u-roast-em.com It's the least expensive coffee they have. (I think.)

I'm thinking that I will lighten the roasts a wee bit in the future, just to see if I can discern any 'high-note' nuances.... I'm not sure that I can, but It can't hurt to try...I'll let you know....

RiverRat the Roaster

 

[Bum Fudge]

Fudge, I made a shroud for my poppers. I use a chimney to keep the beans in, so it's quite tall. I used a large cardboard box. Taped the bottom shut. cut a hole on each side about 2"X3". left the flap on for adjustment. This way, all the heat can't go out the top, and it circulates in the box when I turn it up-side down over the popper. I do this as the beans reach first crack. The ambient temp was 40 degrees. The shroud allowed the beans to go to second crack in about 3 1/2 minutes. If I left the shroud on, I could get them to a french roast at 40* ambient. Great Idea!!!!!! Thanks..... it works great!:smile:

Nice Rat. I have been out there over the weekend and it was frigid here and I can get to French with it. Did you put any screen around the air intakes like I did to keep it from sucking in the chaff? I roast on a bench and I move my shroud so it hangs off the edge by an inch and it shoots most of the chaff onto the floor, then I push it back once thats done.

I ordered a few coffees (25lbs) from u-Roast-em today including 5lbs of the Columbian Excelso you recommended.

What kind of roast do you guys do for Espresso?

 

[GuyMcBeerdrinker]

mad dawg is a roasting machine. we are very lucky to have his expertise here.

 

[RiverRat]

Nice Rat. I have been out there over the weekend and it was frigid here and I can get to French with it. Did you put any screen around the air intakes like I did to keep it from sucking in the chaff? I roast on a bench and I move my shroud so it hangs off the edge by an inch and it shoots most of the chaff onto the floor, then I push it back once thats done.

I ordered a few coffees (25lbs) from u-Roast-em today including 5lbs of the Columbian Excelso you recommended.

What kind of roast do you guys do for Espresso?

Fudge, I don't use any screen. Since I roast in my shop, I just use the air compressor to blow the chaff out after each roast. I also use it to cool the beans quickly. Most of the chaff escapes onto the workbench or the floor, through the cracks at the seams of the flaps. (which are at the bottom)

I don't do espresso, so I can't help you there.

 

[Mad Dawg]

Fudge - although I haven't gotten to the espresso stage of my own personal coffee experience yet, my understanding is that you want to go dark (like Italian roast dark) for espresso. Dark roasting cuts the acidity of the brew way down, which is good for espresso (bright espresso = not good).

Can't help you with shroud designs. I use oil lamp chimneys on my Original Popperies, and just let the chaff blow out the top. Of course, I only roast outside and we don't get a lot of cold weather in Houston, so I can get away with that. I've found that I can't hit second crack in the Poppery II's I've tried if the weather is below about 50 degrees, but I've never had a problem with the Mark Is. The roasts take do take longer in cold weather - I can hit second crack in 6 minutes when ambient is in the 85 degree range, but that stretches out to 9-10 minutes when ambient is around 40 degrees.

I've found that I can increase the roasting chamber temps (and hence speed up the roast) if I partially cover the top of the chimney. I use a metal measuring cup with a fairly long handle, and hold it over the top of the chimney just until I hear a response in the fan motor. You really have to listen for second crack when you do that, though, because it can get rolling in a big hurry...

 

[TOJE]

I think I'm a roaster! =P~

 

[Mad Dawg]

I think I'm a roaster! =P~

I think you're toasted, Steve. :wink:

 

[TOJE]

I think you're toasted, Steve. :wink:

That could well be. :smt077

 

[Bum Fudge]

Dark roasting cuts the acidity of the brew way down, which is good for espresso (bright espresso = not good).
.......
You really have to listen for second crack when you do that, though, because it can get rolling in a big hurry...

I've done a few blends so far for espresso and I roasted it to when second crack was like a machine gun. With the shroud I can get to second crack and beyond in a big hurry so I really have to watch it. I then dump it into a colander and use another to cool it but it continues a little further till it cools. I got a turkey fryer for Christmas and the Thermometer is perfect for putting through a hole I drilled in the top by the butter dish so I can now watch temperature. It seems like it reads about 460 and then the espresso beans are dark and oily and taste nice.

I picked up a couple chimneys for $1 at the thrift store but they are to big to fit right in any of my poppers. I'd have to modify where the butter tray goes to use them so I didn't bother. I have a Poppery I, II, II+ and a Proctor Silex Pumper. I use the Proctor Silex the most it seems best for cold weather esp. with the shroud.

If anybody is looking for a thermometer to use I got a digital multimeter from the Sears website with a Thermocouple that goes to 1500 degrees and it was only $29.99. I use it for brewing but it would work for this too.

 

[kctaxman]

I got all the equipment but Mad Dawg hit me with so many bean bombs I have not yet had to roast.