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What are you roasting on?
I started with a presto popper. I have a Gene Cafe now. When I first got the Gene cafe it doesn't seem like it was set up right. It stopped at a 45 degree angle instead of dead center. Over time it seem to not get up to good roasting temps. Then it stopped working! I checked the fuse and all but it no go. I sent it to their repair place in Utah. It came back and now works like it should. In general I like the TASTE and SMELL of the popper coffee better. The Gene cafe is easier and more repeatable, and you get a more even roast. Decaf didn't work for me in the popper. It's easy to get good decaf in the Gene Cafe.
The hot setup on the popper is to get one with good power 1400W etc. then get a globe for a oil burning lamp. Get one that fits well into your popper chamber. Get a giant strainer and a small fan that will sit flat on your table and still work with good air flow. The globe goes on top. Get an oven mitt. Keep the coffee moving in there. Use the strainer and fan for a quick cooling. get some small disposable cake pans for temp storage. The bendy ones make it easy to put the coffee in bags.
For my personal roasting we use a Gene Cafe and have not had any problems. For our roasting for customers we use an electric fluid air bed roaster that can roast from 6 to 18 pounds in around 10 minutes.
When using the Gene I normally just dump the roasted coffee into a metal screen strainer after it has reached the target and walk outside and cool it with a hand held manual fan for about 5 minutes.
I started roasting with the Melitta (don't tell anyone) and then graduated to the Café Rosto. More recently I switched to the iRoast2 and really like it. I wrote a three part review in aboutcoffee.net and you can find all three parts of my review at INeedCoffee >>
I'm still playing with roast profiles but I like the results and ease of use on the iRoast2.
I also started with an air popper and got what I thought were decent results (hard to get lighter roasts, of course, but I knew that going into it). I now have an iR2, which my process-oriented side likes, though I've seen reviewer comments on CoffeeGeek that suggest the programing is not as fine tuned as we'd like to think (machine has it's own mind and/or settings and stages).
Regrets about shifting to iR2: 1. Cannot hear cracks anymore, though I got a pair of noise canceling headphones for X-mas, which may help. 2. Seems more sensitive to ambient temps than the popper - I roast outdoors in Vancouver (daytime temps now are ~5 to 8 degrees C) and from December to Feb cannot get as deep or dark as I'd like.
Plusses about the iR2 : 1. Easier handling of beans after roasting. The cool function is easier than fooling with a colander and you can pour your cooled beans directly into storage container. 2. Whether true or not, you feel more like a scientist, or in control of the roast. I guess that means confidence, which is always appreciated. I'm sure I'll get better at matching profiles to beans and knowing when to hit 'cool,' which is the key to iRoast roasting.
Sean,
I also use this roaster. Like it much better than Café Rosto. I've tweaked roast profiles but I still hit Cool button about 3 minutes before time is up. I still burn batches, but I'm getting better. Gotta stay off the computer while roasting!
See INeedCoffee.com for a good article on roast profiles.
Robert
After nine years and over 2100 posts, we are going dormant. We will remain online so our readers may access the archives.
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Robert
Pura Vida!
Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:48:54 GMT
The latest studies by German researchers have shown positive effects of coffee on human health, saying it improves functions of liver and brain.
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Drinking at least
(27/07/09 08:20 CET)
July 27, 2009
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Did you know?
Costa Rica is the only country in the world which has issued an executive order banning the production of any variety of coffee other than Arabica. This standard is made possible by the expertise, experience and favorable physical conditions found in this remarkable land.
I'm going to Costa Rica soon!
Computers and coffee roasting do NOT mix. How many burnt batches of coffee before I follow that rule?
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Robert Badgett
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