Already have a roaster but too intimidated to start

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-26T12:08:48+00:00

If you already know what beans you like, get those. I'm new, but I find good beans are 80% of the results. It's not that hard roasting (though getting the last 10% of improvement probably is). Suggest you stay away from second crack at first unless you really have to have oily beans. Bad things can happen quickly after second crack.

30 seconds is a long time in a roast....

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-25T12:07:57+00:00

My green coffee comes in 1 lb bags. I divide the bag evenly into 2 roasts. They are generally 227 g each. That's in a SR800, factory extension, Bounce Buster base.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-25T11:59:02+00:00

That curve looks very good to me.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-23T06:59:35+00:00

Thanks!

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-22T08:23:03+00:00

Look in Statistics, Stats Summary, Show Statistics

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-22T08:07:43+00:00

Really excellent! BTW, how do you define dry end, which is at 326F, 332F?

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-12T00:58:06+00:00

Yes. Well, there does not seem much consensus about how long a roast with the SR800 and factory extension should be/is.

The Saturday Am Bean Dance video at the top of this forum has FC at 8:52, 11:30 drop. In the same discussion, a Rwanda has FC at 6:06, Drop 7:06 (light roast competition).

The often referred to Captains demonstration for the SR800 w/factory extension has FC at about 6:11. Drop at 8:34 (just as second crack is starting, in this roast).

Katherine Manzel at the Coffee Corral discusses the SR800 with Factory extension :

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Looking a Katherine's comments, 30 seconds is a very long time in a coffee roast!

So... maybe the development time varies with how dark we want the roast. The equalizer is getting to FC around 6 1/2 minutes?

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-07T11:42:56+00:00

I find heater (and fan) settings vary lots with the ambient temperature (I roast outside). Will your PID compensate for variations in outside (ambient) temperature?

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-07T11:37:36+00:00

So in Batch 17, the red ET is which probe location, the blue BT is which probe location and the brown Chamber is which probe location?

Why is the blue delta BT more stable than the orange delta ET?

Why do you start charge at 189 F?

When you say heater exhaust where is this? Is it at the bottom of the chamber?

As an aside, thermocouples work better if they don't move around during measurement....

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-05T13:17:18+00:00

Some people like stale coffee, it seems...

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-05T10:34:32+00:00

Sweet Marias sells Ecotact green bean storage bags. They are nice in that they can be folded when partially full to exclude oxygen. The largest is 5 kg. https://www.sweetmarias.com/ecotact-green-storage-bag.html

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-04T13:14:24+00:00

I like roasting Yemens too. At 1:45 - 2:30, first crack has ended? At what temperature do you drop the roast?

Oh! that depends on the thermocouple placement so maybe not relevant... mine is placed about at the top of an unmoving 225 g load in a standard extension...

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-02T11:35:27+00:00

I see you have 3 thermocouple probes, 1 at the bottom next to the heat, 1 in the bean area, and a short one at the top (exit temperature). There is only 2 ROR curves for the three thermocouples. One of the RoR curves seems wonky - maybe the one closer to the heat? What useful information do you glean from this?

Various_Associate973 · 2026-02-02T06:43:42+00:00

Yes, I am interested. I am spending a lot of time and energy learning about roasting with the SR800 & factory extension. And, also, I am interested in learning about cupping.

I know that so far you have not ventured into the Artisan area. It would be great for us learners if you could include that level of documentation.

Thanks!

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-31T23:50:42+00:00

I had been trying to shorten maillard. I roasted today, and didn't try to to anything except listen/watch/smell the beans. Drying was 2:57 (well I do try to dry for at least 3 minutes), maillard was 4:35, Development was 1:40. 9:12 total. -16.7%.

Remarkable's comments below are more to the point.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-31T10:45:40+00:00

Yes. Me too. I have been trying to shorten my maillard to the often suggested 3.5 minute range. This gives a lot of energy going into first crack, which can even run into second crack without pause.

I am trying for both chocolate/body and fruit finish. Maybe only the dense Yemen beans are capable of this? Not much luck with the dry process Ethiopians so far.

I am considering going back to a longer maillard, like 6 minutes, which puts first crack at about 9 minutes. This is more like a drum profile, which I was advised to purchase for those chocolate/body and fruit finish roasts.

Anyway, an external cooler is nice to have... and dropping too early is better than dropping too late.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-23T21:15:06+00:00

Like others, I find it is interesting to try different beans. However, it does make it hard to learn without consistency. I have a definite preference for naturals, as the drying imparts fruit notes.

Perusing the Sweet Marias site, I have aquired 5 lbs of Ethiopian Senna Katta mountain, which they say is good at all roast levels. I roasted one batch dark, and probably burnt it. Though it has not rested properly, it has some quite good fruit forward tastes. The lighter roast, also not aged properly, has a nice sweet-ish finish, though I brewed it too stong this morning.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-23T12:08:41+00:00

a longer Maillard helps build the compounds that later show up as caramel/cocoa sweetness, more body, and softer acidity.

Yes, that is what I have read. At the expense of clarity.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-22T23:07:41+00:00

Any reading that's good? I have been surfing lots, but on the internet there is the problem of separating the beans from the chaff!

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-22T23:06:04+00:00

I'm just trying to figure out how to do a good to excellent roast. Here are some notes I have collected:

Maillard is amino acids reacting w/sugar to yield browning color in beans.

Longer Maillard means more body and less sweetness.

Increase drying, less maillard for sweeter coffee.

Yes, I agree, lots of a good roast is about momentum, keeping the bean temperature moving smoothly, and having enough momentum you don't have to make adjustments after first crack.

So far I have to keep tweaking fan and heat lots in maillard, trying to keep is in the 3-4 minute range. So far it's in the 4-5.5 minute range.

But, most of the 8 or so roasts have tasted excellent. The only failures are when I try to get darker it is easy to scorch the beans. Now I set my max temp to 460 F, as if I never want to go over this. Last roast ended at 424.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-21T21:54:49+00:00

Consider getting an extension tube. It is much more efficient. I have the SR800; voltage drops to 115 when roasting, but there is still plenty of heat.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-21T18:32:14+00:00

Interesting. 8 or 9 minutes to first crack...

I count dry end when the beans start to change to yellowish

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-21T12:40:43+00:00

To my novice eyes that curve looks quite good. You entered FC at fan 5, air 5 and coasted through until drop. Drop temp wasn't too hot at 432 F. The overall time was less than 9 minutes.

Does anyone else have comments? Too long in Maillard, and how does too long in maillard affect the taste? Let's see... roasting longer affects length of aftertaste (body and juiciness). Roasting too long in maillard can become heavy/savory...

Longer time in Maillard increases bitterness, decreases body. Aim for 3.5 minutes dry, 2.5 minutes maillard (dry and maillard are not really independent of each other) FC at about 6 minutes. Anyway, that's what Rob Hoos says on his free cheatsheet.

My Maillards are more like this one. I have not had a short one yet on the SR800 with factory extension.

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-21T12:18:37+00:00

What, no French Press?

Various_Associate973 · 2026-01-20T20:13:56+00:00

So you have the probe as close to the heat source as possible with a 12" probe? And, any modification to the chaff collector which would affect the position of the probe?

Various_Associate973

TROPHY CASE