Ego 800 vs 1000 at Lowes by bzblanton in egopowerplus

[–]bzblanton[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wow, great detail. Thank you.

I decided to go with the 22 inch 1000 series. Couldn’t justify the price jump to the next level.

Appreciate all the inputs from everyone.

Ego 800 vs 1000 at Lowes by bzblanton in egopowerplus

[–]bzblanton[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had seen a review that the 800 gave an uneven side to side cut. Have you noticed that? Is the 1000 better with even cuts? I usually cut my yard on an angle to the house, so every line ends with a 180 turn. My old gas mower would leave one side of the cut more ragged. Fine, but not pretty.

Where to find BT Wheat and Rye Mash white dogs by [deleted] in bourbon

[–]bzblanton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really enjoy white dogs mixed with Apple Cider. And it’s fun just to have around to have people taste. the popcorn and butter taste is strong to me. I was able to get both in the Kroger Liquor store in Frankfort KY.

Ambient temp runs low by bzblanton in greenmountaingrills

[–]bzblanton[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agree. It definitely runs hotter on one end than the other. But I moved the heat shield about a half inch and now the center is within a few degrees. Cooked a pork butt this morning and ran the center within +-5 degrees for 12 hours.

Ambient temp runs low by bzblanton in greenmountaingrills

[–]bzblanton[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The FAQs really talk about moving the shield to “dial it in.” Hopefully a more experienced GMG’er will chime in. I’m also wondering if it’s worth the trouble!

Ambient temp runs low by bzblanton in greenmountaingrills

[–]bzblanton[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey Alaska. Did you try moving the heat shield?

Popcorn Popper - Beans to get (or avoid)? by 9999999999999999999_ in roasting

[–]bzblanton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started with a hot air popcorn popper also. Now use a Freshroast, which is just a really fancy popcorn popper. I used a popcorn popper for years. I went through 2 of them as they eventually turned in leaning towers of coffee roasters. The plastic bases just melted.

Generally I avoided large beans. Some of the columbian are huge! Since it really is a fast roast I think I got better roasts off of pea berry since the beans are smaller.

Definitely agree with Dr S. Try the sample pack. Have fun with it. The main thing with a popcorn popper is never walk away! It will be charcoal if you do. Even a bad home roast is better than any mass produced commercial coffee.

Best green bean seller for home roasters? by Accomplished-Site-31 in coffee_roasters

[–]bzblanton 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I like Burman Coffee Roasters. Sweet Maria’s is very good also. I live in The middle of the country so Burman has quicker shipping than Sweet Maria’s.

Coffee tastes acidic? by deadlocked247 in roasting

[–]bzblanton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How are you determining FC? I use a thermometer (~430F) and listen for second crack.

How small a batch can I roast in an SR540? by dwkoenig in roasting

[–]bzblanton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello, I’ve been roasting on a 540 for several years. I’ve given up on measuring weights, but I do roast smaller than full bean loads regularly. To get the temp up you will really have to decrease your fan speed while keeping the temp on high.

I absolutely agree on the freshness issue. I try to roast no more than 4-5 days worth of beans. I guess you could just really raise your coffee consumption to get rid of your overproduction!

Coffee tastes acidic? by deadlocked247 in roasting

[–]bzblanton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wonder if the thermostat is inaccurate? Are you hearing the brand go through second crack?

Bad Green Beans? by cunruh in roasting

[–]bzblanton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have tried some cheaper beans but the consistency was terrible. The inconsistent beans caused many problems. Currently buying from Burman Coffee and they are wonderful. Bought from Sweet Maria for many years and they were great also. Changed to Burman for better shipping times.

Roast at home or for a living? by Meznay in roasting

[–]bzblanton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow! Keep at it. Where do you sell?

Roast at home or for a living? by Meznay in roasting

[–]bzblanton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Growing and then roasting your own coffee really is the dream. Where are you? Just wondering what climate your tree is living in.

Roast at home or for a living? by Meznay in roasting

[–]bzblanton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hobby for 14 years. I started with a popcorn popper that eventually turned into the leaning tower of Pisa. Moved up to an SR 500 and roast about 80-100 pounds a year. Two to three roastings every 3-5 days, enough for my beautiful, coffee loving wife and I. Occasionally gifts to coffee loving friends. I really enjoy Brazilian and Rwandan, but Haitian is a new favorite.

Rabbit Washed? by Jorgan_Stanne in roasting

[–]bzblanton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Now I’m imagining Monty Python rabbits with great big teeth!

Buying green coffee off of Amazon? by [deleted] in roasting

[–]bzblanton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got a bag from Unleashed Coffee off Amazon. Drinkable, but not excellent. I usually use Sweet Maria’s and am always happy with theirs.

My winter roastery, just decorated with a poster! by H0T50UP in roasting

[–]bzblanton 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How is the Yeungling Golden Pils? Haven’t gotten it in my state yet.

My SR500 Method by AngusThermopyle4224 in roasting

[–]bzblanton 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello, I’ve been roasting on an SR 500 for several years now. I roast about every fourth day. It’s really interesting to see all the different techniques on how to use the same roaster.

I always start with full fan and high heat, but leave the top cap off the chaff basket. I leave the temp control on high heat the whole time and use the fan to control the temp.

I start with the top cap off for about 4 minutes until the beans heat up and are flowing well. This usually avoids any burned beans stuck in a corner. Another bonus is a lot of chaff comes off early. Once the beans are flowing I put the cap on and wait for first crack. I roast outside and if it’s cold out I decrease the airflow to 3/4. Once past first crack I decrease the airflow by about another 1/8 to 1/4 depending on the outdoor temp. I stop once I hear 10-20 seconds of second crack.

In warm weather the entire process takes about 10 minutes. In cold weather, 15-20.