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  • My first popper roast (with pics)

    Today had some redeeming features - namely the green beans from bean bay arrived!

    So I decided to do a roast. As you can see from the pictures below, I did not get a very even roast - Im thinking that I may need to reduce the quantity of beans in the machine.

    The other thing is that I dont think I roasted them long enough. I pulled the second roast at 2:30 as I was getting a bit freaked out by the colour of some of the beans, and I got a few that were fairly black and two that seemed to have a slight oily sheen.

    I may also have to get up really early and do it during the cool morning (until winter returns) just to get a lower ambient temperature and that will helpfully slow down the process.

    Started by measuring out two 80gm lots of the Peru Ceja de Selva Estate


    Got my little roasting area all set up.


    Cooling down one of the batches (after the colander warmed up)


    The finished product
    Roast 1:



    Roast 2:



    Larger pics available at http://mallie.smugmug.com/Food/Coffee/First-Coffee-Pop/

  • #2
    Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

    Looks pretty good to me, and fairly even. Id be quite happy with that first result, especially for a popcorn popper. I think your results are more even than my first roast which, by the way, was 4 blends in one hit. Tell us how the coffee extracts and tastes!

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    • #3
      Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

      Gday Mallie....

      If those photos were taken using natural light, then I think you may have pulled the roast-batch a little early. Id imagine that theyve barely completed 1st-Crack, judging by the light colour. Overall though, the roast looks reasonably even to me.

      Heres a link to a Sweet Marias webpage that is very helpful, although they use U.S. references to describe the roast colour. Notwithstanding that, it is still a very helpful piece of information.

      All the best,
      Mal.

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      • #4
        Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

        Love it Mallie!

        Agree with Mal that it looks a bit light but what can you do!? My first roast I thought was pretty good, but perhaps I took it a bit too far as I got a lot of bitterness. My second roast was a slightly lighter and my third roast was lighter again!!!

        Hope you get some good results with those beans!!

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        • #5
          Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

          If the weather holds out I may try roasting some more when I get home tonight. Ill try and keep it going without freaking out about colour and noise. I was surprised just how noisy the beans were at first (and what I assume was rolling crack - just continual bang bang bang pop pop). I think the weak link in this roast was the roaster, I was very very surprised as to how fast it all went.

          Looking down from on top its much easier to "see" one or two beans as black or super dark when they are not.

          I assume a fairly light roast will have predominantly fruity characteristics. Perhaps Ill be able to make a single bean "blend" with some lighter fruitier beans, and some darker more intense beans.

          (Im going to hold off until the weekend before grinding and pulling a shot because with two little ones (20mo/7 weeks) I get enough of a buzz through the night as it is....)

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          • #6
            Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

            Update:

            Roast 3: Still a bit light, was cooler night and first crack didnt happen for about 2:45 and a rolling until about 3:30 when I pulled it.


            Roast 4: Im a bit worried about the shininess these beans have, but I think the colour is better. First crack 2:20, pulled about 3:45 was smoking a little when pulled.


            Cant wait until the weekend will do some side by side tastings - have noted which was which and have them in separate one way seal bags.

            (Please let me know if Im being a little excessive posting this kind of thing for this board ).

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            • #7
              Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

              Thems some fast roasts!
              Id be concerned that the flavours didnt have enough time to develop...

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                vyapada - I agree depending on the results come the weekend I may investigate working out a way of cooling the popper so it does not get so hot so quickly (additional ventilation?? drilling some holes??? - to be determined).

                I may even experiment with pulling it, but not cooling them, should make the roast go a bit longer for some of the beans. I suppose the proof is in the cup. I have some of the same type of bean as roasted by Andy that arrived today (12/12) so will be able to compare side by side as to what difference it all makes.

                Hopefully its "good enough" and the family like the result and Ill see a baby home roaster early in the new year for one of the special occasions This whole coffee world is like the wine world, but so much easier to approach and play in yourself.

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                • #9
                  Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                  Some ideas...
                  Long extension cord, ventilation may work (I removed the case and put a mesh filter on the air intake) as may having your fan going the whole time.

                  A side by side comparison is a great idea! Im considering that for some future roast projects myself

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                    So today was day to try.

                    Pics of all four roasts with Andys compared. Mine were roasted 13/12 and 14/12, Andys 12/12.



                    Roasts #1 and #2 I ended up combining - wow - so quick through had to go finer and tamp harder to get a decent pour rate, else it was all over (120mL in 5-10 seconds incl. crema which would settle to 50-60mL). Once got the grind and tamp dialed in was quite Lemony, Grassy and somewhat acidic (no surprises there).

                    Roast #3 was closest to Andys pre-roasted in colour and in flavour. Rather earthy overall, (which I like). Andys was definitely much smoother on the finish, I was not bothered by this as we all drink with milk.

                    Roast #4 has gone all oily, not a good look, still used them, not sure how to describe this one - coffee generica.

                    Ended up blending roasts 3,4 and half of the combined 1 and 2. (for a 33% about right, 33% under and 33% over). Comments from Mother in Law - much nicer than "c**ffee club" that I had at the mall yesterday. Wife was well impressed. Offered it up to the carers who came today and they were both very happy. (I cut back the sugar requested for an experiement - they raved about them, and were surprised that the sugar was cut back, but happy none the less).

                    Overall - a good experience. Just need to tweak the popper a tad to extend those roast times, but the results are encouraging.

                    I would note and like to ask - on the last pour it was coming out excellent for 10-15 seconds - "honey off a spoon" then all of a sudden huge amounts of crema started pouring out rapidly filling the 120mL glass I do my shots into in about 2 seconds (which settled 40-60mL). I assume my puck split or I got channelling - any comments?

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                    • #11
                      Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                      Ive done about the same amount of roasting as you, also with a popper, but all of my roasts are between 6min and 8:30min, ambient temp around 20degree. sounds like your popper is rather aggressive with the heat. I keep a fan blowing across the popper while roasting, as much to clear the chaff as anything else.
                      You should definitely slow things down, just getting the beans to the right colour must be hard with that fast a roast. Try smaller quantities, try a fan, try drilling holes, or maybe try a cheap heat gun - I put one on my xmas list

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                      • #12
                        Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                        That was with a fan. Perhaps when the Canberra winters return the ambient temps will lose around 15-20C so hopefully will be able to extend the roasts then.

                        Im going to be making some little legs for the popper to raise it up off what ever surface its over and make the air intake larger, im also going to make some holes out the top plastic so hopefully less heat less quickly. Current taste surprisingly not too bad even with the super speed.

                        Currently umming and ahhhing about a small roaster - which will render the popper obsolete.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                          Ive started holding my popper while it runs, it does improve airflow. I started because quite a few beans were flying out the chute (not installed the tin can chimney yet) and tilting it back a few degrees helped. Oh, my roasts are 90gm, I see you are already only doing 80gm.

                          As a heat gun can be bought for $20, thats my next step, but I have a feeling it wont be the last upgrade.

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                          • #14
                            Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                            Roasted some Mysore nuggets today. Started out with 2x100gm batches and got down to about 78 and 74gm. Was much cooler here in Canberra for this roast, I did have the popper up on a wire basket and attached a tin can to lose less bean, and I think its a better roast. Got to the 2:40 mark before any pops, popped until 3:50 or so, went quiet for 20 seconds, then I pulled it based on smoke starting to appear. As I was pulling more pops, was this second crack? I am a little concerned about the current shininess of the beans as I suspect too much oil has come out of them.

                            Pics below - the roasts were very similar to each other, I have a good feeling. If I stick them in a ziplock back (left unlocked) and then into an old one way valved bag that used to hold coffee beans (6 weeks old or so) would that be good or bad treatment of the beans?

                            Shot with no flash.


                            Shot with flash:

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                            • #15
                              Re: My first popper roast (with pics)

                              What time did you pull them? They look quite roasted - Ive never had that much oil on a Mysore batch, then again, Im not a huge fan of roasting too dark.

                              Ive been roasting the Mysore quite light with my Crazy Popper, been getting first crack at around 2:50 to 3:10 and then pulling them at around 5:45-6:00 just before first crack! Loving the result thus far!

                              Good to see another newbie coffee roaster going crazy and roasting all the time like I am!!

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