Whats in my coffee roaster this week

[DesigningByCoffee]

Yeah that's what I had thought after reading up on roasting with the huky when I initially got it, I've been roasting with it for a couple of years now and it had just never occurred to me to try stretching out a roast longer. I'm very happy with the results I get from it, just always wondering if there's something else to try … I think I might try a slow down for maillard phase and speed up for 1C on my next roast, see if that makes a difference. I think the trick with that will be being able to slow it back down after 1c though. Will see how I go.

Let the taste be your guide, grasshopper
Roasting is a constant process of learning and adjusting. Too sour or bright? Stretch it out a little. Too flat, go faster or lighter.
Fortunately, once you're basically in a good roasting zone, you get very few bin roasts – some are just more excellent than others!

[Dimal]

Yep...

No-one knows your roaster better than you 'Aj', especially after a couple of years of gathering data and results in the cup.
Always worth experimenting though, probably with smaller batches at first, just to make sure that you are getting the most any bean has to offer. I've been doing this for the better part of 15+ years and still experiment with all sorts of things.

The Huky looks to be a great little roaster with excellent support, so you're definitely in a good place.

Mal.

[DesigningByCoffee]

Lots of talk lately about the merits of lighter roasts so stopped the roast about 3 degrees earlier than usual, well short of SC.

In honour of Yelta's sacrifice, I've gone darker for my latest roast, taking this to around 224°, which is around 1-2°, or just into 2C (well, to be fair, I found the Hondurus a little mild taken lighter first time around, so thought I'd play around in this roast too.

So, Hondura La Central, a midpoint kind of profile for me, taken just into 2C. As a doppio this morning, good rich body, mild acidity, great crema and lovely lightly caramelised toffee flavours. With the lighter roasts I've been doing the last few months I'd forgotten the joy of these kids of flavours. They work really well with this bean – I might try a blend with the lighter fruity Biftu and see waht happens



Plus a blend…

[Yelta]

This mornings roast.
500 grams India Elephant Hills Monsoon
250 grams Uganda Kisoro AA

Lots of talk lately about the merits of lighter roasts so stopped the roast about 3 degrees earlier than usual, well short of SC.

Here's an observation, I've found this lighter roast is giving me a distinct caffeine buzz, something I never experience with my darker roasts, coincidence? unsure.

Googled the question, and it seems that caffeine is indeed diminished by heat, but stopping a roast 3° or 4°C lower than normal seems pretty insignificant.

Orrrrrr, is this one of the reasons lighter roasts are so popular, are they indeed higher in caffeine, seems a pretty long bow to draw, any thoughts?

[simonsk8r]

Here's an observation, I've found this lighter roast is giving me a distinct caffeine buzz, something I never experience with my darker roasts, coincidence? unsure.

Googled the question, and it seems that caffeine is indeed diminished by heat, but stopping a roast 3° or 4°C lower than normal seems pretty insignificant.

Orrrrrr, is this one of the reasons lighter roasts are so popular, are they indeed higher in caffeine, seems a pretty long bow to draw, any thoughts?

Hmmm interesting! I've heard that too, that darker roasts have less caffeine, but I honestly disregarded it and thought the difference was pretty miniscule and insubstantial.

But interested in this feedback you've given us! I honestly don't remember what a caffeine buzz feels like! (Apart from at MICE.... *holds head rocking back and forth...*)

[Yelta]

thought the difference was pretty miniscule and insubstantial.

Would have been my feeling as well, wondered what others think, particularly with the very light roasts, i.e. just past first crack.

[Agrajag]

especially after a couple of years of gathering data and results in the cup.
Always worth experimenting though, probably with smaller batches at first, just to make sure that you are getting the most any bean has to offer. I've been doing this for the better part of 15+ years and still experiment with all sorts of things.

Hah yeah - I've been mostly roasting the same beans for this past year or so, mainly because I wanted to reduce the number of variables (also I found them delicious) - and only now am I very confident in controlling the roasts and knowing what does what that I'm happy to start experimenting again. When I first starting roasting I was doing all sorts of beans and trying different things, too many variables so it was impossible to really tell what did what. Glad to hear it doesn't stop even after 15+ years

[DesigningByCoffee]

Here's an observation, I've found this lighter roast is giving me a distinct caffeine buzz, something I never experience with my darker roasts, coincidence? unsure.

Interesting. I wouldn't think a couple of degrees would make a great difference to the amount – but maybe the more acidic, lighter brew transfer caffeine more efficiently? Or is less bound up in the oils?
Like - why does Aspro Clear seem to work better than Asprin? The bubbles!

[Yelta]

This mornings roast.
500 grams India Elephant Hills Monsoon
250 grams Uganda Kisoro AA

Lots of talk lately about the merits of lighter roasts so stopped the roast about 3 degrees earlier than usual, well short of SC.

As is my custom tried one hot off the press, a bit under developed for my taste, drinkable but at this stage nothing out of the ordinary, perhaps it will improve over the next week.

This has certainly smoothed out a little over the past few days, no chocolaty flavours I enjoy, quite drinkable with good crema, but, nothing remarkable, will be taking my next batch to SC.

[Agrajag]

I might try a slow down for maillard phase and speed up for 1C on my next roast

So I gave this a go with some decaf that I've had sitting around for ages. I never had too much luck with this, tried it a bunch of times on my old behmor and once or twice with the huky and often got results that were quite sour. I haven't roasted it for a while because I just haven't felt the need to drink it but thought it would be a good test because a) I didn't mind too much if it went wrong b) if I get a nice result it would be a good one to offer those guests who don't like to have caffeine in the afternoon/evening.

Anyway the roast went about as well as I'd hoped, was able to slow it down and speed it up, dropped just a few seconds into 2C



will be interesting too see how it compares to my old decaf roasts

[DesigningByCoffee]

Two batches, a Sulawesi Blue and a Harrar Longberry, to combine into a Mocha Java blend.

Both fairly fast roasts overall (Harrar faster), with the Indo dropped a hint before 2C at 222.5° and the Ethiopian a bit earlier at 220.5°…
Indo was nice this morning as a doppio, some good acidity remaining but some nice bite from the slightly darker roast. Not a lot of the fruit you get with a lighter roast of these puppies though…

[Agrajag]

will be interesting too see how it compares to my old decaf roasts

Unfortunately not the result I was hoping for. Still a hint of sourness. Only 3 days old but from past roasts I remember the sourness doesn't go away. I've just done some more reading on roasting decaf and from the sounds of things I just need to slow the whole thing down. Time from FC to drop is reasonable (3:15ish) but I think if I aim for a lower charge temp/turning point and even slower maillard phase I might have more luck.

[DesigningByCoffee]

Unfortunately not the result I was hoping for. Still a hint of sourness. Only 3 days old but from past roasts I remember the sourness doesn't go away. I've just done some more reading on roasting decaf and from the sounds of things I just need to slow the whole thing down. Time from FC to drop is reasonable (3:15ish) but I think if I aim for a lower charge temp/turning point and even slower maillard phase I might have more luck.

I've always found that an average-to-gentle roast with a lower drop (I drop decaf at 219.5° instead of my usual 223.5°) seems to work best with Andy's decaf. It's always great – but I do agree that it does seem to hold a higher level of acidity than most normal beans. But it is certainly never lacking in flavour!

[Agrajag]

I've always found that an average-to-gentle roast with a lower drop (I drop decaf at 219.5° instead of my usual 223.5°) seems to work best with Andy's decaf. It's always great – but I do agree that it does seem to hold a higher level of acidity than most normal beans. But it is certainly never lacking in flavour!

My usual drop for most beans is around 223°C, I took this one into 2nd crack with the theory that maybe I'd underdone it previously and also wanted to get a benchmark for where 2nd crack was with these. That theory was probably wrong, I'll try a slightly lower drop like you've suggested combined with a gentler overall roast. It's a definite sourness+acidity rather than just acidity (yes this is Andy's decaf). Thanks for the tips!

[DesigningByCoffee]

These are really hard beans to roast by ear or colour - they make virtually no noise for 1C and 2C and end up either dark or really dark! That's why you should roast by numbers. I went to my usual 2C mark first up and found them oily and overdone, so worked back 1° at a time. And 218-19° seemed the sweet spot for me