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Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

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  • Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

    Hi guys,

    I recieved my starter pack recently and Ive bean trying to roast my beans and ending up with a sour taste when I pull a shot > - doesnt happen with roasted beans I buy. Any ideas why?

    Im using a B&D popcorn popper. Im roasting Peaberry 2006 until the end of 1st crack i.e I hear the first cracks and then once they stop, I pull them about 10 secs later.

    In my starter pack I got:
    -Sumatra Mandheling
    -PNG A Grade washed
    -PNG Peaberry 2006
    -India Tiger Mountain

    Im dying to get this right as I know I can, but I dont know what Im doing wrong! Any ideas why? Am I not hearing the cracks propperly?

    Javabeen - future home roaster to be...

  • #2
    Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

    Need to roast longer. Try going to rolling 2nd crack.

    Poppers are also notorious for bright roasts. Because the heat applied to the beans is quite quick, beans tend to get slightly underdone in the middle. This often leads to sour notes in the coffee.

    However, PNG coffees tend to be fruity, with a medium amount of acidity. This acidity is only amplified with underroasting.

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    • #3
      Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

      Yes, in agreeance with nunu there...

      You under roasted them... wait for 2nd crack - perhaps rolling....

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      • #4
        Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

        Originally posted by javabeen link=1163030311/0#0 date=1163030311
        Im using a B&D popcorn popper. Im roasting Peaberry 2006 until the end of 1st crack i.e I hear the first cracks and then once they stop, I pull them about 10 secs later.
        Most beans are at peak flavor when pulled somewhere from just before the start of 2nd crack to slightly into the rolling 2nd crack.


        Java "All cracked up" phile
        Toys! I must have new toys!!!

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        • #5
          Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

          javabeen how long did the roast take?

          The PNG Peaberry was my first roast in my Breville Crazy Popper and my wife quite likes it (no complaints re bitterness).

          My popper is too fast for my liking; 5 min to second crack, but as I said, an acceptable taste.

          My times for the Peaberry average about 2:30 for start of first crack, 4:50 start of 2nd.

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          • #6
            Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

            I reckon that nunu (and everyone else) is, as usual, on the money.

            Two more thing to add without parroting everyone else:

            *If youre new to roasting, its well and truly worth carbonizing a roast and throwing it out, just so that you get an appreciation of how dark you can and cant take things

            *A longer resting period seems, to me, to somewhat mute excessive acidity. Just chuck the roast in a valve bag and stick it in a dark cupboard.

            Cheers,

            Luca

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            • #7
              Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

              Thanks guys,

              Thundergod,
              Roast took about 5:30 secs.

              The first time I roasted, I used the popper as is i.e with the lid and chute thingy that flips down. I barely got to 1st crack even after about 9mins. Never got to rolling 1st crack even after 12 mins. Needless to say, very sour beans.
              So I added a chimney on it and also a temperature prob to note the temperature. With the chimney, I get to 1st crack about 3:30 secs and then rolling 1st crack around 4:15secs. I am covering the chimney so theres a small opening. This has meant I get to the 1st cracks in the times mentioned above.

              I think I need to take Lucas advice and go out there and just carbonise some beans to get a feel for it. I havent done it yet and think I just need to do it. Im gonna go do it now and take note of what happens. Then Im gonna try again to turn some beans into coffee...

              Javabeen.

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              • #8
                Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                Another thing I might add, is to let the beans sit about a minute before cooling them down rapidly, if you think youve pulled them early.

                If theyre near 2nd crack, they will continue to heat on their own a bit, and coast into 2nd. Its a makeshift solution, especially if your popper hits thermal cutoff after you turn it off.

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                • #9
                  Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                  javabean, sounds like you got one of the ripper crazy poppers like me... of late Ive been reading that people are getting 5min total roast times...

                  12 mins to first crack... man thats ideal I would think??? What weight of beans did you use?

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                  • #10
                    Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                    Hey Marc,

                    With the oriignal popper setup (no chimney) I was roasting 80gms. I added the chimney to roast larger quantities and get more heat through the beans to roast quicker as I read about people taking 5-9 mins to roast a batch.

                    Being a newbiew roaster, Im a bit confused by your comment "12mins to 1st crach is ideal". Is it better for the beans to take longer to roast/get to 1st and 2nd crack? I thought 12 mins and longer was too long, thats why I covered the chimney and left a small opening...

                    Do you use a popper and are you using a chimney?

                    Cheers
                    Javabeen.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                      I wish I could do 12 min in mine instead of 5.

                      I watched a commercial roast last week.
                      Around the 15 min mark.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                        Javabean... I say ideally in a commercial sense (but even I can be wrong on that)...

                        Im getting around 4min 1st crack and then 2nd crack around 8:30mins - pulling most roasts at 9mins...however, times can be as low as 6:30 if the outside temp is quite warm...in this case I reduce the amount to 130-140gms

                        Im using a Crazy Popper with Chimney...

                        EG.... Last week, I roasted some PNG A Grade - 150g at 9mins...

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                          i just got my starter pack and didnt know the first thing about what to do with green beans all i can suggest is read all you can i did mine in a cast iron wok untill the second crack and it came out pretty damn good for a green been such as myself.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                            OK, heres an update...

                            I did the sacrificial roast yesterday afternoon around 2pm and it was a great learning excercise. Im in Melbounre and it was pretty cool yesterday. I roasted in my garage, big tin shed, ambient temperature inside was 18. I roasted the PNG Peaberry 2006 with these results:

                            - 1st crack started at 3m56s with the last crack at 6m38s.
                            - 2nd crack started at 14:m25s and went on and on and on.
                            - at 33m I pulled the beans. They were getting pretty dark (ie black) and couldnt see any smoke so I pulled them then. Once I pulled them I noticed straight away they were smoking. Im guessig I couldnt see the smoke since the the poppers fan blows it away.

                            Tonight I did another roast of the Peaberry this time with the aim to create coffee. Ambient temperature in the "roast house" (the tin shed) was 16 degrees:
                            - 1st crack started at 4m37s with the last crack at 6m58s.
                            - 2nd crack started at 15:m47s
                            - at 16:58 I pulled the beans.
                            - ground some up, made an espresso and guess what - ITS COFFEE AND ITS NOT SOUR. In fact, it tastes like espresso! Woohoo, this is fantastic!

                            I should have pulled them just before 2nd crack I reckon as the shot was a bit too strong for my liking.

                            So what sort of results is everyone else getting roasting the Peaberry 2006? MY B&D popper is about 10 years old at least so its finally come to some good use..

                            Heres hoping the roasts keep getting better from here.

                            Javabeen - buzzing tonight....

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Sour beans for a newbie roaster :-(

                              Did you drink them without letting them degas?

                              They are some seriously long times for a popper. I wish mine wree more like that instead of the 5 mintues I have been getting.
                              Glad you are enjoying the new found hobby. Roasting is fun especially when you get to enjoy your first drinkable roast. I am currently enjoying my first lot. Indian Tiger Mountain though. I dont have any of the peaberry but am jealous from what I have heard. I am aa fan of the indian tiger mountain though.
                              Let us know how more of yoru roasts go.

                              Brett

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