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  • My First Behmor Roast

    In fact, my first roast ever.

    I started with Peru Ceja de Selva, 225g, 1/2lb, P2, B.
    I had to add 1.30 towards the end so it ended up being a 14.30 roast, with 1C at 13.30.
    Didnt reach 2C.

    Ended up with 181g.

    My untrained eye says its about a CS9 but happy to be corrected.




  • #2
    Re: My First Behmor Roast

    As im sure often happens, i was pretty excited so decided to go back to the well a few more times in the same night and ended up doing four roasts.
    I decided to keep the same settings for each of my first roasts so there was at least some consistency there.

    Roast 2:

    Brazil Pulped Natural, 225g, 1/2lb, P2, B.
    As with the first roast, i needed to add some time so in this case it was 1 minute, making it a 14m roast.
    IC came after 12.50, and again didnt reach 2C.
    Left with 186g.

    These ones look a little lighter (and more uneven) than the Peru, perhaps a CS8?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: My First Behmor Roast

      Now for roast 3.

      This time Ethiopian Harrar Longberry.
      As before, 225g, 1/2lb, P2, B.
      1 minute added, 1C at 12.10, 2C occurred during early stages of cooling cycle.
      Got 188g.

      Blurry photo aside, looks to be a much darker roast than the first two, obviously because it reached 2C.
      Maybe a CS10.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: My First Behmor Roast

        And finally, my fourth and last roast from my first ever roasting day.

        Uganda Masaba AA.
        225g, 1/2lb, P2, B.
        As with all the roasts, time needed to be added, in this case 1 minute.
        IC came at 12.35 and rolled into the cooling cycle.
        No 2C, obviously.

        Very uneven and probably underdone roast, sadly.
        Could be a CS8 (with the lighter beans a CS6 or 7 :-[ ).

        Since roasting ive seen a few people say that they give this bean longer so i obviously erred a little.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: My First Behmor Roast

          All in all i was pretty happy with how my initial roasts went, although im still trying to get my head around why i needed to add time to every single roast on the P2, B option.
          Could it be the ambient temperature given i did the roasts at night, in my garage?

          Its day five post roast so im going to try them all out today.
          Fingers crossed i get something decent out of them.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: My First Behmor Roast

            And now to complete the circle (and overload you all with pictures), my first shot from my first batch of roasted beans.

            This is from the Peru.
            The pour was a little quick so it blonded a tad, but nothing a quick grinder adjustment wont fix.
            Decent mellow taste, no real body though and the depth of flavour wasnt quite there.
            Ill try it each day over the next week to see when i think its at its peak before perhaps trying a darker roast on the weekend.

            Heres the shot itself, and then my rudimentary latte art on the finished product.

            Any tips or suggestions most welcome and thanks to everyone here for not only supporting us all, but for helping cultivate the desire and love of the bean.
            Without you all id probably still be doing what i was back in my coffee infancy, that is, using a Breville, a spice grinder, supermarket beans and not knowing just how bad that setup really was.



            Comment


            • #7
              Re: My First Behmor Roast

              I dont own or have ever used a Behmor Ristrom but to me, all of those roasts appear very good indeed... 8-)

              I guess the main thing you need to do, is to keep good records of each batch you roast (including your cupping impressions) so that you can hone-in on a profile for each bean that really does it for you.

              Congratulations mate.... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

              Mal.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: My First Behmor Roast

                Try hitting FC around 11:00 and then pull around 14 - 15 mins depending on the origin (well before SC). Works well for me, but im using a coretto not a Behmor so your profiles will probably differ. I think you want at least 3 mins past FC for good roast flavour development (for espresso roasts). Anything less might taste grassy, lack body and be too acidic as espresso. Brewed coffee is another story of course.

                Personally, I never reach second crack as i like to taste flavour of origin and i find you lose too much of that and the beans take on more roast flavour once you go through SC. Some people prefer the roast flavour though.

                Let taste be your guide

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: My First Behmor Roast

                  I highly reccomend logging each of your roasts using Behmor Thing http://www.behmorthing.com/.  I have it running on the laptop and bring it up to the kitchen every time I roast.  I almost exclusively use the P2 profile and by using Behmor Thing you can check out the power profile so you can time the 1st crack to coincide with the 70% power drop.

                  My Go To method for each bean is 225g using the 1lb P2 A profile which should mean you experience first crack between 10-11 min with 2nd crack being a bit more variable.  Has seemed to work well for me on each of the beans in the start pack at least.

                  If you are wanting to do larger roasts Ive been able to get good results with 350g on the 1lb P2 C profile, any more than that and first crack occurs too long after the ramp down and 2c comes on too suddenly.  Also larger roasts take longer to cool so they almost always end up being a darker roast than when you hit cool.  Thats when cracking the door or removing the beans early in the cooling cycle for external cooling can come in handy.  But after a few roasts you learn the nuances of the machine and are able to stop the roast so 2C occurs further into the cooling cycle.

                  Im not sure what your particular tastes are, but of the beans youve roasted Ive really enjoyed the Peru and Ethiopian the most. The Ugandan was a bit bland and the the Brazil was just a bit meh (technical analysis I know). the Peru roasted to 2C I really like as a good everyday drink and Ive been experimenting with blending it with the Ethiopian roasted a bit lighter (1st crack, CS7ish) at a 60/40 ratio.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: My First Behmor Roast

                    Do you hit cool at start of second crack or try and time it before then?

                    Enjoying the advice.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: My First Behmor Roast

                      Find yourself a copy of BehmorThing, its really quite a useful tool for the Behmor. I think Andy questioned whether its profiles match the Aussie version of the beast but its still really useful for keeping track of your bean stock, past roasts and allows you to easily see past roasts to help with consistency/tweaking.

                      Edit: Darn, way too slow...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: My First Behmor Roast

                        Originally posted by 575251444455425C5549300 link=1285107800/9#9 date=1285153136
                        Do you hit cool at start of second crack or try and time it before then?

                        Enjoying the advice.

                        How do you like your beans roasted? We are all that little bit different and also have different methodology for cooling.

                        That last bit will change when each of us hit cool down so therefore you need more info to make any decision.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: My First Behmor Roast

                          I like my beans roasted so the coffee tastes nice...

                          I know everyone has their individual tastes but at the moment I am happy to be guided by other peoples who are more experienced.

                          Ive found that with a lot of things in life being guided by more experienced people is a good place to kick off and discover your own tastes. I am nowhere near as hung up on the 30 seconds/30ml thing as I was at the start of my espresso making but I found it a really useful rule of thumb while I was learning.
                          When I make curry now I know how much of a particular spice to add to get a particular flavour but when I first started making curry...well you get the picture.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: My First Behmor Roast

                            Originally posted by 292929630 link=1285107800/0#0 date=1285107800
                            my first roast ever.
                            Stunning effort.

                            In fact they all look great, even the under done Ugandan as that becomes the "dont cool that early" yardstick for future roasts. Try it, but lemon-sour-grassy is likely to be the flavour descriptors on that one.

                            Originally posted by 292929630 link=1285107800/4#4 date=1285108511
                            All in all i was pretty happy with how my initial roasts went, although im still trying to get my head around why i needed to add time to every single roast on the P2, B option.
                            Could it be the ambient temperature given i did the roasts at night, in my garage?
                            Yeah, low ambient temp at night in Melbourne this time of year will do that. The roaster is drawing-in air so the colder it is, the slower the roast.

                            Adjusting the amount of beans will help find your sweet-spot too. For the same ambient temperature taking 10% out of the green weight will speed everything along too.

                            These are things that you can tweek over time to suit the environment, the bean and your own taste which is why you should keep a record of what you did.

                            Originally posted by 292929630 link=1285107800/1#1 date=1285108043
                            I decided to keep the same settings for each of my first roasts so there was at least some consistency there.
                            Yep, consistent is good, now make one change at a time and see what the impact is.

                            Most of all enjoy the learning and the journey to better coffee!

                            8-)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: My First Behmor Roast

                              Thanks guys, youre all wonderfully helpful and encouraging which helps enormously.

                              Originally posted by 5875717D701C0 link=1285107800/6#6 date=1285131506
                              I guess the main thing you need to do, is to keep good records of each batch you roast (including your cupping impressions) so that you can hone-in on a profile for each bean that really does it for you.

                              Congratulations mate.... Smiley
                              Thanks, Mal.
                              Ive got a little exercise book where ive written down all the relevant details of each roast, and also a separate book with my tasting notes (which are pretty rudimentary compared to most here given my palate hasnt reached the level it needs to cup satisfactorily).

                              Originally posted by 6E756A7D70242D1C0 link=1285107800/7#7 date=1285143331
                              Try hitting first crack around 11:00 and then pull around 14 - 15 mins depending on the origin (well before second crack).
                              Thanks for the tip.
                              Its nice to read others views on what a rough ideal timeline is.
                              Gives me something to work towards as i learn how to tweak aspects of my roast to manipulate my roasting times.

                              Originally posted by 6E756A7D70242D1C0 link=1285107800/7#7 date=1285143331
                              Let taste be your guide Smiley
                              Best advice ever.
                              We do get caught up in the procedural aspect of coffee at times, often forgetting that taste is everything.

                              My problem is that palate isnt developed enough to differentiate between the flavour characteristics of say, a CS8 from a CS9.
                              I just know what tastes good.  ;D

                              The easy stuff isnt an issue (ie. bitter, sour, the body, the aroma), but getting deeper into the notes and subtle flavours underneath is much more difficult for me.
                              I can taste them, i just cant put my finger on what im tasting and certainly not well enough to describe it.

                              Originally posted by 6F6E797B2C6E1C0 link=1285107800/8#8 date=1285152846
                              I highly reccomend logging each of your roasts using Behmor Thing http://www.behmorthing.com/.I have it running on the laptop and bring it up to the kitchen every time I roast.I almost exclusively use the P2 profile and by using Behmor Thing you can check out the power profile so you can time the 1st crack to coincide with the 70% power drop.
                              I downloaded BehmorThing a month or so back but didnt go much further with it.
                              Ill have another look at it prior to this weekends roasts and see what i think of it.

                              Originally posted by 6F6E797B2C6E1C0 link=1285107800/8#8 date=1285152846
                              My Go To method for each bean is 225g using the 1lb P2 A profile which should mean you experience first crack between 10-11 min with 2nd crack being a bit more variable.Has seemed to work well for me on each of the beans in the start pack at least.
                              1lb P2 A? Ive not seen that setup much before.
                              I went with 1/2lb, P2, B because in my research here quite a few mentioned it as their base option, but as i said earlier, that profile forced me to add time to even get through 1C so a change is definitely required.

                              Originally posted by 6F6E797B2C6E1C0 link=1285107800/8#8 date=1285152846
                              Im not sure what your particular tastes are, but of the beans youve roasted Ive really enjoyed the Peru and Ethiopian the most.The Ugandan was a bit bland and the the Brazil was just a bit meh (technical analysis I know).the Peru roasted to 2C I really like as a good everyday drink and Ive been experimenting with blending it with the Ethiopian roasted a bit lighter (1st crack, CS7ish) at a 60/40 ratio.  
                              The world of blending is something i cant wait to try, although all the opportunities make it daunting.
                              Ive tried the four roasts now, all on day 5, and my favourite was definitely the Harrar, although thats probably no surprise because it has always been one of my favourite SOs when buying browns from Andy or having a SO in a cafe.

                              I actually quite like the Brazil Pulped Naturals.
                              I know theyre better suited to a blend base and they lack the depth of flavour but they gave me my best pour, my best body and a solid, if unspectacular drink.
                              Ill definitely buy some when its next in stock because i can see it being my blend base of choice.

                              Originally posted by 5D7278651C0 link=1285107800/13#13 date=1285169023
                              Stunning effort.

                              In fact they all look great, even the under done Ugandan as that becomes the "dont cool that early" yardstick for future roasts.Try it, but lemon-sour-grassy is likely to be the flavour descriptors on that one.
                              Thanks, Andy.
                              It certainly is good to see the results of an underdone roast for future reference, not to mention building up some intelligence on the Masaba bean.
                              Im really looking forward to giving it another go on the weekend with a longer roast time.

                              As for the flavours of the underdone Masaba, youre spot on with that grassy taste.
                              Upon grinding it was weird to see the odd light fleck and tamping was a real problem (why under roasted beans are more resistant to a tamp, i dont know) but i actually got a decent enough pour.
                              Im still going to try it out each day (even giving it to the better half today) and see if it improves.

                              EDIT: Just did a shot of the Masaba and the tamp issue disappeared and whilst the grassy taste was still there, the coffee improved substantially since yesterday and actually tastes quite good.
                              The better half really enjoyed it, which surprised me.
                              I now REALLY cant wait to roast the Masaba a bit darker this weekend.

                              Originally posted by 5D7278651C0 link=1285107800/13#13 date=1285169023
                              Yeah, low ambient temp at night in Melbourne this time of year will do that.The roaster is drawing-in air so the colder it is, the slower the roast.

                              Adjusting the amount of beans will help find your sweet-spot too.For the same ambient temperature taking 10% out of the green weight will speed everything along too.
                              Ah, thanks Andy.
                              I thought the ambient temperature might be an issue given it was frigging freezing but wasnt sure how best to counter it (be it upping the time, the weight setting or simply using less beans) so your advice is invaluable.

                              Originally posted by 5D7278651C0 link=1285107800/13#13 date=1285169023
                              Yep, consistent is good, now make one change at a time and see what the impact is.

                              Most of all enjoy the learning and the journey to better coffee!
                              Im going to do the same beans this weekend again, but do them during the day when its a little warmer so hopefully i dont need to add time.

                              My biggest problem with home roasting is that i miss your Espresso Wow  :-[
                              Im one who, when out, drinks both blends and SOs equally but ive really fallen in love with Espresso Wow over the last six months and really miss it already.
                              It was always so consistent, right from the grinder to the cup, and it actually has a long lifespan for me, being good for drinking from day 3 right through until day 25 or so without much change in flavour.

                              Comment

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