Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

[brokenvase]

Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

Hi brokenvase
We seem to have gone a bit off topic, but…
I use a corretto too - I tend to do 350g batches but have done up to 600g. I think you'd find that if you covered your pan, you'd get a much more even roast overall. Even from your pics I can see the un-eveness you mentioned - maybe partly stirring action, but more heat un-eveness IMHO.
The principle is that when it's an open top, even with the smaller batches, you have to have the gun temp much higher to get a similar profile - and the beans on top get more direct heat than those underneath. Can get some scorching even. Even more extreme results with larger batches.
But cover the top/insulate the pan, and it's an enclosed system - much lower gun input temps needed, much more even heating throughout. As Yelta said - bigger batches shouldn't be an issue :-)

Matt

Yes. We are going off topic. Maybe the mods can move these ones?

I get what you mean about the even roasting. I'm just too lazy to do the lid up properly. Plus my laziness self justifying reasoning tells me that these imperfections are like what Holga film toy cameras are to photography: intentional random flaws that adds the the beauty of it :P perhaps these lighter beans add to its fruitiness *grin*

[DesigningByCoffee]

Wow! Err.. How? I haven't modified anything on mine. Just took the top off and doing open corretto. I'm not so good with tools and electrics so that's why I've been holding off to modify anything. Is yours closed? Also I found that if I increased the weight the stirring action is not as consistent and uniformed...

Hi brokenvase
We seem to have gone a bit off topic, but…
I use a corretto too - I tend to do 350g batches but have done up to 600g. I think you'd find that if you covered your pan, you'd get a much more even roast overall. Even from your pics I can see the un-eveness you mentioned - maybe partly stirring action, but more heat un-eveness IMHO.
The principle is that when it's an open top, even with the smaller batches, you have to have the gun temp much higher to get a similar profile - and the beans on top get more direct heat than those underneath. Can get some scorching even. Even more extreme results with larger batches.
But cover the top/insulate the pan, and it's an enclosed system - much lower gun input temps needed, much more even heating throughout. As Yelta said - bigger batches shouldn't be an issue :-)

Matt

[MrJack]

If you know someone in the trade, you could always add a PID controller?
http://coffeesnobs.com.au/roasters/3...my-popper.html

[brokenvase]

Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

Wow! Err.. How? I haven't modified anything on mine. Just took the top off and doing open corretto. I'm not so good with tools and electrics so that's why I've been holding off to modify anything. Is yours closed? Also I found that if I increased the weight the stirring action is not as consistent and uniformed...

[Yelta]

How many rounds do you go? You mean 725g in one hit? I do it in 3 batches.

Yes, 725g in one hit.

[brokenvase]

Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

I roast once a week in a Coretto, 725 grams, set up right it does it with ease.
Roasts are consistent and very repeatable.

How many rounds do you go? You mean 725g in one hit? I do it in 3 batches.

[Yelta]

Err... No not really. I'm averaging 750g per week now. Especially nearing Christmas. Lots of visitors. The popper is too small! I'm even thinking of another corretto to increase speed of output!

I roast once a week in a Coretto, 725 grams, set up right it does it with ease.
Roasts are consistent and very repeatable.

[brokenvase]

Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

Err... No not really. I'm averaging 750g per week now. Especially nearing Christmas. Lots of visitors. The popper is too small! I'm even thinking of another corretto to increase speed of output!

[marcism]

Ha Brokenvase! I am almost a year in (Jeez maybe more...) and still on a popper. How is that corretto treating you? Ever bother with the popper mods?

[NooBean]

I use Plumrose Frankfurt Can as the chimney with a zig-zag cut (interleave the teeth) in the bottom third to make it fit. I use around 120g per roast and manually stir the beans up to the first crack.

[brokenvase]

Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

Lol. I went from popper to corretto within a week! Both interesting experiences.

Will use both methods and mix up the fun!

[leograyson]

Hello Brokenvase,

Q :- Could my 2nd crack have happened already and was buried in the series of cracks?

A :- It's possible, but probably not. I have done four popper roasts over the last two weeks, during which the weather has been very similar (i.e.fairly mild) here in Brisbane. My first cracks have been starting at about five minutes, and lasted for about three minutes.

Q :- I guess my question is how do you know when 2nd crack happens of they keep cracking on and off for 2-3 minutes?

A :- You cant be sure, but there is usually a gap between 1C and 2C. With a popper this gap can be short, especially in hot weather, because when it's hot everything happens more quickly.

However, my last three batches have all had a gap of about 3 to 4 minutes between the end of 1C and the start of 2C.

I usually stop at the first signs of 2C, but the beans keep cracking in the sieve for a while before the fan drops the temp enough to stop it. The sound is much more noticeable with the popper switched off.

If I catch it early, right at the start of 2C, there is only a little very faint smoke, but if I run more than 20/30 secs into 2C the beans are really cracking and smoking as I pour them out, and the smoke is quite obvious.

I suggest that you try an 80 gram batch (that's what I've been roasting) and be prepared to risk losing one batch by letting it go until you get to second crack, or have gone for at least 15 minutes. You have almost certainly baked them to death if you have not reached 2c by then. This can happen , but with most poppers it is very unlikely, even in Winter.

I think you will get 2C and then you can stop there, OR you could let it go longer just to see the colour changes and when the smoke becomes obvious. When it does, it's time to STOP quickly before they begin to smolder.

This would mean sacrificing a batch of beans, but it's only 80 grams, and I think it is well worth it to see and hear the full range of colours and sounds, from green to almost black.

Cheers, Leo.

P.S. Don't burn the house down - or if you do don't blame me !.

[brokenvase]

Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

Did my first batch. But I wasn't sure if I even got to 2nd crack! After the first pop at 4mins, there was a series of pops and occasional pops all the way to 7mins. I decided to stop as I didn't want to burn it. Could my 2nd crack have happened already and was buried in the series of cracks?

I guess my question is how do you know when 2nd crack happens of they keep cracking on and off for 2-3 minutes?

[brokenvase]

Silly question on drilling holes in a popper

Opened a can of coconut. Looked inside. They seemed to be using some glue like rubbery thing to hold the can together! Don't think that's safe to heat up? will try another can.

[Barry_Duncan]

Hello brokenvase,
The best can for a chimney is a large (500 gram ??) of salmon. They are tapered nicely, and you just need to cut the bottom off at the right place to get it to fit your brand of popper.
Cheers, Leo.

The tins I use as a chimney is the 415g or 15oz can of Alaska Salmon.

It allows you to use a spoon to sample the roast as you go.

The salmon is good healthy tucker, containing omega 3, and the tin being slightly tapered has fitted neatly into all the poppers I have used. I took the bottom off by using a metal file on the rim.

Enjoy your roasting results whatever way you do it.

Barry