Behmor Plus - Roasting Approaches

[moreCoffee]

Thanks Pete. It's definitely 8 minutes to go (i.e. 12 minutes after start)

Awesome, thanks for clarifying Barry.
The weather was a bit nuts in Melbourne today, so hopefully have a go tomorrow.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

G'day Barry,

Thanks for sharing, I'm going to give your approach a crack tomorrow.

Assuming the 400 P2 B 20:00 minute start time, do you usually drop to 75% at 8 minutes to go (12 minutes into the roast) / or 12 minutes to go (8 minutes into the roast)? You mention both approaches in previous posts, so thought I'd check ahead of my first attempt


Pete

Thanks Pete. It's definitely 8 minutes to go (i.e. 12 minutes after start). Post #40 should read as below (can't edit the post anymore):

Initial Setting: 400 P2 B (so the timer starts counting down from 20:00)

At 8:00 remaining - switch to 75% power (P4 button)

[moreCoffee]

G'day Barry,

Thanks for sharing, I'm going to give your approach a crack tomorrow.

Assuming the 400 P2 B 20:00 minute start time, do you usually drop to 75% at 8 minutes to go (12 minutes into the roast) / or 12 minutes to go (8 minutes into the roast)? You mention both approaches in previous posts, so thought I'd check ahead of my first attempt

I've been having success with Andy's 200g P1 and drop to 25% at FC. But at times, when trying to replicate (trace) back to back roasts, I'm finding the P1 auto mode a little unpredictable as it approaches the 9-10 minute mark (just before FC).
Usually, 200g P1 seems to run at 100% power until the 5 minute mark, fan comes on, power drops to around 90% (cycles on for 50sec / off for 10sec) for the remaining time until I hit FC and drop to 25% manually. This is working great, but every now and then it decides to throw in a drop to 50% power right before FC, extending my roast by up to a minute. No idea why, might be be to do with the wall sensors. Your approach should eliminate this.

Pete

[sprezzatura]

Interesting mottled appearance - Sulawesi Biru

[sprezzatura]

More weight definitely gives one a little more time. Funny, but I've been roasting this Sulawesi on the lighter profiles (or longer dry times?) because, like you, I prefer pour over. I got some cratering when I was doing 200g and 400g batches at high heat profiles with PNG and India Elephant Hills - haven't tried Brasil nor African seeds yet.

I did try the Galeras Supremo which I had to roast @ P1 and a better batch at P3. Didn't really do it for my palate (which is, as objective as I can be which is not very, keen on Indonesian and African coffee). It was good with the Sulawesi Blue as espresso - sweet and clean. I can't recommend the PNG enough as a filter coffee - loved it.

When my batch dries too quick my machine and my technique doesn't leave much room to prevent cratering and charring. I opt a bit lighter and will make a cup of Hario 12oz with 18gm letting it bloom for 120 seconds and then a slow pour with water just off the boil.

The last roast I did (200g of Sulawesi Blue) was at P5D RS @ a three bean crack and P2 until auto cool. Here's an image:

[pyrmontboy200]

Cicarda/sprezz those beanshots both look very respectable indeed! I can see your chaff line is much more even than mine. I currently have no issue with Ethiopians, just the Brazilians, and only some of them, are a real problem child for me at the moment. Either baking, that straw, grainy taste of a bean which has been effectively dried by the roaster but not caramelised - hate it - or on the opposite side of the coin where I go flaming into first too hard and scorch the centre lines and get the occasional 'faced' bean. The taste of a scorched bean is particularly disgusting, it is acrid and will ruin a cup of filter easily. Latte drinkers can maybe get away with some of these errors.... but not me. I'm certainly getting an education in how not to roast a coffee bean.

I am going to try slow things down by adding more weight for these obnoxious Brazilians. sprezz what is your observation in general of the effect of adding more weight? I noticed you seem to be jumping up from 200g to higher charges now. I'll try something like the Cicarda method above, I will cut to P3 during the stretch, still experimenting with this and P2, have not really come up with a conclusion yet. If adding more weight to slow things down doesn't work, I will go back to a taper off of heat going into first.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Barry I was wondering what motivated the pre first crack power drop to 75% for you? Presuming you have tried carrying 100% all the way through to FC before - was there something in the cup or a visual defect in your beans which has motivated your approach? Thanks.

No brilliant reason. Basically, P2 was my favourite pre-programmed profile, and it drops to 60 (or 65)% power after 60% of the 20 minute standard roast time (i.e. 8 minutes to go). In winter (I'm in Canberra), I was finding this was slowing things down too much, so I decided to manually switch to 75% at the same time as the P2 program would have dropped it to 60-65%. And I found that I liked the results in term of taste (and also consistency in roasting times across different beans). I hadn't tried running 100% through to FC with this profile (but I haven't been roasting that many 'harder' beans recently). With 380-400g loads I wasn't too keen on the idea of cutting power really suddenly. Happy to try however.

[pyrmontboy200]

Barry I was wondering what motivated the pre first crack power drop to 75% for you? Presuming you have tried carrying 100% all the way through to FC before - was there something in the cup or a visual defect in your beans which has motivated your approach? Thanks.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Thanks Barry. I will be trying this profile with yirgacheffe special prep hopefully with good results.

It should work fine with that bean (regardless of whether you drop to 25% at the end or not). I should have pointed out that I stop the roast just on second crack. No biggie if a little short or a little late.

[ManBat]

Thanks Barry. I will be trying this profile with yirgacheffe special prep hopefully with good results.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

Hey Barry,
Can i just ask what kind of time your hitting first crack at?

Sure. It's a little 'iffy' as the weather has been progressively warming up.
On Sat, I did a 390g roast of Kenyan / Sulawesi Tana Toraja, and FC occured at 5:34 to go (so 14 minutes 26 seconds after start). This was similar to 390g roasts on the previous weekend, but prior to that had been loading 380g with similar time to FC. For my 2nd roast on Saturday I upped the load to 400g of Ethiopia Biftu. That one hit FC at 4:41 to go (15 mins 19 seconds after start).

Note, I define FC at the point where I hear 2 definite cracks within a couple of seconds of each other.

At moment, my base profile is: start at 400 P2 B (20 minutes to go on counter). Drop power to 75% at 12 mins to go. Drop to 50% 1 minute after FC (conditional on FC having been 'rolling' for at least 20 seconds....if not, wait a touch). Then, depending on bean, I may drop to 25% 1 minute or so after the drop to 50%. Having tried a few roasts with and without the 25% drop, I'm not sure there's much difference (that I can taste).

[ManBat]

Well, P1 and P2 are identical at the start. At the moment I use 400 P2 B to start (just because), switch to 75% with 8 minutes to go, back off to 50% at first crack, and after a minute or so then to 25%. Haven't tried 25% power at first crack as it is usually pretty cold when I'm roasting and don't want to tempt fate. At this time of year I roast 380-390g of green beans on that profile.

Hey Barry,
Can i just ask what kind of time your hitting first crack at?

[sprezzatura]

Thanks, Cicarda! I'll try a 400g Monsoon batch with Sulawesi and a 200g with the Vanuatu and post a summary and some images.

I'll try a 400gm Monsoon and let it sit at least 10 days and try post blending too.

Thanks for the heads up with fast progression from 1C to 2C - I'll watch the temperature.

Cheers,

[Cicarda]

Some attempts to roast Monsoon. Cant really say I have nailed it

Bean type: Blend 333M Peru Ceja de Selva Estate (100g) PNG Waghi AA (100g) Indian Monsoon (100g)
Start weight: 300g
End weight: 251g
Profile: 1lb P2 B total time 20.00min 100% @ 10min
Roast depth: C9.5
Warmup: None
1st Crack time: 7.26 min; hit rosetta to give 3.10 on clock and drop to 75% :rolling stopped at 1.30min
2nd Crack time: 1.00min
Time when hit cool button: 1.00min to go
Additional notes: rolled into C2 not much quiet time. Day 10 not much happening yet.

Bean type: Monsoon Mix 2 Tanzania Machare Estate (150g) Sumatran Blue (100g) Indian Monsoon (50g)
Start weight: 300g
End weight: 249g
Profile: 1lb P3 B total time 20.00min 75% @10min 100% @ 8min
Roast depth: C9.0
Warmup: None
1st Crack time: 3.10 min; hit rosetta to give 3.10 on clock and drop to 50% :rolling stopped at 1.10min
2nd Crack time: zero
Time when hit cool button: Zero
Additional notes: Ok but nothing out of the box. Cant find that rich crema??

Bean type: Single Origin Indian Monsoon Malabar Gold (300g)
Start weight 300g
End weight: 252g
Profile: 1lb P2 B total time 20.00min 075% @ 18min 100% at 10min
Roast depth: CS9.5
Warmup: zero
1st Crack time: C1 @5min 40 sec :drop to 50% and set at 3.10min C1 rolled to 1min 30
2nd Crack time C2 @1.00min
Time when hit cool button: 50sec
Total Roast Time: 17min 30sec
Additional notes: C2 continued for approx 1.30sec Had to start drinking this 1month after roasting. Plenty of flavour, crema and needed finer grind. Good but not great!

Bean type: Peru Ceja de Selva Estate (200g) Indian Monsoon (100g)
Start weight: 300g
End weight: 251g
Profile: 1lb P3 B total time 20.00min 100% @ 10min
Roast depth: C9.5
Warmup: None
1st Crack time: 3.26 min; hit rosetta to give 3.10 on clock and drop to 50% :rolling stopped at 1.30min
2nd Crack time: 1.00min
Time when hit cool button: 45sec to go
Additional notes: rolled into C2 not much quiet time. Started drinking day 11 need to slow up pour. Gone by day 10 pretty good no real complaints.

Monsoon seems to launch into second crack very quickly if there is too much heat around.
Let us know if you crack the secret on the Behmor!
Cicarda

[sprezzatura]

I use a Rocket Giotto V2 to make up flat whites or cappuccino's. Usually 170 to 220mls Grind using MacapM4D. I used to roast to try and and just make or just get into C2 but now I just let my 3.10 run out and really enjoying the beans just prior to C2. Seems to be working at the moment.
Currently roasting 300g I now never vary this amount! Peru/PNG Waghi and trying 100g of anything else that's in the cupboard. Have included pic of latest roast today with 100g of Guatamalan Huehuetenango in the mix. Tried quite a few African beans and they all seem to work as part of this blend. The only bean that I have not been able to master yet is the Indian Monsoon.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]10520[/ATTACH]
Cicarda

I've got some Monsoon coming: I'll post some images and a report of my attempt(s).