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  • Gene Cafe first roast

    Hi guys,

    Picked up a Gene today, OK I bought it but mainly to evaluate not cos Im set on it at this point. First impressions were the size (larger than expected) and noise (quieter than expected based on numerous youtube videos which make it sound like a hairdryer). Its certainly got a pleasant and simple interface even if it does have a lot of plastic.

    The first (and only) roast was with some supplied greens roasted at 228C for 19.5 minutes as recommended. What surprised me more than anything else was how this first roast presented. One reason I started looking at a proper product rather than just a corretto was to get a more even roast, and the Gene certainly didnt provide that. I had everything from tan Ben-Cousins-"Im going to court today"-shoes colour through to almost charcoal. Is this normal? Or was I supposed to stand on one leg while it was roasting or something?? :

    Greg


  • #2
    Re: Gene Cafe first roast

    Originally posted by Greg Pullman link=1202214545/0#0 date=1202214542
    Hi guys,

    Picked up a Gene today, OK I bought it but mainly to evaluate not cos Im set on it at this point. First impressions were the size (larger than expected) and noise (quieter than expected based on numerous youtube videos which make it sound like a hairdryer). Its certainly got a pleasant and simple interface even if it does have a lot of plastic.

    The first (and only) roast was with some supplied greens roasted at 228C for 19.5 minutes as recommended. What surprised me more than anything else was how this first roast presented. One reason I started looking at a proper product rather than just a corretto was to get a more even roast, and the Gene certainly didnt provide that. I had everything from tan Ben-Cousins-"Im going to court today"-shoes colour through to almost charcoal. Is this normal? Or was I supposed to stand on  one leg while it was roasting or something?? :

    Greg
    Sounds to me like too hot and too long for your Gene, Greg. Tehy do vary a little.

    Bump the temp town a touch and listen for first and second at the chaff collector. Pull it at the very beginning of an established 2nd, but before rolling. You have a 4 bean blend and I think I gave you a Gene roasted sample of the same thing.

    Like any other piece of equipment, you need to learn and be in sync with it...

    The journey begins...

    Chris

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    • #3
      Re: Gene Cafe first roast

      ... they sure differ, Greg, my gene roasts at different temps than most units i have seen described.
      i have also learned that my unit does not like more than 2 level measuring cups of greens...anything over that and the uneven colour appears.
      but, now i have got her sussed out, the roasts are effortless

      L

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Gene Cafe first roast

        Thanks guys, I guess there are always some failures in any new relationship while you learn how the other party works, and Silvia was the same. Good to know there are some variations Chris and Lizzi - I guess its some comfort to know that if there are variations, the unit I have is on the hot side rather than the cold side - much easier to turn the heat down than being limited by the units maximum output and still be too cold.

        Yes Chris you gave me a roasted sample which looked a bit uneven but a lot better than the one I got. I didnt mention where I got it from in my OP in case the results were interpreted as a poor reflection on the seller which couldnt be further from the truth. The service I got from Chris in purchasing this was excellent - 24 hours from payment to having the roaster at my door 800km away! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

        Greg

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        • #5
          Re: Gene Cafe first roast

          Originally posted by Greg Pullman link=1202214545/0#3 date=1202251234
          Thanks guys, I guess there are always some failures in any new relationship while you learn how the other party works, and Silvia was the same. Good to know there are some variations Chris and Lizzi - I guess its some comfort to know that if there are variations, the unit I have is on the hot side rather than the cold side - much easier to turn the heat down than being limited by the units maximum output and still be too cold.

          Yes Chris you gave me a roasted sample which looked a bit uneven but a lot better than the one I got. I didnt mention where I got it from in my OP in case the results were interpreted as a poor reflection on the seller which couldnt be further from the truth. The service I got from Chris in purchasing this was excellent - 24 hours from payment to having the roaster at my door 800km away! [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

          Greg
          Its an aged pre blend, Greg (the only pre-roast I do). The beans cohabit for a month to normalise moisture content and then they all go in together. Nevertheless a little variation is not surprising ..

          On a consistency bent, I weigh my batches to the gram. 10 or 20g can make a big difference but I always roast 300g.

          Throw some of last months Malawi or some Dominican AAA at it and then you will see the even roast youre looking for ...

          Chris

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Gene Cafe first roast

            Hi Greg, I have had my Gene for about a year and think one of its strengths is its even roast. The only uneven roast I had was when I roasted 300g. I have no problem with 250g roasts. I think roasting a blend is always going to have some variation in roast colour.

            There is a bit of variation between machines and I find quite a variation with ambient temperature. For the same machine however roast times are very reproducible. This means that if the first batch requires 18 mins the second will as well, but I think you have to take with a pinch of salt the times and temperatures of other people.

            One part of this variation is that the Gene has 2 temperature cutouts - it cuts out when it reaches the preset temperature and also there is some sort of overheating protection on the heater unit which cuts in now and again and will slow down the temperature rise. Anything that obstructs airflow will also change things - volume of beans in the chamber and how clean the chaff collector is. There are 2 steel filters in the chaff collector and once in a while they should be cleaned and to do the best job you have to take the collector apart. I use a small bottle brush that was sold in the hardware shop for about $2 as a set of brushes to clean spray paint guns - the bristles are very rigid and poke through the filter holes very well. There is also an air intake under the machine that I guess could get blocked if you are working in a dusty environment but mine never seems to - if you tip the machine on its back you can give it a quick inspection.

            I do think it is worth doing a quick preheat - I do 4 or 5 mins before starting. FWIW most of my roasts take between 17 and 19 minutes and I usually set it to 235. I suspect my machine runs a little cooler than some.

            I always preheat, set the roast going with 250g 20 mins, come back at around the 15 minute mark - the smell usually reminds me - and watch the last few minutes to get the time right based on the start of second crack. Because the cooling is not fast the roast runs on a bit so I hit the button at the start of 2nd crack. Once I know the time for the day I just preset that for the second batch and any others. If you were aiming for a roast that was earlier than that you could cool externally or be guided not by the crack but by the smoke and bean colour.

            I think the Gene is a great machine - I would not have the time to roast 500g every week other ways but the Gene can do its thing with fairly minimal intervention. I do wonder if the thermal cutout on mine clicks in a little more than it should.

            Chris

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            • #7
              Re: Gene Cafe first roast

              Thanks Chris x2.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                Ive found I get the best results and a very even roast from my machine by preheating to 180C and roasting at 230C for anywhere between 16 to 18min (though sometimes a bit less if the beans are smaller)

                I tried dropping the temp back on my machine a bit but found that this left a lot of chaff still clinging to the beans, but a lower roast temp produced a much sweeter roast (albeit with less complexity)

                My machine also seems to prefer a two scoops of beans slightly overfilled - which seems to improve temperature stability

                Also try cleaning the inside of the drum (I use a long-handled soft-bristled scrubbing brush and hot soapy water) after each roasting process, as any build up of oil can scold the beans

                Cheers,

                Pat


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                • #9
                  Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                  Thanks Pat, guess one good thing about the Gene is you do have that control over temp to be able to fiddle. I cleaned out the roasting chamber just with detergent and water and shook it all around for a while but theres still some oil on the glass. Good thought.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                    in regards to residual coffee- oil on the drum.... if that scalds the beans, wouldnt that happen with the commercial drum roasters as well?
                    i thought that a well seasoned drum was part of the temperature stability and flavour profile of drum- roasters... as i recall, Dennis went through 30kg+ in seasoning his Diedrich... :-/
                    thoughts??

                    L

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                      Lizzi,

                      Real drum roasters (commercial ones) that seems to be the case....

                      But home drum roasters (like my Hottop) definitely seem to benefit from keeping the drum clean (HT recommend the dishwasher every 5th roast).... and when I received my preloved HT the drum was well seasoned! I did one roast as was, then cleaned the drum by soaking in cafetto.

                      The roast time after cleaning was a lot shorter - and I suspect this might be the problem with HT users who complain that their roaster is taking longer for roasts.... The drum by the way, unlike many (most)?? commercial roasters - is perforated. I imagine the oil layer would reduce the amount of heat conduction between the drum and the beans...

                      Now the Gene sits between say a drum roaster (ideally a solid drum) and the Corretto - it being mainly a hot air roaster.... so I dont think the coffee oil on the walls would add to or subtract from the flavour..... just obscure your view of the beans whilst roasting...

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                      • #12
                        Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                        thanks, JB, enlightening as usual!!

                        i clean my Gene drum every 5 or 6 roasts, but it makes no difference to the roast times :-?

                        by the way, i only just saw you have aquired a HT... congrats, JB, more toys to play with!!

                        L

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                          Originally posted by Lizzi link=1202214545/0#11 date=1202360015

                          by the way, i only just saw you have aquired a HT... congrats, JB, more toys to play with!!

                          L
                          Yep, got to have more toys to play with (or should that read - modify so they will do things they were never designed to do : - all in pursuit of that perfect espresso

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                          • #14
                            Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                            I quickly learnt not to follow the roasting guides in the booklet. Too hot and too long!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Gene Cafe first roast

                              Hey greg - heres a look at some Cuban Altura Lavado that i roasted today on the Gene Cafe - I reckon they came up pretty good!

                              Havent loaded a photo on this site befoe so Im taking a bit of a gamble.  Anyway I did my usual 180C preheat followed by 15.5min roast at 230C, when second crack first started to kick in, but it really became well established 2min into the cooling down process

                              Fingers crossed heres hoping the image loads...

                              Cheers,

                              pat

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