Starter Pack contents

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

Finished the 2 x 150g batches....

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

the finished product..cooled in the colander

Oh, and its Sumantran Mundling

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

2nd Crack....

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

At night, (coolest time of day while awake) you can see the effectiveness of having the fan blowing the chaff away....

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

First crack...and you can see my chimney where I cut the buttom up so you can bend//squeeze the sides in to fit chamber

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

The popper on top of the plastic container.. see how it can breathe better.. As the temperature increases over summer, Ill put Ice Cubes in the container..

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

MJ.. here is some pics of my setup..very basic but gets the job done...

[mj]

Re: Starter Pack contents

Ox. Keeping in mind your a step ahead of me by having a go Ill tell you what I know in theory if not yet in practice. The point of the chimney is that you can increase the batch size and prevent them from jumping out... and it should improve the heat distribution for the roast.
What amount of beans are you trying to roast in one go? Im guessing that your batch might be too small... my understanding is that 150-160g is about right but this might vary from brand of popper. Ill be having a go later today... most likely starting with the robusta same as you but indeed to take it right through to as dark as I dare past second crack.

[Ox]

Re: Starter Pack contents

OK, time to pop in. A week ago I didnt know you COULD roast your own. Discovered Grendel guest blogging on a friends site, ordered a starter pack and pulled out the B+D Hot n Pop. I think I was spurred on by a very poor bag off the supermarket shelf :-( But now Ive been liberated from coffee hell :-)

1st batch was some robusta, figured it wont matter if I screw it up anyway. Then some Ethiopian Limu which didnt crack even after 15 minutes (finally got the message and was in fear of blowing up the popper). I think Id spilled some beans and there wasnt enough volume to keep the heat in. This morning did better.

Ive obviously gone about it the wrong way, though. Thought Id start with dumping after first crack and work up. Sounds like I need to try it the other way around!?

So whats the advantage of a chimney? And whats rolling 2nd? (Maybe I need to just go for it!) Also, how do you get more than a scoop full of beans in the B&D? Mine are starting to pop out by 1st crack anyway, more would be a disaster wouldnt they?

BTW the tea in the starter pack is a treat. Took it around to a friends this morning and the faces being pulled were priceless! But Im enjoying it.

Cheers

[mj]

Re: Starter Pack contents

ah yes... that makes sense... now to retrieve the can my other half so diligently disposed of !!!

[grendel]

Re: Starter Pack contents

Cut a slit up one side and squeeze (watch your hands!) till it fits inside.

I went to a little more trouble for my first one as you can see below.

[mj]

Re: Starter Pack contents

mmm... ok... friday night and gave myself an early knockoff... but not before grabbing a can of heinz soupy stuff from the supermarket shelf... get home, rip open the top o can... use can opener to take the bottom off, give it a good clean and then... oops... slightly too big for the popper... I can see that it will not stay put once the popper is doing its thing... have I missed something here??? Failing this itll be off to the hardware and/or auto store to find a suitable chimney !!!

[marcstolk]

Re: Starter Pack contents

MJ is soon to be blessed :-)

AND blessed he be, with a satchel of Indian Kaapi Royale Robusta, Peru Chamana, PNG Peaberry and Ethiopia Lima... oh... and one bag that looks like its past roasting... tea of course... lol.

Now I just need to work out what to do with it all

My current knowledge extends to use of a popper such as... do about 150g a batch... use a heinz soup tin as a chimney... take batch through to just after second crack (maybe 20 secs)... cool like mad using two colanders or similar... wait a few days... grind,brew, oh and then drink.

If searches for suitable instruction fail I may come a knocking in here for some words of wisdom as I assume each bean is likely best treated with some individual care !!!

Mmmm, some PNG Peaberry in the starter pack.. nice...

Your roasting notes are quite correct. Im roasting 150gms in the crazy popper - I have the popper sit on top a plastic container (Container rim fits the outside of the popper so it sits suspended) so it gets maximum air flow (Ill take a pic tonight and post up) from underneith.

The 150gms takes between 9:30 - 12mins (pulling just before rolling second crack, or about the first 30sec of second cracklings have started).

MJ, I recommend you use the first 150g as a sacrificial lamb and let the roast go right through until 2nd crack stops and you have lots of smoke :-) and itll give you a feel of what to listen for.

Let me just say that even since roasting, I have had the BEST coffee I have EVER tasted!!... and thats using a Chinese made espresso machine (Ozzy designed though). It really is fun and exciting.

Oh, for cooling, nunu gave me some ideas and I use a cooling fan and pull the fan over the collander to cool the beans as quickly as possible.

[grendel]

Re: Starter Pack contents

Ahhh there was the flaw - I was using the CS search. . .

[mj]

Re: Starter Pack contents

MJ is soon to be blessed  :-)

AND blessed he be, with a satchel of Indian Kaapi Royale Robusta, Peru Chamana, PNG Peaberry and Ethiopia Lima... oh... and one bag that looks like its past roasting... tea of course... lol.

Now I just need to work out what to do with it all

My current knowledge extends to use of a popper such as... do about 150g a batch... use a heinz soup tin as a chimney... take batch through to just after second crack (maybe 20 secs)... cool like mad using two colanders or similar... wait a few days... grind,brew, oh and then drink.

If searches for suitable instruction fail I may come a knocking in here for some words of wisdom as I assume each bean is likely best treated with some individual care !!!