Using the Gene Cafe

[gregpullman]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Welcome JRC!

Theyre readily available in Australia through several of our sponsors including Talk Coffee, Go Barista, Pullman Tampers (via thingscoffee.com.au) and The Coffee Barun (and perhaps others). Prices vary but the RRP is $780.

Re the large chaff collector, its an expensive thing but it does have that advantage that you can attach a duct to the outlet and have all the smoke fed outside. Ive not done this but I did have a customer enquiry about getting one for this purpose.

Greg

[JRCoffee]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Did you buy the unit in Australia? If so, how much did you get it for landed?

[speleomike]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Hi

Opinions on a large chaff collector ... dont worry about it.
Spend the $ on beans instead.

Even with beans that produce a lot of chaff it wont fill the normal collector.
I can do three runs back-to-back and just empty it afterwards. I make sure the collector is emptied out before each run too. I just tip it out on the lawn or garden.

Mike

[hazbean]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Thanks, Linda.

Ive done each of Yirg and Yemen in the last couple of weeks, there
is certainly a lot of chaff.

Just wondering if anyone has thought about getting the large chaff
collector, which has two advantages, one is larger chaff capacity,
and the other is that it can be vented. I always roast outside, so venting
is not important, and also make a point of removing chaff at each
roast, but would be interested to know if anyone has any opinions
on it.

[LindaD]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

My advice - if you arent already doing it, clean the mesh screens out occassionally.  

And if I can give a little advice too. The cleaning of the chaff collector should be done after every roast. I use a blow gun on mine, just gently and this cleans any chaff that maybe stuck way down in the bottom, and this includes the mesh screen.

Beans like Yirg and Yemen make huge amounts of chaff, and clutter up the exhaust end and the chaff collector.

About the smoke part....You will usually find that the is the beginning of SC....even into RSC.


Hazbean- Thanks for that link on the GC maintanance. Very handy [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

-Linda

[hazbean]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

March 07.

There should be a sticker near the power cord with a
date (ours is 22nd March 07) and "240V 1.2kW ..." on it.

[JenS]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Hi there

When was the new firmware released - how do I if my machine will have it?

Jen S

[hazbean]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Yes, cleaning those screens is essential. A subtlety that eluded me at first was
that the screens come apart, and that it is essential to take them apart as
stuff gets trapped between them (as you noted).

Dave and fellow Gene owners at coffeetime have put together some
very useful info about the Gene. Here are two examples:

  http://coffeetime.wikidot.com/gene-cafe-routine-maintenance
  http://coffeetime.wikidot.com/gene-cafe-major-clean

(In the first of these, they suggest removing the metal plate in the
roasting chamber. I think that is too risky and just soak the whole
thing in Cafetto for a few hours then clean as well as I can with
toothbrush etc.)

[Myrtle]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Wasnt too sure where to put this - seems as good as any spot.

Yesterday, on the advice of fellow Gene owners, we decided to pull apart the chaff collector and clean the mesh screens - both of which were probably 2/3rds blocked with "chaffy" bits.

The subsequent roasts, which I left for the usual time, which of late have been around the 21min mark, were a lot darker than what we typically get & had lots of divots (I think thats the term?). When I weighed them the loss of moisture was also a lot higher - around 21% instead of 17-18%.

All suggesting that prior to cleaning the air flow through the gene was a lot less! I had noticed my roast times had extended out from 18mins to the 21min mark, but had put it down to the cooler temps at the moment!

My advice - if you arent already doing it, clean the mesh screens out occassionally. My gene is about 20 months old, so its probably not something that needs weekly attention - but perhaps every few months! I have heard of the screens getting totally blocked, and ultimately resulting in blowing the element!

Note that the second screen does need to be cleaned also - mine was partially blocked with lots of fine stuff that had got through the first screen.

[Thundergod]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Thats why I dont have a Gene.
Being totally deaf in one ear Id have to burn the other side just for appearance sake.

[speleomike]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Hey guys

Like you I place my ear close to the outlet of the Gene Cafe.
Just make sure you swap ears occasionally so any hair is burnt off both sides of the face evenly. It looks silly otherwise :-)

Mike

[smoky]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Like you Geoff, yes, moving outside enabled me to hear the cracks, which isnt easy with the Gene at best of times, for me anyway, having industrial deafness, have to have me ear that close it cooks as well as the beans... ;D

[rowdee]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Yes smoky as I said I have found 232/19 to be about right for me for most roasts.

I have recently moved outdoors for the roasting which enables me to hear the cracks better. I was roasting under a range hood which was great for the smoke, etc but not good for the hearing.

;D

[smoky]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Have been using the Gene` Cafe for some time now, and have had great success from it. My settings are for most beans 230c at 18 to 19 minutes, 1st crack heard at approx 12 to 13 minutes, but no puff of smoke, never had that happen yet.

Have tried different temps but 230c seems to be the medium for the beans I roast, although two of the beans I have defy this, one has to roasted at 235c for 19mins and the other at 230 for 17.5 minutes to have the best taste emanate from the beans when consumed.

Puffs of smoke, nope, but tell you this, was kicked out of the kitchen to the back porch with the machine because of the slow smoking out of the house.... ;D

Love the machine, and like rowdee I went from 300g to 250g, mainly because of the bags, they just fit 250g in them.

Keep the good coffee comin man!

[rowdee]

Re: Using the Gene Cafe

Now here is an interesting experience which illustrates why it would be good to measure actual temps of the bean.

Roasted up the last of my MTC Boomerangs yesterday. Imagine my surprise when I started to hear fc at 198 on the Gene and at 7 minutes, accompanied by a huge puff of smoke. Couldnt believe, that I could hear fc but more than that, that it was at 198. Never had that happen before. Could hear second crack as well and another big puff of smoke, pulled the roast at 15 minutes, which I have never done before either. (Roast setting was 232/19)

Only about a 7 on the CS scale but they had certainly hit rolling sc.

So I then did a second roast with my favourite African and changed the setting from 232 to 229 and everything went as usual, couldnt hear fc until around 13 and pulled roast at 19 minutes for a 9 result.

Certainly interesting.