I-Coffee roasting experiences

[jaybee]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Mal is bang on the money there as usual - I am more tempted to vary the qty to get the supposed optimum time rather than anything else, but right now, 200g seems a nice weight.

With knowledge of the profile, it would be easy enough to stretch out the gap between 1st and second crack by using the cooling cycle, but to be honest, this thing is pumping put fabulous roasts time and time again, so the profiling has been more of a confirmation of what is happning to me. I will continue to do similar batches with all my greens and find out which ones are the best match for roasting together as a blend.

[Dimal]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Well, if I was realising roast profiles as good as the ones youve posted up above JB, there wouldnt be anything Id want to change....

Mal.

[samhighley]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

I have found my problem! yeah there is a switch under the chaff tray that was being fowled by a rubber or silicone ring that the chaff collector sits on and triggers.

Im having a lot of trouble with mine at the moment. It gets about ten seconds into a roast and stops. I reset the timer and go again. Ten to twenty seconds later, it stops. Im guessing its this switch thats causing the problem, as it seems to be a bit of a hair trigger.

[malliemcg]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Im having a lot of trouble with mine at the moment. It gets about ten seconds into a roast and stops. I reset the timer and go again. Ten to twenty seconds later, it stops. Im guessing its this switch thats causing the problem, as it seems to be a bit of a hair trigger.

Perhaps the ring is not sitting evenly. Based on what I believe the function of this switch is to do (only operate the machine when the lid is securely closed) perhaps something is not sitting evenly and allowing that switch to be triggered. If this assumption is correct, this could mean the chaff collector is not sitting evenly getting pushed down enough to keep the switch closed, to the lid up the top not pushing the roasting pan down evenly onto the chaff collector (or allowing it to sit there properly once it starts to spin).

[trentski]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

I would also be checking that the chaff tray and roasting pan is sitting properly. I have experienced what you described once and reset the pan position and that fixed it.

I do 260gram roasts mainly as I pre-blend 4 beans and its easier doing 4x65grams than it is doing 4x62.5

[samhighley]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

I would also be checking that the chaff tray and roasting pan is sitting properly.

I dont believe this is the problem. I did some testing.

With the problem im experiencing, what happens is that the roaster switches off and then the control panel lights go through their little linear display. Interestingly, if I run the roaster with everything in place but empty (ie. no beans) it appears to run fine.

If the roaster is running and that little push switch is deactivated, the entire thing just stops dead. No lights, no nothing. I tested this by pushing down that switch with a long screwdriver, activating the roaster, and then releasing the switch.

Investigations continue.

[sorrentina]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

hmm, this is no good. we had one other machine with a similar issue.

can you check one thing: have a look where the hinge for the glass lid is. The hinge is held down by four little Philips head screws- can you check that they are all tight?

Though by the sounds it is not a mechanical issue...

[soviet]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Mine does the same thing now I have tried another bean. Could be coincidence but the first bean I was roasting was Ethiopian which popped nice and loud and was an easy bean to roast. Now roasting a Cuban lavado and it is a lot tougher.  Lot more chaff and it is almost impossible to hear the cracks.  Second crack I just guess and go by colour, time and smell.  The Cuban needs a lot of sitting time for the flavor to evolve.

I checked for any loose screws and the unit is tight, nothing loose.

[Kafine]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

mine used to do this as well. I make sure the chaff catcher is seated properly before putting the Roasting pan in and now no problem doing multiple roasts. Also i never put mine above 7 anymore to roast used to be cranked over to 9 but i think its all about that switch just being down enough to start machine and when you add heat it trips causing the lights to go out then reset etc etc.
edit. Looking back at other posts someone else mentioned switching machine to 9 and having trouble. Give it a try on 7 you will have to give it a restart before the end but see if that makes a difference. Let us know how it goes.

[soviet]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Nope, tried it at 7 then powered down and tried 4, still same thing.  1 beep, light cycle then 1 red light. Happened with first minute. After about two restarts it seems to go well, I dont reseat the basket or anything.

One last thing, it was 150 grams exactly, just under a full cup

[grantw]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

My I-coffee arrived this morning with a few bean samples to play with. A starter pack from Coffee snobs arrived earlier in the week so Im rarin to go.

This is my first roasting experience and I dont have a clue what Im doing but learning is fun. Tried a first batch of 150g of Zambia terra nova estate and got carried away and burnt them.

The second batch of Ethiopian Ghimbi has turned out much better. They look Ok to me, what do you guys think?

They seemed to be done quite quickly, which surprised me, took 11 minutes flat, I was expecting a much longer process.

Next up will be 150gms of Peruvian Casa de Selva.

Cheers

Grant

[JamesM]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

mate, looks alright to me, slightly un-even, but still good. Enjoy it, what an awesome experience! (your first roasts)

[soviet]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

11 minutes sounds a little quick. I counted 12 for the first crack and that was with a pre-heat.  My first roast was toast as well. 

This was my latest though I think I cooled it too soon, maybe just before the second crack.

[sorrentina]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Hello Soviet,

In the future forget about the preheat. I never use it and see no reason for it. I am not even sure why they added it as an option. Perhaps in very cold weather it may be useful...

As for that last roast: it may be quite good! I am often surprised by how good lighter roasts are.... I shouldnt be but I am.

Try the following: weigh out 200 grams of beans. Set the roast level to 7 and start the roast. After 6 minutes or so- press the power button twice to reset the roast timer. Watch for first crack- and around 2 to 4 minutes after that you should hear a few snaps of second crack Wait until you have heard around 10 distinct cracks and hold the power button down and remove and cool the beans...

Sometimes when you wait for second crack you can start to think it isnt coming- or that the beans are going too far. If you shine a torch directly through the glass dome onto them you can often see that they are not quite as dark as they appear without the torch. Some beans do not make a loud crack and it can be hard to hear (you must go by colour instead) but most do make one that is quite audible and distinct...

On your latest roast you can see the lighter tan coloured bits of chaff on the beans- especially in the bean cracks- if you waited another 2 minutes perhaps you would have seen them start to fall off and the beans become smoother to look at- this is a good visual indicator that 2nd crack is near...

Generally when you start to see spots of oil appearing on the beans you are past 2nd crack and getting close to burning...

happy roasting.

[soviet]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Well the roaster reset itself 4 times this morning. Tempted to remove the switch but the unit is only 2 weeks old. After the last reset it goes all the way through without fail.