I-Coffee roasting experiences

[Roz]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Out of the roasts Ive done Ive only used the manual mode by pressing the power button twice to keep it going and pull my beans based on hearing the cracks and visuals, I externally cool the beans with the bean cooler and a sieve and a steel pot.

I bought a small bucket at bunnings that fits the kitchen sieve I have, cut a small for the vacuum hose and Im hoping the vacuum will suck hot air away from the beans? that may be a bit optimistic but I will be roasting a batch of Ethiopian tonight to give it a try.

The post roast blend of Peru and PNG is quite tasty but I think I will be sticking to SOs instead of blends to get some experience and consistency up before I try a blend again, for my pallet the blend was a bit too much I would of preferred a 70/30 instead of 50/50 in favour or more Peru.

Its all fun and games.

[headinclouds]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

what size were your batches?

i did up to the max line (150g)

ive been stopping the roasts and cooling using the icoffee cooler before today.  i thought id try this to see what the settings would produce as im going well into 2nd crack all the time and id like to try a lighter roast. 

others would know better, but i wonder if the ambient temp will have less effect on this roaster than a popper as its using conduction rather than convection? ive experienced what a difference roasting at 15 or 20 degrees makes with a popper.  i havent been timing the Icoffee roasts.  perhaps i should.

it was nice to set it going in the shed and come back 20 mins later. im not sure how to get a consistent lighter roast without using timing, but perhaps with a few more roasts ill get used to the sort of colours im looking for?

[jaybee]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

I would say that batch size plays a greater part in roast times than ambient temp. Like many machines though, wind will make a big difference.

I havent had much luck with using the auto programme myself - lots of over roasts with 150g. Six weeks on though, I think it may be possible to get a good result by adusting the green qty up to match the programme.

My personal preference is to set myself a 15 min countdown alarm so I can wander off but be back in time to nurse the final few mins.

[Kafine]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

I would also say wind is the one thing that caused me trouble. See my post re fails. Ambient temp doesnt change much in fact my roasts are only a few seconds different when using the same bean as before. Some beans do look dry but from my experience taste good. The Gumma is nice very dark. I havent tried fully auto mode like JayBee i now know the times and come back and check on the final stages. I have also gone back to roasting 150gm lots as two of these give me around 250gms of brown.

[Woopee]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

The missus and I did our first roast ever yesterday[img][/img]
Pulled it at what we thought was SC, hard to tell, as just when we thought it was ready about a dozen Harleys went by our house ;D Great fun!

Cheers.

[trentski]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

Not bad for a first roast ever 8-)

This roaster is so easy, I start it and the wander away for 10 minutes and then watch the last 7 minutes of the roast. My 250 gram green roasts are quite predictable and I pull on the cusp of 2nd crack which is usually 2 minutes after I have judged first crack to have finished.

I have gone into 2nd crack a couple of times but the beans taste good so no dramas.

I started with a coupe of roasts of the Peru and then did 8 or so 4 bean pre roast blends of 60 grams each.

Yesterday I did a 250 gram single origin Mexican Yenu Navan Typica, so will see how that goes later this week. Chaff tray was full.

[Roz]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

They look tasty Wayne52 what beans are they?

Looking forward to picking up my shipment of beans later this week

I agree with this roaster being easy, its good a way to get into roasting without having to worry about bean profiles and getting the best out of the bean, just roast away and enjoy the taste

[sorrentina]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

I also set a timer and then come back for the last 6 minutes or so. It is a good idea to keep the glass dome clean so you can see the beans easily to judge the roast level (I have noticed that doing larger 250 gram batches causes the glass to fog up a lot quicker). I also put a small lamp beside the roaster to flood the beans with light. I have asked the Koreans if they can incorporate an LED light into a future model.

Glad to see everyone is happy to date with their roasting experiences. Keep the images and notes coming!

[Woopee]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

They look tasty Wayne52 what beans are they?

Casa de Selva.

As suggested by some the easiest beans to start off with. Didnt want to make to big a hash of it first go ;D Will try some La Lapa next.

Cheers.

[trentski]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

A quick wipe down with a paper towel after the roaster has cooled a little keeps the dome clean. I do wear a head torch when roasting but only because Im outside after sunset, during the day I dont need it.

Heres a question for you Jack. Is there are recommended cleaning regime? Any filters that need cleaning?

[sorrentina]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

There is not too much to do in the way of maintenance. You can easily remove the dome for cleaning- the pin in the hinge can be removed when the lid is open. I clean mine with windex which cuts right through the coffee oil sheen.

The other thing I do is periodically blow out any fine dust accumulating under where the chaff catcher sits. I use a brush to loosen it and then suck it all out with the vacuum cleaner hose. I use a cloth to wipe the roast chamber clean and clean the main rubber seal.

I have been using one of these i-coffee machines for over 2 years and several hundred roasts. So far no issues at all (touching wood).

I have some spare parts coming with my next shipment (roast pans, chaff catchers, main seals, etc.) and some information concerning servicing the machines. I am seeing if I can convince the manufacturer to add a few roast options in the electronics and perhaps an LED roast illuminating light on a future model. The Korean manufacturer seem to have an excellent attitude towards service and have offered good promises on warranty and back up. They did a very thorough job getting the machine certified for use in Australia. So far I have not had any issues with units shipped out at all: touch wood all machines will be as reliable as my sample unit has been. The quality of the product impressed me from the start.

[Dimal]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

I start it and the wander away for 10 minutes and then watch the last 7 minutes of the roast.

This is not advisable really...

Should something go wrong while youre away from the roaster, it would be possible for a fire to start and depending on your circumstances, it may well get out of control quite quickly.

Probably not as big an issue if you roast outside but if you roast inside (as this roaster is designed to do), you need to keep a close eye on it all the time....

Mal.

[headinclouds]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

couldnt resist having a look at the roasts today.
the yirg is looking good
the peru is showing a few 2nd crack signs
the indian mysore is looking great
the limmu is a lot darker, particularly the one i got from another source.
im going to start tasting tomorrow.

[sorrentina]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

good point Mal: I usually do mine in the kitchen whilst I am around doing the dishes or similar. One should never get too far from the machine- not so far that you cant hear it running- a rock in the beans could cause the machine to jam... or a similar unforeseen occurrence...

Obviously the machine should always be placed in a sound location without anything near the afterburer at the back that could catch on fire. The afterburner does put out a reasonable amount of heat.


I also have a fire blanket in the kitchen- which is a good thing to have for any kitchen I think... especially if you like to fry stuff...


wow- the limmu looks dark: usually such roasts are overdone but occasionally I have been surprised and they have been good.

[Dimal]

Re: I-Coffee roasting experiences

wow- the limmu looks dark: usually such roasts are overdone but occasionally I have been surprised and they have been good.

It does look a bit a bit too far on the dark side but same as Jack, I have been very pleasantly surprised by a couple of very darkly roasted Ethiopians and one Ismaili batch (many moons ago).

As with all things coffee, its always whats in the cup that counts and with the variety of beans you have there, its going to be a very interesting tasting session... 8-)

Mal.