DIY Roasting

[stroke]

I have seen a few threads on this but they're all at least a year old. I am just getting started in this new hobby and looking for some suggestions. I ordered the free sample from coffeeproject.com and roasted the beans in a wok. They turned out OK, but I wasn't too impressed. Then again, I didn't expect to be impressed by my first roast, especially since it was a stove top roast. I have since purchased a West Bend Air Crazy popper. I wanted to go for the Poppery II but the Air Crazy was considerably cheaper and I didn't want to burn a bunch of cash while I'm just testing the waters.

Anyway, I am clueless as to which beans to order. I decided to go with the 4 pound sampler from Sweet Maria's. I know some say they just use samplers to get rid of what they're selling the most or least of, but I figured I'd take a shot at it since I don't have a clue where to start. So, for you home roasters, what kind of beans do you prefer? What about vendors? Thanks in advance!

 

[cvm4]

Subscribed for future reference

 

[stroke]

Subscribed for future reference

No, you're subscribed to make sure I figure this thing out and we're not left with a weekend of crappy coffee next time :grin:

 

[cvm4]

No, you're subscribed to make sure I figure this thing out and we're not left with a weekend of crappy coffee next time :grin:

Quoted for future ribbing or praise :grin:

 

[thejavaman]

Where to start? I've been roasting my own coffee for 10+ years now. Sweet Maria's is a great online store & library. Their selection & quality is second to none and theres nothing sub par about their samplers.

Wok roasting will take skill to master & will probably give you inconsistent results - heat retention, deciphering when the "first crack" & "second crack" starts/ends, extending the "roast profile" to get consistent, repeatable results will all be difficult using a wok.

Think about finding a hot air popcorn popper (Westbend Poppery is the best) at a good will store ($15) to give you a little more control, or an IRoast2 ($189) or Behmor ($300) for even better results. I'd recommend starting out with Central American beans because they're the prototypical "crowd pleasers" that most people like. Don't be hesitant to try a variety of different regions (and roast levels) to find out what you personally like. Storage & resting fresh roasted coffee is also very important. There is such a thing as coffee that's "too fresh". You should let your fresh roasted coffee "rest" or "cure" or "degas" for at least 24-48 hours before drinking it. The flavors will evolve gradually over the course of a week or two as well, so tasting a coffee each day will produce pretty major flavor changes.

If you have resealable glass mason jars laying around, those will work, but make sure to open them about once a day to let the fresh coffee expel its CO2 gas (or the jar will break - trust me, I've had it happen). Of course plastic bags that can be heat sealed with one way "degassing valves" on them are the ultimate storage. Go over to www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com for a wealth of information and great people to help you (my user name is thejavaman over there too - I "cup" samples for many of the distributors on that site as well). It's basically like BOTL for home roasters (distributors find great coffees, which are normally sold in 132-152 lb bags, have the samples tasted, or "cupped", then post that they're buying a particular coffee, get enough monetary commitments from other home roasters, then break down & ship out the coffee to others in 5-15 lb increments). It's a good way to get great coffee & save considerably off retail. These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg & I'm always willing to help, so give me a shout if you have any questions...


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[stroke]

Thanks for the input, Javaman! I look forward to checking out the site. Do you happen to know how the West Bend Air Crazy (the one I purchased) compares to the Poppery II? I really appreciate the contribution, thanks!

 

[thejavaman]

The air crazy will work, but it's not as powerful & doesn't have a big batch size like the poppery & poppery 2 have. There's a DIY method called a "SC/TO" (Stir Crazy/Turbo Oven) where you use a Westbend "Stir Crazy" popcorn popper as the base & a Turbo or Convection Oven as the heat source from the top that is relatively inexpensive & can produce good results as well if you're the "build it yourself" type:

http://homeroast.pbworks.com/w/page/18982530/SCTO


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[stroke]

Have you compared the volume of roasted vs. unroasted beans? For example, how much would a cup of green beans produce?

 

[stroke]

Also, can you offer any advice regarding French presses?

 

[thejavaman]

Have you compared the volume of roasted vs. unroasted beans? For example, how much would a cup of green beans produce?

Unroasted coffee will lose roughly 5% of its weight when roasted. The bean decreases in weight as moisture is lost and increases in volume, causing it to become less dense. The density of the bean also influences the strength of the coffee and requirements for packaging:

http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/roasting.htm


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[thejavaman]

Also, can you offer any advice regarding French presses?

French Presses are great if you like a thick, chewy cup with accentuated body & less acidity while not minding if there's some coffee grounds (or mud as I call it) in the bottom of your cup. Bodum is a good brand to start with. I personally prefer the Aeropress method for brewed coffee (I'm an espresso hound by nature though)

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0047BIWSK"]Aerobie AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker:Amazon:Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31padqKSY1L.@@AMEPARAM@@31padqKSY1L[/ame]

If you want to really make the Aeropress shine with the body of a FP, but without the sediment, pick up a Coava Disk to use with it:

http://coava.myshopify.com/products/disk-coffee-filter

No matter what anyone tells you, AN AEROPRESS WILL NOT MAKE ESPRESSO! It's great for full bodied, espresso-LIKE coffee, but true Italian espresso is a whole different thread...


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[javajunkie]

this thread just makes me salivate!

French presses should be simple and elegant, as there is NOTHING to the machine. look for the volume you need, easy disassembly for cleaning, but above all stability from the handle, ease, and drop rod. you do not want that sh!t breaking or shifting on you when full!

 

[stroke]

Don't know if it means anything or not, but looks like they're using the West Bend Air Crazy at this event.

[YOUTUBE]qbsf9K3tXeY[/YOUTUBE]

 

[rabbgp]

This is a very timely thread for me. I was regular home roaster for about a year when my 2nd or 3rd Goodwill air popper died on me and I stopped roasting. Well I found myself at GW this weekend I found a $2.99 air popper so it is off to the races again. I agree Sweet Maria's is a good source for green beans as is Paradise Roasters. http://www.paradiseroasters.com/ A good thing about Paradise is their shipping is only $3.00 flat rate. Much cheaper than most!

 

[Ishtar]

Hay Javaman... how much would u charge me to bring in some fresh coffee? :waving:

 

[stroke]

Well, completed my first roast and, after about 36 hours of rest, brewed my first cup this morning. It looks a little darker in the pics than it really is; I'd say it's a fully city to full city+. Not too bad at all, but I look forward to perfecting my roast and exploring beans of different origins and roasts. I look forward to the day when my coffee is (hopefully) better than buying whole bean Dunkin Donuts from the grocery store. But even if it doesn't, I'm paying (with shipping) about $7.50 for a whole lb, not $7.50 for 12 oz. Granted, I will probably lose an oz or two after roasting, but it's still more, it's fresh, and I can take pride in knowing I roasted it myself. I've attached some pics. Thanks for all of the input, guys!

 

[sean]

i love this thread... i always thought about home roasting... this is beginning to light a fire,

 

[thejavaman]

Awesome. You'll definitely get to a point where DD coffee will be almost undrinkable to you. Keep perfecting your roasting technique, try different roast levels on the same bean (one light roast & one dark roast), then drink both samples together & note the differences. Read up on "roast profiling" & most of all, enjoy yourself!




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[cvm4]

Just wondering but does this stink up your house any? Kinda like popcorn does if it cooks too long?

 

[stroke]

Just wondering but does this stink up your house any? Kinda like popcorn does if it cooks too long?

It actually kind of smells like burnt popcorn when roasting. I roasted on my back deck. It does produce a fair amount of steam and smoke.