Lol. If you were closer I’d bring you an emergency batch. Stay strong, hang in there brother of the bean. Oh, and good luck with the ‘Rona too.. Like Kingsford briquettes over ice.
Lol. If you were closer I’d bring you an emergency batch. Stay strong, hang in there brother of the bean. Oh, and good luck with the ‘Rona too.. Like Kingsford briquettes over ice.
I just had my first (at least first known) case as well. Lost my smell for a couple days, couldn't smell my fresh ground coffee in the morning, my wife made bacon one evening in the oven and I couldn't smell it at all. I took the meds (Paxlovid) and it gave me the worse taste in my mouth and made everything taste bad anyway. I lost a few pounds over the past couple weeks. I was barely symptomatic, did a hike of 6.5 miles with 950 feet elevation gain on day 4 of the disease.I’ve been holed up in isolation with Covid the last 6 days. Pretty mild symptoms but doing my best to avoid sharing it with anyone. I used up my good cold brew made with home roasted beans and asked my wife to break into the emergency backup bag of dark roasted ground stuff we stock for company. Jeez what a contrast. Like Kingsford briquettes over ice. I’m excited to get healthy so I can roast beans again!
Good to hear you pushed through Covid with minimal disruption. I’m on a trajectory of slow improvement but my energy level hasn’t rebounded.I just had my first (at least first known) case as well. Lost my smell for a couple days, couldn't smell my fresh ground coffee in the morning, my wife made bacon one evening in the oven and I couldn't smell it at all. I took the meds (Paxlovid) and it gave me the worse taste in my mouth and made everything taste bad anyway. I lost a few pounds over the past couple weeks. I was barely symptomatic, did a hike of 6.5 miles with 950 feet elevation gain on day 4 of the disease.
And just before Covid, I made a batch of cold brew with your directions using expresso roast from the Starbucks (a bag was gifted to me) and it tasted pretty much like Kingsford briquettes, the ones with the fire starter added.
Good to hear you pushed through Covid with minimal disruption. I’m on a trajectory of slow improvement but my energy level hasn’t rebounded.
I think your cold brew experience backs up mine. Don’t bother with dark roast because Light to medium roasts really shine! And fresh beans make a big difference.
Well, I’m not one to take chances. I’ll start filtering it through an N95. But it’s too good to quit altogether.Please don't tell me cold brew causes Covid.
Details? What did you get for roasting? Have you sampled your work?
Details? What did you get for roasting? Have you sampled your work?
Yes! Nice, man, nice. Looks like you got yourself a very light roast there, although it could be lighting. Can you hear the “crack” with that roaster? Or did you stop the roast at a certain temperature, or what? I admit I have not looked up your machine and I could probably answer my own question but what fun is that?I ordered a Fresh Roast SR800 that was waiting for me when I got back to land this afternoon. Along with a bunch of beans from Sweet Marias. (Roaster came with 8 lbs of beans and some other accessories)
I did two small roasts tonight just to play with it. Both batches are resting, haven't tried yet.
Really excited to spend more time learning all this. Machine is really easy to use, just need to spend time getting it all dialed in.
Yes! Nice, man, nice. Looks like you got yourself a very light roast there, although it could be lighting. Can you hear the “crack” with that roaster? Or did you stop the roast at a certain temperature, or what? I admit I have not looked up your machine and I could probably answer my own question but what fun is that?
Also looks like you have a quaker there at 2:55.
Good stuff @Nick Clayton ! That roaster looks great and I’m sure you’ll appreciate the control of the variables as you figure out what you like. Now that you’re buying green beans, keep a look out for the more wild/funky varieties. I’ve had some Sumatra, Papua, and Timor origin stuff that is unique and weird. Makes for a change up after you have tried a bunch of nice light roasts from Ethiopia, Kenya, etc.
Most definitely, and especially with that roaster. My family likes coffee a bit more full roast, so often I get to that silent period and wait to hear the first second crack before switching to the blower. Sometimes I have also had some inconsistencies when doing several batches in a row, and so the timing ends up getting shorter and shorter, so the method above is how I work on my consistency between roastsI am totally into trying out those wild/funky beans! Matt gave me a few a few unique ones to try when he came down and I really dug them. In my free 8 lbs they gave me a bag of the Timor stuff he let me try so I'm excited.
So far I'm really digging this machine. Just got home and did my third small batch. Really like the looks of how this one turned out. I actually made a cup this morning with one of the batches I did last night and even after very little rest it was damn good. I'm seeing a lot of fun learning about this stuff in my future.
One question for you guys who have been at this for a while. Is there typically a distinct period of time between first and second crack? I've noticed how at first crack I'll hear one or two odd cracks and then shortly thereafter it kinda gets rolling. I'm just wondering if the cracking will stop for a spell between first and second crack, or does it kinda just roll into second crack.
I just did a roast with these beans and took them 2 minutes past first crack (counting first crack not at the odd single crack but when a bunch started cracking).
The color looked great and they smell amazing, but I never really heard a distinct end to the first crack so just wondering if it would just roll into second crack or if I just never got to the very last crack of the first crack, if that makes sense lol.
This shit is fun!
That time gap between first and second crack is where a lot of my roasting lives, particularly with central/south American beans. For espresso roasts I’ll take it right into the second crack. And sometimes it takes a while to get there. With my air popper, it can take 15 minutes.I am totally into trying out those wild/funky beans! Matt gave me a few a few unique ones to try when he came down and I really dug them. In my free 8 lbs they gave me a bag of the Timor stuff he let me try so I'm excited.
So far I'm really digging this machine. Just got home and did my third small batch. Really like the looks of how this one turned out. I actually made a cup this morning with one of the batches I did last night and even after very little rest it was damn good. I'm seeing a lot of fun learning about this stuff in my future.
One question for you guys who have been at this for a while. Is there typically a distinct period of time between first and second crack? I've noticed how at first crack I'll hear one or two odd cracks and then shortly thereafter it kinda gets rolling. I'm just wondering if the cracking will stop for a spell between first and second crack, or does it kinda just roll into second crack.
I just did a roast with these beans and took them 2 minutes past first crack (counting first crack not at the odd single crack but when a bunch started cracking).
The color looked great and they smell amazing, but I never really heard a distinct end to the first crack so just wondering if it would just roll into second crack or if I just never got to the very last crack of the first crack, if that makes sense lol.
This shit is fun!
View attachment 32095
There will usually be a gap in time between 1st and 2nd, but a lot depends on the bean and the roast profile. Sometimes the last of 1st cracks can linger and linger almost to where second starts. And if you are just blasting beans they will roll in to second pretty quick. But on a machine I'm guessing it's programmed for a middle ground profile and you will normally get a distinct 1st which will trail off, a gap of a minute or two, and then a distinct 2nd. 2nd cracks is almost always easily distinguishable.I am totally into trying out those wild/funky beans! Matt gave me a few a few unique ones to try when he came down and I really dug them. In my free 8 lbs they gave me a bag of the Timor stuff he let me try so I'm excited.
So far I'm really digging this machine. Just got home and did my third small batch. Really like the looks of how this one turned out. I actually made a cup this morning with one of the batches I did last night and even after very little rest it was damn good. I'm seeing a lot of fun learning about this stuff in my future.
One question for you guys who have been at this for a while. Is there typically a distinct period of time between first and second crack? I've noticed how at first crack I'll hear one or two odd cracks and then shortly thereafter it kinda gets rolling. I'm just wondering if the cracking will stop for a spell between first and second crack, or does it kinda just roll into second crack.
I just did a roast with these beans and took them 2 minutes past first crack (counting first crack not at the odd single crack but when a bunch started cracking).
The color looked great and they smell amazing, but I never really heard a distinct end to the first crack so just wondering if it would just roll into second crack or if I just never got to the very last crack of the first crack, if that makes sense lol.
This shit is fun!
View attachment 32095
There will usually be a gap in time between 1st and 2nd, but a lot depends on the bean and the roast profile. Sometimes the last of 1st cracks can linger and linger almost to where second starts. And if you are just blasting beans they will roll in to second pretty quick. But on a machine I'm guessing it's programmed for a middle ground profile and you will normally get a distinct 1st which will trail off, a gap of a minute or two, and then a distinct 2nd. 2nd cracks is almost always easily distinguishable.
My recommendation would be to roast a batch or two up to the start of 2nd (even let it just start rolling) just so you know what it sounds and smells like. Pick a bean that is rated as good at slightly darker roasts. Even if you hit rolling 2nd before killing the roast, it will be lighter than most off the shelf "medium" roasts.