Coffee talk

[Wayne Kohan]

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!

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.

 

[troutpocket]

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.

 

[BriGuy]

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.

Please don't tell me cold brew causes Covid.

 

[troutpocket]

Please don't tell me cold brew causes Covid.

Well, I’m not one to take chances. I’ll start filtering it through an N95. But it’s too good to quit altogether.

 

[Nick Clayton]

@Matt B came out Tuna fishing today and was kind enough to bring me some his home roasted beans. I'm super excited to try them out in the morning. Now I just have to decide which one to try first.

 

[troutpocket]

Getting back on the cold brew train. I haven’t had anything really disappointing this summer, and that’s not surprising because I like most coffee anyway. But this might be my favorite of the summer. Because it’s a peaberry I kept the roast time a little low at 9 minutes. Bingo. Great balance, this is one i’d serve to friends who were curious about cold brew and home roasting. And this is the challenge when buying green beans…i only bought a pound to try.

 

[Buzzy]

Roasted some Guatemala Huehuetenango beans yesterday morning - stopped the roast just as the first crack finished. Last night I ground a full cup on the Baratza at 22, dumped the ground beans into the press, slowly poured in H2O and refrigerated the mix. A few minutes ago, my wife asked me to fix us a cold drink. Fruity, spicy with a hint of chocolate (according to Morecoffee), but to us: delicious!

 

[Nick Clayton]

Well I went and did it now

 

[troutpocket]

Well I went and did it now

View attachment 31980

Details? What did you get for roasting? Have you sampled your work?

 

[Nick Clayton]

Details? What did you get for roasting? Have you sampled your work?

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.

 

[Matt B]

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.

 

[Nick Clayton]

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.

Yep definitely heard the crack/cracks. First crack started just prior to the 7 minute mark. Let it crack steadily for just under a minute, then took it another 45 seconds. Was shooting for light, which I have a feeling will take me longer to figure out. I didn't have much expectation for this first attempt, but gotta start somewhere. Smells pretty darn good though.

 

[troutpocket]

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.

 

[Nick Clayton]

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.

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!

 

[ThatGuyRyRy]

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!

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 roasts

 

[Matt B]

I’m a roast me some Rwandan coffee tonight.
I went to a meeting today where they had the boxes of Starbucks coffee. I had already had my coffee but for old times sake I guess I poured myself a few ounces of “Blonde.” Blonde what, that stuff was gross and tasted flat, thin and burnt to me. Yes I am a coffee snob, sorry not sorry.

 

[troutpocket]

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

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.

For my taste, It’s the East African beans that get the short roast times and close attention to avoid over-roasting. The Kenyan beans I’ve been using for cold brew are done in 8-9 minutes.

 

[mtskibum16]

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.

 

[Nick Clayton]

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.

So with this machine there is no progamable modes or anything like that. Essentially it's built like a blender in that you pour the beans into a glass chamber, put the chaff collector on top, and turn it on. Then you can adjust fan speed and power level (heat) up and down between 1-9 settings while monitoring the timer and temp reading. So basically you can control those variables but its up to the user to adjust those variables as needed/desired to achieve the desired roast level.

I guess where I'm having confusion is knowing how to differentiate between first and second crack if indeed first crack just kinda rolls into the second.

 

[Matt B]

So with this machine there is no progamable modes or anything like that. Essentially it's built like a blender in that you pour the beans into a glass chamber, put the chaff collector on top, and turn it on. Then you can adjust fan speed and power level (heat) up and down between 1-9 settings while monitoring the timer and temp reading. So basically you can control those variables but its up to the user to adjust those variables as needed/desired to achieve the desired roast level.

I guess where I'm having confusion is knowing how to differentiate between first and second crack if indeed first crack just kinda rolls into the second.

I suspect you may have not hit second crack. Have you done more batches? That first one you posted did not look like it had hit second crack to me.

I asked for the same machine for my birthday. Good chance I get one.