coffee for mags - a coffee roasting trip report (& free mag coffee)

[tgapp]

Haha. It’s a glass yogurt jar. Been using it since breaking a nice ceramic mug about 4 years ago. Well, this is my third yogurt glass....
I like the see through thing, even if the shape isn’t perfect.
FWIW, I took the pic with the timer running, so that shows about 8 sec longer than actual time.


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man that seems on point, how did it taste?

and yeah, cups are tricky, i break all of em eventually. i like these though since they are insulated, transparent, and cheap:

https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-2-7-...83RD5TM3&psc=1

[neufox47]

Got a Gene Cafe and some washed yirgecheffe for Xmas. Tgapp what roast profile to use? Internet seems to say cranck it to high until first crack then back it down 30 degrees for a few minutes?


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[CantDog]

Another shout out to tgapp—he mailed me some delicious beans that I just dipped into. It’s really appreciated what you’re doing, thanks!

[neufox47]

I’ve done 6 batches in the new toaster so far, only been able to try 3 so far as the others are too young still. First two 12/26 were too dark and I think the last three were too light. One was intentionally too dark for the parents preference.

I’ve been playing with the pre-heat, and temp profiles.

#1 12/29 200g yirgacheffe, Preheat 400, 272 when beans started, 8 minutes at 482, peak temp 460, back down to 440 for 2.5 minutes.

#2 12/29 175 grams yirgacheffe, preheat to 400, 315 initial temp, 7 minutes at 392, 2.5 min at 482

#3 rectangle container - 12/29 175 grams yirgacheffe, Preheat 440, 310 at start, 482 temp for 8.4 minutes.

It is tough to see the subtleties of the color in the photo but #2 is the lightest.

I’ve been surprised at how even when I’ve totally butchered a roast #1 on 12/26 (I didn’t read the warning that the roaster would shut off unless you click the button at 395 and 450) it still tastes decent. Not great but still better than old coffee or coffee from the store. I got a bag of decent yirgacheffe with the gift so probably not the best coffee to learn on.

[tgapp]

I’ve done 6 batches in the new toaster so far, only been able to try 3 so far as the others are too young still. First two 12/26 were too dark and I think the last three were too light. One was intentionally too dark for the parents preference.

I’ve been playing with the pre-heat, and temp profiles.

#1 12/29 200g yirgacheffe, Preheat 400, 272 when beans started, 8 minutes at 482, peak temp 460, back down to 440 for 2.5 minutes.

#2 12/29 175 grams yirgacheffe, preheat to 400, 315 initial temp, 7 minutes at 392, 2.5 min at 482

#3 rectangle container - 12/29 175 grams yirgacheffe, Preheat 440, 310 at start, 482 temp for 8.4 minutes.

It is tough to see the subtleties of the color in the photo but #2 is the lightest.

I’ve been surprised at how even when I’ve totally butchered a roast #1 on 12/26 (I didn’t read the warning that the roaster would shut off unless you click the button at 395 and 450) it still tastes decent. Not great but still better than old coffee or coffee from the store. I got a bag of decent yirgacheffe with the gift so probably not the best coffee to learn on.

hmm a genecafe is a little drum roaster yeah?

what temp are you hitting first crack at and how long do you keep it in there after first crack starts? do you have a probe which will give you the temperature of the mass of beans? all of your timing and planning should be around first crack (annotated as 1cs by roasters).

your goal should be a more steady reduction of temperature as the roast progresses. this is because we want to have a gradually declining rate of rise. so, let's say you have a total roast time of 10 minutes. you start with the heat around 460, but at minute 4 you might lower it to 440, then at minute 6 down to 420 then at minute 8 down to 410 then first crack should start somewhere around 8:00 til 8:30 - let it run for about a minute, then cut the heat entirely.

this is my yirg roast profile (+/-) on a quest. difference is i can add the beans to the hot, spinning drum, which is why i have a "turn" - where the coffee bottoms out at the absolute coolest it'll ever be. also comparing roasters is totally apples to oranges, but the principle here is that you want to have your roaster be slowly cooling off for the entirety of the roast.

charge at 380 degrees, fan at max, heat at 9 amps (out of 12)
turn around 170 degrees, fan killed, heat at 9 (this happens around a minute in)
@ between 3:30 and 4:00 (when the beans hit 300 degrees) heat to 8,
@5:00ish minutes (bean temp around 320) heat to 7.5
@6:00 min - heat to 7
@7:00 - heat to 6.5
@7:30 heat to 6
@7:40 heat to 5.5
@7:50 heat to 5
@8:00 (+/- 20 seconds) - first crack starts
@8:45 - heat is killed, usually.
@9:15-10:00 - beans are dumped when i hear 1c end completely.

SO - what i would try to communicate with you is - big changes at the beginning of the roast (dropping heat), small, frequent changes as you approach 1cs, then no changes right as 1cs starts going, then kill the heat after it's been going for a minute and let it coast.

i've never roasted on a genecafe but my fear would be that you are tipping or scorching your beans with an environmental temp of 482. can you take a very close up shot of your coffee? i need to see the center line and the poles (either end) to know if your environment is too hot. also for a yirg you should be dumping pretty much right after 1c ends. you can add on another 30 seconds or so but DO NOT go longer than that

happy to trade coffee with you if it helps. my ETH washed coffees aren't my pride and joy, they're a little tricky to execute perfectly, but i have a decent handle on them

[neufox47]

Yes it is a little drum roaster. I don’t have a probe, the temps are the air temps from the sensor. I’d like to add a bean mass probe and a dimmer switch (heat element is either on or off stock resulting in air temp swings of 10-20 when holding a temp). I’m hitting first crack at around 450 air temp.

The stuff I read for Ethiopia’s said either to start low then raise temps or to just go straight to 482 and take it out at first crack. The roaster has good reviews but it’s biggest complaints are that it is noisy so hard to hear first crack, that it’s cooling cycle isn’t abrupt enough so they recommend dumping it immediately and cooling it outside the chamber and they consistently overstate temperatures 482 is probably more like 460.




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[tgapp]

i mean i don't know your roaster but generally speaking you don't want to raise temps in a roast. ever. under any circumstances. that's how you get coffee that is light roasted with weird charred flavors - best is to gradually decline your temp

your beans don't have any tipping or charring but it also looks (to me) like you didn't finish first crack entirely? or dropped before 1cs? in any case i would leave them in a LITTLE bit longer if it were me. especially if after you brew/cup them you get grassy/vegetal flavors, you'll know that they are underdeveloped.

i found this thread on H-B, it sounds like full throttle on the gene might be the way to go. i'm a jong, sorry:

https://www.home-barista.com/roastin...st-t49963.html

BoldJava is a really strong contributor over there. i'd trust his opinion. pre-heat for 5-10 minutes, e-stop, get ur beans in ASAFP, then pretty much heat at 460 or so until 1cs then turn it down.

[tgapp]

also i would +100 on the advice to get external cooling up asap. that'll greatly improve your coffee quality.

this can be really simple. cardboard box with two holes - one for a vacuum hose to stick into - the other for a metal colander to sit in. turn the vacuum on high and dump the beans into the colander and stir like hell.

[tgapp]

sorry for the thread spam

here is my yirg, roasted pretty fucking light



you'll notice - the beans aren't entirely evenly colored, but they are MORE even with less bumps. the more you roast 'em the more consistent of color they get. this is still a light roast though.

[neufox47]

i mean i don't know your roaster but generally speaking you don't want to raise temps in a roast. ever. under any circumstances. that's how you get coffee that is light roasted with weird charred flavors - best is to gradually decline your temp

your beans don't have any tipping or charring but it also looks (to me) like you didn't finish first crack entirely? or dropped before 1cs? in any case i would leave them in a LITTLE bit longer if it were me. especially if after you brew/cup them you get grassy/vegetal flavors, you'll know that they are underdeveloped.

i found this thread on H-B, it sounds like full throttle on the gene might be the way to go. i'm a jong, sorry:

https://www.home-barista.com/roastin...st-t49963.html

BoldJava is a really strong contributor over there. i'd trust his opinion. pre-heat for 5-10 minutes, e-stop, get ur beans in ASAFP, then pretty much heat at 460 or so until 1cs then turn it down.

https://perfectdailygrind.com/2019/1...oasters-guide/

Thanks. This and another article recommended the start low and add heat method which I tried with one batch. Will see how it is.

I’ve been cooling the beans in a metal pan that is sitting seated in another pan with cold water and blowing a fan over it.

I was worried I under roasted these, the first two were over roasted for my liking. Maybe the third session is the charm.

What is a relatively easy / forgiving bean to start roasting with?

Hoping I can get the bean probe installed soon and start getting some better data back. Right now it feels like I’m trying to feel my way through it rather than have an exact process.

[tgapp]

https://perfectdailygrind.com/2019/1...oasters-guide/

Thanks. This and another article recommended the start low and add heat method which I tried with one batch. Will see how it is.

I’ve been cooling the beans in a metal pan that is sitting seated in another pan with cold water and blowing a fan over it.

I was worried I under roasted these, the first two were over roasted for my liking. Maybe the third session is the charm.

What is a relatively easy / forgiving bean to start roasting with?

Hoping I can get the bean probe installed soon and start getting some better data back. Right now it feels like I’m trying to feel my way through it rather than have an exact process.

Ethiopian Naturals are always super easy in the roaster for me. I also seem to get along well with washed Columbian coffees, they're tolerant of a wide range of roasts. Kenyans and light washed Ethiopians are tricky but for different reasons (Ethiopian washed coffee are dense beans that take a ton of heat but can also be a little delicate, in my experience it's hard to tease out those florals that they are so famous for, and Kenyans are SUPER crashy and hard to manage). Guatemalan and other centrals are chill in the roaster.

Perfect Daily Grind is kinda shitty, to be honest. Increasing heat mid roast creates a situation where the outside of the beans will be roasted to a higher temperature than the inside of the beans. If you want to go down the rabbit hole this is the best book you can buy:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/17923277..._hoo7FbE5Q8VFF

I can't roast without my bean temp probe running - I've tried it a few times but I just feel like I'm flying blind, even when taking detailed notes. That + a tool like Artisan + a variable heat setting will set you up really nicely.

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[jackattack]

A late Christmas gift. Stoked to dig into this. I really like Hoffman’s videos, I hope his writing has a similar delivery.

[tgapp]

^^ damn i want that book too, i love hoffman. right now i'm finishing tremper's "staying alive in avalanche terrain" and then i got a money book by tgr recommendation, but after that i'll pick up hoffman's book for sure. i have such a crush on that dude.

i know this is dumb but i really admire his style. basically - quality without compromise or marketing bullshit. he tells it like it is, and if a $8 thing is better than an $80 thing, he recommends it. my plastic v60 sits right next to my lelit bianca, and i use them about the same amount.

[jackattack]

Giving JBC a shot. Wasn’t too impressed with their signature blend but this one is killer. Wife came into the kitchen today asking if I was baking blueberry muffins.

[tgapp]

Giving JBC a shot. Wasn’t too impressed with their signature blend but this one is killer. Wife came into the kitchen today asking if I was baking blueberry muffins.

yep so the ticket to finding more coffee that tastes like that one (unless you memorize the farm or whatever) is that it's a naturally processed coffee from ethiopia. either guji or sidamo coffees will taste like that - mega blueberry bomb - with sweet cocoa notes and limited acidity too.

i have a coffee from the same region i roasted on NYE and it tastes dead on like blueberry muffins. unreal.

[neufox47]

Excited to try these in a few days. Still working through the Yirg and just got some new beans. All three roasts hit first crack at about 6.5 minutes at 480. Then I stair stepped each down to 440 for total roast times of 11, 12 and 12.5 minutes.
11 (top) and 12
12.5



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[neufox47]

Double post

[tgapp]

mmm yeah you need a bean temp probe.

6.5 min to 1cs is just fine but 5 minutes after that is probably not okay. it should be like 1 to 2 minutes after 1cs when you end the roast.

reason i say you need a bean temp probe is one of the fundamental rules of coffee is that the beans always need to be getting hotter and hotter. if at any point they start getting colder (ie, they peak at 450 and then slide down to 440 while still in the oven) that's bad news bears, and you'll get gross coffee out of it.

[willywhit]

got the bag o beans. Thanks tgapp.
yet to delve into them, but soon.
just threw down for a grinder.

[jm2e]

Thanks to the espresso thread, this thread, a coworker and tgapp, my coffee world has been flipped completely on its ass.
I spent about 25 years drinking sweetened coffee flavored milk. This evolved toward lattes and cappuccinos. Spent the last 6 months figuring out how to actually make an espresso shot until I kinda got it figured out (from a beginner level).
Just before tgapp's special blend arrived I tried some pourover a coworker had brought in. Kind blew my mind that I was drinking coffee with nothing added to it, and liked it.
Since then I've been obsessing over my Aeropress recipe, but still alternating with cappuccinos. Weird thing is, I started skipping cappuccino doses and the ones I made were less satisfying.
The only comparison I can think of, is when some of you maggots went from banging your sisters to finally dating that redhead from the neighboring town that had intimidated you for so many years!

[tgapp]

Thanks to the espresso thread, this thread, a coworker and tgapp, my coffee world has been flipped completely on its ass.
I spent about 25 years drinking sweetened coffee flavored milk. This evolved toward lattes and cappuccinos. Spent the last 6 months figuring out how to actually make an espresso shot until I kinda got it figured out (from a beginner level).
Just before tgapp's special blend arrived I tried some pourover a coworker had brought in. Kind blew my mind that I was drinking coffee with nothing added to it, and liked it.
Since then I've been obsessing over my Aeropress recipe, but still alternating with cappuccinos. Weird thing is, I started skipping cappuccino doses and the ones I made were less satisfying.
The only comparison I can think of, is when some of you maggots went from banging your sisters to finally dating that redhead from the neighboring town that had intimidated you for so many years!

good for you man! if i was a missionary my gospel would be that of cheap, excellent coffee. it's like bourbon was 10 years ago; cheap, easily appreciable, and not hard to do exceptionally well. a cheapass handgrinder + a plastic brewer + good beans, and you're already capable of making better coffee than 75% of good coffee shops.

ain't nothing wrong with fucking your sister though. or drinking bitchy milk drinks.

[bennymac]

tgapp = neither rain nor snow nor christmas nor borders stopped the shipment of beans to the middle of nowhere - I imagine the resulting espresso will be a modern version of striking gold or of finding old movies buried in the ground.

gonna go down the rabbit hole on Finca La Kilimanjaro from Aida Battle and also the Ethiopian Sidamo Ardi - feels like I have to read this whole thread over again - which I will enjoy doing.

Much appreciated! Stay tuned...

[tgapp]

tgapp = neither rain nor snow nor christmas nor borders stopped the shipment of beans to the middle of nowhere - I imagine the resulting espresso will be a modern version of striking gold or of finding old movies buried in the ground.

gonna go down the rabbit hole on Finca La Kilimanjaro from Aida Battle and also the Ethiopian Sidamo Ardi - feels like I have to read this whole thread over again - which I will enjoy doing.

Much appreciated! Stay tuned...

wahoo! they made it!

honestly those might be decent. both high elevation, well grown coffees (high elevation = denser beans = take longer to age, BTW)

probably passed their prime, if you try to pull a shot with them and it doesn't work, you'll know that's the case.

[jm2e]

Anyone with a cold brew recipe that's working for eventual hot drink?
Tired 48g of medium/coarse grind coffee with 192g water (1:4 ratio), left in fridge for about 20hrs. Pushed through Aeropress and got 92g out. Closer to an espresso ratio, I guess? Added boiling water at two concentrations (30g cold brew to 210g water vs 30g cold brew to 150g water). Both were underwhelming, but not bad. Willing to keep trying.
This same bean, at the same ratio of grinds to diluted drink (1:15) tastes way better with either Espreso or Aeropress brew methods.

[californiagrown]

https://store.caffeladro.com/el-salv...-8oz-p620.aspx

Bought some of this to try out. My pourover recipe is pretty dialed so should be able to make a great cup with this stuff straight away. Coffee is the one thing thing i know where i can be bourgeois on a budget. $20 for probably 10 big cups of coffee. Worth it in covid times to keep it interesting.

And freerange eggs. So basically my breakfast is bourgeois as fuck.