Oh, Hotrod150, my bad...I was reading the label on the wine bottle, not the coffee. Sorry about that...

Received my new Toastess popper today..gonna try a batch this weekend. You guys that use a popper, did you actually drill a hole for the meat thermometer into the side like this guy?

Dangit, Zane! Now I'll have to try roasting my own too...

No shortage of local coffee roasters around here of course, but I gotta try it.

I didn't. Just listen and time. Upon good advice, stop at about 15 seconds into second crack. Will be 6-12 min depending on popper, OAT, power.

What beans did I send?

Just listen and smell a bit. The first crack is less frequent. The second crack is rapid fire. It will start to smoke too. The time to wait in the second crack is often 10-20 seconds for a tasty roast. With just a popper, the beans will continue roasting well past when you stop the popper and pour them into a colander to cool; the idea is to have a batch t the end with a few beans barely oily looking. With a roaster that has a cool down setting, you can stop the roast just as the first oil spots appear. With a popper, you may find you need to pull them out before this happens and let them sizzle the rest of the way to slightly oily while cooling. If they get really oily, chances are good there are a lot of beans that cooked a bit more than you'd like, and you'll notice a charcoal smell to it. If you stop too soon, it could be more bitter and have less flavor than you might prefer. In the middle is the spot where the sugars in the bean have been expelled well enough to be carmelized without turning to carbon (and taste incredible), and where the volatile oils have been concentrated but not evaporated (which will blow your socks off the first time you sniff a grind a few hours after your first good batch).

Have fun!

After a few weeks of roasting, I've learned a few things:

1. Use the right beans for your desired roast. I like dark roasts, and not all beans are suited to these. The beans from Sweet Maria's all have a recommended roast, and I was going way beyond those, which just kinda made for a characterless flavor. Most anything lighter than Vienna seems like a light roast to me, but I've begun to enjoy the more complex flavors these roasts and beans offer. Natural sweetness and descriptions like "apricot" and "pear" are pretty accurate.

2. If possible, slow the roast down. My popper was ripping and I was hitting second crack inside of 7 minutes, so I ran it through about 30 feet of extension cord to get some voltage line loss and step the heat down a little. A 120v adjustable transformer would be handy for this if I could find one.

3. The 2-3 day wait after roasting produces best flavor. I think emflys already said this earlier. There's some sort of oxidation that takes place that enhances the coffee flavor.

Finally picked up an Aeropress, or Swedish Penis Pump and I like to call it. This thing works great! Emflys raved about it and he was right. It's like a french press that can actually achieve some pressure and make espresso.

Zane,

Here ya go on the adjustable 120V transformer. One brand is "Variac", which I used as a search term. Lots to choose from here. Just make sure it's one of the enclosed ones if for counter top use (as opposed to mounting an open frame/no case one in a piece of test gear with just the adjustment knob showing).

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid= ... c&_sacat=0

Al

Not trying to be a smart ass...., but on a related subject: anybody ever try Starbucks instant? Or, any other suggestions for instant brands? I'm thinking mostly of my need for quick java wbile out on crane work, and I am not talking about the taste but the caffine here, a quick cup on flying trips is a good thing also. So, you coffee experts got any suggestions for a quick cup?

I bought some designer coffee for the first time ever -- had a hard time picking one out from about 50 different names, so picked 'Seattle brew" (orsomething like that). Brewed the first pot of it today. I'd lke to say it was head & sholders above the Folgers or Costco Kirkland brand I usually buy, but I didn't notice much difference. Guess I have an unsophisticated palate.

Starbucks instant is actually really good Tom. I always carry some camping now. Italian roast is yummy.

The starbucks instant is the best instant I have ever had, but it is no substitute for coffee.

Thanks guys. Even Pocatello has a Starbucks now, I'll get some for the plane and crane both.

x3 the Starbucks Via is quite amazing as far as instant goes.

Zane wrote:2. If possible, slow the roast down. My popper was ripping and I was hitting second crack inside of 7 minutes, so I ran it through about 30 feet of extension cord to get some voltage line loss and step the heat down a little. A 120v adjustable transformer would be handy for this if I could find one.

A friend of mine used to have 6 or 7 poppers because each would roast at different temperatures, thus times. His wife made him stop making French roasts because it would fill the kitchen full of smoke. Hadn't thought of adjusting the cord length to control the temperature. Smart.

Sadly, he was diagnosed with MS and had to give up coffee. I can't imagine the withdrawal he went through.

Zane wrote:2. If possible, slow the roast down. My popper was ripping and I was hitting second crack inside of 7 minutes, so I ran it through about 30 feet of extension cord to get some voltage line loss and step the heat down a little. A 120v adjustable transformer would be handy for this if I could find one.

You can do the same thing with a light dimmer. It uses a triac.

I'd also recommend trying the husks in the roast a time or two. They are crazy sweet, and add a lot to the aroma.

lesuther wrote:
You can do the same thing with a light dimmer. It uses a triac.

Hmmmm. I'll take your word for it. The heating element will probably respond well to the triac but I would worry about the fan.

Emory Bored wrote:The heating element will probably respond well to the triac but I would worry about the fan.

I worried too, but the motors on the dollar store poppers I used were series wound, and compatible with a dimmer. You are correct that some motors may not be compatible with it. The motor will make more noise too.