Information On Home Roasting.

[mpd340]

I have been looking real hard at home roasting my own beans. Ive found several sites for my beans and equipment, but wanted to get some feedback on sites that have actually been used. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.:confused:

[BSB]

I love SweetMarias and UncleBeanz. Don't use CBC anymore.
Also see if you can find a copy of "Home Coffee Roasting Romance & Revival" by Kenneth Davids. An excellent book for the beginner.

[galaga]

Site: Cigar Asylum
Search: Roasting
User: Mister Moo

Should be some interesting reading in those threads....:tu

[floydpink]

Moo has definitely guided many a newbie by the hand into the wonderful world of roasting, including myself.

It's changed the way I look at coffee and consider it almost a ritual and education.

When I began, I got a lot of info from coffeegeek where I read a lot and posted very little.

Being unsure of whether or not it would be for me, I started small with a Freshroast8, which allowed me to air roast enough for a couple days worth of coffee.

Immediately, I noticed the difference and knew it would be something I would enjoy.

The Freshroast gave me easy and predictable results, but I found that roasting every couple days was getting to be more work than fun so I moved up to a Behmor drum roaster, where I 've been for a year and a half.

I love this roaster and it didn't break the bank. It also allows me to rast 3/4 pounds at a time.

That;s my personal journey.

[Mister Moo]

Read the entire Sweet Marias web site, take two aspirin, make a budget and call me in the morning. There are Dr. Moo prescriptions for coffeeroasting to suit all patients from the coffee-underinsured (cast iron pan and wooden spoon) to the those with full blown no-deductible major coffee-optical-dental policies (http://www.diedrichroasters.com/index.cfm?page=LabRoaster).

Yo Rico. Happy new year!

[mpd340]

Thanks for the info. I have checked out Sweet Marias and are planning on ordering some beans early next week. Any suggestions on which beans are good to start off with. I drink my coffee black and like it to have a strong flavor. Well sometimes a little Jameson and Baileys finds its way in. :D

[BSB]

Get a variety pack with your roaster. I still use and love my Fresh Roast. I like that I can change coffee every couple days.

[ashtonlady]

Good one to start with is Columbian. It is very forgiving.

[BSB]

It even forgives bad spelling :lr ;s

[galaga]

THX Bro, you have a good one too.

"....make a budget and call me in the morning..."

Mr M.

"I love this roaster [Behmor drum roaster] and it didn't break the bank"*

fp

*The Behmor is now $299 and in stock, was $399.

Such is the mindset of the coffee Zombies around here. Ya know, for fresh roast, $299 doesn't seem too bad. Especially since I still get yelled at by Yes Dear for not roasting anymore........

[floydpink]

THX Bro, you have a good one too.

"....make a budget and call me in the morning..."

Mr M.

"I love this roaster [Behmor drum roaster] and it didn't break the bank"*

fp

*The Behmor is now $299 and in stock, was $399.

Such is the mindset of the coffee Zombies around here. Ya know, for fresh roast, $299 doesn't seem too bad. Especially since I still get yelled at by Yes Dear for not roasting anymore........

You can get a Freshroast for 90 bucks.

[ashtonlady]

Yes I spell bad. :) So no need to be sorry. :)

[BSB]

FWIW, I don't like the Behmor at all and I own one.

[floydpink]

FWIW, I don't like the Behmor at all and I own one.

What don't you like about the Behmor?

I am really happy with mine, although I would like a litte more control over the roast profiles.

Eventually I will pay the ticket price for a Hottop.

[BSB]

Don't like that I can't get dark enough. Understand the saftey aspects, still don't like it.

[RevSmoke]

OK, I have seen this here - why doesn't Coffee Bean Corral get any love? I don't normally check out the homeroasting threads, but... I have never gotten my beans from unclebeanz (spelling), have occasionally gotten them from Sweet Marias, but for the lion's share of my bean purchases the last 10 years, I have gotten them from CBC, as I compare prices, their's are usually the best.

So, what is it I am missing that these other places get all the love here (Sweet Marias & UncleBeanz) but CBC doesn't? I mean, if it is inferior beans, or sending out inferior beans in place of others, I'd like to know.

Thanks!

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[floydpink]

Don't like that I can't get dark enough. Understand the saftey aspects, still don't like it.

That's probably my biggest complaint as well.

I've gone so far as to buy a Kill A Watt meter and find the best outlet to trying different times of the day to roast.

The best solution I have found is to preheat for 2 minutes and make smaller batches.

With that system, I can get as dark as Vienna, which does keep my undivided attention on the roast and the burning embers of chaff.

[ashtonlady]

I have had a Behmor for 3 years and have burn beans in it. Why are you guys having a problem with getting them dark enough?

[floydpink]

In my case, I think it was batch size. You can't roast a full pound of beans.

Also, when the weather cooled down, I found second crack hard to achieve, so I stopped roasting in really cold weather.

Not sure if it had anything to do with it, but after I did the recommended cleaning where the side panel comes off, I was getting better results.

[BSB]

OK, I have seen this here - why doesn't Coffee Bean Corral get any love? I don't normally check out the homeroasting threads, but... I have never gotten my beans from unclebeanz (spelling), have occasionally gotten them from Sweet Marias, but for the lion's share of my bean purchases the last 10 years, I have gotten them from CBC, as I compare prices, their's are usually the best.

So, what is it I am missing that these other places get all the love here (Sweet Marias & UncleBeanz) but CBC doesn't? I mean, if it is inferior beans, or sending out inferior beans in place of others, I'd like to know.

Thanks!

Peace of the Lord be with you.

The old owners were righteous, the new guy I don't trust. On some "expensive" beans, I order a pound and like it, order 5 and get something different. Also, I don't think the new guy really knows coffee, like the old or SM. I think he is mostly a buy and sell kinda guy. just my :2

[floydpink]

Plus, there's some serious behind the scenes bribing going on to have us pimping the other guys' beans.:D

That was just a joke.

[RevSmoke]

The old owners were righteous, the new guy I don't trust. On some "expensive" beans, I order a pound and like it, order 5 and get something different. Also, I don't think the new guy really knows coffee, like the old or SM. I think he is mostly a buy and sell kinda guy. just my :2

I got to know Russ pretty well. Russ spoke well of the new owner. As for him being a buy & sell kinda guy, isn't that what he's in business to do if he's going to make money? I also think that in taking over the business when he did, he got it during an economic downturn.

The part about ordering and getting two different things, that is bothersome.

[RevSmoke]

Plus, there's some serious behind the scenes bribing going on to have us pimping the other guys' beans.:D

I was wondering about that.

That was just a joke.

I am sure there is some kernel of truth there. Maybe getting good deals (a form of bribery, if you will) so that you'll talk up that guy's beans? It wouldn't be the first time that is done. In fact, many places give "bird dog" rewards to those who bring in other customers. If a business does good things, has quality product and decent prices, I'm not opposed to such practice. In some other places, they call this word of mouth. And when the owner founds out that you talked them up, they "thank you" with discounts.
That's good business sense.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[BSB]

I got to know Russ pretty well. Russ spoke well of the new owner. As for him being a buy & sell kinda guy, isn't that what he's in business to do if he's going to make money? I also think that in taking over the business when he did, he got it during an economic downturn.

The part about ordering and getting two different things, that is bothersome.

I liked Russ, too. As far as the buy & sell, let me clarify. Some of the companies, like SM, go out and meet the growers, visit the plantations, check on the processing, look for the best beans at the source. I think CBC just gets samples from his suppliers and buys what looks good, marks it up and passes it on. He doesn't really KNOW what he's got. Again, just my :2

Yeah, it was Purple Mt Kona. The first pound was awesome so I ordered 10 more. What I got did not look the same (I still had a little of the first pound left) or taste even close. Needless to say, that was my last order from them.

And as for getting kickbacks, I have never even gotten a discount coupon from SM, EVER! That actually pisses me off a little, I have spent a lot of $ there.
I've gotten a few small samples from Uncle Beanz, not really kickbacks. I just like Norman personally, a lot. And I love that he is just 1 guy, busting his hump, trying to make a go of it. And, he has a limited selection and ALWAYS top shelf stuff. And he smokes cigars :tu

[floydpink]

In all seriousness, one of the main reasons I like Sweetmarias is the customer service I have recieved over time.

For example, I broke the glass roasting chamber on my Freshroast and they overnighted me a new one free of charge and included a return label for the broken one with no questions asked. If that qualifies as a kickback, so be it.

Another thing I like is their cupping notes. They can be a bit overwhelming and fancy, but they give the roaster a good idea of what to expect as well as roasting ranges.

Another supplier I like a lot is CCMcoffee in Tampa.

They have been in business for a very long time, the shipping is fast, and their prices are some of the best.

They're a no-nonsense company that doesn't do much advertising and always delivers quality.

As far as Unclebeanz goes, I really like their stuff, I like Norm, and if I can send business to a fellow BOTL, I will do so as long as quality and service is good. It always is.

[BSB]

I love SM cupping notes! And the 1 time they screwed up an order, they fixed it really fast, yup, good cust ser.
I'm gonna check out CCM.

[BSB]

CCM = nice selection, great prices, thanks! :tu

[mpd340]

Checked CCM out do like there site and prices are about the same as Sweet Marias. I did find a local importer and stopped by on my way home yesterday. I got 1lb of Costa Rican and a lb of Etheopian. Gonna try my hand at roasting this weekend.

[BSB]

Checked CCM out do like there site and prices are about the same as Sweet Marias. I did find a local importer and stopped by on my way home yesterday. I got 1lb of Costa Rican and a lb of Etheopian. Gonna try my hand at roasting this weekend.

:banger Let us know how it goes...in detail :D

[mpd340]

Roasted about 8oz of the Costa Rican yesterday. Gonna let them sit for a day or two before brewing them. My wife was impressed with my roasting skills. I will say the roasted beans do smell a lot better than anything ive ever bought at the store.

[BSB]

I will say the roasted beans do smell a lot better than anything ive ever bought at the store.

Ain't that the truth?

[floydpink]

Roasted about 8oz of the Costa Rican yesterday. Gonna let them sit for a day or two before brewing them. My wife was impressed with my roasting skills. I will say the roasted beans do smell a lot better than anything ive ever bought at the store.

What are you roasting with Jeff?

I love Costa Rican beans and find them to be best when lightly roasted, which was suggested on the coffee tour I did while in country.

[mpd340]

What are you roasting with Jeff?

I love Costa Rican beans and find them to be best when lightly roasted, which was suggested on the coffee tour I did while in country.


Pete,

I roasted the first batch in a sauce pan. It turned out pretty well and i was impressed with how even the roast turned out. I roasted them to a medium roast. We have already brewed all that i roasted. My wife loves it! I will try the next batch at a light roast. What roast would you recommend on the Ethiopian Herrerra.:tu

[floydpink]

Pete,

I roasted the first batch in a sauce pan. It turned out pretty well and i was impressed with how even the roast turned out. I roasted them to a medium roast. We have already brewed all that i roasted. My wife loves it! I will try the next batch at a light roast. What roast would you recommend on the Ethiopian Herrerra.:tu

I have very little experience with Ethiopian beans but was recently suggested by Unclebeanz to try roasting just before second crack.

It's cool that the Ethiopians invented coffee roasting and still keep itold school as far as the roasting goes, as demonstrated here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwGuJcLJfKw

[sammyboy405]

Pete,

I roasted the first batch in a sauce pan. It turned out pretty well and i was impressed with how even the roast turned out. I roasted them to a medium roast. We have already brewed all that i roasted. My wife loves it! I will try the next batch at a light roast. What roast would you recommend on the Ethiopian Herrerra.:tu

Yea Lemme try the Light Roast you do.. Because Even though I Liked the Flavor of your Medium, It was a Bit too strong for Jana and I.

[ashtonlady]

Light roast is good for Ethiopian beans. Brings out some wonderful flavors. Make sure and let it rest a couple of days before you grind and drink it.

[mpd340]

Just roasted a full pound of the Ethiopian beans. Gonna let them sit for two days. The CR beans were awesome we went through the whole pound in about four days. :banger

[ashtonlady]

Yes folks, he is hooked. :)

[floydpink]

Yes folks, he is hooked. :)

Word!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t49/jlowrain/Coffee-is-God.jpg