I'm watching this space. Let's see some pics. I'd love to buy one of these this winter.
Ooooohhhhhh baby! I can't wait to get this in;was bummed it got delayed a bit. I just checked and my order now has a tracking number as well.
The weather here has been too cold for me to roast for a few weeks, since I usually open my windows to get a breeze through the place. This roaster can't come soon enough - I've been drinking garbage store-bought coffee!!!
Got the roaster today and gave it a whirl. Roasting went quick and I was into second crack before I knew it so the beans got a little darker than I'd hoped for but this should still be quite drinkable.
Can't believe how easy the Behmor is. Really looking forward to working with this machine.
...Can't wait for the house to smell like fresh roasted coffee...
A word of caution: in case you're referring to roasting in the house and not just brewing in the house, in the winter I have to roast in a preheated shop building (the Behmor will not operate under 45 degrees), and when I'm done and open the door, the smoke rolls out. You might consider doing this in your garage or some other area outside of your house first to get an idea of what to expect, particularly if you're planning on hitting second crack or beyond.
I think you guys will like your Behmors - I still use mine religiously (have roasted 66 batches so far) with no issues. Keep up on the dry burns every fifth batch and remember to give your coffee a chance to rest after roasting (but be sure to experiment with it right after roasting too, so you can see how it evolves - I no longer do this because it's a waste of coffee to me). Mine typically seems to hit its stride 4-5 days after roasting.
I have also gotten into the habit of staggering my roasts, so that by the time I'm done with one batch, the next has aged long enough. It's a general target I strive for, but if I'm off a couple of days it's no big deal. I'd rather err on the side of consuming the newly roasted batch past its optimal aging period than before, given that it's not going to be something like 2 weeks.
Have fun!
Yeah when I got "Cool" last night I got a nice burst of smoke which set off the smoke detectors. Funny thing was, there was hardly any smoke - especially when compared to the Whirly pop.
I couldn't believe the sampler they sent with the Behmor. I figured Roastmasters would just throw in 8lbs of the same bean but there were 7 different kinds, as well as a note with a suggestion as to which bean would be best for the first few batches on the Behmor. I'll definitely buy through them again.
Yes, I was planning on roasting indoors. I roasted with a popcorn popper inside under the range hood, but that was in a different house. I don't think the range hood here vents outside, so I was planning on using it near a window with a fan if need be. We will see how the first roast goes, I may have to roast in the garage.
My first attempt tonight before it starts raining, A Bolivian variety, popper needs a little tuning but did ok i think.
Found out the dog likes coffee bean, not that he needs to be caffeinated.
Can't wait to try it
Did you roast indoors? Much smoke?
Did it outdoors with a Popstir, like a whirly pop but I was having some issues with beans getting stuck under the stirer. Needs a little modificationLooks great Chef! Looks like you've got some a little under, and some a little over. Stir faster
Don't you just love the way your hands and everything smells like fresh coffee beans when you're done?
Did you roast indoors? Much smoke?
Which popper?
I've found that the "rosetta stone" numbers seem to be pretty darn good, at least for the Columbia Santa Monica on this setting. First batch was a little under-roasted. Second batch, which i'm drinking now, is a little overroasted and while i didn't mind it in my cappuccino, it tasted too dark for me in the drip brewer this morning. I'm hoping the third batch is just right, based on bean appearance it looks like it will be.
I realize that question wasn't directed at me, but forgot to add that I used my Behmor inside with no ventilation and had no problem with smoke. Saw a little puff out right when the cooling cycle started, but not enough for it to even be noticable in the kitchen.
Curious to know how your Roastmaster-provided beans have been tasting.
I was wondering how yours had been turning out, TallDan.
I've had very mixed experiences with the Behmore so far with the beans RoastMasters provided. I've had a few which turned out fantastic (Costa Rica was great), and others that have been very poor despite trying different "P" settings on the Behmor. I was excited for the Burundi, but tried my second attempt at it today and it was actually really bad - the worst I've ever made.
So, I'm wondering if the beans they gave us were not so great. I've appreciated them so far as "test run beans" for me to get used to the roaster, but I'm expecting better coffee now. I've got some good beans from Sweet Marias that I'm thinking of trying tonight to see how well they come out.
Curious to know how your Roastmaster-provided beans have been tasting.
I set my smoke detectors off pretty much every time. I know I'm entering 2C because the detector begins to alarm just as I hear the first pops, interestingly.
The wife...she loves the coffee...hates the roasting.
ive ordered from roastmasters several times. they always deliver a quality product. cupping notes always seem accurate in my experience
Wow, haven't set mine off yet. How much coffee are you roasting in a batch? I've only done 1/4lb. Although, now that i'm looking at it, my smoke alarm isn't very close to where i'm roasting.
I've done between 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb batches; so far 1/4 lb batches set up the detector right at the start of 2C. The 1/2 lb batches set it off when I hit the "Cool" button, or when it gets right on the edge of 2C.
It won't be an issue in the summer when I can have the windows open, but I'll have to make due for the next few months.
That said, I'm trying to stop my roast before 2c. I tend to prefer lighter roasted coffee, so I don't want the Vienna roast that you have once you're into 2c. The darker you roast the coffee the more smoke you will have from the roaster. Have you experimented with a 1/4lb batch stopped earlier? Maybe you're not happy with the beans because you've been roasting them too dark for your taste?
Passed down, somehow I missed this thread. I've been roasting my own coffee for years. I use a Gene Cafe roaster that my wife made fun of me when I did as any homebrewer does and said it will pay for itself. I have tracked my brewing and surprisingly it has paid for itself many times over in savings compared to buying quality roasted coffee. I use a Baratza Vario grinder which has been running flawlessly for a number of years. I just retired my old coffee pot and went with a Bonavita to replace it. I buy all my green coffee from Sweet Maria's. I asked the owner on the forum once if he ever thought about getting into beer brewing in his business and he said there is too much knowledge with coffee and beer that he thinks it's a disservice to try and do both. I respect that commitment to quality over expanding a business into new territory.
I assume you meant me (passed down?). Glad to have you. I'd love to hear more of your experiences and any wisdom.
I've only bought from sweet maries myself, but I just ordered 5# off Amazon. I was doing a bunch of christmas shopping there, thought I'd throw in some coffee. We'll see. It's a columbian bean.
Good thing I checked HBT before going to bed, realized I hadn't roasted today. Couldn't imagine starting the week without coffee, and my wife would probably kill me. That is what is awesome with roasting, 15 minutes later and I have a 1/2 pound roasted for tomorrow.
I somehow managed to miss this thread, despite its apparently being quite active. I have been roasting my on beans for about 6 years. I started with a stainless steel dog bowl & heat gun (which worked great, just required 100% attention), then moved to a home-made stir-crazy roaster, and now I'm using a Behmor-1600. When I first started green coffee beans were cheap, as in $3.50/lb shipped cheap but prices have gone up quite a bit since then. Beans also don't seem to be quite the same quality as they used to be (or the coffee brewing community has become more particular). I buy my beans from a bean buying cooperative:
http://www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com/
People buy whole sacks of green coffee and distribute to the coop members. Membership is free though, just a matter of signing up. Buying through them has saved me quite a bit over the years.
Thanks, cool forum. I registered and will use it next buy. It's like a coffee coop.
I knew I never should have clicked on this thread.
You don't let it rest longer than that after roasting? I've been letting all of my coffee sit for a few days before using it.
I've been letting mine rest 3-5 days before brewing. Basically the routine I'm starting is: when I finish 1/4lb and start into the next batch I roast 1/4lb so I always have some resting. I only use 3 "scoops" on weekday mornings and 4 on weekend mornings, so each batch lasts me 3-5 days.
The Columbia Santa Monica I drank today from the batch i roasted on B/P2 is very good. Much better than what I had roasted on A/P1. Nice cocoa/chocolate flavor. Might have to make myself an espresso with it and see how it does, the cappuccino this weekend was very good.
Also, I never stir the grounds in the technivorm. Back when I first got it, I found that i easily preferred the flavor of the coffee when i didn't stir vs. when i did. I use a swiss gold filter and usually don't make a full pot, if either of those make a difference.
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