☕ Coffee ☕: Ingredients, Roasting, Grinding, Brewing, and Tasting

[HarborTownBrewing]

Also the pre-order customers got a $1000 discount on with the future MSRP price will be. It sounds really cool has anybody heard of this particular roaster called the R1 bullet? It's searchable on google and I think the website is ailllilo or something like that.
Looks pretty awesome. Gonna have to sell my hottop to afford that!

Yes, they have already shipped out about a month ago to some of the earliest orders, and the thing looks amazing. If I had realized the pre-order customers got such a hefty discount I would have given is some serious consideration, but oh well.

I hope it just paves the way for future roasters and a new norm.

 

[jammin]

I must sound like a broken record by now, but electric roasters have serious limitations which become amplified to the point of impairment as they get larger. I feel the tipping point 1/2lb or 230g.

no way in hell would I buy an electric roaster bigger than what I have.

*caveat: air roasters a la Sonofresco are viable in some degree

 

[TallDan]

I must sound like a broken record by now, but electric roasters have serious limitations which become amplified to the point of impairment as they get larger. I feel the tipping point 1/2lb or 230g.

no way in hell would I buy an electric roaster bigger than what I have.

*caveat: air roasters a la Sonofresco are viable in some degree

Yeah, I'm definitely skeptical of something that claims to plug into a standard outlet and roast 1lb with electricity. Given that the the Behmor uses about as much power as can be expected out of a 120v 15A circuit and doesn't have the power desired to properly roast 1lb, they would have to have a serious leap forward in efficiency to make that happen. 120v 20A with a good roaster design might get you there.

Then again, looks like that roaster may not be targeted to the US, so it may be significantly more than 120v 15a.

 

[TrickyDick]

Good to know.

I think I will wait until I hear the verdict on the R1. I've become somewhat adept at using the HotTop so why change? Well, time really. It takes time to roast that I don't really have much to spare and there are days when I haven't roasted and have no coffee to drink. Larger batch size would help.
I hear what Jammin is saying about electric roasters, but this one has induction heating. Similar to propane, induction heating can be on and off instantly. I have an induction cook top and know that it is as powerful as any indoor kitchen burner I've ever used. there will still be residual heat trapped in the metal material of the drum no doubt, but entirely dissimilar to a conventional resistive heating or even quartz resistive heating element from what I understand. How much is that fluid bed roaster you mentioned out of curiousity?
Probably better to wait until flaws and improvements updates and corrections have been vetted out rather than leaping in one the first batch I suppose, but there is potentially an R1 in my future.
Going to a propane setup would be challenging for me to run a gas line back to my roasting area. I don't see many propane units in the 2.5k range

If I am roasting one pound per week the time savings of a larger capacity roaster would be significant, even for a back to back roast session that is nearly 20 minutes of time per week that I could save. 17 hours a year or more. Ok. I'm already trying to make justifications for future spending...

TD

 

[TrickyDick]

Yeah, I'm definitely skeptical of something that claims to plug into a standard outlet and roast 1lb with electricity. Given that the the Behmor uses about as much power as can be expected out of a 120v 15A circuit and doesn't have the power desired to properly roast 1lb, they would have to have a serious leap forward in efficiency to make that happen. 120v 20A with a good roaster design might get you there.

Then again, looks like that roaster may not be targeted to the US, so it may be significantly more than 120v 15a.

I have several 20A/120V and also my 50A/220V outlets in my basement brew area with hood. I can run a QD propane from my old outdoor brew area into the roast/brew area if needs be but would need to buy new propane hose and qd setup since I sold it with my Brutus system.

TD

 

[TrickyDick]

I must sound like a broken record by now, but electric roasters have serious limitations which become amplified to the point of impairment as they get larger. I feel the tipping point 1/2lb or 230g.

no way in hell would I buy an electric roaster bigger than what I have.

*caveat: air roasters a la Sonofresco are viable in some degree

Looks like the sonofresco also use gas. Are there similar one pound electric only fluid bed options?

 

[TallDan]

Oh, didn't see the link to the spec sheet earlier. 1500w for heating in the R1. It claims to roast 1kg in 12min. That's pretty extraordinary. I won't say it's impossible, and maybe there is some significant efficiency gain with induction, but it just seems unlikely. Any initial reviews out there?

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I saw a couple very informal reviews on facebook from a few people in a roasting group and they said it definitely has the ability for a quick roast when it's loaded up. Last I saw everyone was playing around with it to develop profiles and whatnot though, so I'm not sure what kind of quality they are getting out of it.

 

[TrickyDick]

What's that Facebook group? They also have a 220V version wonder if that is more powerful. I reached out to them on their website to ask if the 220 has higher wattage than the 120. Somehow I doubt it, but would be cheaper to run it on 220 theoretically.
TD

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

"Home Coffee Roasters".

It's an interesting page. Some experienced people, some very inexperienced people. Pretty well moderated though.

 

[TallDan]

What's that Facebook group? They also have a 220V version wonder if that is more powerful. I reached out to them on their website to ask if the 220 has higher wattage than the 120. Somehow I doubt it, but would be cheaper to run it on 220 theoretically.
TD

??

How would it be any cheaper to run on 220? 1500w is 1500w.

Spec sheet makes it look like the same unit can use either 220v or 120v input, so no more powerful, just different input power.

 

[TrickyDick]

I do not believe that meters can measure wattage only amperage, but I could be wrong. It is something I recall being taught in a high school basic electricity class in the 80's so maybe they have watt meters now. I am not an electrician, so I might be FOS. I do know that wattage is calculated by multiplying voltage and current. So that my 220v 50a outlet can satisfy 11000 watts demand, but my 120v/20a outlet near my ventilation hood can only handle 2400 watts. So by this reasoning it might be possible for greater heating power with a 220 volt unit, but it depends upon the heat element. It seems that induction operated units that the drum itself would be the element as opposed to a traditional resistive element like in my HotTop.
TD

 

[TallDan]

I do not believe that meters can measure wattage only amperage, but I could be wrong. It is something I recall being taught in a high school basic electricity class in the 80's so maybe they have watt meters now. I am not an electrician, so I might be FOS. I do know that wattage is calculated by multiplying voltage and current. So that my 220v 50a outlet can satisfy 11000 watts demand, but my 120v/20a outlet near my ventilation hood can only handle 2400 watts. So by this reasoning it might be possible for greater heating power with a 220 volt unit, but it depends upon the heat element. It seems that induction operated units that the drum itself would be the element as opposed to a traditional resistive element like in my HotTop.
TD

As you said, Wattage is Voltage times Amperage, so if you can measure voltage and amperage, it's a simple calculation for wattage. Digital meters (such as the kill-a-watt) can do this easily.

220v offers more power only when talking about typical household outlets. We're all accustomed to 120v outlets being 15A and 20A. We're accustomed to our 220v outlets for large appliances being 20A+. Theoretically, you could have a 120v 100A circuit that would provide more power than a 220v 20A circuit.

If you put a 1500w load on 120v circuit, it will be 12.5A. If you put that same 1500w load on a 220v circuit, it will be 6.8A. That's what I assumed would be going on with this roaster until i just now saw the FAQ item:

Can I use it on a 100V & 220V 50/60Hz?

The Bullet comes in two versions. 100-127V and 220-240V.
Both versions can be used on either 50 or 60Hz
If you wish to convert from 100-127V to a 220-240V version you will need to change the whole induction module.

So, it will be interesting to see what their answer to your question is. With different induction modules, it's quite possible that the 120v version will be compromised with lower power.

 

[TallDan]

Oh, and to complete the thought on the 220v being "cheaper to run", it woudn't be. Your power company charges by the Kilowatt hour. So, 1500w for one hour will cost you the same no matter what voltage the appliance's power supply is.

 

[TrickyDick]

Good thing I'm not an electrician. I still somehow thought power companies only charged for current use as opposed to wattage, is all I was thinking. I bills show kilowatt-hours whatever the hell that is.

I'll respond what I hear from them about the wattage variance between the two models.

TD

 

[passedpawn]

Good thing I'm not an electrician. I still somehow thought power companies only charged for current use as opposed to wattage, is all I was thinking. I bills show kilowatt-hours whatever the hell that is.

I'll respond what I hear from them about the wattage variance between the two models.

TD

Technically, they sell energy, not power (watts).

Power (watts) is an instantaneous measurement. Not a perfect analogy, but you know the water company doesn't charge you per PSI. They charge for the amount of water you use. The power company multiplies power times the total time you used it - that's why they use kWh.

In the science and engineering world, Joules is the standard unit of measure for energy.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I still somehow thought power companies only charged for current use as opposed to wattage, is all I was thinking.

I had typed up a very nice, informative response about Peak Demand structures and whatnot, when I was proofreading and realized when you said, "Current" you were talking about amperage as opposed to a piece of time.



In other news: My boss is stopping by my office tomorrow and wants to have coffee. I have some coffee that will only be about 1.5 days rested when he stops by, but I think I'll break it out for him.

If I bring in my grinder and Chemex I don't know if he'll respect the process or think I'm wasting company dollars....

 

[jammin]

^oooff. that's a good question to ponder haha. I think 1.5 days is plenty rest. Espresso is usually best on days 3-7 and flaws are always magnified there.

@Trickydick -
I've been listing for a 1lb gas roaster for years now. I think this is the best option on the market for the money:
https://millcityroasters.com/shop/coffee-roasters/500g-1lb-gas-coffee-roaster/

You can run it off propane so no need to run a gas line. Set it up on a tool cart and wheel it into a shed/closest when you're done roasting.

 

[TallDan]

I'm due for another order. Anybody have anything good to recommend?

I wish Sweet Maria's allowed you to sort their coffees by score. Everything is 86-88. I want 90+, dang it!

Replying to a week old post. Did you get anything good? I need to place an order...

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Replying to a week old post. Did you get anything good? I need to place an order...

No I didn't place an order yet. Didn't see anything compelling. You?

 

[TallDan]

No I didn't place an order yet. Didn't see anything compelling. You?

Haven't really started looking, was kinda hoping someone here would jump in and say they recently ordered something great that i should try out.

If nothing looks real interesting, ill probably just get some small quantities of a few things from SM's to hold me for a month or two. Then hope that some more interesting stuff shows up before i run out of that.

 

[applescrap]

Yeah, I'm definitely skeptical of something that claims to plug into a standard outlet and roast 1lb with electricity. Given that the the Behmor uses about as much power as can be expected out of a 120v 15A circuit and doesn't have the power desired to properly roast 1lb, they would have to have a serious leap forward in efficiency to make that happen. 120v 20A with a good roaster design might get you there.

Then again, looks like that roaster may not be targeted to the US, so it may be significantly more than 120v 15a.

Good point. I am roasting on 240v new Samsung stove top. Using the biggest burner (middle of biggest). 120v would push it i think

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

I have had coffee from this region and have been very happy with it, especially for the price: https://www.sweetmarias.com/product/tanzania-mbeya-highlands-peaberry-5035

A few weeks ago I ordered Tanzania Tarime Town and it is delicious, but they were sold out of it right away.

 

[TrickyDick]

R1 folks say no diff in wattage between the two models. The 220 runs cooler, but they are upgrading heatsink for the 120 model. I'll probably get the 120 for resale sake.
I asked a bunch more questions such as time it takes to roast a full 1kg through onset of 2c. keep you posted. Has me wondering if it will be replacing my HotTop an wonder what the used HotTop market is like.

TD

 

[estricklin]

I have began to roast basically all the coffee I am consuming now. I have mainly kept doing it because it's just a cheaper way to enjoy better coffee, and the roasting process is fun too.

The stove top has worked pretty well except all the smoke in the house. I tried using a hot plate outside and it did roast the coffee, but it seemed to take too long, and I think it had some effect on the overall quality of the roast. I have a whirly pop now and the plan is to use it on my gas grill. I have been roasting about every other week, doing 2-3 batches, each about 1 to 1.5 lbs. It's easier if I just go do it all at once, and I have noticed that the coffee is better after resting for about 2 days.

I had some coffee from Zambia that was interesting. The hardest thing I roasted was decaf, my dad is on medication and can't really have much caffeine, the only way I have been able to do it decent is just trust my nose.

Really wanting to try some peaberry soon.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Estricklen, thanks for sharing. Sounds like your getting it down real nicely. I used to roast in a whirly and the smoke was an issue for me once the weather became Cold because I couldn't open the windows. That's when I went with the Behmor. I liked the whirly and I used it on the grill a few times but it was too windy for me to use it because the burner couldn't keep a straight flame.

Peaberry can be a little tricky, and you won't hear the cracks as much. I had a Zambian coffee and I loved it but they sold out real quick

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Went to a local cafe just now that hosts coffee from different roasters. They had Ethiopia Gedeo Worka for v60 but when I ordered it they had just run out. Dang it!

Instead I got a nice Peru. Watching her pour over the v60 while taking orders was killing me though. "Don't let those grinds go dry! " that's what I wanted to say at least.

 

[estricklin]

Estricklen, thanks for sharing. Sounds like your getting it down real nicely. I used to roast in a whirly and the smoke was an issue for me once the weather became Cold because I couldn't open the windows. That's when I went with the Behmor. I liked the whirly and I used it on the grill a few times but it was too windy for me to use it because the burner couldn't keep a straight flame.

Peaberry can be a little tricky, and you won't hear the cracks as much. I had a Zambian coffee and I loved it but they sold out real quick

I have a super cheap gas grill, so I'm hoping that it will do the trick, plus I can use it under my carport or covered deck if I need to. The grates are really close to the flames. I'm sure one day I'll build a drum roaster, but not anytime soon, think I want to build an alcohol one. I could justify buying a nice Behmor, but with a baby on the way.....

It's funny you said that about the Zambia, because I was looking again, and it sold out.

I may post some pics when I roast later.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Congrats on the baby. Sounds like you should get all your toys purchased before you have a little one

 

[applescrap]

Exciting time, congrats! My first and only try on grill didnt go well. My grill is a super awful 80 dollar walmart grill though. When i pull coffee off of the stove, i run out closest door for smoke to get out of house. Would like something else too. I can roast a pound in 10 minutes for no expense other than standing there. Not one of my favorite tasks.