Turning Point

Environmental Effects

27 November 2021

What I'm doing: Two roasts - 0008 (Nicaragua) and 0009 (Honduras)

What I'm drinking: Finished 0005 in a V60; tried 0007 (early) as an espresso (!)

Two interesting notes during the roasts today.

The first roast had a fault. The gas quit about midway through the drying phase. While I was able to swap out a fresh gas canister within 20 seconds, the resulting exhaust temperature (blue line) graph isn’t terribly pretty:

What’s interesting to me is that the rate of rise (ROR) of the bean temp (red line) was very consistent. Honestly, I’m really intrigued to know what that long steady ROR will taste like (let me know if you get 0008). The overall roast took a while to develop (I’m guessing the yellowing phase started before I noticed it).

The gas for the second roast was consistent at least. But a gust of wind in the middle of the roast demonstrates the limitations of my roasting setup:

So what? I think these idiosyncrasies illustrate the “uniqueness” I’m shooting for in my roasts. I have a very comprehensive roast plan mapped out before I even turn on the gas. I’m looking for a smooth, consistent ROR and want to stretch the roasting phase as long as possible before first crack while applying even heat. But battle plans never survive first contact - it’s adaptation and flexibility that make this process work.

I also feel as though I’m right on the limit with my current setup. Even a slight drop in the pressure of the gas canisters shows up as a significant dip on the post roast analysis. A breeze impacts my ROR for a minute or two.

Welcome your thoughts - what have you experienced? How did you tweak your first roasting setups to accommodate your limitations? And, most importantly, how did your roast taste? Email me your comments at oneofonecoffee@gmail.com!