Cooling beans is easy. Put pan in the freezer, then dump the hot beans into the cold pan and stir it a bit. It will stop the roast and smoke almost immediately. Happy roasting!
Point it into the sink catches all the chaff, I agree about stopping just into second crack. The best taste I have found it to wait two days before brewing as you get a better taste
You don't need the lid strictly speaking. You can use a tin can with both ends cut of,f or the glass top to a hurricane lamp, or nothing. Gets a bit messier with the chaff though.
Just tried it for the first time and got to city + in about 10 minutes. I heard a few first cracks starting at 5 minutes but I guess mine doesn't get hot enough :( it still looks absolutely bomb and I can't wait to try it in two days
I may be going way to long it appears in my popper the chaff starts coming off during a very audible cracking stage! After all the chaff has completed about a minute goes by maybe 3 minutes in and a light cracking sound starts after the cracking sound completes I been timing 30 seconds before shutting off My beans are quite a bit darker than you show in the video If I let the beans continue another audible cracking sound starts and I have gone 10 seconds into that crack before shutting off! Usually my total time in the popper is between 3:44 and 4:00 Also I noticed after what I call first crack the temp will be at about 436 and drop rapidly to 360? I drilled a hole in the side to place a thermometer
Hey there, what kind of popcorn popper are you using? It sounds like you're doing it all quite right! We suggest going by the beans' color instead of a few seconds after 1st crack ends, as there's a pretty small window before you get to 2nd crack. You might want to pull your coffee as 1st crack is teetering out. Let us know how your next roast turns out!
Thanks for the response, I’m using the red popcorn popper I purchased from you guys! I think my problem is I’m not counting that first audible popping sound as first crack! I have. Let it complete the first audible sound which has all the chaffing, then once it moves into the next stage of rice crispy sound I have been considering that 1st crack So I’m pretty sure I’m burning my beans! I got one bag left to try and get this right! I will need to order more from y’all:)
Sounds like you're on the right track! We've got a newer Nostalgia popper video here, too, in case you'd like to view it: th-cam.com/video/DMMdOad60v0/w-d-xo.html Cheers!
My first roast came out sour, grassy, almost completely lacking in roast, caramelized sugar, cocoa... This video really helped. I pulled during the first crack, and can tell I didn't roast long enough. Just came back in from the garage with a batch of beans that went completely through first crack, pulled them about a minute after, will taste tomorrow.
Hi, can we distinguish the main difference between 1st and 2nd crack? 1. Is there a clear time gap between 1st and 2nd crack such as after 1st crack stopped for some time gap, then follow by 2nd crack? 2. Judging from the smoke level, can we distinguish 1st and 2nd crack by means of the amount of smoke generated? Which means, does 2nd crack generates much more smoke than the 1st crack?
I'm using an poppery 2 and the coffee itself seems fairly ok point but I have an fairly distinct smell of something like burnt popcorn. What am I doing wrong
Unless you are roasting past 2nd crack, your coffee shouldn't be giving off that smell. Consider blowing canned air into the vent holes as there could be chaff lodged behind the roast chamber. Also, it might be time to open up the machine to see if anything is loose or burning inside....or play it safe and purchase a new roaster.
I’ve had a lot of beans just pop out of the chamber into my colander Throughout the process. Is there a way to avoid this. Are the beans still good for the next roast? Or should I toss them
If the beans popped out early in the roast, before they start yellowing, the should be OK for another roast especially if you are still getting the hang of the roast process.
I use the same one, and it happens too quickly. it's a fine roast, but the longer the roast, the more chemical reactions take place, resulting in a more complex roast. That's just what I've found, and was also told. My favorite way is on a gas stove in a deep pan where I swirl the beans by swirling the pan on the pot "hearth."
Yes, this roast wasn't 100% even but that's the nature of DIY methods. In this case, we think it was pretty even considering it was roasted in a popper. Also, some leftover chaff can make the batch look a lot less even. In the end, a little unevenness won't make your coffee taste bad.
It was actually a pretty even roast but our old school video camera back in 2010 did a bad job of showing this. Sometimes chaff that has loosened from the coffee will sit on top of the roasting beans, giving them a lighter appearance.
+Scotta Blanchat Try using an extension cord or power strip. A smaller batch can help as well. Here's some tips. th-cam.com/video/dpVqE0FmOmM/w-d-xo.html
They didn't really get roasted uniformly... It's never the same with a popper, but I personally achieve much better uniformity in roast color. The video could be misleading to viewers not used to this cheap roasting method
I fully understand that using a popcorn machine wont produce top notch results but I'm doing it for the curiosity. It takes me back to my days of a $13 goodwill espresso machine. Now I have a rancilio and it doesn't have the same charm
I use the same one, and it happens too quickly. it's a fine roast, but the longer the roast, the more chemical reactions take place, resulting in a more complex roast. That's just what I've found, and was also told. My favorite way is on a gas stove in a deep pan where I swirl the beans by swirling the pan on the pot "hearth."
Maybe it's just the video, but I must say, your voice is rather soothing.
Cooling beans is easy. Put pan in the freezer, then dump the hot beans into the cold pan and stir it a bit. It will stop the roast and smoke almost immediately. Happy roasting!
+sklineline thank you for that bit of wisdom at play! Going to try that out next time.
I've seen a lot of comments about cooling quickly and you're the first I've seen mention this. Thanks for the validation.
Point it into the sink catches all the chaff, I agree about stopping just into second crack. The best taste I have found it to wait two days before brewing as you get a better taste
You don't need the lid strictly speaking. You can use a tin can with both ends cut of,f or the glass top to a hurricane lamp, or nothing. Gets a bit messier with the chaff though.
This video is a gem, thank you
Just tried it for the first time and got to city + in about 10 minutes. I heard a few first cracks starting at 5 minutes but I guess mine doesn't get hot enough :( it still looks absolutely bomb and I can't wait to try it in two days
I may be going way to long it appears in my popper the chaff starts coming off during a very audible cracking stage! After all the chaff has completed about a minute goes by maybe 3 minutes in and a light cracking sound starts after the cracking sound completes I been timing 30 seconds before shutting off
My beans are quite a bit darker than you show in the video
If I let the beans continue another audible cracking sound starts and I have gone 10 seconds into that crack before shutting off!
Usually my total time in the popper is between 3:44 and 4:00
Also I noticed after what I call first crack the temp will be at about 436 and drop rapidly to 360?
I drilled a hole in the side to place a thermometer
Hey there, what kind of popcorn popper are you using? It sounds like you're doing it all quite right! We suggest going by the beans' color instead of a few seconds after 1st crack ends, as there's a pretty small window before you get to 2nd crack. You might want to pull your coffee as 1st crack is teetering out. Let us know how your next roast turns out!
Thanks for the response, I’m using the red popcorn popper I purchased from you guys! I think my problem is I’m not counting that first audible popping sound as first crack! I have. Let it complete the first audible sound which has all the chaffing, then once it moves into the next stage of rice crispy sound I have been considering that 1st crack
So I’m pretty sure I’m burning my beans!
I got one bag left to try and get this right!
I will need to order more from y’all:)
Sounds like you're on the right track! We've got a newer Nostalgia popper video here, too, in case you'd like to view it: th-cam.com/video/DMMdOad60v0/w-d-xo.html Cheers!
My first roast came out sour, grassy, almost completely lacking in roast, caramelized sugar, cocoa... This video really helped. I pulled during the first crack, and can tell I didn't roast long enough. Just came back in from the garage with a batch of beans that went completely through first crack, pulled them about a minute after, will taste tomorrow.
+magetaaaaaa Great! We are glad the video helped and hope your coffee tasted great.
Hi, can we distinguish the main difference between 1st and 2nd crack?
1. Is there a clear time gap between 1st and 2nd crack such as after 1st crack stopped for some time gap, then follow by 2nd crack?
2. Judging from the smoke level, can we distinguish 1st and 2nd crack by means of the amount of smoke generated? Which means, does 2nd crack generates much more smoke than the 1st crack?
I'm using an poppery 2 and the coffee itself seems fairly ok point but I have an fairly distinct smell of something like burnt popcorn. What am I doing wrong
Unless you are roasting past 2nd crack, your coffee shouldn't be giving off that smell. Consider blowing canned air into the vent holes as there could be chaff lodged behind the roast chamber. Also, it might be time to open up the machine to see if anything is loose or burning inside....or play it safe and purchase a new roaster.
I appreciate it guys. Did have an few loose things in there. Just bought it used with several pounds of y'all's beans. I will try again soon
I’ve had a lot of beans just pop out of the chamber into my colander Throughout the process. Is there a way to avoid this. Are the beans still good for the next roast? Or should I toss them
If the beans popped out early in the roast, before they start yellowing, the should be OK for another roast especially if you are still getting the hang of the roast process.
I use the same one, and it happens too quickly. it's a fine roast, but the longer the roast, the more chemical reactions take place, resulting in a more complex roast. That's just what I've found, and was also told. My favorite way is on a gas stove in a deep pan where I swirl the beans by swirling the pan on the pot "hearth."
Good video. Thank you for making it!
lol, lucky for me I do have a really crappy smoke alarm. Thx for the vid!
great video it reflects waht i have lerned via trail and error
How does the Nostalgia roaster offered on your site compare to this one?
Is it BSW popper?
Since your using this machine NOT for its intended use, does it shorten its lifespan?
Mine has lasted for over a year, I did buy a backup
lol no
Mahalo Josh !!! :)
true dat
the top of my popcorn popper is melting and falling lol :(
The roast wasn't very uniform in the end...isn't that bad ....some lighter and darker.
Yes, this roast wasn't 100% even but that's the nature of DIY methods. In this case, we think it was pretty even considering it was roasted in a popper. Also, some leftover chaff can make the batch look a lot less even. In the end, a little unevenness won't make your coffee taste bad.
Ive done 5 roasts using a popcorn popper, all of them have been undrinkable 😟
Sorry to hear that. Please email us at info@sweetmarias.com and we will be happy to help you get great roasts with your popper.
Byron Sweetmarias. Oh, nice of you. Will do.
Dude, why didnt you stir them? Some turned out green and others dark brown!
I use a chopstick for stirring.
It was actually a pretty even roast but our old school video camera back in 2010 did a bad job of showing this. Sometimes chaff that has loosened from the coffee will sit on top of the roasting beans, giving them a lighter appearance.
Also....using a chopstick is a great method to increase the evenness of your roast. Some people will shake the popper pre-1st crack as well.
It roasts the coffee too quickly, I found.
+Scotta Blanchat Try using an extension cord or power strip. A smaller batch can help as well. Here's some tips. th-cam.com/video/dpVqE0FmOmM/w-d-xo.html
+kkh369 Sorry for the very late reply. Yes, it's a Poppery 2.
They didn't really get roasted uniformly... It's never the same with a popper, but I personally achieve much better uniformity in roast color. The video could be misleading to viewers not used to this cheap roasting method
I fully understand that using a popcorn machine wont produce top notch results but I'm doing it for the curiosity. It takes me back to my days of a $13 goodwill espresso machine. Now I have a rancilio and it doesn't have the same charm
Unfortunately, you talked through the entire process, so I really couldn’t hear what the cracks sounded like.
John Jensen wasn’t that hard.
the worst looking roast ughhhh
I use the same one, and it happens too quickly. it's a fine roast, but the longer the roast, the more chemical reactions take place, resulting in a more complex roast. That's just what I've found, and was also told. My favorite way is on a gas stove in a deep pan where I swirl the beans by swirling the pan on the pot "hearth."