I am a home coffee roaster. I use a fluid bed roaster and roast between 5 and 6 oz per batch. I usually roast 3 batches of the same origin and then blend them for weeks' supply. Before you mentioned any numbers I had my numbers in my head because that is how I roast for consistency. You and I agree exactly as far as a light roast. 11-13%. The coffee I am drinking this week is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Chelbasa Danche heirloom. My last 3 batches were 11.1% - 12.1% - and 12.8%. I was aiming for 12.5%. Like you said, "It's more art than science". Anyway, I enjoy your coffee talks. Your passion shows.
Another box to check. Sight, smell, heat, time, weight in, weight out, color. I am just beginning my journey as a roaster. A combination of all the variables is how I judge the roast. Roast level, I guess in some ways it can be subjective. Some peoples palettes will be entirely different than mine and therefore they may not find my dark to be their dark. I have a good friend and if the beans are not black as night and covered in oily sheen, they are not 'dark' in his opinion. Needless to say, he loves Starburnts Espresso Roast and French Roasts... I could not agree with you more on what you had to say in this video and I learned a new word...Agtron...
Yes, roasting is more than a perfect science - it is science plus! plus art, plus passion, plus self- control and criticism, plus love ! The same is to pizza. I just got my colorimeter-sensegood fom India -now 373$ +customs. Not yet have checked it.
As a beginner roaster, I don’t really understand the fuss about the Agtron. I have three green coffees right now. A sage green colored washed Panama, a deeper green washed Kenya peaberry, and a natural Ethiopia that has that yellowish tint to it. If I’m starting with coffee that’s three different colors, why would all three be judged by the same visual standard once they’re roasted? Sure, I can make general statements about color, by why spend thousands on a machine that measures unequal coffees on the same standard?
I think, if I am wrong please feel free to correct me. I think it helps you to be consistent within 1 kind of coffee. If you have 100kg of natural Ethiopia and you found the best possible roast for this coffee you want to repeat it over and over. And this is the situation, where measuring color comes.
I use these ranges as a base: Light: 11% - 14% Medium: 14% - 16.5% Dark: 16.5% - 18% Again there are soooo many variables but the beans I’ve roasted have really fell in these ranges
Interesting use of yield.
Good video, your percent loss ranges, relative to roast levels, are consistent with my experience.
Yay!
Imo, as a roaster, it's more important to understand all variables needed to roast well rather than trying to define the roast level. Nice video !
I am a home coffee roaster. I use a fluid bed roaster and roast between 5 and 6 oz per batch. I usually roast 3 batches of the same origin and then blend them for weeks' supply. Before you mentioned any numbers I had my numbers in my head because that is how I roast for consistency. You and I agree exactly as far as a light roast. 11-13%. The coffee I am drinking this week is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Chelbasa Danche heirloom. My last 3 batches were 11.1% - 12.1% - and 12.8%. I was aiming for 12.5%. Like you said, "It's more art than science". Anyway, I enjoy your coffee talks. Your passion shows.
Very cool to hear the Fluid bed roaster comparison :) thanks!
Another box to check. Sight, smell, heat, time, weight in, weight out, color. I am just beginning my journey as a roaster. A combination of all the variables is how I judge the roast. Roast level, I guess in some ways it can be subjective. Some peoples palettes will be entirely different than mine and therefore they may not find my dark to be their dark. I have a good friend and if the beans are not black as night and covered in oily sheen, they are not 'dark' in his opinion. Needless to say, he loves Starburnts Espresso Roast and French Roasts...
I could not agree with you more on what you had to say in this video and I learned a new word...Agtron...
Yea it’s pretty interesting!
Yes, roasting is more than a perfect science - it is science plus! plus art, plus passion, plus self- control and criticism, plus love ! The same is to pizza.
I just got my colorimeter-sensegood fom India -now 373$ +customs. Not yet have checked it.
Oh let me know how you like it.
As a beginner roaster, I don’t really understand the fuss about the Agtron. I have three green coffees right now. A sage green colored washed Panama, a deeper green washed Kenya peaberry, and a natural Ethiopia that has that yellowish tint to it.
If I’m starting with coffee that’s three different colors, why would all three be judged by the same visual standard once they’re roasted? Sure, I can make general statements about color, by why spend thousands on a machine that measures unequal coffees on the same standard?
I think, if I am wrong please feel free to correct me.
I think it helps you to be consistent within 1 kind of coffee. If you have 100kg of natural Ethiopia and you found the best possible roast for this coffee you want to repeat it over and over. And this is the situation, where measuring color comes.
I use these ranges as a base:
Light: 11% - 14%
Medium: 14% - 16.5%
Dark: 16.5% - 18%
Again there are soooo many variables but the beans I’ve roasted have really fell in these ranges
Good to see I wasn’t too far off!