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Thanks Ray. I have taken this bean all the way through, so I had a
sense, limited by experience, but a sense of when it was in the
middle. I realize the cool button is really a misnomer, one that one
would think would have been changed by now. There are a lot of
little tricks to this machine that don't come with any book, but you
learn only by playing.
I can say that I got the beans back up to 450 according to the
thermometer that I have in the machine, that wire is right in the
middle of the beans and I know that the heat was on, the spoke
started, but since I wanted just the patches of oil when I went to
the final cool cycle it stopped. I will say that of the beans I have
roasted, limited in number, these had the most pronounced second
crack. I used that as a rough, very rough guide.
The final roast, not perfect by any standard, still came out
refreshingly well and better than I imagined it would. Which is why
I strongly say this is not the way to try a roast - too rushed, doing
too many things, too afraid to make a mistake (heck, I have pounds
and pounds of beans, what does it matter - other than the suggested
wait period on the machine) AND a big one, picking the phone up when
it rang - loser of an idea.
Now, my roasting time is my own, phones are a no, I don't mind
messing up, for it may still be good, just not great, or just toss
it. And, I put on Costa Rican music from a CD a neighbor of ours
down there made me. Much nicer than rushing, feeling pressured to be
the best, and also holding a bit of fear about going for the darker beans.
Though last night, I did well, I went to Full City +, on
purpose. The bean could use a slower warm up, my guess, but it still
tasted mighty good this afternoon.
I am printing out what you wrote, adding it to my collection of notes
and trust me, I will use. it. I don't overwhelm myself with
everything written, but when I can see how useful it is I take it and
learn. Worst thing that happens is I had fun, toss about 6 or fewer
ounces of beans, and learned a lot. For a mistake is still a roast
and one that can be extremely instructional.
All the best,
Stephen
P.S. One of the cool parts of roasting is usually even our mistakes
taste okay, and teach us a lot.
At 05:21 PM 8/8/2007, you wrote:
<Snip>
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Thanks Ray. I have taken this bean all the way
through, so I had a sense, limited by experience, but a sense of when it
was in the middle. I realize the cool button is really a misnomer,
one that one would think would have been changed by now. There are
a lot of little tricks to this machine that don't come with any book, but
you learn only by playing.
I can say that I got the beans back up to 450 according to the
thermometer that I have in the machine, that wire is right in the middle
of the beans and I know that the heat was on, the spoke started, but
since I wanted just the patches of oil when I went to the final cool
cycle it stopped. I will say that of the beans I have roasted,
limited in number, these had the most pronounced second crack. I
used that as a rough, very rough guide.
The final roast, not perfect by any standard, still came out refreshingly
well and better than I imagined it would. Which is why I strongly
say this is not the way to try a roast - too rushed, doing too many
things, too afraid to make a mistake (heck, I have pounds and pounds of
beans, what does it matter - other than the suggested wait period on the
machine) AND a big one, picking the phone up when it rang - loser of an
idea.
Now, my roasting time is my own, phones are a no, I don't mind messing
up, for it may still be good, just not great, or just toss it. And,
I put on Costa Rican music from a CD a neighbor of ours down there made
me. Much nicer than rushing, feeling pressured to be the best, and
also holding a bit of fear about going for the darker beans.
Though last night, I did well, I went to Full City +, on purpose.
The bean could use a slower warm up, my guess, but it still tasted mighty
good this afternoon.
I am printing out what you wrote, adding it to my collection of notes and
trust me, I will use. it. I don't overwhelm myself with everything
written, but when I can see how useful it is I take it and learn.
Worst thing that happens is I had fun, toss about 6 or fewer ounces of
beans, and learned a lot. For a mistake is still a roast and one
that can be extremely instructional.
All the best,
Stephen
P.S. One of the cool parts of roasting is usually even our mistakes
taste okay, and teach us a lot.
At 05:21 PM 8/8/2007, you wrote:
"The oil appeared just as
the second crack was about in the middle of itself.
[Would you know it was really in the middle- have you allowed the same
roast to go all the way through Second, or was this an arbitrary
mid-point?]
I waited a touch longer for the color I wanted and hit cool."
[The button is mismarked "Cool." The button should be marked
"Start cooling the roaster."]
The little draft of air flowing during "Cool" is the identical
airflow of the roast cycle. First, the electric heat power is shut off
when you hit "Cool," and the heater is cooled off by the air.
When you cool the surface of the beans a few degrees, the surface
effectively stops advancing. Here's a clue: Most of the mass of the bean
is beneath the surface, and keeps going because it's insulated from the
cooling effects by the roasted bean at the surface.
I'm guessing the bean forms a surface layer similar to refractory as it
roasts, and stops transmitting heat very well. I know nothing, but I get
outstanding results when I nurse the roast up to and through First crack.
If I want to avoid Second entirely, I keep nursing it along after First
until it starts Smoke Accelerando. Then I hit the brakes.
If I want just the very edge of Second, I coax more smoke until I get a
few snaps of Second. El Stoppo.
Some beans really speak, flavorwise, when the beans get a good start in
Second. But then you feel like the Sorcerer's Apprentice- Oops! Now how
to stop this infernal dance? Igor- Kastchei's Bird is on Fire!
Cheers -RayO, aka Opa!
Where's Dukas when you need him- watching burning birds at the coffee
shop?
On 8/7/07, Brian Kamnetz
<bkamnetz
> wrote:
Stephen,
I'm not sure what you are going for, but it seems to me, in my
limited experience, that roasting until oil appears might be taking the
roast a bit dark, a bit past Vienna, perhaps adding some charring to the
varietal flavors. Do you go lighter with some roasts, particularly with
varieties where Tom suggests City or City+?
Brian
On 8/7/07, Stephen Carey
<
steve> wrote:
I was looking for
patches of oil. The oil appeared just as the second crack was
about
in the middle of itself. I waited a touch longer for the color
I
wanted and hit cool.
--
"When the theme hits the bass, I dance the Jig!" - -Virgil Fox
at the Mighty Wichita (ex- NYC Paramount) WurliTzer- 1976
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