Just ordered (well, Friday night) the Behmor 1600 roaster from SM (with the nice 8lbs. of included greens). I've roasted for YEARS with my manual stainless WhirleyPop, Coleman stove, stopwatch, Fluke digital thermometer, flashlight, and collendar with fan for cooling. UPS says it arrives Monday. Can't wait to experiment! Dan Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Congrats, Dan, I think you'll really enjoy it. I highly recommend checking out the BehmorThing program if you run a PC or emulation software at www.behmorthing.com to track your roasts. I know that it really helped me with the Behmor learning curve and it also tracks inventory and temperature during the roast, very nice. Ira keeps updating it with community suggestions. Other then that, you'll have to get used to a different way of thinking about roasting. The Behmor runs a program so you need to plan out most of your roast in advance while manual methods give you more on-the-fly control. The BehmorThing program has a duplicate roast feature that you can use to plan a new roast based on your last roast of the bean and track the changes, and you can also use tricks like opening the door after first to slow the roast, etc. I've been running the Behmor for one minute with the chaff tray in and without the drum to heat it up prior to the roast so that my summer and winter roasts are more closely correlated. The garage isn't temp controlled, but I'm in California, so it doesn't get brutally cold or hot. I've also been using more P3 and P4 roasts then P2 as I'm drinking more espresso, and with the P3 and P4 roasts I tend to open the door at or after first to stretch between first and second crack. I like load sizes between 10 oz and a full pound for my roasts but usually roast around 13 oz. Enjoy your toy, I'm waiting on a Vario myself and can't wait. -Chris On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 5:25 AM, Dan Kellgren wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Hi Dan, I know a little about how you might feel--I just recently got a Behmor after years of roasting in a pair of split-wired Rostos with Variac heat control & digital thermocouple thermometers. One of the motors tossed a bearing so I was down to no spare roaster. I described that situation to non-coffee-roasting friends and I goet nothing but the goofy look. A small frustration at first was no way to sample bean temperature. (OK--it's still frustrating). Also the roast development seems to be very differnet--the hot air roaster got 1/3# of beans to yellow/tan in 4-5 minutes and then evenly to first C and second C. I usually tried for a total roast time of around 14-16 minutes for a FC-FC+. Behmor 1/2#-P3-D-++ takes >10 min to get to yellow/tan and 12-13 min to start of 1C, tops out at 16 min, which has been barely adequate on a few of my first roasts. I need to work it a bit--maybe try the P1 cycle or use less weight. I hope I get the hang of this one faster than I did the Rostos. Best of luck! Dean Coffee roasting in da weeds On 8/17/2010 7:25 AM, Dan Kellgren wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Put a Half Lb. in the drum and lie to it....tell the roaster it's one pound use the c button and get very close with 8-6 mins left, when you hear a good 1st crack going then listen for first crack to end and or 2nd to begin depending on what you are going for..... Jim On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 6:55 PM, Dean wrote: <Snip> -- "Idiots are so much fun! Thats why every village either has one or wants one!" G. House MD. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Moving From WhirleyPop to Behmor Congratulations. Enjoy the Behmor; I know I enjoy mine, and would hate to give it up. Ken Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Thanks for the tip on Behmor Thing. I just finished entering my (rather low) inventory into it. Looks like a sweet little program. Can't wait to use it with the roaster! Dan On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 1:46 PM, Yakster wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Dean - I'm rather concerned about temperature monitoring. I currently use a pretty high-end digital Fluke and now I'm going to roasting blind. Whole new world I guess. On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 7:55 PM, Dean wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
Dan: you will love your Behmor 1600 and you can test away in all sorts of ways. go for it. there are some profiles here and athttp://www.homeroasters.org/php/news.phpmost likely Coffee Geek has some as well. Enjoy. I loved mine but was simply stuck on he Hot Top so sold my Behmor. ginny On Tue, Aug 17, 2010 at 5:25 AM, Dan Kellgren wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://host.sweetmariascoffee.com/mailman/listinfo/homeroast_lists.sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |