| I spent a several weeks trying to "trick" my new Behmor 1600 into roasting appropriately. Nothing from Tom's tips really worked. Most roasts never got out of 1st crack and some never cracked at all, no matter what weight/time/profile combination I tried. An email to Behmor got an amazingly fast response, by it turns out, Joe Behm himself on a Friday night, no less. After I reported all factors, he wrote that the ambient temperatures where I roasted were too high. I roast in a pole barn carport where the Sacramento Valley temperatures range from 85 to well over 100. He said it would not perform correctly at temps greater than 85. It was designed to run indoors with more normal temps he said. However my cranky old ac only gets the OAT down to 85 at best on a hot day. So Mr. Behm kindly sent me directions on how to accomplish the Heat Deflector Bend with the admonition not to publish it on the web. It works. Mr. Behm is rather defensive about his product, but he is responsive and did help me out. The literature states that it must be warmer than 59F and now I learn it shouldn't be warmer than 85--that's a rather narrow operational band. Rather than bend metal, there ought to be some sort of simple screw or slide adjustment to let that air pass more easily for roasting in higher ambient temperatures. All said, I am satisfied now. Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| The problem with a user adjustable heat rate control is that in no time at all some owner will miss adjust it and cause a mess and then proceed to blame everyone and everything but the individual who made the adjustment. Tom McConnel wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| For the record, Joe Behm is one of us. He's a homeroaster. It just happens that he went out on a limb and invested quite a bit of his money and designed a roaster, which he took to market. If you call his business phone, you'll likely get him because it's pretty much only him doing anything other than odd jobs. Joe's not a big corporation. I seriously doubt he's making much money on the Behmor, but he's dedicated to making it a good product, and keeping buyers happy. It's a good roaster. ********************* Ed Needham "to absurdity and beyond!"http://www.homeroaster.com********************* |
| Very well said Ed. John H. |
| This explains everything for me. I roast in the garage and temperatures in Charlotte, NC can reach 85 degrees most any month of the year. Recently, it was 95+ in my garage and I wasn't able to reach first with twelve ounces on P1 adding every second of time. Today, I loaded a pound into the Behmor and brought it into the kitchen, where the ambient temperature is 74, and hit first with four minutes to spare on P1. Problem solved. I should have emailed Joe but just haven't taken the time to do so - so I have no one to blame but me. On a side note, I roasted some Ethiopian a friend brough home after a trip to Mekelle, Ethiopia earlier this summer. It's very dusty with lots of broken pieces and mostly peaberry. Taste wise, it's very bright with some slight floral notes. Gregg T Belmont, NC (84 and sunny - but the Behmor is inside) On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 9:31 PM, Tom McConnel wrote: <Snip> -- They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad to realize that I'm going to miss mine by just a few days. - Garrison Keillor Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| Ok, you guys with the behmors... you rave about the product and the quality of the roasts. Everyone likes the results. I do not recall anyone just using the programs without fiddling with the parameters. What good are the parameters if you guys don't use them? Morris |
| It has taken some getting used to. To help with that I take notes. I've been very happy with mine. But then, I'm not the sort who expects his car to just drive itself. I have done the baseline roast and timed the cracks so that if I ever need to call tech support I know what it did when new. I see little value in the A, B, C, D buttons since time is easily set independent of those. They are not in the way, so my question would be, "What harm do they do?" -- Paul Helbert Mid Atlantic Home Roaster's Gatheringhttp://paul.helbert.googlepages.com/midatlantichomeroaster'sgatheringHomeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| Morris, I have been using the behmor for about 8 months...usually twice a week. I generally use P1 or P3 without fiddling. That is I roast 8oz at 1/2 lb setting and 16oz at 1lb setting. I don't know if it is voltage issues or what...but the standard settings work for me. 1/2 lb roasts hit first crack at about 2.5 min to go...finishing at a city to city plus (varies on the bean) and 1 lb roast do the same with about 4 min to go. I never go to second crack or beyond as I don't like the roast tastes. So the behmor is set perfectly for my needs at this point of time. Do you have one? Dean De Crisce Sent from a Treo phone. |
| I think by nature we are all fiddlers to some extent or we would be buy super market coffee. We buy poppers and fiddle with them to make the do what we want. Or we turn a BBQ grill in to a RK. We modify, tweak, blend, AP, FP, Drip, grind different all in attempt to get the perfect cup. We are fiddlers. ------------------------------ Alex Fitch Alex On Aug 24, 2008, at 2:45 AM, wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| Alex Fitch wrote: <Snip> Actually, I used to play brass, not strings. p Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| Hi Morris, If you don't recall people 'just using the programs' then I think you have not been paying attention or have not been here long. With exception of this and one other similar thread, all the threads on the Behmor have been on using it 'as is'. OTOH, what 'parameters' are you talking about that people are fiddling with? I don't think of the 'bend' in the subject a parameter. P1-P5 with different times are parameters, and if that is what you mean, I have to turn it around and ask "why wouldn't people fiddle with the parameters?" as that is why they are there. So, what is it you are asking? At 06:13 PM 8/23/2008, you wrote: <Snip> John Nanci AlChemist at large Zen Roasting , Hand Grinding, Blending & Espresso pulling by Gestalthttp://www.chocolatealchemy.com/Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| No, I do not Dean. I have two Gene Cafe's. I am just intrigued with the dialogues. They weren't available as 220v when I purchased. Morris |
| Morris, Along the same lines as what Alchemist John said, (I do roast with my Behmor some times.) my commercial half kilo USRC has no programs! It was way more expensive than a Behmor or a Gene Cafe. With the flexibility that I have, I can char a roast in about 5 minutes or stretch one out for hours! I paid a lot of money for the ability to totally "fiddle around." Oh I also paid for repeatability. Once I work out a profile, I can do it over and over and over again. Behmor and Gene Cafe are fine little roasters. They work a little differently, but once you dial them in they do a good job. Les On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 7:44 AM, Alchemist John wrote: <Snip> Homeroast mailing list Homeroasthttp://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20">http://lists.sweetmariascoffee.com/listinfo.cgi/homeroast-sweetmariascoffee.comHomeroast community pictures -upload yours!) :http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemIdx20 |
| These are great responses guys. Thanks a million! This is all helping me understand how to roast and make my own profiles. Understanding why the behmor roast do what they do to accommodate various changes in the enviornment helps me understand more. There are three parameters to roasting a batch: size, temp and time. And then there are the games the incoming voltage plays. It's helping me become a better roster. Morris |