Ethiopia Moplaco Yirga Cheffe Roast Log

[Diablo]

Here's my roast log. This is my first delve into a true City roast. I also only roasted a half pound which is also something I nearly never do. Air and heat adjustments were made mostly from experience on the machine. A half pound batch roasts much differently than a full pound in my machine. So nearly all the heat and temp adjustments were completely in the dark shots at what I thought would work out. I got a good roast. I usually try for 16 minute roasts dumping beans at the first sounds of snips from second crack.

Comments completely welcome. I expect at that at my first true City roast attempt there are some fine points I missed. Mostly, I expect that the time between first crack and end of roast could be longer. As is, there actually wasn't too many light colored beans, maybe 6-8 or so that were light enough to easily pick out and discard. Another note is that the chaff didn't get a chance to roast either, by roasts end the chaff is just barely coming off the bean and hasn't had time to tumble around and gain color. This also means it didn't get a chance to get blown into the chaff collector. I got a nice pile of chaff on top of my dumped beans in the bin.

228g Batch Weight Pre Roast
409* Drop Temp
204g Batch Weight Post Roast

0:30 327*
1:00 284*
1:30 266*
2:00 263*
2:30 265* Low
3:00 269*
3:30 273*
4:00 278* Medium
4:30 282*
5:00 286*
5:30
6:00 295*
6:30 300* High/Cooling bin closed/Air Flow 50%
7:00
7:30 310*
8:00 316*
8:30 323*
9:00 329*
9:30 335*
10:00 342* 345* Medium/Air Flow To Drum
10:30 349*
11:00 356*
11:30 363* First Crack
12:00 373*
12:30 382*
12:45 End Roast

Obviously my temps don't match what most are used to seeing. I usually start second crack at 420* and will be rolling before it hits 430*.

I've also already roasted a batch of this to 419*, one snip into second. Distinct honeysuckle and caramel aroma to the whole bean. The cup is indeed lemony with a slight acid in the cooling cup.

I have to say that I do not detect the same honeysuckle and caramel in this City roast. I'll wait till morning to see what develops by way of aroma in the bag. Right now is has a slight grassy scent with a touch of roast character, sounds funny but I find it reminiscent of scrambled eggs.

(feel free to move this post if it needs to be in a different location category-wise)

[Diablo]

Update.

How terribly unfortunate that when I go to try my first true city roast coffee this morning, I'm having a severe allergy attack. I didn't taste thing but a bit of flat tangyness. Later in the day though, "It's like biting a lemon". Holy Moly!!! This coffee at city roast is, is, it's like if it isn't coffee in a sense.

It's sad to say that so many people I've tried to expose to a coffee with this kind of character, this kind of "different" and they just don't get it. It's a crying shame.

This coffee is simply amazing. The lemon is intense and in your face, typical African coffee style. This cup is one of those cups you just remember, 1, 2, 3 years from now, you'll remember this cup of Moplaco Yirga Cheffe, City Roast.

[endlesscycles]

I air roasted this coffee with a basic profile of 3min to 300F, 3min to first @ 380F, and 4min steady to finish @ 425F.

Rested three days, the cup has a silky body, seductive floral aroma's, and a balanced sweet/tart flavor.

Three seperate roasts informed me to keep the heat going through first otherwise suffer a stall. At about 400, I could taper the heat down a little to get time in before finish.

[Mr. Fisherman]

I roasted 2, 8 ounce batches in my HotTop.
The first to the first cracks of second crack, the second batch about 15 seconds sooner.
Very bright and certainly there is lemon essence, but at the end there is a wonderful almost nectarine, peach like mouth feel and berry like floral notes. I like it plain but it is fantastic with just a touch of sugar to offset the brightness. It has mellowed just a touch as it off gasses. I am 3 days out from roasting and like the cup tonight better than the cup past night but would prefer either of them to the coffees I have sampled lately.
I may have to get more, it really is quite nice and very refreshing. I can see how it could add to an espresso blend.