Stretching out the time after first crack

[schooley]

I just posted a new article in the SM library about roast development during the time between first and second crack. Would love to hear any feedback or results if anyone else has done the roast experiments described in the article. Would be really curious to hear about experience with fluid bed roasters. THe next article will be about stretching out the first crack itself, so I'd rather not get into discussion about that in here just now.

[coffee.me]

This is just to thank you for the article, I'm sure I speak for many when I say I loved it and I look forward to the next part.

Another place where it's being talked about is here: http://www.home-barista.com/home-roasti ... 20575.html

[Hill Girl]

Thanks for your contribution to roasting science Schooley. I'm looking forward to making mods to my popper so that I can experiment with extending the roasting times to 1st and 2nd crack. I am getting to both of these points too quickly and my roasts are often underdeveloped.

[SiphonFunction]

Thanks for your contribution to roasting science Schooley. I'm looking forward to making mods to my popper so that I can experiment with extending the roasting times to 1st and 2nd crack. I am getting to both of these points too quickly and my roasts are often underdeveloped.

You can try speeding up your roasts. Fructose caramelizes at a lower temperature. If you speed the roast up you can hit this point and eliminate any under roast problems before the fructose is destroyed. You will need to pre-heat your popper and push the envelope on the batch size to retain heat. You must leave the top on the popper and do not stir even though the beans will not be moving at first. At some batch size, this will cause a problem with uneven roast. You don't want to use a batch this large. You will need to monitor temp and have a controlled environment so that you can use time as well. It will probably take a few roasts to figure out where to stop the roast. You will want to stop it as soon as possible but too early and you will have grassiness or unpleasant vegetal characteristics. Fast cooling is essential.

[Hill Girl]

Hi Schooley,

Are you suggesting I experiment with getting to FC faster and from first to second crack slower. In that case I probably have a few baked batches resting from yesterday afternoon. I already know the answer to this question (!) - does this apply to all coffee beans or certain types? All I want to do lately is go to roasting school and learn how to profile...when I get into something I tend to get way into it.

[SiphonFunction]

Hi Schooley,

Are you suggesting I experiment with getting to FC faster and from first to second crack slower. In that case I probably have a few baked batches resting from yesterday afternoon. I already know the answer to this question (!) - does this apply to all coffee beans or certain types? All I want to do lately is go to roasting school and learn how to profile...when I get into something I tend to get way into it.

I think you are asking about my suggestion, but I'm not Schooley. I was not suggesting to speed up the time to first crack and slow the trip to second crack, I was just suggesting a fast roast that ends as soon as possible after first crack. If you want to play around with stretching the roast out (what this thread is really about) you can try using a stove top popper. This is probably much easier than trying to profile with an air popper. You will need a fast thermometer in either case.

[Hill Girl]

Sorry for the wrong name Siphon Function! I have to admit, I'm pretty confused right now about how to turn out a decent roast. Hopefully incorporating a thermometer and timer will shed some light onto where I'm going wrong. A lot of my roasts taste bitter and underdeveloped. They have an acrid smell and a reddish cast to the coffee when ground. I've burned two batches of the Liquid Amber Expresso blend. The French Roast Blend is okay but thin. Maybe the heat is too high throughout my roasts and I haven't realized it. I really want to make coffee that I enjoy and be able to repeat the process, more or less.

[SiphonFunction]

A lot of my roasts taste bitter and underdeveloped. They have an acrid smell and a reddish cast to the coffee when ground. I've burned two batches of the Liquid Amber Expresso blend. The French Roast Blend is okay but thin. Maybe the heat is too high throughout my roasts and I haven't realized it.

I'd be more than happy to share what I've learned but it may be better to start a new thread for discussion of the strategies that do not relate to slowing the roast between 1st and 2nd crack. I didn't realize you were roasting for espresso. I would not recommend an unmodified air popper for that at all. It just won't work. Unmodified air poppers are only suitable for the lightest roasts. If you try to make espresso with these they will be far too acidic. You might be able to achieve the marginal results at best by reducing the batch size and stopping the roast somewhere around city+. I am concerned that fluid bed roasting is not a great choice for espresso roasting. I have abandoned my air popper modification plans and taken to stove top roasting for espresso. With careful temp control, my fears of tipping and other scorching problems have proven unfounded.

[w0fms]

I drink Espresso with my air popper roasts all of the time. As long as I dry evenly (i.e. I stretch out the DRYING, pre 1st crack) and roast at least FC it works out fine. Better than anything I've ever tried commercially.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it's been pretty good on most types of coffees I've tried.

Fred

[SiphonFunction]

I drink Espresso with my air popper roasts all of the time. As long as I dry evenly (i.e. I stretch out the DRYING, pre 1st crack) and roast at least FC it works out fine. Better than anything I've ever tried commercially.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it's been pretty good on most types of coffees I've tried.

Fred

I don't find this surprising at all. The surprising part is your ability to do this. Any efforts I've made to slow the roast in any way with an air popper have resulted in a baked roast. I have much more success with the stove top popper. What techniques do you use to stretch the drying?