Roast profile for SM monkey blend?

[rferoni]

Ola,

Well I've been home roasting now for around 2 years but not 'seriously'. I never took notes or anything, just sort of 'winged' it. I'd like to get a little better at it since I just recently purchased my first espresso machine(Anita).

I bought some SM Monkey, liquid amber, and decaf donkey to try. I've heard the Monkey is pretty forgiving as a shot and would like to roast some up. Since the Dark Side as you all call it is new to me I would really like to get as close as possible to the right roast as possible. Now I understand that there are "different roasts for different folks" so I'm looking for a generalized profile I guess. I'm using the SC/TO.

I also have the following coffee's in my stash if anyone has suggestions:

Kenya WP decaf
Brazil Mogiana WP decaf
Sumatra Mandheling WP decaf

Sulawesi Enrekang Mount Alla
Columbia Choco El Carmen del Atrato
Yemen Mokha Sana'ani
Mexico Organic Nayarit Terruno
Moka Kadir
India Baba Budan Mandelkhan Estate
Honduran FTO San Marcos Cocosam Coop

Fwiw, I will be taking detailed notes from here on out. I recieved a pound of Black Pearl from Chris' when I ordered my Anita, and although I couldn't get a shot to taste good to me(which I'm sure was my own fault as I'm a noob), it made a killer press pot.

Off to roast some decaf now, as I'm out and some of the decaf I've had for quite awhile.

Ron

[rferoni]

Nobody roast this? Can't believe that...

So I roasted a quarter lb. yesterday in the SC/TO. It went something like this:

Preheat to 350* and hold for 4 minutes.
4-8 minutes ramp up to 470 hold until 1st starts.
1st at 9:30
ramp down to 450ish
2nd at 16:30(bit long to second, I know)
E.O.R at 18 minutes

Temps are not exact as I have to basically turn the heat on/off to try and maintain temperature. Haven't pulled a shot yet, gonna try one when I get home. I know I should let it rest another day or two but, well, you know how that goes!

Ron

[Fishgod]

Well I am far from being an expert. I have been roasting for 1 year now. I got my first espresso outfit in January this year. I picked up month old Silvia V2 from Craigs List "Someones wifes Christmas present", Mazzer Super Jolly also from Craigs list locally. I PID the Silvia about a week after I got it. Probably to much info but this is what I have been doing. I found that I like the Monkey a bit darker roasted. This is what I do.

Equipment: Sunpentown digital CO with a UFO popper base. Spring form pan for a separator.

Preheat for 5 min
Set Temp: 239F Approx Temp 300F to 330F "Large swing in temp from built in thermometer"
Add beans (11oz by weight) and keep there for 3 min.

Set Temp to Max 482F
First Pop of first Crack at approx 9:30 to 10:00 min
Rolling first crack at approx 10:30
Fist pop of 2nd crack starts around 12:00 to 12:20
Rolling 2nd crack starts around 12:20 to 12:45
Finish roast approx 13:00 to 13:25
I shut down and cool approx 40 seconds into rolling 2nd crack.
Beans start producing a little bit of oil a few days into rest. I found the shots best with about 4 days of rest.
I do 3 batches at a time giving me about a pound and a half. That lasts me about 8 days or so.

Hope this helps

[rferoni]

Thanks micheal.

I'm also using a Supentown, but not digital. If your CO is only varying 30*, you are lucky. I have a 100* variance with the stock thermostat on my CO. I use a thermometer and toggle the heat dial to get the temps I think I need.

I will try your profile and see what happens. I think I may have went a bit too long on the above roast. Oil was noticeable right away. As I am also new to espresso, I couldn't tell you if the shots were bad, good, or great.

Ron

[Fishgod]

Ron,
I completely understand about the good, bad, or great. I figure if it taste good to me, I must be on to something.
We have so many coffee huts on the side of the roads up here it is hard to believe. Just recently we got 2 Starbucks in Anchorage. Most all the places I have visited server some nasty coffee not even milk can cover up.
I am currently roasting and drinking SM Liquid Amber. Its good, but I dont like it as much as Monkey. My next order will be for some of the Northern Italian blend. I will see how I like that blend.

PS. I see you are from S.E. Michigan. I grew up in N.W. Michigan

[pgreilich]

what kind of equipment for roasting do you have?

[TeMpTiN]

This must be a Michigan people thread! Though I am in DC at the moment I grew up in Saginaw, lived between Ypsi and Ann Arbor for ten years, and summered in Cheboygan.

But to the coffee, I have been roasting in a lightly modified Steel "Backpacker" stove top popper for about a year, so at this point i am no help with a Profile but I would defiantly recommend two things, that i did.

Check SM to see if Tom is roasting Monkey blend this week, and order a pound or 2 to compare your results to.
I also like mine just a bit darker that what SM roasts it to but it is a good baseline.
Since I really have to roast by feel and the seat of my pants havening the "Pro" roast to compare to has been great. When ever i order greens now i get a what ever is coming out of the roster that week and it has helped a lot.

Also when my Gaggia Factory shipped I ordered 2 pounds of Black Cat From Intelly, I had used it before through my moka pot and for press coffee It is good stuff, and I think somewhat forgiving as espressos goes. However you can easily tell the difference between a Great, Good, OK, poor, and down right bad pull with it.

There are so many variables to work on when pulling shots, and learning a machine and grinder that make things less frustrating for the first week it really helped having the coffee be consistent.

Dory

PS Have you tested your power source you temp swing seems a bit wide for it just to be the thermostat.