I just started using Artisan. (Win8.1) I'm curious how others supplement Artisan in regards to keeping roast and cupping records. It seems that the ability to search and sort bean inventory, roasts, and cuppings would be helpful. Especially filtering roast/cupping scores to try to find hints for improving future roasts.

Do you keep records in Excel? Other apps? Paper? or at all?

This won't answer your question. Have you tried roastmaster app? You have to have apple but it keeps track of greens and you can record cuppings.

I track all my roasts and inventory in RoasterThing. You could just use it for inventory.

Bodka Coffee wrote:This won't answer your question. Have you tried roastmaster app? You have to have apple but it keeps track of greens and you can record cuppings.

Actually, yes, I've been using Roastmaster for almost two years on my iPad. But I noticed that most forum members post Artisan graphs so I became curious. I want to spend some time with Artisan so I can compare and contrast. So far, I do like the Artisan roast graphs and cupping flexibility. Also like the ease of adding fan, gas, damper changes. But it clearly needs something supplemental to crunch the numbers so to speak. Just curious what others are using. Not much of a response so far.

yakster wrote:I track all my roasts and inventory in RoasterThing. You could just use it for inventory.

Thanks Chris, I downloaded RoasterThing. It's seem like a great app. I like the SweetMarias integration. Seems to do a lot of things well. But does it have much in the way of searching, filtering, and sorting? Report of any kind? Didn't see much so far.

I think you can hit <ctrl> f to search and clicking on the header sorts that column. There's a lot of functionality that's not immediately obvious, but it's PC only (or emulated).

I was an early adopter back when it was BehmorThing, and it keeps evolving with bug fixes and feature requests.

I haven't used Artisan for actually roasting, but have messed with it some to become familiar with the functionality and better understand all the ROR discussions. I could see artisan used as plug in for enterprise roasting software.

I could see an RRP (roasting resource planning (C)* ) system that would keep up with your raw goods/in process/finished goods inventory, cost of goods sold, monitor inventory aging, billing, receiving, open order, incoming inventory orders, etc with file feeds to your accountant or ledger. The user in the RRP would choose the inventory item etc and it would pre populate the bean information into an artisan file. After the roaster finished the roast the RRP could then scan the artisan file and pull out key meta data into the database. Users could search for previous roasts with certain criteria with ease then launch the files in Artisan for closer examination.

*I'm going to fake copyright RRP right now 4/6/2015 2:23 pm CST

For an actual solution, in the near term I personally would probably log key information from Artisan manually into excel or MS Access and try to figure out how to have create a formula or hyperlink that could easily reopen the artisan file from excel or access when needed.

Yes, this seems like the way to go if you want the ultimate flexibility. Access especially.

I figured out something just today that works well for me personally. Not everyone has an iOS device, but I've been using RoastMaster on my iPad for a while. It turns out I can log data to Artisan AND Roastmaster simultaniously during the roast. (just had a successful dual roast) My Win8.1 laptop takes the Phidget probe info in through the USB port, then you can setup Phidget to wifi the data to whatever is listening. Also takes a setting in Artisan.

Artisan has some great features for roasting and cupping. I particularly like there roast in progress tools. Very quick fan, gas entry and well layed out flexible screen. But Roastmaster has everything else I need. Inventory, cupping, roasts, blends, searching, sorting and reporting all talking to each other. I have no connection with Roastmaster, but the author is working on some very complex data analysis in his next version.