farmroast wrote:Could the ash be causing a caustic reaction with the oils and such over time? Just another form of degradation along with oxygen and staling?

Hi Ed,

I wish I knew what happened. Clearly, I lost control over the roast and at some point it was basically history. It was me who damaged that coffee and I have no one to blame other than myself.

When one becomes familiar with a roaster one learns how to control it and to prevent a roast from exiting one's control. I have not made it to that point with the M3 Quest. I find the M3 Quest to be a well built roaster that has a number of advantages over other "consumer level" roasters, in that it is entirely manual and it has control over both ventilation and over the heat input. Unfortunately, the heat input is electric, which if one has used gas is decidedly less controllable and less responsive, short term, plus the ventilatory control is pretty half-assed, being just a fan rather than a damper or a fan PLUS a damper.

I think that I would find the M3 to be a much more enjoyable roaster to use if it had either better control over ventilation OR a more rapidly responsive heat source such as gas. Having neither it stands out as a tank-like home roasting device that maneuvers more like a bumper car than like a Ferrari. I'd prefer a Ferrari.

My old sample roaster had no control over ventilation however it had a very responsive gas heat source. I may get to the point where I start using my old sample roaster to do half pound samples and stop using the M3, which frustrates me more than it does anything else.

So, I guess I am blaming the roaster but in fact I could see where the profile was going on that batch of coffee but was more or less powerless to effect any remediation after the die was already cast. I would easily have salvaged the errors I made on either my Diedrich or my old sample roaster, however with the M3 the game was already lost half the way into the roast.

ken

Ken
Your trying to log hours on 2 new roasters . That's a control challenge for anyone. Many times the sweet spots during a roast are also flirting with MET disaster as Jim mentioned. I hold top esteem for those who have mastered Brazilians with consistency.

I'll give you a hundred bucks for the M3 and take it off your hands. I will even throw in a hottop.