This is a question for Dave, which I figured I'd make public in a thread here.

Dave, could you speak at all regarding your roasting approach for the Sulawesi? This month's video was more focused on brewing, which of course was cool, but I am wondering what you do differently for this lower grown coffee, vs. the higher-grown coffees you have made videos on in the past?

- Drying phase: in a previous video, Joe mentioned that a less dense, lower-grown coffee does not require the care in drying that a high-grown coffee does, since the looser structure permits heat to penetrate easily. What does this mean practically, for how you adjust your heat/fan in drying?

- What about the rest of the roast? How did you act to promote the caramel and orange flavors you liked in that coffee?

Jeff

jalpert wrote:...
Dave, could you speak at all regarding your roasting approach for the Sulawesi? ...but I am wondering what you do differently for this lower grown coffee, vs. the higher-grown coffees you have made videos on in the past?

- Drying phase: in a previous video, Joe mentioned that a less dense, lower-grown coffee does not require the care in drying that a high-grown coffee does, since the looser structure permits heat to penetrate easily. What does this mean practically, for how you adjust your heat/fan in drying?

- What about the rest of the roast? How did you act to promote the caramel and orange flavors you liked in that coffee?

Jeff

Jeff, this Sulawesi was grown at any avg elevation of 1500 meters, 4900 feet. That is near-high grown for my purposes in roasting, admittedly without checking its density. I dropped at 400F. I used a two phase air flow on it: low-medium air until 1 min before 1st crack and then high airflow. I used the wood collar on the 500g sample roaster to adjust the airflow.

Here is the profile of the roast we were cupping yesterday. I would call it full city, on the cusp of 2nd crack, without entering 2nd crack. I did not adjust gas at all until 1 min before 1st crack when I reduced the heat by 25%.

When I roast, I pay attention to the bean as well as the metrics. In this case, I found a nice mellowing on the color during and after first crack so I stretched that phase out. I was very pleased with the roast. On another roast, it was more city plus. More oranges than the one we cupped with a white peach and florals. Both roast levels were appropriate for this bean for my palate.

I think at times, it is easy to worry too much about the metrics and settings. I know those are always on my mind. I always record heat/time settings but pay more attention to the cup. If it cups well, I keep at it. If it doesn't, I adjust one aspect at a time (usually the initial heat setting - application of BTUs) and go from there.

Dave

Thanks, Dave, I did not realize it was grown at a high altitude.

So a follow-up question, then: many of us are attempting to learn to use the trier when we roast, and from what I gather, most home-roasters have no clue how to do so. Could you possibly provide any guidance regarding what you are looking for, typical events, and what you do at various points?:

- Through drying phase - coloration differences, what they indicate, smells, etc.

- Maillard/tan phase - changes in color and smell, onset of tanning, how to tell how you're progressing, too fast/too slow, etc.

- First crack - you said the Sulawesi had a "nice mellowing on the color" - what did that indicate? What are some other things to watch for during the crack?

- Drop - what are you smelling for? I am constantly on the trier starting about half way through first crack, and am really not sure what I'm looking for. Usually I try and wait until it starts to smell sweet, but frankly I'm sort of lost here as to what I'm trying to achieve, and then I get anxious and lose confidence and just drop it because I'm worried it's already too late.

I feel like using the trier to "feel" my way through the roast is the next frontier, but I have no idea how to do so. I think this is why most home roasters focus on our graphs - we don't know what else to do. Any guidance you have would be appreciated!

Thanks

Jeff

jalpert wrote:... Could you possibly provide any guidance regarding what you are looking for, typical events, and what you do at various points?:

Good questions all. We are going to ask Joe to present a "Tips from the Trier" in coming months. Joe has a ton more experience than I do on drum roasters.

Through drying phase - coloration differences...

In early stages, spring cuttings of alfalfa. As it approaches end of drying, it begins to take on the smell of dried hay. Coloration? I am after yellows in all beans. I don't want any green hues. Once all green, I want to use that as a cue for:
* increasing the air flow, and
* planning first crack. If it is the first time I have roasted a bean, I like to anticipate first crack. I mentally add 3.5 minutes as a projected time of first crack with the heat application with which I roast. That is helpful to knowing when I wish to turn down the BTUs in anticipation of first (1 min prior on the North 1K). Your rig may differ.

Maillard/tan phase - changes in color and smell, onset of tanning, how to tell how you're progressing, too fast/too slow, etc.

Here I am after a sense of how well the roast is sweetening. Has the previous phase set me up for a good caramelization of the sugars. Visuals? Are the seams opening on the beans? That cues me up for opening the air to high and turning down the heat. I don't want to fly into first crack with a ton of excess energy both within the bean and in the drum itself. The bean now has its own energy which is best shared with airflow for convection.

First crack - you said the Sulawesi had a "nice mellowing on the color" - what did that indicate?

This is one of those "you had to be there." The bean was slowly acquiring a nice deep, uniform brown without burning, without taking on a cast of over-roasted appearance. It clearly wasn't going to fly into 2nd crack and I wanted a full city roast to compare to my previous roast.

Drop - what are you smelling for?

I am mainly interested in the depth of color and a richness (poor word, but the best I can offer) in the fragrance -- both roast depth and sweetness.

...and then I get anxious and lose confidence and just drop it because I'm worried it's already too late.

I am going to encourage you to quit being anxious and go ahead and screw up. You will learn very little if you don't. I have given myself time to gain experience. I am "where I am" in my learning. Be gentle with self.

With a Huky, you are ruining what, $5.00 worth of beans? Go ahead and pooch a roast or two. I am at expert at those. There is much to be gained in not nailing a roast, so long as you take away some lessons. Take some too dark. Find out where it leads you. How long can you stretch 1st crack without going into 2nd? What did that do to the taste? See if you can intentionally bake the beans. What did they taste like? Where was the plateau in the ROR which caused it?

Finally, cues from the trier don't always lead to an action. They get stored into your mental hard drive. You form mental algorithms that you aren't always sure why you employ, actions which can't necessarily be articulated, but you are successful.

Use the metrics your probes bring back. I like to pull out the trier a ton of times. Observe, don't necessarily conclude. I smell and ask yourself questions. Observe again. Make copious notes re: heat app, air use, time. Pooch a roast intentionally (I don't need the intentionality). Learn from it.

Roast on.

Thanks, Dave!