Trying on my own didn't help, searching didn't help, and now I surrender to you.

Basics
My decaf greens have always been the freshest from SM's. I'm also no roasting newbie and my non-decaf espresso roasts rival those of HB's favorites.

Problem
The decaf espresso I roast is not simply a muted version of regular beans, rather all the decaf origins (4 or 5) I roasted over the years have the EXACT SAME strong, ugly, chemical, taste that masks everything else. I can taste nothing else other than "it", not even milk can save the day! The best descriptor I can think of is that it tastes like the GREEN decafs smell. Amazingly, my Robustas taste better.

Roast profiling
I over dried, under-dried, roasted dark, roasted light, all with that same ugly, ugly, ugly result. I can't think of some profile change that would matter.

Pro decaf sampling
I haven't sampled any decaf, roasted or brewed, at a good place to date. As soon as I get the chance, I plan to get me some of the highest recommended, already roasted, beans; which aren't easily accessible to me. So, yeah, I need your input because I can't compare for myself.

The question/dilemma
Tom of SM's rates some of his decafs very well. Many of the trusted members of "our little world" say they're muted but don't say they stink. What gives? They can't all be wrong so it must be me, what am I doing wrong?

Not sure I can be much help. I do roast decaf, but more for family then personal consumption, but I have sampled the decaf that I roast (along with decaf Donkey blend) and I don't notice the strong, ugly chemical smell and taste you seem to pick up.

It's interesting because while I'm roasting decaf in the Behmor, there always comes a point in the roasting where I'll notice that the decaf smell is gone and the beans start to smell like normal beans. This is usually about the time that the drying phase is complete. I'll also roast a full 453 grams in my Behmor with decaf when possible while I roast 300 grams of normal beans with the same profile because the decaf beans roast so much quicker. The donkey I recently roasted doesn't have the decaf taint, but it was a little chalky and not too much to my liking for straight espresso. Not much of a milk drink fan so this roast is not getting a lot of love for me.

You may want to review the difference in decaf/regular coffee thread here on Home-Barista that speaks to this somewhat and also mentions that Metropolis sells their Redline espresso blend in both regular and decaf for comparison purposes. Also, your palate may be more sensitive to the artifacts of the decaf process. You're not putting the roasted beans back in the same containers as the greens, right?

So, for the decafs that I've roasted and sampled, they don't stink for me, but they haven't convinced me to be a regular decaf drinker either.

Smooth and steady temperature control....easier said than done.
My decaf profiles are similar to my espresso profiles, and the stuff is incredibly delicious.

SMooth and steady -- Do you mean a straight line from ambient to first crack? My profiles are typically more s-shaped... Maybe that's why the decaf is marginal.

yakster wrote:It's interesting because while I'm roasting decaf in the Behmor, there always comes a point in the roasting where I'll notice that the decaf smell is gone and the beans start to smell like normal beans. This is usually about the time that the drying phase is complete.

This could be it, maybe decafs should be dried waaay slower than regulars. Can you share when(time) does this smell transition happen and what's your total roast time?

endlesscycles wrote:Smooth and steady temperature control....easier said than done.

This isn't very clear, care to clarify?

Two words: Decaf Donkey

I've had better success with that than with any other decaf SO or blend. I roast with the goal of bringing it just to the start of second crack and no further - at about 13 to 15 minutes. I don't recall my final temps right now but I think they were in the mid 420's F. Needs only a day or so of rest before pulling good shots and is optimal for about five days after that (as is the case with all decaf.) Best to freeze the rest.

endlesscycles wrote:Smooth and steady temperature control....easier said than done.
My decaf profiles are similar to my espresso profiles, and the stuff is incredibly delicious.

+1

I use less heat then I would for regular beans throughout the roast otherwise my decaf is roasted in about 10 min instead of 14-16min and that results in a crappy brew. Still I have never met a decaf that could compare to a regular beans flavor.