I just got the Behmor 1600. Last night I used it for the first time roasting Daterra Villa Decaf. I used 1/4 P2 B. The roast was a bit too dark. It probably could have had 30 or 60 seconds subtracted but I just made a cappuccino with it and it was pretty good, and I am not sure it would be improved if it were lighter. We usually like to roast our regular beans lighter...medium brown. Decaf tends to roast darker.

I am a novice. Before the Behmor my husband did all the roasting using a hot air popper set up. He has yet to use the Behmor since I just got it while he's been out of town. I will probably roast him some (regular) espresso before he returns. I may try 9 oz of Brazilian or a blend and use P3 but not sure which letter to press.

My husband has been roasting his own blends by separate origin with the hot air popper due to the different times each type of bean roasts. It seems impractical with the Behmor since your not supposed to roast back to back....I guess this is the downside to this roaster. Should I attempt roasting a blend all at once? Or, maybe I should just do a single origin for the first batch of regular espresso. How are other Behmor owners handling this problem?

Also, I'd like suggestions for roast profiles others have liked using decaf.

Suppose you compare a decaf and regular version of the same coffee. To get the taste as close as possible:

• The finishing bean temperature of the decaf should be about 2 to 3 degrees lower
• The finishing color of the bean should be a shade darker
• The roast should go about a minute faster.

I don't know how to use the Behmor, but these are the general roasting guidelines fro decafs.

Thanks. So, I'll try pressing the cool button when it has about a minute left. I guess it will take a bit of experimentation.

Jim, just curious, faster through all the phases of the roast, or just drying and browning? Thanks much.

The drying part is the same as for a regular bean. For regular sized loads, I'm going at my roaster's speed limit up to the first, so I go a minute shorter afterwards. I haven't experimented going with a lighter load to get a faster roast.

Ah OK. It sounds like the varietal flavors and aromatics must for some reason be more volatile in the decaf. I don't roast decafs much myself and was not aware of that, though it would seem to make sense given the processing they have been through. Thanks for the information Jim.

trix wrote:I may try 9 oz of Brazilian or a blend and use P3 but not sure which letter to press.

1/2# P3 C would normally be what you would use with that profile for 8 oz., and as long as your voltage is OK it should probably work for 9 oz. as long as you are standing around to perhaps hit + a few times at the end. I think even in the early revisions of the roaster you have a minute and a half that you can add on that profile in the half pound setting so you should be fine. The drying phases on P3-5 are already quite long so you probably wouldn't want to add the time prior to starting the roast.

Some folks seen to prefer P2 for Brazilian coffees.

Well, I tried some Daterra Opus 1 at 1/4 P3 C....I should have hit + a couple of times because it came out a bit too light. Opus 1 isn't a really a decaf....it has chaff...I believe it is a Brazilian bean and a profile I some in some instructions suggested that profile.

So, for my first two roasts...one too dark....one too light....hmmm.

My next roast will be in a few days when I roast the full caff espresso...I will read a bit more before I do but I may take your advice on the profile, Sully. Maybe I will roast less for him and just let my husband play with the Behmor himself to get to a profile for one of the blends he likes. I doubt I can get him to read the directions first...

By the way....I want to put in a plug for my source of green beans:
Theta Ridge Coffee. Kevin has a nice selection and good prices.

Since so many mention Intelligentsia/Black Cat etc. and Sweet Maria's etc.....just thought I'd suggest another alternative to check out.

Are you weighing your beans? The Behmor is very sensitive to charge weight, and in fact, given the limited number of ways that you can manipulate the profiles, charge weight is a key variable.

If you weighed your beans and still had trouble with the roast running out of time and the beans finishing too light then you may have a voltage issue. The Behmor is also very sensitive to voltage as an external factor, as are many off-the-shelf roasting devices. Try not to use an extension cord if you can avoid it, or if you must then use the shortest and heaviest extension cord that you have. Make sure there are no other big appliances running that will draw down your supply voltage while you are roasting, like the A/C for instance. Joe Behm has stated on numerous occasions that he restricts his roasting to prior to 9AM because the voltage in his neighborhood drops after that hour when people start using their appliances. (This is just a guideline that he follows... I'm sure he could roast at other times of the day if he wanted to, he is just an early bird and he's learned that his voltage is reliably strong and consistent at that early hour.)

Ambient temperature is less of a factor, although the way the temperature sensor is set up it does lead to slightly longer roast times when it is very warm out... that may be a factor for you down in Florida. I find when I roast with the Behmor at ambient temps of over about 75 degrees or so there are a lot more heater element cycles, the roaster's environment temperature swings more, roast times lengthen a bit, and roast quality goes way downhill. I get better roasts out of it (within the limits of its potential) at ambient temps of around 55-65 degrees. I tend to roast in the middle of the night and better voltage and ambient temps are certainly part of the reason why. YMMV.

With good voltage and a weighed bean load, you should be able to get well into second crack with the stock times on any of the profiles except perhaps P5.

Temp in the house is averaging 78 lately. I do weigh my beans. I have the Behmor under the range hood and nothing else plugged into the outlet which is near by and the stock cord just reaches it.....the refrigerator is a couple of feet away and may be using the same breaker....not sure though...may check.

I have a battery backup in the next room and monitor that voltage which has averaged 117 and 118 while I've roasted. I had the A/C on last night set at 77 so I upped it to 78 so it'd go off while I was roasting. I roasted at 10 pm the first time with a voltage about 118. I am using the smaller grid drum.

I am sure there will continue to be a bit of a learning curve as I find the right profiles for the various beans we roast. My husband has roasted for about a year with the poppery II (I think that is the one it is) so he is a bit more familiar with the cracks etc....so, when he gets back home it will probably go a bit smoother.

Those voltages don't sound too bad, though you might want to check the circuit you are running it on. 78 degrees in the house at 10pm? Glad I live next to the ocean...

The Behmor is pretty quiet so it is generally fairly easy to hear the cracks, but 1/4# roasts tend to run fast at the end and first and second crack often are close together or in some cases will even overlap. This makes targeting a specific roast level with a light load using just the cracks as your markers initially a bit difficult until you get more experience with the roaster. If you use a heavier bean load you get a better stretch from first to second, giving you a bit more time to decide when to end the roast, and the ramp during the browning phase more closely mimics the timings on a drum roaster and may give you better results for roasts intended for espresso. Unfortunately it also stretches your drying phase a lot.

Perhaps try a 1/2# or 1# roast... it will help learn the cracks.

My husband consumes lots more coffee than I...I can do a half for him before he gets back then he may try a 1# upon his return. 1/4 if fine for me for now.

If I put the thermostat any lower than 78 it gets too cool in the house during the night. Although if the Jack Russell Terrier, Trixie, gets too close it tends to get warm. When I am working in the house during the day I can put it down to 77 or lower if someone comes over...it's been set at 77 all day but I've been running steam cleaner some. It is 66% humidity outside right now but earlier it was 80%...we need the A/C especially to keep the humidity out of the house. I am 7 blocks in from the Gulf of Mexico .

sully wrote:Are you weighing your beans? The Behmor is very sensitive to charge weight, and in fact, given the limited number of ways that you can manipulate the profiles, charge weight is a key variable.

If you weighed your beans and still had trouble with the roast running out of time and the beans finishing too light then you may have a voltage issue. The Behmor is also very sensitive to voltage as an external factor, as are many off-the-shelf roasting devices. Try not to use an extension cord if you can avoid it, or if you must then use the shortest and heaviest extension cord that you have. Make sure there are no other big appliances running that will draw down your supply voltage while you are roasting, like the A/C for instance. Joe Behm has stated on numerous occasions that he restricts his roasting to prior to 9AM because the voltage in his neighborhood drops after that hour when people start using their appliances. (This is just a guideline that he follows... I'm sure he could roast at other times of the day if he wanted to, he is just an early bird and he's learned that his voltage is reliably strong and consistent at that early hour.)

Ambient temperature is less of a factor, although the way the temperature sensor is set up it does lead to slightly longer roast times when it is very warm out... that may be a factor for you down in Florida. I find when I roast with the Behmor at ambient temps of over about 75 degrees or so there are a lot more heater element cycles, the roaster's environment temperature swings more, roast times lengthen a bit, and roast quality goes way downhill. I get better roasts out of it (within the limits of its potential) at ambient temps of around 55-65 degrees. I tend to roast in the middle of the night and better voltage and ambient temps are certainly part of the reason why. YMMV.

With good voltage and a weighed bean load, you should be able to get well into second crack with the stock times on any of the profiles except perhaps P5.

Sully...this is very good advice.
To a previous point...the lack of chaff is another factor that contributes to a bit faster roast with a decaf
I recommend to any new Behmor roaster that you go with 1/2 to 3/4# roasts by WEIGHT. beta Testing the roaster early on, I found it actually [i]more difficult to duplicate good rosts using only 1/4 #...more chance for variables like ambient temps, voltage to come into play, due to the shorter roast times.
For the new owner, I'd suggest working with SO's like Guats, Colombians at the start (for your vac/French Press/drip. 12oz by weight, 1#/P1"B...and don't leave...time the cracks.
For espresso, try 12oz of 2 Brazilians combined...1#P4/B. If you don't get to 2nd crack at 18 minutes, add a minute. Hit the cool button at 5-10 seconds into 2nd. The roast will "coast" into a full city+ no oil.
Open the door 3 minutes into the cooling process, 2 minutes if you want it a touch lighter.

Hi, Jake here. Was doing some reading and stumbled upon this thread, thought I'd share my Behmor experience. First off, I'm new to home roasting and I roast so I have fresh beans to make into espresso. I also have a poppery 2, have done a little better than 1/2 dozen roasts in the poppery before ordering and using a Behmor.

Currently I'm on roast #13 with my Behmor. Yes I keep a roast log for a few reasons. One to keep track of knowing when to run the cleaning cycle plus by writing down what I'm doing with my roasts and how they come out (tasting notes), I know what to and not to do down the road

Seems like most the roasts I've done have been with central and south American beans. The most repeated roast I have done has been (checking my notes) 12 ounces of beans using the default 1 lb roast cycle. By using the same beans, same amount and same roast profile, all the results have been consistent which has been I need to stop the roast before it's done hitting the cooling cycle button approx 10 seconds or so after 2nd crack starts

But the last two one pound roasts I've done, I used the 1/P2/B profile and liked the results. First time around with that profile, I knew I need to add time to the end of the roast to get/stay in 2nd crack longer, so the 1st time I added 30 seconds and let the roast go into cooling on it's own and was rewarded with a nice full city + roast

The roast I did yesterday evening I added another 15 seconds, so 45 seconds total added to that profile and it definitely got into Vienna territory but I like drinking roast profiles so I'm sure I'll be happy with the results.

I totally agree with what has been said about not plugging into an extension cord. I did that once and didn't like the varied results. Yes the roast went slower. I've been roasting in my kitchen under the range hood fan and although I've yet to measure voltage, I live in a fairly new house with modern wiring and have good power where I roast, but the one time I thought I'd try roasting in the garage near the overhead door so I used an extension cord and a heavy duty one at that. Still, the roast was slower and the next time I roast in the garage, the Behmor will be plugged directly into a wall oulet

As far as cleaning this roaster after using goes, I find the inclded brush gets the majority of the chaff out of the roaster and into the chaff collector (used as a dust pan) nicely, but I'll admit to taking it out to the garage and blowing it cautiously with compressed air to get rid of the last bits of fine chaff. IMO this isn't a necessary step but I have a compressed air source so I use it. I also wipe the inside down with a damp paper towel then a dry paper towel to remove any remaining oils from roasting

Before I forget, I wanted to mention I'm really happy with the quality and ease of use I have experienced using the Behmor roaster. Thanks Mr. Behm for putting out a great roaster, I'm thoroughly enjoying using your roaster

Oh, before I forget...one of the roasts I did got well into Vienna territory. The initial shots I pulled using this roast tasted burnt. I emailed the vendor I bought my espresso machine from as I know he likes to hear about my roasts and he suggested I turn the brew temp down from the 205 degree temp I had the espresso machine set at (It has a PID controller) down to 195 degrees, citing that bitter tasting espresso can be corrected by lowering brew temp. Wow!, was he ever right!!!

So, I mention this last bit for the other n00bs like me, if you ever over roast and the shots taste burnt, don't throw that batch of beans in the compost bin til you try lowering your brew temperature. Worked for me


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

Jake...welcome to HB, and thanks for your contribution. Several good points there, especially about logging your roasts, and trying the same beans, same profile, to determine that your Behmor is operating as it should.
Consistency is a hallmark of the Behmor. No roaster is perfect, but to be able to do a 1# charge in 20 minutes or less + some cooling time at the 1600's price point has created a very nice niche.
As for your pours, 195 seems a bit on the cool side, even for your "over-roast"
But, as they say, "if it tastes good, it IS good."
Rock on!...or should that be ROAST-ON!?

Thanks for the welcome Rob, Now as far as the cool brew temp goes, yeah, I was surprised going down from 205 degrees to 195 degrees would have a positive impact on the flavor of the over roasted beans, but it did. After I was through with that one over roasted batch, I set the brew temp back up to 205 and ran it there for the next couple of roasts as they weren't over done but guess what? The last batch I roasted, it too was over done and tasted bitter with the brew temp at 205 degrees F so I went back down to 195 and the shots I'm pulling and making into caps are tasting great at the lower temp. All I can say is the PID is a bean saver.

For sure though, I'm going to concentrate on roasting beans that don't go so far along in 2nd crack. But if I screw up and over roast, I'm glad I can dial my brew water temp down so the beans wont have to go into the compost bin


Jake
Reddick Fla.

Jake...like many new to the Behmor, it's tempting to stretch the time between cracks to the MAX...but resist, my son, resist...at least once.
Don't wait for that 1st snap of 2nd...too late...observe your roast with the light on...if you've been able to get 2 minutes at least since the cessation of 2nd, just take a chance and hit cool..
Open the door after 3 minutes, I bet you will be close to what you seek...a true full city (depending upon the varietal, of course.
keep track of the times...if it's a tad too light, next roast use the same amount and roast parameters and go an extra 20 seconds before cool. In the Behmor, 20-30 seconds can really change things.
OR....if you're not at the 1# mark, just add some more beans, and roast where you are now.
IMO, Noobies should stay away from 4oz roasts...try 14oz @ the 1#/P2/B
Some folks start with P1....that works pretty well with Hard beans (generally high grown centrals, S Americans, etc)
I'd also recommend going over to http://www.coffeegeek.com and checking out the huge amount of Behmor threads...LOTS of great stuff.

Hey Rob, I think what I initially read (on various coffee roasting forums like this one and others) about the Behmor not be able to take roasts to Vienna was a lot of bunk, either that or I have some very good wiring in my house as I have no trouble reaching full city + with the 1 lb settings roasting one pound of central/south American beans

Again, I have less than 15 roasts under my belt with the Behmor so it's all just trial and error at this pioint for me. And no, I don't want to roast the hell out of my roasts and have to set the brew water temp at 195 degrees f so my shoots are palate worthy

I'm not afraid to make mistakes but I will learn from them and so it goes with roasting using the Behmor roaster. Next roast I do (which will be soon) I will let go w/o adding any more time to the end. I will report back here what that roasts ends up as


Best,

Jake
Reddick Fla.

Jake...sounds to me like you've got a plan!
For espresso, try adding some Sumatra, and maybe some Uganda Bugisu (an African other than kenyan) with your central for a very nice espresso. Brazil would be a great base.
Example: 50% Brazil (maybe a poco fundo or Cochiera...tough to find now), 20%Sumatra, 20%Uganda, 10% Central.
The Behmor's even roasting will allow you to "pre-blend together" before roasting....listen for the cracks, and try to get at least 3 minutes between cracks
1#/P3/C...
To make sure you get to 2nd, try only 14oz by weight.
When you hear the start of 2nd, allow 5-10 seconds, then hit cool.
Trust me, 2nd crack will continue at least another 20-30 seconds Allow to continue cooling with the door closed.
Open door 3 minutes into the cooling cycle, and allow cooling to continue till there is only 3 minutes on the Behmor.
The machine should be cool enough by then to hit "Off"
Allow this roast to de-gas at least 4 days. One day in a semi closed container. Then store in a 1 way valve bag, if you have them. Store in a cool cupboard. No refrigeration!

FWIW, I roasted a pound of Brazil Cerrado early Sat. (yesterday) afternoon. I did something different in that I roasted out in the garage so I was on a different circuit and also in the ambient instead of air conditioning. I set the controls for 1 lb, P2, B

the outlet has a deep freezer on it, I unplugged it so there was no juice competition but the roast was a tad slow and I didn't realize til the show was over, that I had another deep freeze on this same circuit but a different outlet (live and learn)

I didn't discearn first crack until there was 1 minute left on the timer. I was bound and determined to not add any time and just let it run it's course. My initial thought looking at the roast after i removed it from the drum was that it was slightly under done (I'm going to try to remember to add a photo of the roast before I post this message) Go ahead and offer an opinion but I'm calling it a city roast (IMO)

I gotta say, I really like the way this coffee tastes. I started the roast at 12:30 PM. I had my first cap (IIRC) 8 PM? I've been thoroughly cleaning the espresso machine every Sunday (Wednesdays too-shower screen and screen holder plate out, all soaked in Joe Glo, PF, basket, etc) but thought I'd get a head start and do it Sat night and did, then immediately after cleaning and flushing, I pulled 2 garbage shots then made a cap (pulled a double shot, frothed 6 ounces milk) Yeah, I like the way it tastes

I was shooting for full city, full city + but the roast fell short but ultimately, it tastes very good and very unlike a traditional roasty flavored cappachino. Ah!, variety is the spice of life!

Addressing some of your suggestions Rob...in regards to the one way valve bags, I have a collection of them due to me being on SM's 3 month coffee subscription which just ended a few weeks ago, and I do keep my beans in a cupboard out of light in the bags (not refrigerated)

As to your blend recommendations, they sound good, not that I would know as I haven't tried the combos you suggest. At this point I'm working with the beans I have and the blends I've done on my own, let's see, the last is what I have been drinking up to today which was 8 oz Brazil natural (ccmcoffee.com), 4 oz whatey (huehuetenango) and 4 oz Indian Monsooned Rabusto, the last two sourced from the captain's coffee. Again, as reported, I over roasted that roast but have found that it needed 3 days rest and has lost all of the ashy taste, but I still used brew water at 195 degrees and the flavor was good the last couple days using that brew temp. I bumped the brew temp up to 205 for this city Brazil though

Anyways, I wrote down your blend suggestion and perhaps one of these days i will order the beans you suggest and roast a batch. I gotta admit, at this point in my roasting career, it's all just a tiny bit overwhelming, the possibilities, all of the different roasts I can do. What I first started roasting and I think I mentioned it up thread, I bought/had 5 lbs of green blend #2 from ccmcoffee.com (amongst other beans) It made very good espresso IMO and I shared some of the roastted beans with another espresso enthusiast with a lot of roasts under his belt and he agreed that it was a good blend and roast. I've also roasted some other beans, like the huehue and a Costa Rican Dota, two different Brazils, at least one of SM's espresso blends and I still have a few 1/2 lb bags of their espresso blends I haven't roasted yet. I'm probably failing to mention other beans I've tried, but that's my point, there is so many possibilities

I kind of had it in my head that I was going to order another 5 lbs of green blend #2 next from ccmcoffee real soon for a couple of reasons, A), they're right down the road 90 miles away and I get next day delivery using ground B), I really liked the flavor of that blend, but now drinking the Brazil at city on it's own, WOW!, there's so many ways to go

w/o looking at my green bean inventory, I probably have 2, maybe 3 pounds of beans to roast, so it's not like i need to have beans delivered soon, and what with TS Fay looming closer... Again, trying to decide which beans to order and roast... Maybe what I'll do to help me to decide, I'm thinking of writing the names of each bean on a small piece of paper, put all the scraps of paper in a bag, turn my head, reach in the bag and pick two=:-)

Okay, I can't attach the photo, it's too big (437 KB's) and I'm not sure how to resize it. I'm not much of a photoshopper now am I?=:-)

Jake
Reddick Fla.