Behmor- smoky taste

Discuss roast levels and profiles for espresso, equipment for roasting coffee.
Locopavoni
Posts: 111
Joined: 9 years ago

#1: Post by Locopavoni »

Hi,
I have changed from an air roaster to a behmor drum roaster.
The roast definitely takes longer to develop and delivers more body, but when I roast the beans on a P2 or P3 setting to 2nd crack or just before, I notice that there is a smoky smell and taste to the beans, even a week after roasting. Not sure if this is normal, but wondering whether the smoke suppression system is recycling the smoke inside the drum and imparting the smoky taste and smell.
Are my experiences unique or is this a usual thing with drum roasters?
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edtbjon
Posts: 251
Joined: 9 years ago

#2: Post by edtbjon »

I don't have any experience with the Behmor, but a smoky taste indicates a lack of ventilation. You seem to point at the potential error, i.e. the "smoke suppression system".
Again, without any experience with the Behmor, there should not be any such defects with any decent roaster.
My guess is that there is info on this forum as well as on the 'net.

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EvanOz85
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#3: Post by EvanOz85 »

I never experienced anything like this when I used my Behmor for two years. I assume you're simply roasting too dark. Avoid 2nd crack on most beans.

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ripcityman
Posts: 130
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#4: Post by ripcityman »

I will have to find the thread, but I saw a post about smoke and venting. This chemist type swore that the chemical reactions going on with the beans during roasting made it impossible for any lingering smoke in the roasting chamber to effect the beans. It has to do with the beans are out gassing at higher temps and pressures that make it impossible for the beans to be effected by the smoke.

ecuew
Posts: 151
Joined: 11 years ago

#5: Post by ecuew »

I've experienced this too with my Behmor (and once or twice with commercial roasts). In both cases the coffee wasn't into 2nd crack ; for the Behmor roast final weight loss was 15%.

I never did identify the culprit but a few roasts ago I performed a deep clean and also replaced a dead afterburner and the issue has gone away for now.

Locopavoni (original poster)
Posts: 111
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#6: Post by Locopavoni (original poster) »

Thanks for thoughts,
Makes sense that if the beans are de-gassing then smoke would not be able to enter the bean, but 'coating the outside' still seems plausible.
Did a bit more googling and it seems the exhaust can get clogged. I will also try a deep thorough clean in case their are any residual oils. Hopefully that will sort it out.
The only other thing I can think of is possibly some of the chaff is getting to the element.
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billsey
Posts: 98
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#7: Post by billsey »

ecuew wrote:I never did identify the culprit but a few roasts ago I performed a deep clean and also replaced a dead afterburner and the issue has gone away for now.
A dead afterburner means the chaff isn't getting drawn out of the roasting chamber to be incinerated. That could easily lead to chaff fires and a smokey taste.

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Locopavoni (original poster)
Posts: 111
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#8: Post by Locopavoni (original poster) replying to billsey »

Please correct me if I am wrong on this point, but doesn't the afterburner only kick inat cooling? I have not noticed the chaff being drawn anywhere to be incinerated and I need to remove the chaff from the chaff collector at the end of the roast. Is this a problem with the afterburner?
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EvanOz85
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#9: Post by EvanOz85 »

billsey wrote:A dead afterburner means the chaff isn't getting drawn out of the roasting chamber to be incinerated. That could easily lead to chaff fires and a smokey taste.
Pretty sure this is not how the afterburner works...

brianmch
Posts: 68
Joined: 9 years ago

#10: Post by brianmch »

Hi Loca,
You may have moved on from this smoky Behmor thing now, but there is a current thread from Rao regarding the Flick. I haven't read the book and don't know what that is, but when following the link and reading the description he's saying (paraphrase follows) that beans that don't look over-roasted can taste that way.

I think that's what I'm getting in my Behmor roasts and may have to investigate further. I've been around long enough to know that the bean's I'm seeing shouldn't be tasting like they do.

I can't figure out how to correlate the A or B temps in the Behmor into anything meaningful. Nor can I figure out how to integrate Artisan except for a single air-temp probe through the door.

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