Struggling to get berry notes from my DP Ethiopia Harrar

Discuss roast levels and profiles for espresso, equipment for roasting coffee.
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cerone
Posts: 113
Joined: 8 years ago

#1: Post by cerone »

I'm getting super frustrated that I can't seem to get any blueberry notes out of this DP Ethiopia Harrar I got from Happy Mug recently.

I've been roasting for about 6-8 months on a Behmor 1600+, probably have somewhere between 75-100 roasts under my belt. I'm certainly no expert but I like to think I have some sort of an idea what I'm doing. I've done loads of reading online as well as Rao's book about roasting fundamentals as well as techniques specific to DP Ethiopians.

Unfortunately the Behmor has no BT probe so I'm going a little blind.

My understanding is that due to the variations in size/ moisture content, it's generally good to draw out the drying phase in order to help with a more uniform/ boisterous 1C. I've tried stretching the drying phase and also have tried going full power all the way up through 1C and dropping immediately.

I'll typically preheat my Behmor somewhere between 150-165 ET (no drum inside). I'll measure out my beans, put them in the drum and quickly install the drum in the roaster (5 seconds). I'll typically roast in manual mode at about 50% power for 3-5 minutes (double drum speed) and then go 100% power until 1C starts rolling (around 10:00 +/- 1:00 depending on the roast), then I'll dial back to 25% power to allow for some development time as 1C slows down, as soon as 1C stops I typically press the cool cycle, open the door, and blow a fan in. My beans are typically cool to the touch within 2-3 minutes. I always use 240g of beans and consistently end up with about 207-209g after the roast. Right at 13% loss which is where I think I should be for a light fruit forward roast.

I typically brew with a V60 and have tried grinding anywhere from #14-20 on my virtuoso (I grind one dose at a time) and tried brewing times between 2:00-3:00. Continuous pour, pulse pouring, you name it. No luck whatsoever. The coffee is good, seems balanced, very minor ashy flavor when I sip loudly. No berry notes whatsoever. One last thing to note is I'm using glacier water from a refill station. Measures 30ppm which I know is a little low for coffee. If you were me, what would you try next?

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hankua
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#2: Post by hankua »

My first question would be, does it have blueberry notes or not?
Next I'd be In touch with Happy Mug for some help sorting out a Behmor+ profile for the coffee.
Sounds like your hitting 1C at the 10min mark, can you shorten up the total roast time and finish up similarly?
Another thing to try is a set of three roasts with a short RD (time from 1c-drop), medium RD, and longer RD

JojoS
Posts: 170
Joined: 11 years ago

#3: Post by JojoS »

You can try to cool externally. It made a big difference for me with my modded Behmor 1600. At what stage of your roast do the afterburner kicks in?

brianmch
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#4: Post by brianmch »

Please keep us updated...I am in your boat.

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woodchuck
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#5: Post by woodchuck »

Not sure if this helps or not but here is my roast profile for the first batch of Harrar I received from HM. I definitely don't taste a blueberry bomb here but it is very floral with some blueberry/jammy aromas and taste. It has a nice acidity, light body and clean finish. I do get a hint of chocolate in the finish. I got on the fan a little too early before FC on this one should have just left it alone. Anyways the only change I'd make next time is to leave the fan alone before FC and maybe drop even a few seconds earlier. I think the suggestion of getting through the roast quicker is a good one to try. Also, I don't if you can, but starting with a higher charge temperature might help get you to FC faster as well.
Cheers
Ian


AKucewicz
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Joined: 8 years ago

#6: Post by AKucewicz »

I have a bit less experience than you (40-50 roasts on my 1600+), but in my opinion you might be going too slow and low at the start. From what I've read the Behmor 1600+ starts off and ramps up heat considerably lower + slower than a conventional roaster. So while drawing out the drying phase on a coffee like this is necessary you might be getting a bit of stalling (I also might be totally off the mark!).
I'm working with a very similar bean right now (DP Ethiopia Ardi) and I am thinking that I dont take long enough with my drying phase. I start off on p5 (100% power) and dont start to touch the power button until approx 5-6 mins with a 350 gram charge to ensure momentum (I'm starting to think this is too aggressive) So maybe with the advice of some fellow Behmor users you and I can reach berry notes approaching from the opposite directions!

poison
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Joined: 18 years ago

#7: Post by poison »

Shorten that to 1st crack start around 8-8.5min, drop mid 1st around 10min. See how that goes.

Unrooted
Posts: 279
Joined: 8 years ago

#8: Post by Unrooted »

I use a Corretto roaster (heatgun/bread machine) and I am roasting an Ethiopian Natural lately. This was one of my first successful batches, but maybe it will help you???

I start my machine up, get the BT probe up to 216c and wait for it to "stall" there, then I dump my beans in (200 gr), I have a fan with 3 speeds and I start on the lowest setting. I wait around 3 minutes for the yellowing and I turn the fan to the second setting, first crack was right at 7:00, I turned the fan up to the highest and started lowering the HG temp to slow down the ROR to a couple tenths of a degree per second. I dropped around 8:30 min.

The coffee isn't as amazing as I think it could be but it has a good brightness and hints of flavors I want like blackberry jam.

Not really sure what I want to do to enhance those flavors, but a roast I did that same night with a similar technique but a higher start temp and dropping at 7:30 minutes tastes much more muted, it has an acidity that reminds me of a green apple.

I'm going to try to do a replica roast of the first one I described and a 2nd with a 210c start and a 205c start just to compare.

I am attempting a 17% development time because that's what cat and cloud says they do, and anything longer causes the coffee to be darker than I think it should be.

JojoS
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Joined: 11 years ago

#9: Post by JojoS »

Tips and tricks used for a particular green with a roaster that isn't a Behmor is very difficult to replicate in a Behmor. Even Behmor to Behmor profiles can be a source of frustration specially when a C+ roast level is the objective. Having used only a Behmor, I find that tweaking your roast involves the charge weight and that you will have to look for the sweet spot for your particular Behmor setup. IMO, nothing less than 300 grams of greens is a good starting point. External cooling has also prevented the loss/muting of floral and fruity flavors and aroma for lightly roasted coffee in my experience with Ethiopian greens. Another important issue is the age of the greens and how it is stored but that is the pandora's box that any type of roasting machine will find challenging. Full City roasts anyone? :D