dogjamboree wrote: Would it work to try and match my beans colors to theirs during my roast?

Not necessarily, it really depends on the speed of the roast. A fast roast will have a darker exterior but lighter, possibly underdeveloped interior, than a slow roast.

I wouldn't worry to much about marking when first crack ends. Just make sure to mark when it starts(like you did). I wouldn't say a city roasts starts at 415f on any roaster Ive ever seen before. Personally id say city plus starts around 412(211c). Use your weight loss as a guide. Every bean is different, but 15 percent weight loss is pretty high. City roasts should be around 12 to 13 percent.

For slowing things down on the quest... just turn off the element and max out the fan about 30 seconds before first crack starts. This will pull out a lot of stored heat in the roaster. You will just need to experiment with how long to run the fan, and how long to kill the element. Cause if you over shoot its hard to recover quickly with the electric element.

You cant use that sweet marias sheet to know where you are in a roast. Your going to have to figure out those temps for your self. When I had the quest first crack started around 385 - 390. Don't be scared to under roast a batch, it will be a good lesson on how light is "too light". The lightest I ever went(with good results) on the quest was about 400.