Approaching 20 years of roasting. Continuing to get better at it, but who knows? Haven't posted much recently because I've pretty much said all I have to say.

But wait----here's something worth mentioning. I've used only one heatgun for most of that time: a Makita 1100 (now discontinued). Always a little frustrating reading others' experiences who have seen HG/DB as an econo entry into home roasting--often using a home depot paint department hg costing under $40.

Well, after a few years of lengthening roast times--roughly 12 min to 15 min along with suffering noises (the hg, not me), I bought a new one: Makita HG6530--about $130. So I upgraded from something that worked OK, to a professional tool that is nearly vibration free, quiet, and very very hot.

I'm a much less experienced roaster, but I'm currently building a simple-ish roaster using a flour sifter and heat gun. I'm currently using an inherited heat gun from my father-in-law. It has variable heat/fan (temp and fan speed go hand in hand). I'm just wondering with your upgraded heat gun, do you find any noticeable difference in your roasting? Is it just more comfortable and experience? I'm just trying to decide if it is something I should plan for.

Thanks!

Welcome to H B. My 10oz roasts typically take 11-14 min. If you're at or near that, your HG is likely "good enough." A lame comparison is a newish and tuned auto vs an older beater. Both can get you where you are going.

About that flour sifter: many have tried to complicate hg roasting with sifters, bread machines, and all sorts of contraptions, including thermometry. IMO, these projects are often more about tinkering (ok, engineering) than roasting. And what do they hope to gain from their inventions? Turns out the more complicated (automated?) devices still require constant attention--sometimes in pursuit of replicability, and that's a challenge even for off-the-shelf roasters.

I will chime in on the matter as I've done both methods... I will gladly say the heat gun/bowl method is as simple as it gets and quite effective once you get in the rhythm and figure out what works for you. My main reason for switching to the sifter was to maintain consistency mainly due to fluctuating weather. I roast outdoors year round and have done so on 90 degree days as well as during the recent cold snap we had with wind chill in single digits and various levels of temp/humidity throughout the year. The heat gun/sifter had no problem keeping up in single digit weather and no insulation/enclosure required the way I have it set up.

For the first handful of years I had one analog thermometer in place just to give me an idea of how much heat was hitting the bean mass and relied primarily on hearing the development. Well, that all changed drastically about 4.5 yrs ago when I became profoundly/permanently deaf in a matter of weeks. Wanna talk about a rude awakening getting used to life all over again. Not to mention getting back into roasting not being able to hear a thing. To offset that I did add a few temp probes/meter to give me feedback to go on along with sight/smell, which I still rely heavily on of course. Leading up to that I did try various methods such as a decibel meter, mechanic stethoscope, IR thermometer and still did little in the way of validating consistent temp/development, so the probes are installed in ideal spots and give me all the feedback I need to maintain consistency for what I can no longer hear. Overcomplicated to some, but a true necessity in my case. Of course I could've gone back to buying roasted coffee, but I vowed that as long as I have a pulse/hands I will never buy roasted coffee the rest of this lifetime as home roasting has worked so well for me for 7 yrs now. I would mention my recent change to the heating system I choose to use, but that's another insane topic altogether. Will also mention that I've always kept the high quality 'slow feed' bowl I started out with as well as a heat gun for backup as there's always a plan B.

BodieZoffa wrote:as there's always a plan B.

A fascinating journey your roasting has taken you. Your method may be a bit more complicated than mine, but no more complicated than it needs to be--which is the advice I give to others but struggle to follow for myself.

Long time heatgun user. Martin got me interested early on. I roast in the corner of out building. In the winter, with electric at a premium (heatgun and fan in use) I use a kerosene heater to take the chill off. Works well. As Martin suggests, the more time and effort put into the method, the results will improve. Good green beans will make a difference as well. Bill

Thanks for all your thoughts!

I'm still at it and getting more experience! Slowly improving the coffee results