Posted Tue Jun 13, 2006, 7:03am Subject: I-Roast 2 - Unable to discern cracks
Old issue I am sure for you who are more experienced, but I can't hear the cracks to save my life with the I-Roast 2 (I could discern them on the Fresh Roaster 2).
What I have tried?
Putting a towel around the base
Listening from a distance
Listening with good ear right next to the chaff screen/exhaust area in the top of the roaster
What I have resorted to (for many other purposes as well) is a detailed log of settings, times, and temps as well as results. This works rather well for a coffee when I have roasted it before and have had success. But new coffees are a whole other kettle of beans.
Any suggestions from you more experienced roasters out there?
Posted Tue Jun 13, 2006, 7:55am Subject: Re: I-Roast 2 - Unable to discern cracks
For what it's worth I had a hard time hearing the cracks when I first started using the I-Roast. It's become easier over time but I'm really not doing anything differently. I think I've just trained my ear a bit? I can hear first and second crack now pretty easily.
I do wish the I-Roast was quieter. It's like listening to a vaccum cleaner!
Posted Tue Jun 13, 2006, 4:10pm Subject: Re: I-Roast 2 - Unable to discern cracks
i've only roasted a handful of times with the i-roast 2 and find it almost impossible to hear the second crack. i roasted some decaf today and didn't hear anything! i had to get out the z&d (gasp!) as i was roasting some for a friend.
i had thought the z&d was loud when i started with it 6 months ago but after roasting with the i-roast for 11minutes the z&d's 15min roast souned like a honda accord after the harley davidson that was the i-roast.
i'm not ready to give up on the i-roast, yet..... ;-)
Nor I. I posted the note about the difficulty to hear the beans after roasting a Sumatran Lintong from Intelligentsia (it is exxxxxcellent coffee). I heard n-o-t-h-i-n-g, which frequently happens.
Two hours later, after posting, I am roasting an Ethiopian Ghimbi and you guessed it, I could hear the first crack. Faint, but present. I kept a very close eye because I was after a FC+ or a Vienna. I ever so faintly heard what sounding like the more subdued second crack and threw it into cool. (The Ghimbi's, dry processed, have 10% cinammon beans among them. I picked out the faintest ones and will leave the others and give it a try after de-gassing...if it is too wild, I will 'thin' the lighter ones again.
Interesting. Some beans I can faintly hear. Many I can not.
RE: Noise of the I-Roast 2. If I turn on the vacuum cleaner, our dog Gallagher lays right on the rug and I vacuum around him. If he is in the kitchen and I kick on the I-Roast, I can only see his arse headed out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into the master bedroom.
Truth be known, even though I can't hear, the I-Roast is putting out good coffee for me.
Posted Tue Jun 13, 2006, 6:34pm Subject: Re: I-Roast 2 - Unable to discern cracks
I agree with the difficulty hearing 2nd crack. For the longest time I thought I was way off on my settings or not roasting long enough. But I've burned a fair number of batches in the past 18 mo. and determined that sometimes the 2nd crack just isn't loud enough to be heard above the roar... so I've been going as much by appearance.
One thing that helps is to know what you're listening for. The i-roast tone is kind of a low mid range roar. The crack is pretty high frequency. I've trained my ear a bit to hear this distinct tone mixed in with the roar. You should be able to hear it best by holding your ear somewhat near the glass. And if you can have the roaster away from a wall on the back side.... that should help too because it would cut down on the reflection of the blower sound waves.
Posted Wed Jun 14, 2006, 7:16am Subject: Re: I-Roast 2 - Unable to discern cracks
I forgot to mention something which might help you...
Depending on the temp setting, the IRoast seems to choose different fan speeds. The hotter, the slower it seems. I haven't changed my settings in a while so I don't have specifics but you might be able to time it so your second crack happens during a lower, quieter fan speed. A thermometer mod might help too.
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