Yirga Senior Member Joined: 3 Feb 2006 Posts: 659 Location: Big Bend Expertise: Just starting
Posted Fri Dec 22, 2006, 7:04am Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
Jules_Gobeil Said:
Keith,
Well... I'm far from falling asleep. On the contrary, I found it very interesting. . . . I don't see how you could do 3 roasts and come up with identical results - there are too many variables you don't control - heat source, steer, cooling, ambiant temperature to name a few (all these are under control in a iR2). . . .
Falling asleep would have been, more humane! But since you didn't . . .
I'm a cook who doesn't follow recipes, exactly. Like a musician who improvises (more like a jazz player). In regard to roasting coffee, I like to know where I am (time and temperature) if only to go short, long, high or low, just a little. Even when I don't feel like hitting a new lick, I can stay within the theme (roast profile) fairly close. Otherwise, if I used the iR2 and it were rock solid capable of repeated exact roast profile duplication, I'd be varying it somewhat with whatever adjustments it has. Pardon my ignorance on the iR2, but why are there problems as specified herein, if it's capable of good as well as, repeatable, roast profiles? I seem to detect it's better at achieving repeatable roasts, more so than, repeatable, “good” roasts. Also, it seems to have the characteristic, too hot, too fast roasting of typical fluid-bed roasters which result in a much wider differential of roast profiles, exterior to interior, for the beans! Highly repeatable, undesirable (for those who favor, mellow roasts) roasts, don't appeal to me -- excuse me while I give my (cool) iron pot a little, kiss!
Posted Fri Dec 22, 2006, 7:22am Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
Yirga Said:
Falling asleep would have been, more humane! But since you didn't . . .
I'm a cook who doesn't follow recipes, exactly. Like a musician who improvises (more like a jazz player). In regard to roasting coffee, I like to know where I am (time and temperature) if only to go short, long, high or low, just a little. Even when I don't feel like hitting a new lick, I can stay within the theme (roast profile) fairly close. Otherwise, if I used the iR2 and it were rock solid capable of repeated exact roast profile duplication, I'd be varying it somewhat with whatever adjustments it has. Pardon my ignorance on the iR2, but why are there problems as specified herein, if it's capable of good as well as, repeatable, roast profiles? I seem to detect it's better at achieving repeatable roasts, more so than, repeatable, “good” roasts. Also, it seems to have the characteristic, too hot, too fast roasting of typical fluid-bed roasters which result in a much wider differential of roast profiles, exterior to interior, for the beans! Highly repeatable, undesirable (for those who favor, mellow roasts) roasts, don't appeal to me -- excuse me while I give my (cool) iron pot a little, kiss!
Good for you if you are happy like this ! The idea behind it is to enjoy it.
The iR2 has the weaknesses and strong points of fluid bed roasters. From what I read on forums, it seems to be the best home fluid bed roaster available. It seems to me that most problems and insatisfactions with the iR2 are due to careless, improper use and modifications. Examples are doing 20 roasts the same day (this is a home roaster not a commercial one), roasting on a towel to reduce noise (it blocks the air entry points), not watching roast progression (charred beans), roasting outside in cold weather, bad programming (baked or very bright) etc... Of course, some units are defective but I suspect there are not that many. Oh yes, it's indeed very noisy.
Eh? What'd you say? I can't hear you above the noise!
Bose sells some very effective noise reduction head phones, ~$300! That's ~ 20 iron pots and not counting what an iR2 costs! Don't you ever watch, "The Simple Life"? I mean, for the innuendo?
Posted Thu Jan 4, 2007, 7:11am Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
Jules_Gobeil Said:
I did quite a bit of experimenting with the iRoast2, using different beans and profiles. I have graphed all my 46 roasts so far and I measure temperatures with a thermocouple.
Here is the profile I use now: 1- 3 min. 320 F. 2- 2 min. 365 F. 3- 2 min. 390 F. 4- 3 min. 410 F. 5- 5 min. 425 F.
Of course, this roast must be stopped manually. First crack happens at about 7:00 and I usually stop the roast between 11:00 and 12:30.
I've recently moved to the iRoast2 from a FreshRoast, primarily with the objective of longer roasts (and of course larger batch sizes). The first thing I did was to program the roaster with your profile listed above.
I must say, this profile has been a big success so far! While I don't ever expect to reach a full fifteen minutes, my roasts have routinely gone into Stage 5, and I've been able to stop them with far more accuracy than with the FreshRoast. (Mostly Full City to Full City+)
Ambient temperatures are a bit of a problem, as I need to roast near an open window with an exhaust fan, which creates quite a cool air temperature near the machine. Not as cool as in a garage or on a porch, but certainly cooler than 65 F. Nevertheless, the roast seems to progress steadily without stalling.
[BTW, I did try venting through the window by attaching a 4 inch dryer duct, but the Lamaflex aluminum film laminate became so hot during roasting that I was concerned about the potential for fire. I don't know what maximum temperature the Lamaflex is rated for, but we're talking temps WAY above what any dryer puts out.]
I am roasting batches of 145 grams, which the iRoast seems to handle with adequate bean circulation and evenness of roasting.
Posted Thu Jan 4, 2007, 7:52am Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
David,
I'm glad you're having success with the iR2. As you progress, you will gain experience and you will enjoy it even more.
I don't have the vent problem since I use it under the stove fan and it does a fine job to exhaust the smoke (if any) and the odors. After roasting, it definitely smells roasting inside the house but one has to come from outside to feel it. It is even a pleasant odor.
I use 140 grams so my temperatures may vary from yours. Also, I suspect you must take the ambiant temperature into consideration because of your setup.
Given a stable environment, I find the iR2 puts out extremely stable roasts. I roast decaf from SM's for my wife and I do it strictly by time, using the above profile - always roasted to the very same color. For me it is a different story because I constantly experiment with different coffees, roasting profiles and times - I use a TC to measure temps, check voltage and take notes.
I'm still working on improving my profile to make it a longer roast and I will post my results if I make significative progress.
SJM Senior Member Joined: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 1,352 Location: CA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat Jan 20, 2007, 11:18am Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
Thank you, Jules, for your profile.
My IR2 arrived yesterday, and today I found myself paralyzed by the varieties of choices for my first trial roast. So I dug out some 2-year old Sumatra beans, dialed in your profile, and turned it on. What a treat to watch. Of course I completely missed any cracks, but I was mesmerized by the color changing and having a grand time. When it was done, I cooled it some more (tossing back and forth in collanders), put most of it into a mason jar for tomorrow, but couldn't resist pulling just one latte. And, do you know what, even with everything going against it (old beans, no resting after roasting, no experience whatsoever), my latte is DELICIOUS !!!!
Posted Sat Jan 20, 2007, 12:08pm Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
SJM Said:
My IR2 arrived yesterday, and today I found myself paralyzed by the varieties of choices for my first trial roast. So I dug out some 2-year old Sumatra beans, dialed in your profile, and turned it on. What a treat to watch. Of course I completely missed any cracks, but I was mesmerized by the color changing and having a grand time. When it was done, I cooled it some more (tossing back and forth in collanders), put most of it into a mason jar for tomorrow, but couldn't resist pulling just one latte. And, do you know what, even with everything going against it (old beans, no resting after roasting, no experience whatsoever), my latte is DELICIOUS !!!!
Great that your roaster has arrived. I do the same as you regarding the extra collander cooling.
Are you all set with smoke control and venting? I have found a perfect solution in my set up, in that a dual-blade window fan (set on exhaust) works wonderfully to send the smoke out the kitchen window, without reducing ambient temps appreciably.
And Jules......have you updated/modifed your profile by now? I still use the one you originally posted, but am always interested in potential improvements.
SJM Senior Member Joined: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 1,352 Location: CA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat Jan 20, 2007, 12:35pm Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
Hi David in Vermont (where in Vermont?)
Thanks for the fan suggestion. I don't have a vent fan over my kitchen stove, so I took the roaster into the guest bathroom, turned on the exhaust fan, and opened the window. It could be better, but it seemed to work.
Most of the year it is benign enough here north of SF to roast out on the screened porch. This year we are having a colder than usual snap....
Be sure to share any other profile or bean suggestions.
Posted Sat Jan 20, 2007, 1:13pm Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
SJM Said:
Hi David in Vermont (where in Vermont?)
Thanks for the fan suggestion. I don't have a vent fan over my kitchen stove, so I took the roaster into the guest bathroom, turned on the exhaust fan, and opened the window. It could be better, but it seemed to work.
Most of the year it is benign enough here north of SF to roast out on the screened porch. This year we are having a colder than usual snap....
Be sure to share any other profile or bean suggestions.
I am in the mountains and tundra north of Stowe. At no time of year is it benign enough here for porch roasting! But with mittens, wool caps, and thermal underwear, we manage to survive indoors.
Learning the idiocyncracies and pecularities of different beans is one of the joys of home roasting. I've found Colombians, Guats, and Costa Ricans for the most part to be easy and predictable, while dry-processed Sidamos and diverse Indonesians can be surprising and quirky. Of course, there are exceptions all around. Please keep sharing your experiences and results.
In general, I think the challenge of the i-Roast is to find a profile that extends the roast as long as possible (to enhance body), but without stalling. I like Jules' approach because I think the longish ramp-up time allows the beans to develop temperature inside, while not becoming over-cooked on the outside.
Posted Sat Jan 20, 2007, 1:30pm Subject: Re: iRoast2 - Getting a 12-Minute Roast Out of this Puppy
Susan, I'm glad you're enjoying it. If you can be patient enough, I find that about 3 days rest is ideal.
David, yes I have gone further in my experiments. I'm working with this profile now: 1- 320 F. 6 m. 2- 375 3 3- 385 4 4- 390 1 5- 400 1
Yesterday I roasted SM's Espresso Classic blend to 14 minutes and got a beautiful Vienna + (dark brown and lightly oily) roast. I'll taste it tomorrow. I haven't experimented much with yet so I cannot comment more.
By the way, I thought that the fan slowed down with programmed temps of 400 F. and more but on my unit it starts at 390 F.
The more I go with it, the more pleased I am. It roasts really good coffee. I only wish it would roast a little more at a time.
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
= No New Posts since last visit 