poison Senior Member Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 1,164 Location: LA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Astra Pro Grinder: Maestro Plus, Super J deal Drip: Cone filter Roaster: RK drum
Posted Sat Nov 6, 2004, 11:18am Subject: Re: Need BBQ Roasting Advice
TheArtfulDodger is right, cooling is essential, and a simple fan won't do it. You can dump beans at second crack, and if you let them sit, they may end up a good Italian roast or darker, depending on ambient temps.
You need to get air forced through them, and lots of it. If you were roasting 1/4 lb or so you could just toss them in a colander, up in the air, but you'd still have to dump them way before they achieved the desired roast. Even on a diedrich it takes a big batch 3 minutes or so to cool to the point they are not cooking.
Posted Sat Nov 6, 2004, 12:18pm Subject: Re: Need BBQ Roasting Advice
I tried the cheap tin pan diffuser. Big no no, it melted! I pulled it out before it stuck to anything though. Can anyone tell me if 650F plus is too hot to roast? That is the coolest that I can get with the lid shut. I hate to sound redundant but I really don't want to ruin a whole pound of coffee.
I am going to dump the coffee into a cool colander and stir with a whisk in front of a fan. With only one pound that should cool them. I can also use the box fan underneath the colander to pull air down through the beans. I have a window screen that I could use and spread the beans out in a single layer over the entire size of the box fan too.
My grill runs extremely hot, I fear that if I grill with the lid down at temps 650F and above I will roast way too fast. Grill with the lid open and I end up with an inefficient perhaps uneven roast because the temp from the top of the drum to the bottom will be very different. I need to research and get specific temperature profiles. I do think that anything over 650F after first crack is way too hot. Isn't it? Man my head is spinning here...
Wise advice...ask me how I know! :) I ran out tonight. Luckily I had just started the grill and hadn't loaded the beans in yet. How much is propane in the rest of the country? 2.49 here, but there's a minimum charge of 13.50 Then the tank only took 4.6 gallons. (Yes I am pretty sure that I got screwed. The guy didn't even ring it up.) But the type that you bring empty and exchange for a full one cost even more. 14 including tax.
Rawman the Expobarbarian.. AKA the Original Jon R.
Posted Sat Nov 6, 2004, 10:22pm Subject: Re: Need BBQ Roasting Advice
In NC an exchange tank is running about $16. I keep one extra. I've noticed when the tank gets low I can't get above about 400 degrees. When it gets low I switch the tanks out so I don't run out in the middle of a roast. I got 21 roast out of my last tank.
Posted Sun Nov 7, 2004, 6:33am Subject: Re: Need BBQ Roasting Advice
SUCCESS!!!
Well I sucked it up and did it! I roasted two 4-ounce batches. The first batch was my can drum and with the grill lid open. I ramped up to 650F slowly, too slowly, and then hovered around 500 for second crack. It was a mess. Beans were sticking and falling out and chaff everywhere. The roast came out uneven but not too bad (read that as savable!).
My hats off to you guys about the cooling. The seemingly small 4-ounce batches did cool but slowly. Even in front of the fan. I am going to use a window screen over a big box fan when I roast bigger batches!
For the second batch I wrapped a layer of aluminum foil around the drum then poked holes around the drum. Granted I could not see anything but I went by smell and sound. Wow, what a difference! I hit first crack in 5:30 and then second at 9:30! A success and the roast was very even! This batch I started out at medium heat (600F) then came down to 500F between cracks. A little quicker than I wanted but I could hear and smell the stages. I wound up with a nice city roast. I am still working on my technique but the good news is I can roast with the lid open as long as I have the foil wall. It acts as an oven in the drum. The aluminum conducts the heat inside the drum for me instead of the grill body. This way I can roast with the lid open to avoid the extreme heat of my hot grill. I have an oven thermometer that I have up by the drum and I monitor that as I roast. Sure that will not indicate internal drum temps but it gives me a measuring device nonetheless so I can repeat results. That is after what I am after.
Well I am going to order more coffee beans from SM and get to work on my technique. I have also decided to do one half or one pound batches max. For now anyway. I am sure my drum can hold 3 or 4. However I want to work on my technique before risking more coffee!
Yes the foil is actually secured with the two pipe clamps, as is the screen. I have since altered my design using longer foil so that I could put the clamps at the ends of the drums. The drum is 15 inches long, so the 12 inch foil was too short. I am going to some more test runs and take some pics.
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