Fresh Roast SR540 Review And Roast

[@pdmoerma]

you don't need a probe to monitor temperatures. you can get a readout of the air temp entering the chamber by twirling the knob clockwise about 90 degrees so long as the temp and fan levels are not blinking from a recent adjustment. i've been recording the temps at 1 min intervals on my FR800 to get a sense of the rate of rise, even tho it's not measuring bean mass temp directly. the settings you went through are very similar to what i use, altho i use an extension tube which makes a huge difference in headroom. congrats on your first roast tasting so good!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Paul, Thanks for watching and for your comments. Yea, I didn't know about the temp until someone else mentioned it like you did. So, I will be sure to monitor temps on a future roast. I have an extension tube I will be using on a future video. Pretty cool stuff.I also hope to tweek the temp monitoring stuff too. Stay tuned. Thanks for the encouragement Paul!

[@adamcrowder3210]

I've been interested in getting into roasting for a while, and I think this video finally sold me. The SR540 has been on my list of roasters and I appreciate your review and walkthrough of using it. I just found your channel so I'll definitely be perusing your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Adam. Thanks for your comment and for watching. Yea, I've been very pleased with the 540 BUT roasting with the extension tube really really makes a difference in a better way. You can roast a little more coffee at a time and you get a lot of bean movement which will help get a more even roast. I'm hoping to show more about this in future videos. Happy Roasting!

[@arielannvoigt8294]

Thanks! I love my SR 800. I just roasted a huehue last night just to 2nd crack. Delicious. Too many roasters stick their noses up at fluid bed roasting. It's too bad.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Ariel, I’m a drum guy so I understand what you are saying. Since I have been experimenting with different roasters I can see why so many people like the air roasters. How are you using your fan and heat for roasting. Are you changing your fan speed?

[@arielannvoigt8294]

Yes.... I put the fan on high in the beginning and slow it down as the beans get more loft to get the temp up. I don't have a bean probe, but I watch the temp on the machine, time for FC, and color of the beans to make decisions on how to manipulate the air and heat.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for sharing Ariel and thanks for watching!

[@SerialNerdery1825]

I have been using the SR540 for a year now. I see that you started with a low power but I usually start with a 9 fan and 9 power and come down to 8 power at 2.2 minutes, then fan 8 art 4.5 minutes, 7 and 7 at 6 minutes, end at 7.5 minutes to 10 minutes for added development. It all depends on ambient temp. I have found that it tastes better (more flavorful vs less flavorful) than starting at a lower temperature, just my experience. However, I am intrigued by your formula so I will try your process the next time I roast. Excellent channel!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for sharing how you are roasting with the SR540. Is your coffee yellow by 2.2 minutes on that setting? How dark are you going? It seems like lots of fresh roast people are using the high heat early on.

[@SerialNerdery1825]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Yes, its yellow by 2.2 minutes. I usually go to Full City or Full City+ but depends on the coffee. For Ethiopians, I go to City or CIty+ but always start with high temp and fan.

[@gterry180]

Oh I love the Huehuetenango . My favorite so far. I've just started on the 540, 5 roasts in.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Congrats on the fresh roast! Yea, Huehue is a nice Central American coffee.. enjoy the roaster!

[@3dflyer87]

Thanks for the fantastic video! I'll definitely order an SR800 this weekend!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Collin, do your research and make sure that is the right roaster for you. I’m not trying to promote one roaster over another and I’ve had very little experience with the 540. Don’t base your decision just on my experience.

[@3dflyer87]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab fair point, I've already been planning on getting the SR-800 for several months, so now I'm just more excited to get to it!

[@temptingfate759]

I have been using the 540 for over two years on a weekly basis...I have found that also monitoring the temp during the roast provides valuable feedback as to where to place the settings. When the numbers stop flashing, turn the knob quickly to the right and the screen changes to the internal temp...another turn and it goes back to the settings...good video

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Tempting Fate, thanks for sharing that tip. That Internal Temp” you mentioned is most likely the temperature of the air coming into the roasting chamber right? Has anyone measures the temperature range for the different power settings? Just curious. Are you roasting by temperature or by senses and time? I know many people roast to first crack and then start the timer for development. Also, are you happy with your roasts. After 2 years are you just as satisfied with your 540? Thanks again for sharing!

[@temptingfate759]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I am using a similar profile to yours but I use the temps as a guage and adjust the fan and power so I can hold the beans at a very specific time and temp range as they move through the process. I roast outside so I know that the outside air temp will impact air temp quite a bit. Also the temp can rise quite a bit just by turning the fan down one notch. Next time you roast give the dial a quick turn to the right after the numbers stop flashing and take a look. It adds a new layer of flexibility and can really improve the roast as you move between the temps and adjustments. Some people do use a probe inside the chamber for direct feedback. Lastly I do also use sight and smell as various beans will roast a bit faster or slower...you have a great channel thanks again

[@elizabethheyenga9277]

I never use the temp gauge, all eyes ears nose. My coffee comes out great :)

[@LivingTheLifeRetired]

Great video. You didn’t mention I don’t think how you brewed your cup of coffee.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

I didn't. Sorry about that. I believe I brewed that with the Kalita Stainless Steel brewer.

[@gregwilliamson1569]

Thanks for the demo and the review!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

You bet Greg. Thanks for watching!

[@montaego]

Thanks for the video. I have the SR800 with extension tube and temperature probes. I've noticed that with low density beans (and extension tube), it's hard to keep the heat low enough to have the drying phase greater than 3minutes (even with the fan at 9 and heat at 1). If you get a temp probe, get a 30cm so that it is in the bean mass, otherwise you delta bean temp will lag and have artifacts.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for sharing that experience and advice. Yes, I have heard the SR800 and even the SR540 with the Razzo extension tube can really hold in the heat and make it difficult for some to avoid short dry phase times. I will be using the same probes I did for the Behmor Temperatures Artisan video i posted recently. One is long and the other is short. I plan to setup the probes sort of like you mentioned, following the concept the Ikawa uses. I have a few videos coming out before that one. I have a question for you related to roasting on your SR800 and artisan. Are you gradually increasing heat up through first crack or after dry end are you setting your temp to a heat setting level like 9 and then lowering your fan to increase temps? So an ET that is constantly increasing throughout the entire roast OR a fixed ET after dry end? Let me know if I need to better explain my question. Thanks for watching and sharing Dr. Sober!

[@montaego]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Full disclosure, I am a newbie, but love good coffee and the science of roasting. I have found that changing the fan speed after dry end tends to drastically change heat and can throw the ROR for a rise or dive. Due to this, I have found, that keeping the fan speed constant past dry end and adjusting the temp gradually gives me the best results. I think part of this may be the effect that the lofted beans have on the bean temp probe and keeping the fan speed constant helps keep the bean temp real and not artifactual. I have also just started using a ET ROR curve to predict in advance what the BT ROR is going to do. This has helped me avoid major swings that can quickly get out of control. Thanks for all the great videos. I have learned a lot from them!

[@mgriff2000]

Hey Mike. I have been using a FR800 for about a year now. I noticed that in your video you were switching back and forth between adjusting the power level and the fan level. Its going to be very difficult for you to replicate that in future roasts. Think about using your drum roaster you only change the fan setting if something gets out of hand and you need to put on the brakes. Unfortunately with the FR roasters you will have to adjust both the power and the fan levels as you go, but here is what I do to keep my roasts more consistent. Start at fan 9 and power 1 let the unit come up to temp once the temp stabilizes charge the beans. Usually I don't need to touch the power for the first minute or two, then start gradually increasing the power up to 9 to meet your desired roast profile. Once you get to 9 on the power you will still have to continue to increase the temperature ,to do that switch to reducing the fan. Keep reducing the fan to meet your profile. Remember that in a hot air roaster the temperature ~= Power/Fan. So I would bet you actually had a negative ROR at about minute 9 when you started to take the fan back up. I would love to see a video where you added a bean probe temp sensor and repeated this exact same roast, then do another roast where you use my method to try to follow your ideal profile.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Matt. Yea, I had fan on 9 in beginning and once I got towards the end of dry I started to lower my fan to generate more heat. It is a different approach to hit my roast event times than what you are doing. In a way I am emulating a drum roasting profile. I may have asked you this before, but based on what you shared in your comment, what does your total roast time and your phase percentages look like for that profile you shared? As far as repeatability, I think I could repeat this pretty easy because I documented the roast as seen here at 16:38 as I documented both fan and heat. In some future roasts I hope to include temperatures as well as you had mentioned. It will be interesting to see what the temps look like. Let me know how my profile goes. I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your comments and sharing how you roast coffee on the Fresh Roast SR800.

[@jlantz3691]

If I started my fan at 9, I would have a lot of beans stuck in the chaff collector. I use an extension tube, and this helps move the beans more efficiently. I normally start at fan 6 or 7, heat 4, depending on batch size and density of beans, and adjust the fan and/or heat to maintain a steady ROR. Cutting the fan speed by one number seems to be equivalent to about 2-3 clicks on the Heat knob, as far as heating the chamber. I shoot for 1st crack at around 6-6/2 minutes (410-420°), and hit 'Cool' around 9 minutes at around 470°. This consistently reaches a City+, my preferred roast level for most beans.

[@mgriff2000]

@@jlantz3691 I need that extension tube! It would be really nice not to have to have the fan going full blast just to get the beans to move. I agree that one fan number is two power numbers.

[@jlantz3691]

@@mgriff2000 I also have an SR800. The ext. tube really gives you some flexibility in roasting. I normally end up at 4 fan and 8 power to get to where I listed above. You can also roast a tad more beans, up to 10 oz., though I rarely go that high. I usually roast 215 gms, which yields around 180 gms when it's done. That gives me (3) 60-gram batches. I brew mostly in a Behmor Brazen and a 10-cup Chemex.

[@elizabethheyenga9277]

@@mgriff2000 extension tube should be standard, it makes a big difference

[@jessiebarrett3973]

Thanks for the video! I’ve recently gotten into coffee roasting with the 800, however, like others have said above, I have found higher heat in the beginning has lead to more flavor. Also, my roasts finish between 7-9 mins for light to medium roasts. I will be playing with darker roasts and decaf soon….wish me luck!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Jessie, thanks for your comments. Yea, I’ve noticed a difference in flavor with shorter roasts as well. I’m working on another freshroast video as we speak. Good luck with the darker roasts and thanks for watching!

[@captainbob1950]

Mike, I now have an extension tube for my SR800. It seems that it will allow me to control the timing of the stages. My question is this: how do I know how long to make the browning phase if I'm looking for a sweet roast? I understand the percentages, I could adjust to fit the 45% 35% and 20%, but I'm not sure of the timing of the roast. With the SR800, like the SR540, should I be looking at a total roast time of 8, 9, 10 or longer if I want the browning phase to be good for sweetness? Thanks for your continued help. By the way, your video with the artisan software encouraged me to believe that I could do a good roast using sight, sound and smell. I do use the temp indicator as well, but I no longer use it to determine bean temp, since it doesn't. Bob Clemons

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Bob, There are several factors to aim for sweetness. First, you need a good quality bean that is capable of this. Look at the cupping notes to confirm. Also, good phase percentages will help. The phase percentages you mention are a good starting point but you will need to experiment with the middle phase. The total roast time is really important. Depending on the bean and the roasting device, the total roast time can vary. I would try experiment with your total roast times you mentioned. There are many who like shorter roast times with an air roaster and you will need to experiment to find that "sweet spot" (pun intended). Hope that was helpful. One more thing. The amount of coffee you roast will greatly affect your roasting times. So, less coffee equals shorter times. Keep this in mind while experimenting.

[@AspartameBoy]

I have been roasting over 25 years. Recently, for the last few years, I use the SR500, an older unit with a five ounce capacity for green. I have been using Ajuvo World Market, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. The coffee seems to be small, what fell thru the screen🙄. I need to buy a big bag of green that ages well. It must breathe though. In Arizona it will only dry more😆. I use full fan speed and measure the five ounces. Due to all that some beans always get stuck in the top plastic chaff filter. Coffee is good, and I vary the time depending on my mood. Temp is not adjustable in this model. I used to use oven/cookie sheet then hot air corn popper but those are no good anymore. They would roast too fast anyway

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi John - Thanks for sharing your coffee experience. How big of a bag are you purchasing? How long are your roasts?

[@AspartameBoy]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab A bag is 152 pounds or so. I’m going to make sure it is well screened. I roast for 7.3, 7.2.. and down depending how I want the taste. Sometimes I brew as soon as it cools out of the SR500. You set it for tenths of a minute. I run fan full. This is important when the beans are heavy. If I want it more roasted I fiddle with the fan speed to just keep it from tipping the beans

[@AspartameBoy]

I like to cold brew in my French press. You have to sneak the water in😜. Somtimes I find grind and make Turkish with Rapadura mixed in

[@daRock1212]

What a strange coincidence, I just got the 12-in Razzo extension tube and roasted my first batch on the SR800 last night! (I received the SR on auction with the roast chamber broken, so it's been sitting unused) My first experience is the same as yours, it seems perfectly capable to produce even light to medium coffee in under 10 minutes. The Razzo tube has a reinforced thermoprobe port on the side, so it's really easy to get BT. I found the inlet temp a little less useful as it didn't really help me predict DE or 1C. Haha I think I see that you used my roast log template. I hope it was helpful!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Mike, yea I used your excellent google sheet to log that roast. I was slammed for time to get it uploaded as I am out of town right now and forgot to ask if it would be ok to share on my channel. If yes I can put the link in the description and also mention it on my next video. Let me know. I got the fresh roast extension tube and it is really interesting. It does not have a probe port like the razzo but I have some ideas I am going to try and then share if they seem to make sense. Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet, your comments and for watching my video!

[@daRock1212]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab no worries at all! Yes go ahead and link it, that would be awesome. I really think I'll like the extension tube, it really opens up options to roast profile. I guess we'll learn in parallel

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks Mike. I added the link in the description. Looking forward to hearing what you discover with the Fresh Roast!

[@daveinnh3410]

Thanks Mike, great video as always! Looking forward to future videos with the Fresh Roast. Many of us use an extension tube, with the Razzo considered the best option. As well, many use two thermocouples for bean and exhaust temps. Lastly, with the two thermocouples attached to Artisan, you can really see what's going on. You can add custom buttons for fan and heat settings on Artisan. Thanks again.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for sharing Dave, I appreciate that. Which thermocouples are you using and where are you placing them? I think the razzo has a port for one probe right? Also, what are you connecting the probes to, a phidget or some temp device that connects to artisan? Thanks for watching my video!

[@jlantz3691]

Another quick question. I used the on-line timer that you used. How do you save the completed spread sheet for future reference? Thanks.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@jlantz3691 the coffee roasting timer app doesn’t have the feature to save or download. I was using that simply as a timer and to measure development percentage. The spreadsheet I used was from a viewer of my channel and you have to enter the data from your roast into the spreadsheet. The link to that spreadsheet is in the description of the video

[@jlantz3691]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I actually figured out a way to 'kinda' save it. You can take a screenshot of the finished spreadsheet and create a file on your phone to use for future roasts. While it doesn't give you the entire picture, it can certainly provide some data if you find a sweet spot.

[@shanewilson2152]

Hi Mike, looks like a great little roaster, and you looked like you really enjoyed it. I enjoyed your video too.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Shane, yea, I was impressed with how easy it was to roast. I think the digital readout for fan and heat is helpful for reproducing a roast. Thanks for watching!

[@sonnyblu6299]

Yes! Please... a No Acidity Oily Dark Chocolate French Roast... Thank you...

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hello Sonny, there are ways to roast coffee for low acidity without getting oils and second crack. I don’t usually go to 2nd crack when I roast. I’ll see what I can do to address this topic in the future. Thanks for watching!

[@cleecoat12]

I chart the temperatures via the machine’s output every 30 seconds once the temperatures stabilize in the beginning. I also keep track of fan and heat settings and when I change the them too. I do enjoy the 540 with the extension tube+extended chaff collector. I wish the machine had more built in features to measure both BT & ET. You can get set those probes up on your own though. With the other fresh roast, 800’s larger capacity would be nice, but again, more built in features to control the roast would be appreciated.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for sharing how you log your roasts Connor. Are you starting out your roast with lower heat settings or high heat settings? Just curious. I’m going to try monitoring temps in a future video using the same roast profile I used in this roast just to see what happened with my Rate of rise. Should be interesting. What other features were you wishing were included with the sr540?

[@cleecoat12]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab with the extension tube, I start at 9 fan/1 heat with ~150 grams. The highest my heat goes to is around 3. I would not go beyond that. I try to have my heat increase by 9 degrees F every 30 seconds roughly, and I rather have my heating curve rise smoothly. I don’t want sudden increases in heat. If I were to install probes and use the program as the video below shows, I would hope that I could understand and control my roasts better. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqCcepeXoN58p9k

[@cleecoat12]

I wish there were more fan speed settings for precise control.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@cleecoat12 Gotcha. I guess I will experience that more once I begin charting my temps on future roasts. Thanks again for sharing.

[@cleecoat12]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I would like a segment of when dry ends/the middle phase begins if you post a video with the extension tube. You can move through a roast with extension fairly quickly, and I can struggle when to properly call the start of middle phase. My roasts are around 7-9 minutes depending on what coffee I want.

[@marcmanelistvrg]

To get the temperature you spin the dial once it stops blinking after selecting the fan speed or temperature. Also, those little prongs on the topper break off easily. Otherwise, it’s a good roaster, I have been using one for almost two years.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Ahhhh, I thought it had a temp reading somewhere. So I assuming that would be the inlet air temp being displayed? Thanks for sharing and for the temp tip! Like I said in the video, it was my first roast!

[@bwilliams915]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab That temp is read inside at the beginning of the hot air stream. It doesn't read bean temp but it does tell you if your temp is increasing or decreasing or stalling. I have an SR800 with a 12" Razzo tube and a modified chaff collector which you will want if you go to an extension tube because you'll have more chaff with larger bean input. Then you might also want to set up a temp probe and even interface with Artisan. The temperature probes in the bean mass will give predictable results as compared to all the bean color charts online that show roast levels and temps to achieve them. Your drum temps (Megs too) are really low compared to mine and very confusing because they don't line up to the charts found online. Maybe you could address that issue! I really enjoy and learn from your videos. Thank you.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@bwilliams915 Thank you for the clarification!

[@jlantz3691]

Question: how can you determine the stop/start times of each phase with such accuracy? Even the Development phase, which I assume starts at/after FC, seems fluid, as FC can last up to a minute. Thanks.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi J. That’s a great question. Let’s break this down by event. I will share how I determine the beginning or end of each event. By they way, I do not use temperature to determine any event as these will vary based on roasting device and how fast your roast is moving “momentum “: Dry phase - this phase begins at the very moment the beans begin to be exposed to heat_. It ends when the coffee turns yellow. Now each of us may interpreted what yellow looks like differently. That is ok as long as your version of yellow is the same from roast to roast. For me, the easiest way is to call yellow when there is no green left. It seems easier for me to look for green with so much yellow. IF you use an air roaster with a short dry phase (2-3 minutes, it can be more difficult to monitor. Browning phase begins from dry end to first crack. Aroma should be sweetness and some yeast smells at the earlier stage. The beans browns to a cinnamon color and eventually to a milk chocolate during that phase. First crack - this event ends the browning phase and begins the development phase. Some will mark the beginning of this event when they hear the first crack of a single bean. I call these outliers. I call the beginning of first crack when there are a group of cracks together. So it might sound like crack……crack….. crack, crack……. Crack, crack, crack and at that time of the crack crack crack I know first crack has begun. Again, some do it differently BUT, as long as you do it consistently the same your in a good place. Development phase continues until you drop the coffee/end the roast/ begin the cool down with the goal of cooling the beans asap. You determine the length of the development phase based on your preference. You can use time, color, smell to determine the best time to end the roast. This may vary from one coffee to the next based on the tasting notes or brewing method you prefer. The coffee roasting timer app is free and can help you monitor your development percentage if you like that. Search online, it is browser based, no downloading necessary. I hope that helped answer your questions.

[@jlantz3691]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab That really helps. And as you said, as long as my interpretation is consistent, I can base my changes on that data point. Thanks.

[@mikejason3822]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab This is a very nice explanation. I was going through your answers in the comment section and they are very valuable. If they could be put together and published somewhere (website, blog etc.), many people will find them very helpful.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@mikejason3822 thanks for watching my video and for your comment. Yea, the comment section of these videos is a great resource. An ebook is something I have considered but not enough time. Thanks for sharing!

[@chefe2152]

Thank you for the video.How do you think this roaster will do making really light roasted coffee? Like some nice honey process beans.Thank you

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Sorry I missed this message Chef. Glad you are enjoying my videos. I think the fresh roast can do a great job with a lighter roasted coffee.

[@luigicollins3954]

Great video Mike. Believe it or not, your video is the first air roaster I have seen in action. As the beans roasted, I noticed some seemed to stayed on the sides a bit and were lighter in color. Did those come out lighter at the end of the roast? I guess my question should have been did you see any uneven development in the end? And I'm amazed at how quickly that roaster can go through the Drying Phase. Hope you have fun with that as you try different things with it.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Lou. Yes, there was a little unevenness. In my next video (I hope) I will be using an extension tube. It has a remarkable difference in bean movement and will promote an even roast. I can get these beans yellow in less than 2 minutes I think but doubt they are thoroughly dry. That is why I started with a low temp, cause air roasters are known for really fast roasts and I wanted to slow it down.

[@pilsplease7561]

Came back to add that while ive roasted 50 pounds of coffee on my behmor and like 10-15 pounds on the 540 the 540 produces consistently better coffee. The behmor tends to come out a little more neutral no matter what even in manual roasting. Tends to be a consistently meh experience.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hmm, sorry are are having that experience. How much coffee were you roasting on the Behmor per batch and what was the typical total roast time?

[@pilsplease7561]

1/2 pound at a time, have tried 1/4 of a pound as well. As for typical roast time I have to check my logs and get back to you.@@VirtualCoffeeLab

[@JohnnyLeuthard]

One thing I didn't hear you mention. If you spin the dial quickly it will tell you what the temp is in the chamber.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Johnny, thanks for your comment. Yea, I didn’t realize this when I started to use the roaster. Since the video, others have mentioned they use the temp dial as well. How are you using the temperature dial while roasting? Are you setting target temps during different parts of the roast?

[@Photosandfood]

I know this is from last year, but would you happen to know the manufacturer’s website? Thank you.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

This coffee roaster is manufactured by Home Roasting Supplies www.homeroastingsupplies.com/

[@Photosandfood]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab very kind of you to respond. Thank you.

[@elizabethheyenga9277]

Sweet Marias is awesome. I'm still trying to decide on a roaster, tired of pan roasting

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

There are some great choices. I talked about this last year in a livestream kzbin.infoe4q6rC6k3AQ Which one are you leaning towards?

[@stevenreeves4766]

Hey there, currently I am using the Fresh Roast SR800. I roasted two batches at separate times a Brazilian Mogiana Guaxupe 17/18 FC SS. (anyone know what the 17/18 FC SS means?) this bean never seems to go through FC well obviously that is not possible. I do hear a loud release of pressure like air coming out of a tire but only once. but I never hear any first crack. let it go till about 12 minutes then put into the cooler. it tastes great so no problem there. any ideas? is it just really quiet? in this roast I hit DE at about 4:00 was hoping to hit FC at about 8:00 dropped at 12:00 temp was about 445 degrees F Thanks,

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Steven. Fine Cup (FC) and Strictly Soft (SS). The Brazilian bean you have is a lower density bean. Have you measured density? I have roasted some coffee that has a silent crack. It is almost impossible to detect. Smelling the coffee can help get you close,. Also, if you are tracking your temps, the temp seems to spike up as the beans release pressure and move into development phase. Watch your end temps as this will help keep you from over roasting.

[@stevenreeves4766]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab thanks for that information. what do numbers like 17/18 mean? or GR1? or for example: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe washed - Gedeb worka gr. 1 -Daniel Mijane how do you measure density?

[@stevenreeves4766]

do you have some roasting tips for this Brazilian bean?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Steven, not sure what the 17/18 means. GR1 could mean grade 1 but honestly I'm not sure. Where did you buy the coffee? Bean density is measured by weight. See my video on measuring bean density here kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4XQmJlsfqd2lcU

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@stevenreeves4766 No tips for this coffee . I think you were happy with the results... "it tastes great". Good Job on your roast!

[@doubleshot-films]

How realistic is it to roast in your kitchen? Will it smoke up or stink up the house?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

It depends one two things. How dark you roast and if you have a hood fan to capture any smoke. I roast on the lighter side of medium and can use both the fresh roast and Behmor under the hood fan in the kitchen. If you roast dark it will cause more smoke

[@chongliangooi9801]

Will you be able to review the Sandbox Smart R1?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hello Chong thanks for your comment. I’ve roasted on several different roasters now and each one is unique. I’ve seen the sandbox roaster but not in person. Unfortunately, unless someone lets me borrow theirs I probably won’t be able to do a review. What reasons cause your interest in this roaster. What are you currently using to roast coffee?

[@chongliangooi9801]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I haven't started roasting... just learning...

[@wesleyfraser3058]

No picture of the roast?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

You are right. I could have done a better job with that. Sorry about that. I did show the coffee with this fresh roast video kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmiyqJ55d5iCjJo

[@richerich8007]

Where do you buy that coffee, I can't find it anywhere?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Rich. I buy the Huehuetenango greens from a local coffee roaster. You can find them at coffeebeancorral, smokinbeans, or amazon

[@saal2636]

Thanks for your informative youtube review. I could not find the exact name of the Guatemalan bean in your description. Could you write it down? What beans do you recommend roasting for espresso coffee and how do you alter the roasting condition?

[@gigi9467]

For someone that has a pro roaster and this how good is this roaster? Like maybe how mucj of a percentage of good is this compared to the pro stuff?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

The Mill City 500 Gram is completely different than the fresh roast. I can roast more coffee consistently on the Mill City than the fresh roast. Have I roasted coffee as good on the fresh roast as the mill city? Yes. If I had a choice and money wasn’t an option I would choose the Mill City.

[@Stevesbe]

Wonder how much popcorn it will make ?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Steve, it makes more popcorn than your kaldi does. I know you’re not a fan of hot air roasters but I think this is the roaster for you. It’s only 75,000 dollars

[@chuckv8838]

Would be nice to see temps even though the temp isn’t directly bean temp.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Yep, I will be adding a probe and using the inlet temp in future roasts, thanks for watching

[@chuckv8838]

I have the older razzo, but I understand that the newest tube has a probe port. Having the SR800, I find that the razzo tube won’t let me get above 2/3 in temp setting. I purchased the 800 to roast larger amounts, but I often wonder if the SR540 and extension tube might be a better (and cheaper) way to go. Too late for me, but something to consider. I’ve seen other comments from SR800/extension tube owners who can’t go above 2/3 in heat. I do also own the FR OEM extension tube and that I find might actually be slightly better. Of course, I have no experience with the newer/improved razzo tube.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Interesting. I did a roast with the extension tube and it seems to hold more heat. I think it may be because the roasting chamber is narrower? I don't see a problem with not being able to use the top 1/3 of the heat capability. It's just different and takes some getting use to.... Am I missing something with the fact we can't go above 2/3 heat? My drum roaster is similar. I only use 75-80% of its full power. I wish I had that problem with the Behmor haha....

[@chuckv8838]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab No huge issue. But that said I think being limited to the lower 1/3 of the power settings is a bit of issue, since you don’t have the fine control that you’d have with nine steps of power vs using only 3 steps. That is why I wonder…and I don’t have answer, but if the SR540 might be better if you gives you more power range to effectively use. Maybe not everyone finds that they’re limited to the bottom third of the power steps with the SR800/extension tube combo, but I’ve seen a few others making the same comments. I roast mostly decaf (75% of the time), and need to control the heat to the beans. What did you find as the max power?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

ok, that makes sense. Yea, one solution is to increase the amount of green coffee per roast. But, that could cause more issues with uneven roasts..... i can see why some may not be happy about that.

[@optimisticpessimist.]

For future reference: Roast starts at 5:35

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Yes it does. Thanks for watching.

[@khalidebrahim5916]

هذا ايش يا بو يمن ؟

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

شكرا لك على سؤالك ومشاهدة الفيديو الخاص بي. هذه قهوة غواتيمالا هيوهو من أمريكا الوسطى Thank you for your question and watching my video. This is a guatemala huehue coffee from central america