How to Unlock a Shared Coffee Roasting Profile

[@mattseibert8588]

I've been looking for a video like this for what seems like eternity. Why am I not surprised that your video is the best I've seen. Once again, keep up the great content.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for the kind comments Matt. I'm glad this video was helpful!

[@poorguyscoffee]

I ordered a Behmor roaster a few days ago, and I’ll be relying on your channel as my guide into the world of roasting! Thanks! :)

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Congrats on your new roaster. I'm glad my videos have been helpful for you!

[@bolerkai]

Thanks, Mike, your videos are very helpful and I am learning as we go. Keep up the good work. Still waiting for the video on the TDS Refractometer 😁

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

I'm working on it. Hopefully soon🤓

[@dancingdog2790]

I have a Skywalker, modified to keep the electronics cool and controlled with Artisan via Arduino - thanks Josh! It uses a direct NIR heat source (carbon filament bulb inside the drum) so profiles from most other machines aren't really applicable. Have you ever roasted on one, or any other NIR roasters that support Artisan?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for your message Josh. I'll do my best to answer based on my current understanding of the heat source being used by your Skywalker roaster. Let's treat this as a conversation, not a directive please. We're going to break this conversation up into two parts (the heat source and the IR light exposure) : Heat source: The Skywalker that i was looking at online (seems like there are a few different "skywalker" roasters) uses a carbon NIR element with a wavelength range of 800-1200 nm. You mentioned profiles from most other machines won't really apply? I would be interested to hear why? I think your going to say the wave length is different and the light penetrates the bean differently. The Kaleido uses a carbon fiber heating element. The IR element wave length of the Kaleido is 1000 nm. Unless these are not the same type of light I would say I've been roasting on this and natural gas using similar profiles. IR Light Exposure: Now, the light penetrating the bean IS a factor with all IR roasters including the skywalker, Kaleido, and even the Behmor. I have always had a concern about "sunburn" on this type of heat source but have never been able to prove defects caused by the light or an uneven roast. The good news is the light generated in the skywalker and Kaleido is being filtered by the metal drum. Most of the light on the Kaleido is hitting the metal of the roasting chamber and heating that up. The Kaleido stainless steel drum is also being hit by the IR light and heating up. The drum does have small slits to allow chaff to fall through. The image I saw of the skywalker drum also included slits. I have seen some IR drums that are glass, which isn't ideal for insulation and heat radiation from hot surfaces. So, to answer your question and related that to this video, I think my statements about total roast time, and event times is still applicable. I think you might need to be careful on "hot and fast" roasts with shorter total roast times because your power settings will likely be higher and that means more of the intense light exposure. How much of a factor this has is up for discussion. Maybe the skywalker uses shorter total roast times? Is that true? How long are your total roast times? Please provide a range. It could be that the skywalker can roast faster because of the light. Maybe the profiles might be more like an air roaster? I have no idea. I think my concepts are still valid. You should look at the total roast time of the shared profile and compare that to your range to be sure it will work with your roasters. What do you think?

[@shanewilson2152]

I enjoyed your video Mike

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching Shane!

[@GeorgeGoosen]

Another great video, somehow you seem to nail the exact question I had every time you come out with something new!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching. I hope I answered your question George. What roaster do you have?

[@GeorgeGoosen]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab roast on a shared roasting space, they have a bullet, roastmax and a geising.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

That's interesting. what type of rates does the shared space charge to use these machines and the space. Do you also allow you to keep inventory?

[@GeorgeGoosen]

​@@VirtualCoffeeLabyep space can be rented for inventory and they also have preferred supplier agreements with distributors, it's great. Rates vary depending on the machine used per hour 30, 50 and 130

[@GeorgeGoosen]

​@@VirtualCoffeeLabon a side note, do you have discord or similar? And have you seen any excel sheets that can be used to generate sample profiles. Or even better a generic profile to start with by machine?

[@iangillis2230]

I couldn't find the electronics on the wok I use to roast my coffee. 😅 Sure, I don't have perfect repeatability, but roasting on a gas stove is a decent method for a home roaster to use.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Ian, Thanks for sharing. I'm glad your are getting decent results roasting on a stove. I've done some stovetop roasting with the Hive Roaster and had great success. I have not had much success with a skillet, but I'm not roasting dark. I end most of my roasts medium or even lighter. I seem to get very uneven roasts with the skillet.

[@iangillis2230]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Hi, I also prefer lighter roasts. I changed my wok roasting routine on the gas stove from +/- 12 minutes to +/- 8 minutes not very long ago. I don't get perfect results, and I don't get perfect uniformity from roast to roast even if I'm roasting the same bean. *But* just like other types of cooking, I generally feel/observe the process until I feel I'm in the right zone, and I've been getting very good, drinkable coffee. I drink it without milk or sugar. I prefer to get the taste I want from the beans themselves. And more often than not, I'm very pleased with what comes out of my (Hario V-60) brewer. Would my brew be a hit with everyone? Highly unlikely - but as my wife doesn't care much for coffee, I'm my only consumer. Hopefully I'm not repeating too much of what I've said before. Cheers, all!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks Ian. What type of pan are you using?

[@iangillis2230]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I'm using a fairly small carbon steel wok bought from IKEA in China, where I currently reside. It measures 30cm, or just a tad less than a foot in diameter. It's no longer available where I live A gas stove (mine is quite a high output Chinese cooktop of the sort found in most domestic Chinese kitchens*, used at a moderately low setting. My standard batch is generally 250grams. I brew only for 1 person, and that usually means roasting twice a week. My results almost certainly don't match purpose-built coffee roasters, but I drink great tasting coffee that's quite lightly roasted and refreshing to drink. Depending on the beans, there might be some floral notes. It suits my tastes, and cooking time can be varied if you prefer it darker. I'm *not* a coffee expert, but I'm drinking coffee that I generally find to be very tasty. I'm never tempted to add milk or sugar. I brew in a Hario V-60 drip cone with paper filters. I have a strong preference for Ethiopian and Tanzanian beans.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks again for sharing Ian.

[@kingdomvirtue6365]

Your channel has been very helpful to me in my coffee roasting journey. I just got into coffee importing and I would like you to roast and help me grade my coffee from Uganda.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching. Unfortunately I am not a coffee grader or distributor. I don't sell coffee greens. I would suggest you contact an importer who is currently grading their coffees and distributing them like cafe imports. Sorry I can't be more helpful. I'm glad you have been enjoying my channel.

[@kingdomvirtue6365]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab thank you

[@TheThestand101]

Great video. I've really noticed the differences in the temps between roasters. I know how to interpret my B/T and how it compares to the actual B/T but if I just gave a profile to someone else... It would be a complete bust! My M10 B/T reads 9% lower than actual.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching and affirming you have experienced different temperatures between different roasting machines. I did a One-On-One Zoom with an M10 owner who had really low temps compared to my roaster. He reached out to Kaleido (manufacturer) and asked what the proper probe placement was for both the front probe (Bean Temperature) and back probe (Exhaust Temperature). The manufacturer said 35mm from the tip of the probe inward to the edge of the roaster plate was the correct position. With that placement the ET should be 10 degrees lower than than the BT when the roaster is idling, waiting for charge. I checked my placement and it was different so I moved my probes to this setting. My Charge temperature remained the same but the event temps changed including the drop temp. So, I had to reset my brain for the new temps. Not a big deal. Thanks for being a subscriber!

[@TheThestand101]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I'll have to check mine. I've just gotten used to the 9% temp difference and when I plan a roast I have been adjusting my desired temp to a -9% figure and it has worked pretty well. I just did a Costa Rica Tarrazu - La Esperanza Estate Familia Monge - Natural to a City+ and it was AMAZING!!!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Gotcha...... Nice job on the roast. Sounds delicious.