The Beginning of Every Home Coffee Roaster Journey

[@kg-Whatthehelliseventhat]

*Mike, you are awesome* My roasts have gotten so much better since i have been watching your channel and the information you personally give me through the comments. Hearing my family tell me that i ruined outside coffee for them makes me feel proud of what i have learned. Thank you so much 🤝 😊

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

You're very welcome Daniel. Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad it makes you happy and it is a noticeable improvement. Enjoy!!!

[@luigicollins3954]

Wow. This takes me back more than two years, when I was just starting roasting on my first roaster (the Behmor). Life was exciting, fun, a little frustrating, but overall very enjoyable. As I think about the question that many are asking, “which roaster should I get started with?“, I think maybe the answer to that depends on WHY they want to roast, and WHAT their goals are. I mean if you just like drinking good freshly-roasted coffee, why not just buy it from a decent roasting place, and go with that? For me (an electronics engineer), I wanted something that I could play around with, changing various parameters to attempt varying the taste to the way I wanted it. So a very simple popper or something like that where I had very little control of things, would not have been a good choice for me. But that same popper roaster, would be an excellent choice for someone who just wanted to quickly get going, roasting up 100 grams or so of their favorite coffee, and enjoying a delicious roast, without having to monkey around with a lot of things. I have known some people who went into roasting thinking they could save money on their coffee drinking endeavor by roasting their own coffee. That might be true if you drink a LOT of coffee, and don’t mind waiting a year or longer for payback. But another thing to realize in that scenario is machines wear out when they are used, and wear out faster when heavily used. Machines have to be cleaned, serviced, and maybe replaced, which then lengthens that payback period. And lastly, I would not recommend going too far too fast in the roasting hobby. It takes time to learn things, and it’s nice to learn them on a machine that can teach you easily and gradually. And in my opinion, there’s nothing better than enjoying wonderful coffee as you learn about roasting. Remember, a hobby is all about having fun and enjoyment!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for sharing a little bit of your roasting journey and for sharing your experience about finding the best roaster. You are exactly right about knowing why one would want to roast at home and what their goals are.. ie what’s the endgame? I was having a conversation with a channel subscriber about finding the right roaster and he had some very specific requirements. Best of all, he knew he wanted to keep it simple and had no plans to use graphs, tinkering, and so on. He was in it for good coffee with minimal frustration but he was excited to roast and enjoyed learning how to roast. He is buying the Gene Cafe. Someone else I spoke with wanted to create profiles and then push a button for a totally custom automated roast. He bought the kaffelogic. We all have different ideas of what we want home roasting to look like. The good news is there are a plethora of options! Thanks again for sharing Lou.

[@tonynedleystuntdbl7968]

Great video as always! About 10 years ago I modified a hot air popper with my daughter as a project to roast coffee and make espresso drinks using a BBE. Added a temperature control to it. Worked pretty well but roasting enough coffee for 2 people became too much effort. A few years ago I put together a Larry Cotton wobble disk flour sifter roaster using a heat gun lol. Can do 8oz green beans in about 10min. Now I am thinking about building a drum roaster! oh boy

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for sharing your roasting journey Tony. Pretty cool. We’re you modifying the heat setting on the heat gun during the roast?

[@tonynedleystuntdbl7968]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Yes I am. I have a temperature probe near the center so the beans bounce around it and I can monitor with a small hand held meter. The gun can go up to 1200F with 5 fan settings. I always run the gun fan at maximum and the bean mixing disk at full speed. So the only thing I am adjusting is the gun temperature. I usually start at 1200F. For dense washed beans I will keep it there until they are dry. Usually around 5 minutes. Less dense, dry process, honey etc I will start at 1200F and then after a few minutes I may drop to 1000-1050 or so until dry. Water processed Decaf will start 1050F or so 1200 is too hot! Browning is usually around 840-900F and then Development I may keep around 840 or go lower to 780-800 if I am shooting for a lighter roast. Most of the time I am aim to drop the beans as first crack is just finishing or maybe up to 30 seconds beyond the end of first crack if I want something on the darker side of medium. I usually shoot for 45-48% Dry, 30-35% Brown, 20% Dev. So if my goal is to hit around 20% Dev. just as FC is finishing I will go with the 830-840F range for Browning and 800F for Dev. If my goal is to have 20% Dev about 30seconds after FC finishes then I will aim for 900F range for Browning and 830-850F for Dev. That will push through FC faster and hit a higher end bean temperature when reaching 20% Development and still keep me in the 10-11 minute overall total roast time. I use the coffeeroastingtimer on github on my phone so I can record temperatures every 30 seconds and time to Dry and FC on my paper sheets. It's also handy to have it calculate the time to 20% development after hitting FC. Before each new roast I will look at times, temperatures, ror etc and phase percentages from previous roasts and come up with a plan for my next batch. It's pretty consistent from one batch to the next when using the same beans but every once in a while I have to modify during the roast depending on how things are progressing.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

That sounds amazing and a little scarry. I would have thought 1200 degrees would have burned the beans to a crisp. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@gking8189]

These videos are super helpful for beginners like myself to understand the options that are out there! I'm using a Fresh Roast SR800 and recently ordered a thermocouple setup for connecting it to Artisan, so I'm excited to experiment with that. I've had a bit of trouble getting consistent results that I'm happy with, but I know that I have a setup that is capable of roasting great coffee so I'm confident that my roasts will get better as my knowledge and experience level increases. I'd have a much harder time without these kinds of videos though, so I definitely appreciate your insight!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Greg, thanks for sharing your roasting journey. The Fresh Roast is a capable roaster that will offer you many profile options. My experience with artisan and the Fresh Roast is mixed. It almost became a distraction at one point so If I could offer a suggestion to you please. Once you get Artisan setup, Start your roast logging as you start the Fresh Roast, but don't pay any attention to the data logging. Instead, just roast your normal profile using your current technique with the heat and air. Then, after the roast is over and you have roasted your coffee like you always have, look at artisan and look at your temperatures (will you be using one probe or two?) and your rate of rise. Then consider how you might manage your fan & heat differently. It is quite surprising to see what is happening in the logging software on our Fresh Roast Roasts. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this once you get artisan setup. Keep me posted and share your successes and failures. I'm sure it will help me improve my fresh roast results ;-)

[@harrydog6795]

The extension tube would be a good upgrade as well, more consistent roasts.

[@kitcraft9516]

You know, I've mentioned before that I am considering a roaster, but I've put about 15 pounds through a popcorn popper and my best roasts have been better than consumer grade coffee but worse than any specialty coffee I have ever bought, by a long shot. If I roast it long enough, it's too developed for me but if I roast it to where I want it, it has an aftertaste that I don't care for. My guess is that it is roasting too fast. First crack (with my current coffee, Brazil) starts at 3:00 and is over at 3:30 and second crack starts at 5:40. Everything just happens so quickly. I've tried some Columbian and Nicaraguan and the FC times were not quite the same, but they always only last around 30-35 seconds. I think I really need to bite the bullet and pick up a Fresh Roast rather than waffling. Nice video as always, thank you for sharing.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hello Kit Craft. Yep, you are moving too fast and my last video pretty much shows the difference between a roasting machine with no control (hot air popcorn popper) and one that has control of heat over time. The freshroast is a good choice. The 540 seems to be a little more controllable as far as heat goes BUT that all depends on the amount of coffee you are roasting per batch. If you will be roasting 140 or less, the 540 will be a great machine for you (with the extension tube). Thanks for sharing and for watching.

[@Mattnbikes]

Loving your channel, Mike. I just recently dove into coffee roasting (Fresh Roast sr800) and am finding your videos extremely helpful. Cheers!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Matt. I’m glad you found my channel! The fresh roast is a great roaster. It’s going to take some practice but I’m sure you will roast some great coffee. Thanks for watching and for your encouraging words.

[@harrydog6795]

I think the popper vortex does a great job for what it is, I split the heater and fan and made a small controller box to test a few types. I liked the popper with drilled holes in the base not the screen type and added a bench blower, top notch ,5 pound roasts but some very nice 1 pound roasts as well. I have been testing with a Halogen round TO and can"t believe how much the aroma is increased. Hope everyone gets some great coffee no matter what they try.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

The smallest popper vortex was 12,000 dollars. Is there a smaller machine? Maybe I'm looking at something different. It was a movie theater mass hot air popcorn popper.

[@harrydog6795]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I'm just referring to the motion of the beans (Swirling Hot Air) in the standard popper that most people like. Not the crazy big Robolab Vortex popper but that would probably roast well if it could be slowed down.

[@pablochampion7407]

Looking great Mike !

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks Pablo. Roasting coffee at home is a game changer. Getting a good espresso setup is nice but using great, fresh, home roasted coffee to make your espresso is even better :-)

[@shanewilson2152]

Great video again Mike

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks Shane. Did you start roasting with a hot air popcorn popper? What did you have before your drum roaster? Was it the Behmor or Gene cafe? I forgot.

[@ShaneWilson-cp4gu]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Hi Mike, l started roasting on a rotating popcorn popper. Then l bought a Behmor, l had that for about a year, then l got the 2kg roaster, lv had that since late 2021, have done over 113 roast on it.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

That is great Shane, thanks for sharing that. Have you changed the way you roast on the 2k in the last year and a half? I've noticed that I have a greater comform roasting on the drum roaster and have kind of steped outside the box by trying different approaches to my roast. Everything from trying different charge temperatures to lengthening or shortening my total roast time to see how that impacts flavors.

[@shanewilson2152]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Hi Mike, yes l have tried a few different ways of stepping up on my roasting, l try to keep my roast time to around 10min, and my development to 20%. Recently l have roasted quite a few dark roast, l have been keeping them to about 30% development time, some of my customers like the dark shiny texture of the beans, and others like the lighter roast. I constantly write down all the details of each roast so l can compare each roast. I have done a 113 roasts in my 2kg roaster. I try too keep my charge temp to 200c it gives me plenty of heat in the drum. Thanks for replying back to me Mike, it was good too hear from you.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Nice work Shane. If your happy, don't change BUT don't be afraid to go longer than 10 minutes on the darker roasts.

[@AjayKumar-jz1ip]

Thank you for sharing details.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

You are welcome. Thank you for watching my video.

[@JLhaulsdeep100]

Great videos much appreciated, contemplating getting a roaster, your knowledge is important glad I found this channel, money is not a problem in choosing a roaster but I want ease of use …Thanks again, can you do a video on The Bullet or the Kaliedo Sniper M1 or 2 ?? Thanks

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi John, thanks for watching. There are some really good options and from what i have seen, heard and read, the Bullet should be on your radar. With that being said, it would be good for you to get your feet wet with a smaller roaster and learn the basics like I mentioned in this video. Learn how to identify roasting events and control the roaster towards each of those events. This can be done on the hive or one of the other small roasters you saw in the background. I have been talking with the manufacturer of the Bullet about getting a roaster to highlight on my channel. We still have not come to any conclusion yet. I have no experience with the Sniper units and I'm curious to see how the infrared lamps influence the roast. It's kind of surprising they promote the roaster and the purchase of a spare heating element. Makes me wonder how long or reliable the elements are. But again, these are only thoughts. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Do you have any specific concerns or questions?

[@JLhaulsdeep100]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab thank you for getting back to me I truly appreciate any and all the advice you give as you are extremely knowledgeable and you teach in a slow precise manner for us Newbs … I only want to roast about 140 grams at a time as I only like freshly roasted coffee and I make my espresso once daily at roughly 20 grams per espresso, and to me coffee loses its extreme flavor after a week or so, for me anyway!! I only like medium to dark or dark roasts, I’m starting to like this Gene Cafe and I really liked your video on that, I like that you can see everything, thoughts on the Gene?? Thanks again my friend subscriber for life absolutely love your content you should have a million subscribers!! Enjoy your day

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for the kind words John. I like the Gene Cafe. If price is no option then i would say go for the Bullet BUT you threw in the "i only need to roast 140 grams per week" stipulation. So, let me summarize your requirements. 140 grams per week. Unlimited Price Medium to Medium Dark Roast Ease of Use Bullet or Kaliedo M1 or 2 Roast for Espresso You didn't say if you wanted an air roaster, drum roaster or other variant. You also didn't define what "ease of use" means. Sorry to ask but if you could share a little more i could be more precise with my response.

[@JLhaulsdeep100]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab thanks for getting back to me, I think the bullet has like a minimum of weight of beans that you can roast and I believe it’s actually over what I want to roast so I need something that I can do small batches …. And what I mean of ease of use is that fir now I don’t think I’m going to want to be into graphs and stuff at this point, so I want to basically press a button and keep an eye on things, and I like that the Gene you have great visuals of the beans 🫘

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Yea, the bullet would not be a good choice if you only roast 140 grams at a time. Based on that the Gene Cafe is a great option. I think you will be happy. There is only 1 dial you will have to work with for temperature and batch size fits your needsl. The Snipe is more complex and does involve graphs. It is a pretty big step up for someone with little experience. I was going to suggest the Hive but it sounds like you want great visibility, ease o use and consistency.

[@brianlewis35]

have you done a video on the hot top roaster or what are your thought on it

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Brian. No, I have not used the hottop roaster. I know there are a couple of versions of this roaster, one which connects to Artisan and can be controlled by artisan. I have wondered it they are a little underpowered BUT I have no facts or experience to confirm that. I have talked with quite a few hottop users here on this channel and they seem to be pleased. Are you considering this roaster? What is your endgame for roasting at home? How much coffee do you plan to roast each week?

[@brianlewis35]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I did buy one very happy with it , I use about a pound of coffee a week so it work for me , you are a very good teacher with your video I was jus wondering if or why not have you done a video on the hottop roaster , you would do a great job , and help so much more Thanks again for your video you help me so much in the beginning of my journey on roasting

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Congratulations on your Hottop Roaster. I have not done a video with the Hottop because I can't afford to buy one. If the manufacturer send me one to review and do some videos I would absolutely roast on that machine. As far as helping you roast better on the Hottop, I have intentionally made my videos so my explaination of the roasting process can be applied to almost every roaster, especially the drum roaster videos. Identifying your coffee roasting events Controlling the Roaster to aim for those event times Understanding how the flavor will change based on different event times and temperatures All of these things are concepts I talk about in all of my videos. With regards to the Hottop, roasting great coffee is possible. You most likely do not want to roast at full capacity for your roaster. So, if a full load is 400 grams, you should not roast that much coffee at one time. Consider 300 grams. Then Find the correct charge temperature that will get your coffee to turn yellow in 4-6 minutes (try 5 minutes if possible). Then target first crack to take place around 8:30. You will need to manage your heat with the Hottop so the rate of rise gets lower as you progress towards first crack. When first crack starts around 8:30, continue with your roast until about 10:10:30 based on the color you want your coffee. Again, during this time of the development phase your rate of rise should be slowly going down until you drop the coffee. Cool it asap. Are you doing something like this? The biggest mistake all of us make when we start roasting is to roast too fast after the coffee hits the dry/yellow event. Imagine taking a ruler and laying it between dry end rate of rise and the rate of rise at drop. Draw a line between these two points and that is how you manage your heat during the roast from dry end to drop. Try that and share what happened and what the results were.

[@KellyanneGill]

When I was using a popcorn popper, i had a cordless vaccum cleaner at hand

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Yep, it gets messy and a cordless vacuum is really helpful. Great suggestion Kelly. Thanks for sharing.

[@Stevesbe]

I broke out my flour sifter roaster to see what I can do with it now

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Did you start on a sifter Steve, really?

[@AjayKumar-jz1ip]

Please tell us where we can get formal education on coffee

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for your question. I am assuming you are asking about taking online classes to learn how to roast coffee. There are several good sources for online training offered by reputable people/groups which offer education for Brewing, Roasting & More including: Specialty Coffee Association - education.sca.coffee/ Scott Rao - www.scottrao.com/online-coffee-roasting-course Ally Open - allyopen.com/collections/learn-with-us#search=&sort=Alphabetical Rob Hoos - hoos.coffee/shop

[@AspartameBoy]

Yes you can: use a Variac to control voltage.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching and for your comment. Yes, you can control a hot air popcorn popper... with modification. I'm excited to try this some day. Unfortunately there is no plug and play. I've got to do some electrical work to the roaster. I'm not really electrically inclined so that has been my dilemma as well as others I might imagine. The purpose of my video was two fold: 1. Introduce the idea of roasting on a hot air popper for the first time. I included basic concepts like roasting events, sensory observation of the roast and the idea that roasting great coffee requires more than just browning beans. 2. I also wanted to give a glimpse of what many people do after roasting on a stock popcorn popper. They begin to look at other roasting options, hence, the beginning of their home coffee roasting journey. I should have included modifying a hot air popper to control the fan and heat. Sorry about that. Do you have a simple solution to modify a hot air popper? Please share.

[@WickyFarms]

Hey Mike! I am trying to get a small group at work together where I teach air popper roasting. Do you find a certain wattage that is ideal? I plan on getting 10 or so roasters to give to classmates

[@billcoady4333]

I got to the local Goodwills and buy poppers (with the solid bottoms, not the little screen in the bottom). Not all of them work great, the fans are sometimes weak and sometimes they run way to hot, but at $3 to $4 a pop (pun intended) you stand a few duds.

[@WickyFarms]

@@billcoady4333 well I would do that but my work is buying

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

That’s a great idea to have a class. My hot air popper is a 1200 watt popper with the vents on the side and it was plenty powerful. Looking online, it seems like most poppers are 1200-1400 watts. I do have a couple of the highest rated hot air popper linked in my Amazon store www.amazon.com/shop/virtualcoffeelab-homecoffeeroaster

[@WickyFarms]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab can you show a pic of the "on the side"

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@WickyFarms not sure what you mean. email me. go to the "about" page here on my channel and look for the email link.

[@mhpjii]

Skillet!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Skillet is definitely another option for roasting. Thanks for sharing that.. Would you consider the Hive a type of skillet?