Manual coffee roasting at home with a Behmor 1600 Plus

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching! The Behmor was my first drum roasting experience and it helped make some great coffee. Roasting manually on the Behmor is a great step in crafting home roasted coffee just the way you want it! I had a lot of fun making this video! If you have questions or want to share how you roast coffee at home be sure to leave a comment. If you have suggests for future content here on this channel send me a message or leave your comments here. Thanks for watching and happy roasting!

[@EdGodoyPlana]

I have never roasted and coffee beans! This is going to be a new experience for me! I was thinking of trying the automatic setting on the Behmor 2000 AB plus until I get some experience before I attempt to do anything on manual! I simply love your setup! I will be following your videos! I love espresso! I purchased a La Marzocco Línea Mini in October and a Niche Zero Grinder. Prior to that I had a Breville Barista Express for about two years. I ordered green coffee beans 8 lbs of express sampler and 4 lbs of regular green coffee sample from Sweet Maria Coffee when I ordered the Behmor. I don’t know which green beans to buy so I thought that the samplers are the way to start! I do mostly espresso for milk base drink as well as espresso with sugar ( Cuban coffee) ! I also make French press, pour over and cold brew but only once in a while! Any suggestions? Thanks again!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@EdGodoyPlana , sorry I didn't see this message before answering the other one about what beans to buy and the espresso question. I don't really know about the express sampler but I'm sure it will be good. I read somewhere in another message you were going to start with the auto mode on the behmor. That is a great idea. I will say that even if you roast 1/2 pound, I would set the behmor on the 1 lb setting because it will give you more time. If you roast on the 1/2 lb you get 12 minutes and can add 2 minutes if needed BUT if you are roasting on a 1 lb setting you get 18 minutes and can cut it short at any time. Like I said, read through the instructions, get a few roasts under your belt and you will be able to make up your own mind the best settings for you. As far as brew methods, I don't buy a coffee with a specific brew type in mind..... that is an interesting idea. Anyway, I think if you focus on the roast, you can take that great coffee you just roasted and make a french press or espresso. I hope that helps.

[@EdGodoyPlana]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab thanks again!

[@Presso99]

Beans look really nice, and evenly roasted.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks!

[@normanlist9871]

Been watching your tutorials Very in depth but above my head so far This vidio was simpler and easier to follow I live in Costa Rica Great coffee but not a lot of roasters Thanks

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Norman, thanks for watching my videos. Have you seen the hive roaster? I did a video about it a couple weeks ago. It is inexpensive and can give you some really nice results.

[@orrinbelcher6593]

Great video fun and informative, thank you

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hello Orrin, thank you for watching. I'm glad it was helpful!

[@orrinbelcher6593]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab your welcome sir

[@soulventrus]

Thank you for sharing!! Great video and so helpful!!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching. I'm glad the video was helpful. Happy Roasting!

[@shanewilson2152]

Hi Mike, l like the video. I just bought a Behmor roaster on the 1of April. Just have to wait now for the roaster to arrive. Looking forward to doing my first roast in it. Cheers

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Sounds great Shane! it really is a great roaster. Be sure to read the manual and familiarize yourself with the control panel. it can be a little confusing at first.

[@shanewilson2152]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab thanks Mike 👍

[@MrLuanDo]

Thank you for the tips! Selecting 1 lb. to roast 8oz. solved my problem. Unfortunately, my 1600 does not seem to respond to pushing P5 to go to manual mode.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hello Liam, thanks for watching. Yea, you need the 1600’plus upgrade to roast manually. Sorry about that. Upgrade panel is very reasonable.

[@mannyj6517]

Definitely takes practice, I just got a Behmor 2000AB Plus. Over roasted the first batch, under roasted the second batch - hopefully third batch is the charm. I went from cast iron pan stove top roasting to the Behmor

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@Manny J, I’m sure once you get a little more practice you will really enjoy the roaster. Keep in mind that the behmore takes a long time to cool down. So end your roast a little earlier maybe 30 seconds or so before you normally would. Even though Behmore tells you not to open the door at the end of the roast and the chaff will fly all over the place, that will help cool things down quicker

[@darrenbivings4227]

Thank you So much. Are there documented coffee profiles with instructions out there to follow or copy? I just bought the Behmor 2000AB and I'm looking for some std procedures for roasting to get the different roasting results.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Darren, thanks for watching. I would suggest you watch my Behmor playlist. You will see me roast in the manual mode BUT more importantly you will hear me talk about some of the quirks of the roaster as well as basic roasting concepts. If you follow along you can replicate some of my roasts. Of course you will want to tailor your roasts to your own preferences but it is a starting point. There might be some profiles people share online. Other than that you have the Behmor instructions which include some examples of auto roasts and they talk about manual roasts. I would suggest you get a couple of roasts under your belt using the auto mode. Just for fair warning, you might not want to roast an entire pound of coffee per roast. I say this for a couple of reasons. First, it will take a long time and you might not like the end result (taste wise). Second, you don't want to waste beans. Start with a 1/2 pound of beans and experiment with the shorter auto mode profile. watch your temps during the roasts and get use to the buttons. Once you get a feel for the roaster performance and controls then try the manual mode. Let me know if you have any questions. Congrats on your new roaster!

[@deniscore000]

Hello, hope you are fine! First of all, congratulations for the content that you share with us, really helpful and nice! I am a coffee lover and enthusiast from Brazil, and I am looking for my first home roast machine. I appreciate your help, I will be visiting the USA on the first week of February, and would like to buy a roaster. - Currently I buy roasted beans from different suppliers (not always fresh as I would like to) - Most used brew method is the Aeropress and the Clever - Medium roast is my preference - Drink coffee mug twice a day - I am looking to learn "roasting science", but now also looking for simplicity.... I have a 4yr old kid, so I always look for energy/time saving in everything in my life... I am a computer engineer and like understanding details, reading manuals, etc... watch and read a lot about coffee science in general - Live in a house with plenty of space and good outlets (voltage/current/power fine)... smoke is not a problem I researched a lot, and considering my needs and budget, I am about to decide between the Behmor 2000 and the SR800..... I know that there is the difference from drum/air, and something I don't like in the SR800 is the high risk of the glass breaking, especially with the extension tube...and considering that I live in Brazil, spare parts are not easy to find.... regarding the Behmor, I researched and it seems it is easy and at the same time, I still have the possibility to "dial" my roasting profiles..... and about the Genie vs the Behmor? Thanks in advance, Denis

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Denis, thanks for watching my video and for sharing. The Behmor is a great roaster but like all roasters, has it's limitations. How you manage batch size will give you the variety of profiles you desire. I think it is a great roaster for medium roasts. I think they sell different versions of the Behmor 2000 based on your country. Be sure to check into that before you buy to make sure you get the right one. As far as dialing in your roast, the SR might be easier. Like I said, finding ways to modify your profile might involve batch size and charge temperature changes to get what you want. I address some of this in my behmor playlist. I think the Genie is a good roaster but costs a lot more than the behmore.

[@jameswagner9894]

This gizmo reminds me of my Euro-Pro Rotisserie Convection oven. I've never used the rotisserie (it's cheaper to just buy the chicken already cooked at WalMart or any grocery store with a deli). I'm wondering if a drum/basket may be procured for it for roasting coffee.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for being a subscriber James. That would be an interesting use of the convection oven. I would assume the rotisserie is just to skewer meat?

[@jameswagner9894]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I think so.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Yea, so you would have to take the skewer, cut the ends and weld them to the basket, ensuring the distance between the sides where the skewer connects remains the same distance.

[@shanewilson2152]

Hi Mike, the more l see the Behmore in action, the more inclined to buy one. I'm almost convinced.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

The Behmor is a good option. All roasters have their strengths and weaknesses. The Behmor can roast some really good coffee and is a great way to enter into the world of drum roasting. The down side is it is slow to respond to changes to heat and slow to cool. All roasting devices have a learning curve and will take practice to get the results you aim for.

[@fxhood]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Should be great to talk more about pros and cons. The drum is easily deformable and may block, which may lead to a burning machine. 1 pound load is great, the beans are hard to watch through this tiny window. Cracks are easily to hear. Temperature cant be adjusted directly. Cleaning could be easier, price tag is great / very fair. There is an 2000 model on the market. A lot of Behmors on the market. I think its not a bad entry level roaster, almost ordered it, too. Just ordered a Gene 101, maybe upgrade it with more sensors and artisan connection. Will see... thank you for your nice video, Fx

[@SteveDevineMi]

Mike, I have the Behmor 2000AB plus. It's a great roaster but the instructions seem to indicate that I should let the machine go through the entire cooling cycle in order to protect the roaster itself. I have been waiting until the temp has dropped considerably before dropping the beans. Now I am thinking I should pull them out sooner and let the roaster run through the cooling phase without the drum and chaff collector in it. I have a cooling fan from my old flour sifter / heat gun setup ad leather gloves so it could be easy to do. Thoughts?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Steve. You're from Michigan? Yes, the solution is to get some hot-gloves. They are inexpensive. At the end of your roast, open the door, carefully remove the chaff tray and then remove the drum while it is moving. The roaster stays in the cooling mode and you get the coffee out quick. You might want to practice this before you actually do it. Start a roast with no coffee and then hit the cool button and go through the steps to remove the drum. This is helpful to practice while the roaster isn't hot. With regards to gloves, I have a recommended pair at my Amazon Storefront. I don't sell any of this stuff. It is a list of items I have either bought myself or would recommend. It doesn't cost you anything but I get do get a commission if you do buy something which supports this channel. You can see the storefront here - www.amazon.com/shop/virtualcoffeelab-homecoffeeroaster Hope that was helpful.

[@iKrackeD]

Do you have to give the Behmore time to rest between roasts? Or can you clear the chaff out, load another batch up and rinse and repeat immediately? Thank you for your time in making this informative video!!! I currently use a small air roaster and would like to upgrade at some point.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching my video. How long you let the Behmor “rest” depends on your. Oil down process. Personally, I pull my beans out of the roaster to cool, close the door and then let the Behmore use its cooldown cycle to cool. That is about 13 minutes I think. Then I clean up the chaff and begin a pre-heat to start the next session. I won’t do more than 2 or 3 in a row like that without a longer cool/rest just for the sake of overworking the machine. I realize this is much different than an air roaster because there isn’t much if any pre-warm with those types of machines. What are your plans for the future as far as capacity requirements and roasting skill. Are you looking to roast more coffee in a few years? What is your total weekly usage in weight? As far as skill, do you want to eventually use logging software? Lastly, what is your max budget?

[@toddpower4674]

I use leather gloves pull beans ànd then hit cool. In canada its usually so cold i just go outside and the air cools them quickly. I am ready to move to next level but cant decide what to get. Aillio bullet or the new behmor kilo when it comes out

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Todd, great suggestion for the leather gloves. @garygardens has a Bullet so he can offer his opinion. He will give an honest opinion about his experience with the roaster but from what he has shared with me, it is a great little roaster. He has had his for 2 years I think? You can roast manually or via their software and can even download profiles.

[@jazzloggins1715]

The question is is this particular roster programmable because I’m trying to program it with the artisan

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Jazz, No, this roaster is not setup to interact with Artisan. There are people who have installed probes to collect data for their roast.

[@fxhood]

Thx - just ordered a gene cbr 101. Will see, of this was my best bet 😉

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

That is exciting!

[@stevenreeves4766]

It doesn't have chaff collector?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Steven. Yes, the Behmore does have a chaff collector that does a pretty good job. It is a special tray you slid in beneath the drum.

[@Johnnybananass-_]

I want a behemor but there around $800 in my country, so I bought a 2 month old second hand bench top fan oven for $50, I adapated a basket with some right angle brackets to move the coffee when rolling and set the oven on dual top and bottom elements, and fan setting and preheat oven , put in 500gms beans and 22 minutes I have a perfect mid level roast even and perfect to liking so, hard to decide if I even spend the $800 to buy a beheomor, I roast in my workshop garage and I cool with a vacuum pump through mesh basket, I think many more people could also follow my lead and get into home roasting with some cheap and easy equipment on hand everywhere. Even a new model of the oven I bought is only $149 locally so still cheaper than the behomor

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Congrats on your roast! If you are happy with the result of your coffee then there is no need for the Behmor. It will never be able to roast 500 grams per batch. Ideally, you might get better results with a shorter roast time, but again, if you are happy with the results, stick with what works.

[@Johnnybananass-_]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I roast 500grams per batch currently as thats the size of my hopper in my revile smart grinder,. I started out at 250g then moved up and now it will do 500gms in 22mins to a perfect medium roast profile using a blend of Ethiopian and a touch of Brazil green beans . I have spent years visiting my previous coffee roaster and friend at his warehouse and having evaluated his big Probate machine as long as I could keep my beans constantly turning and getting heat I thought it was worth the trial and it easily handles the 500gram so I can roast on a Sunday and have it ready to go by the following Sunday when I refill my hopper in my grinder. Id love to just drop a few thousand on a more upscale roaster like the roest or such but its just not in the budget currently with a wedding on the horizon but its a putty more people haven't posted about adapting existing equipment to roast at home to see if they like the idea before jumping into investing . Love the channel . after spending a decade as a barista in the 90s it's nice to see the growth of special coffee and channels and content educators like yourself. NZ has a great coffee culture and to be part of th golden era when it was educating people about the flat white and such was a hoot. I used to drink the cafe of the inventor of the flat white, as he claims, but cafe culture was burgeoning and now its a global phenomenon ,

[@mikedenson6047]

Did you pre-heat the Behmor? I believe you can run it on high for a little less than 2 minutes to warm things up a bit. Joe Behm recommends this in a video I watched. If you run it too long, I understand it will shut down, and I'm not sure this short of a warm-up does any good.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

I usually pre warm my Behmor for about 1:30. I didn’t want to tell people to do that because the manufacturer didn’t approve of turning off your roaster and turning it back on. At least that’s what I remembered when I first got it. I thought they said it would shorten the life of the roaster? Anyhow, your right, pre warming the behmore is good practice as far as the roast goes.

[@hpgurgel]

Hi there, thanks for the great video. Would the machine be able to deliver the same result if using 1 pound of coffee instead? If so, would it just be a matter of doubling up the variables that you gave us on the video? I always do 1 pound batches on mine because by the time you dial in your grinder and make a couple of coffees then you already run out of roasted coffee hence I don't find small batches worthwhile.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hello hp, thanks for watching and for your question. The Behmor is a great home roaster and can roast some really good coffee. As a matter of fact, my guest from a few videos ago (Trevor) who now owns a cafe, said that one of his very best roasts ever was on a Behmor. So, to answer your question about 1 lb, I agree, roasting small batches means your coffee will only provide a few servings. I can think of a couple reasons why I don't roast 1 lb batches. 1. It is difficult to roast a good profile with a 1 pound batch. To clarify, I like to roast medium and seek to have coffee that has both sweetness and acidity. I have found that I can do this with a shorter roast time. That means I limit my batches to 8-10 ounces of coffee on the Behmor. Don't get me wrong, you can roast some nice coffee 1 lb at a time but I always found my roasts to be a little too long for my liking. 2. Smaller roasts are a good excuse to practice roasting ;-) If you are roasting in the automatic mode, then this might not be a good thing, but for me, I roast in the manual mode and am watching my bean color, smell the smells along the way, mark my events and listen to the coffee and pull it for a quick cool down. If you are not doing that, and roasting in the manual mode isn't important then maybe a larger batch and the auto mode is the way to go. Hope that my comments were helpful. Thanks again for sharing and the the encouragement.

[@hpgurgel]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Thank you again for the valuable and great information. By the way, I've subscribed to your channel the first time I watched one of your videos. Keep up the great work. I might give the 200g (we do grams here in Australia) roasts a shot although I'll be doing at least 3 batches at a time. I do consume quite a bit of coffee myself 🙂.

[@guillermolopez2142]

I tried following the recipe and my coffee keeps burning Any aadvice?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hello Guillermo, it could very well be my voltage is lower and my roaster does not have as much power as yours. I have made a few behmor videos and in every one of them I talk about roasting concepts. I would recommend you look at this videos, then, while roasting in the manual mode, you use my video as a guide, not an exact replica. This way, you make small changes to prevent your coffee from going too dark. I think I’m this video the coffee was a little darker than I wanted as well. Take a look at the other videos with the behmor and see if that helps. Are you writing down times and temps?

[@guillermolopez2142]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab ive only got my roaster yesterday. Ive been watching your videos but I keep burning my coffee without even hearing first crack. I did now think about the voltage and I think you are right on that. Now i am writing down temps and times. But how would you advise me to proceed at this point? Should I start my roasts at P4? Thank you for replying!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

I would not preheat and see how that works. If that is still too powerful then p4 instead of p5

[@DougBrownVancouver]

Do you change your approach depending on bean hardness? The Behmor profiles are built to adjust the temps and times for Soft/Hard/Strictly Hard bean but your approach is purely on bean color using 100% heat. I've been roasting 30 lb bags of just a few regions so that I can get very familiar with each region's characteristics, the first was Sumatran (SHB) and now Honduran (HB.) Like you I go to P5/Manual mode with 1/2 lb roasts and just wait for first crack before waiting until I get the color I like, and cooling. I see that you're observing the color change and then reducing the power, which I'll try. I roast on my deck and since I'm in Vancouver, Canada the external temp really slows down the roast. 15-20 minutes is pretty regular so after 7.5 minutes the afterburner kicks in and prolongs to roast. For sure this affects the flavor so maybe I'll go into the garage or put a cardboard box around the Behmor to contain the heat. Thanks for the videos, very helpful!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Doug, Thanks for your comments and for watching my video. So the big variable between you and I is the ambient temperatures we are roasting in. You are outside in the cold and I am inside in a controlled 65 degree basement. Having said thatI absolutely do change my approach based on bean density by lowering my charge temperature. The Behmor instructions/suggestions are helpful for a beginner so they can use the auto feature and watch what happens with their roast. Unfortunately, a low density coffee, using P3 or P4 will give you a total roast time that in my opinion is too long. I did a video that demonstrates this and this link starts you right at the point where I talk about this very issue when it comes to the Behmor profiles and low density coffee - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZrEia2PeZ6IjKM So, with the Behmor, I may adjust my pre-warm temp to be lower for the softer beans but I do use 100 percent power until I get close to the end of the dry phase. Then I begin to slow my roast down, keeping it in control so I give ample time for both the browning phase and then after first crack the development phase. This give me the best flavor profile. I do adjust my development time based on bean color and most importantly development percentage. I use that percentage to help me craft how much/little acidity I am trying to get based on the type of coffee and my personal preferences. All of my comments above for the Behmor are based on roasting 1/2 pound of coffee batch size. You mentioned you use P5 manual mode and go 100% power until first crack. If you watch my videos, I'm toggling between P5 and P4 to keep from hitting the safety shutdown temp and then to slowly feather my temps to prevent too much momentum through the end of the browning phase (just before first crack). This helps me get the development time I need. If I don't do that my roast moves too fast, my development is too short and the coffee is too dark. I'm more focused on getting through the dry phase in a reasonable time while avoiding the overheat shutdown and also from having my roast fly too fast through the browning and development. Roast times are important to me. In my opinion, there is a window for optimal flavor profile and once we get long in our roast, we are limiting ourselves to the roasty darker notes. So, it comes down to the profile we are attempting to end up with I guess? Are you trying for a medium roast Doug?

[@DougBrownVancouver]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab That's great feedback and it's much appreciated! On your last question, I originally followed the Starbucks Dark Roast profile which was Full City+ and roasted Sumatran beans. My current taste profile is for City+ because I'm roasting Honduran and reading web reviews suggests Honduran beans are better when slightly darker. I found your videos incredibly helpful because of the 30 second time tracking using the B-temp so I can follow along perfectly. As you said, our environments are different and my external temp means that at the moment my max B-temp increases during the drying phase to @310, and when the afterburner kicks in at 7:30 the browning stage is probably just starting. The temp drops to @ 255 and gradually ramps up until first crack typically @ 15-16:00. I'm looking back to my warm weather roasts which were all Sumatran, and I found those beans took a loooong time to roast, so a 1/2 lb. was still taking 15 minutes in the middle of summer. I think the Honduran beans will be several minutes shorter. I'll do what I can to make a warmer outside environment and try to get the roast times reduced. Thanks again!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Great information Doug. The afterburner time of 7:30 means you are roasting on the 1 lb setting right? I use the half pound and my fan kicks on at 5 minutes. Maybe it is a difference in models? I have the 1600 Plus. So, it is helpful to anticipate when that fan kicks on. Try going to P5 about 15 seconds before the time when the burner kicks on so you don't let your momentum go into the toilet. 320 to 255 is a lot of energy AND potentially the difference between a coffee that is really flavorful compared to a flat and disappointing coffee. That little change could save you 20-40 degrees. Glad you find my videos helpful!

[@DougBrownVancouver]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I also have the 1600+. And correct, I use 1 lb. and go manual P5 right away. Then I leave it on P5 to get as much heat into the beans before the afterburner kicks in at 7:30. Your videos are interesting because you get up to 320ish really fast and you toggle P4/5. I barely get to 320 before 7:30 until the outdoor temps is in the 60s or 70s. But you provide a great benchmark on how the unit behaves and gave me a lot more insight into the phases. Cheers!

[@randy8978-z5e]

How is the Behmor 2000 AB Plus ?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Randy, I own the 1600 Plus and an older 1600. Look around the comments here and you will see a few Behmor people like Edwardo luigi and Shane. You might want to ask them. A you considering one? What are you roasting with now?

[@randy8978-z5e]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I haven’t started roasting yet. But I am purchasing a lot of beans so I thought I may cut some costs by roasting ?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Randy, in the long run you will save money roasting at home. There is a learning curve with the Behmor. Buttons, fan, drum, cooling..... It's all good, but it will take some practice. The Behmor is a popular roasting option.

[@randy8978-z5e]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab have you used the Gene Cafe roaster ?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@randy8978-z5e I have not used the Gene Cafe Roaster.

[@shanewilson2152]

Thanks for your reply

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Always welcome

[@chuckster623]

When you hit first crack, did you turn the heat up or down?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Chuck, I turned the heat down. There is enough thermal mass going on and then to have the beans go exothermic (give off heat) during crack allows you to go down. depending on what you are aiming for for an end result will determine how much you can back off. For the demo in this video I think I went to P4 or maybe P3 but as you could see I wish I would have pulled my coffee a little earlier. So, maybe lower the heat a little more to slow the roast without stalling it. Are you roasting on a Behmor? What roast level are you trying to achieve and for what type of coffee?

[@chuckster623]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I watched your video before attempting my second roast on a Behmor 1600Plus. I wanted to do it in manual mode and I was aiming for a medium roast. When the first crack started, I turned the power to P3. I'm not sure that I should have done that. It seems that the first crack never completed. Not wanting to bake the roast, I pushed STOP about two minutes later. I was roasting Sumatra Kirinci Coop Honey Labu beans. This prompts me to ask the question, do all the beans have to undergo first crack or just some of the beans? Also, if all the beans have to first crack, is the coffee drinkable if all the beans don't first crack?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Great questions Chuck. The short answer is yes, first crack is a point where most people consider the coffee drinkable from that point and after. The cracking noise is caused by carbon dioxide and H2O breaking out of the bean as it swells because of the heat . Carmelization continues adding sweetness to the cup. It can also add bitterness acording to experts like Joe Morocco. "Did first crack happen?" is one question you are asking I think. I want to answer this in a short answer first and then give more info. Some coffee has a very quiet first crack. It is possible that you may not have heard it because of the roaster noise and the coffee just having a quiet crack. BUT, if you have roasted this coffee before and heard loud cracking, then more than likely you lowered your temp too quickly. Are you watching your temperature? Watch my video at 7:05 as I enter first crack. I was still at P5 (full power) and then lowered to P4. ALSO, if you are roasting outside OR if you are not doing a pre-warm, your roaster might not be fully heated up if starting from cold and then lowering your temps will cause the environment to cool quicker. Watch my video from a couple weeks ago with Lou, who is a new behmor roaster as we talk about tracking temps and times as well as using your senses to monitor the roast. This will be very helpful. Lastly, don't wait 5 days to taste that coffee you roasted. See what it tastes like now to find out if it is baked. I hope my comments have been helpful. Manual roasting can provide excellent results but it takes practice and some trial and error.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@chuckster623 One more question I should have asked Chuck. What were your roast times? How long was Dry and Browning? You roast may have been too slow.... just wondering.

[@chuckster623]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I have not yet come to the point being able to determine when the drying time ends and the browning time begins. As I do more roasts, I will make greater effort to determine this. However, I heard first crack at 9:30. Is this too late? I was roasting four ounces.

[@dg10890]

Thanks for this video. I've been getting back into home roasting after taking a long break and needed a refresher on the Behmor. I have one of the old 1600 machines (pre-Plus model, no manual mode) - in your opinion, is upgrading the control panel worth it? Does the extra control over power and drum speed make a noticeable difference compared to the built-in profiles of the original 1600? Thanks again.

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hey Dustin, Thanks for your comments. I upgraded my old 1600 and it was worth it for me because I was able to heat up my roast quicker and the faster drum speed simulated more airflow. Honestly, P1 on the old 1600 didn't seem like 100% power all the time. There were times when it would stop heating for a minute, the glowing elements would go dark. But with the manual mode on the plus, you can finish a roast quicker. Having said that, there are several considerations. First, have you been abusing your Behmor? What I mean is, have you been skipping the cool down and shutting off the roaster and pulling the beans while the roaster is hot? This is thought to shorten the life of the unit. Have you been cleaning and maintaining your roaster? Have you roasted a lot of coffee? It all comes down to how much more expected life you think the unit has. There is a lot written on the web about units failing because of hard use. Second, upgrading requires you to do a little surgery on your old Behmor. Where are you planning on taking your hobby? Will you be stepping up in the next couple of years to a more advanced roaster or is this type of roasting/roaster all you need and want? Consider saving up for the next step in roasting if you want to log and roast on something like a drum style commercial roaster. Third, Behmor is introducing a brand new version of their drum roaster. It is similar to the 1600 we are familiar with but they have made improvements including: higher Multi-speed motor (16 and 32 RPM), 2x more powerful MCU (Micro Controller), New On Board Audible Beep Advisory (unattended safety cutoff and :15 remaining warning), New Universal Power and Control Boards-adds future flexibility/ work in 120v or 220v, and a new Re-programmable Firmware Feature. A lot to think about here Dustin. Hope this discussion has helped. Happy Roasting!

[@dg10890]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Thanks for your thorough response, Mike. I've had my Behmor for about 7 years now and have done many roasts on it - I can't even put a number on it, since I sadly never thought to keep track of them when I started - but had never really dug deep into understanding the stages and variables for controlling a roast. I have a much better handle on that now. I've always regularly cleaned the inside of the machine every few roasts with Simple Green. The only thing I do that can be considered risky is during cooling. Typically, I'll open the door as soon as I start the cooling cycle, and let it run for about two minutes. After that I turn off the machine and remove the chaff tray and drum with oven mitts so I can manually cool the beans between two mesh sieves. In the long run, I do eventually want to upgrade to a roaster where I can track data and log roast curves in Artisan - something like a Hottop 2K+ or a Behmor Jake would be my "holy grail" but that's way down the line if even possible at all. Upgrading the panel on the 1600 would at least be a small step in that direction by getting me more involved in monitoring temps and power levels, I think. For now, I just want to get back in the groove of roasting and learning the process afresh and exploring differences in origin and processing since I'm armed with more knowledge this time around. Thanks again for all your help!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@@dg10890 Sounds like you have been taking care of your roaster. I think you would enjoy the plus upgrade panel. There was a step by step video out there about switching the panels. It may have also included how to clean the internal fan? Let me know how it goes. - All the best.....

[@jarodsteinhoff5315]

Hey Mike, I've been roasting on the Behmor now for 5 years or so and love it. I do a similar manual method as you but do not keep the temperature that high for that long. I'll let it peak at 315 and then it comes down naturally once the exhaust fan kicks on and let it come down at around 280 b-temp which is where I hit first cracks at. I do almost all Ethiopian so I know they need a little less heat for a fruit forward profile. Do you think I should roast at a higher first Crack temp? Are you worried about scorching the beans at that high of temp for that long?

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Jarod, thanks for your comments and for sharing your roasting approach with the Behmor. It makes sense. Can you share your phase times with me? Then I can better answer your question. Have you had roasting defects with the Behmor? I have had some a couple of times but it really hasn't been that big of a concern for that roaster. Most roasting defects are going to happen during the first half of the roast OR if you are high and fast on your temps and times. Let me know your times so I can better answer my thoughts about the first crack temp. Also, I'm curious how far into the development phase you are taking your roast but I guess I will find that out when you share your data.

[@jarodsteinhoff5315]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab I have it all in my head and go by sight and sound but I finally got around to roasting again so I was able to write down my phase/times. I've had some troubles lately getting any fruity notes out of my coffee when I think I should be with the origins I'm roasting. It's been maybe slightly mealy/bitter which indicates I'm not roasting it long enough usually but I'm thinking I may not be also roasting it at high enough temps which is why I reached out :) Note: Each minutes' notes are done during the previous minute 0:00 - start 2 minutes preheated at p5 2:00 - P5, B-temp 219 degrees 3:00 - P5, 246 4:00 - P5, 270 5:00 - P5, 289 6:00 - P5, 304, start of caramelization phase 7:00 - P5, 318, Caramelization Phase 8:00 - P3-P4 to keep at 315. Fan kicks on down to 300 9:00 - P4, 285, keep here until first cracks, A-temp at 200, kick on drum speed 10:00 - P4/P5, keep around 285 11:00 - P4, 290 11:45 - first cracks starts 12:15 - first cracks are vigorous for 20 seconds, cool down, put fan on, crack door open, continues cracking until 12:45

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

@Jarod Steinhoff , Sorry for the late reply Jarod. I missed your reply. When you reply to a message in youtube and then someone replies back to that reply, the channel owner doesn't see the message in youtube studio. Sorry about that. OK, thank you for sharing your roast times and temps. Here is how your roast breaks down: 37% of your total roast time is in the dry phase. 53.48% of your total roast time is spent in the browning phase 9.3% of your total roast time is spent in the development phase I would recommend you lower your charge temp to stretch out your dry time. Maybe try 180 degrees and see what happens. I would also try to shorten your browning/middle phase by 10% so don't go down to p3 if you can help it until your close to first crack. Lastly, you should consider lengthening your development phase a little and by moving to p3 at first crack, that should lengthen that phase. Since your roasting a natural ethiopian and are after the fruit, you might consider a development phase of about 13-14% and then open the door when you hit cool. I would be interested to hear what happens. I think you will taste more fruit. That profile seems like it may have muted your notes? I'm curious to see if you notice any changes. I roast ethiopian coffee a lot and when you roast like I suggested, it may take a few days before the coffee comes to life. The first couple of days if may taste a little flat.

[@luigicollins3954]

Thanks Mike for this nice video! I just got into roasting a couple of weeks ago with my purchase of a Behmor 2000AB+. I have been having fun learning roasting with some free green beans they included with my purchase. Oddly enough, just 2 days ago I roasted the last of my free bag of El Salvador Pacamara. And now I wished I had come across this video before I started that bag! But even now, your video is great encouragement. Can you recall what roasting point you finally got to with the Pacamara in this video? I generally like roasts in the City+ to Full City range, so most of my various procedural experiments were trying to achieve that. But as you mentioned, with the Behmor we have to think at least 30 seconds ahead of time, maybe even a minute. Really great to see your family involved, too!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Hi Lou! Your comment came through. Yea, I slowed the roast down on my way down a little before i got to first crack (kind of the middle of the brown/middle phase. Watch the video at 6:16 and you will see i go from 100% power to 75% and then bump up the power a little just as I was going into first crack because it needed a little more momentum. Watch the time on the roaster. Even though i cut up the video a little, the time stamp can help you figure out what i did on that. I wish I would have left it alone at P4 and not bumped it up near the end....

[@luigicollins3954]

@@VirtualCoffeeLab Yes, watching the video again tells me so much. I guess I am having eyes to see it a little better now. For others that may read this, I noted in your video that when you switched to 75% power you said the B temp was 320 F. I am pretty sure on the Behmor 2000, it would not let me get near that temperature since the exhaust vent opens at exactly 7:30 into the roast every time. On the 2000, vent opening is based only on time, not temperature. But nonetheless, cutting back the roast power is what I think I need to do to reduce the thermal momentum I have. That momentum is causing my roast to blast more quickly to the end of the middle phase, first crack, and a ways into the development phase in a very short amount of time. I will probably watch this video many times! Thanks.

[@denali9643]

Just found your channel and glad I did! Why don’t you put on a pair of gloves and pull the beans to cool externally as opposed to using the Cool Cycle? I made a DIY box / colander / vacuum system which cools the beans in about a minute. The Cool Cycle is only good for allowing the hearing elements to return to safe temps

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching my videos. I finally got some gloves for the Behmor. I’m considering a small external cooling tray with a fan. Another option I’m considering is using my spare hive dome and attach a screen and vacuum nozzle to suck cool air through beans. With the door open, the behmor will cool down enough to stop the roasting process but you are right. Getting the beans out of the roaster is a better option. Thanks for sharing.

[@quaxenleaf]

I scanned the comments, but I didn’t see any mention of the roaster cutting off when the drum temp (B button) hits 325°F. If you’re roasting on P5 it’s important to monitor the drum temp and switch to a lower power setting (e.g. P3 or 50% power) BEFORE it reaches 325° until drum temp falls to around 310°F at which point you can increase back to P5 (100%). Sorry if this was already covered. Great presentation BTW!

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for your comments quaxenleaf. You are right it is important to monitor drum temp using the "B". I have heard about the safety feature but never had the roaster shut down on me. I'm usually moving down to p4 around 320. I looked at the 1600 plus manual and couldn't find any mention of 325 degree safety feature. Do you see any mention of it in the manual? I think the fan kicks in though right? I know it does on the new AB model and those users aren't really happy about that. Thanks again for sharing your comments!

[@zenadventurer69]

Way too long to cool…for a city roast, you need to be at room temperature within 4 minutes.s

[@VirtualCoffeeLab]

Thanks for watching ZenAdventureUSA. Yea, a cooling tray is a better option. I've been doing that lately. Not sure about the room temperature at 4 minutes but yea, getting the beans cool enough to stop roasting is always best. So, these beans were honey process. They did go darker than i wanted and would honestly say a city plus might be more accurate. One thing I have been learning as I interact with so many different people who roast coffee is everyone has a different flavor preference (roast level & profile) they enjoy. I enjoy a good medium roast that leans towards the lighter side of medium but there will always be those who like the darker notes. That is what is fun about roasting, we can craft exactly what we like. What type of roaster are you using? Sounds like you enjoy the origin flavors on the lighter or medium roast temperatures?