Roasting beans

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Date: 17 Nov 2006 08:25:44
From: Charles
Subject: Roasting beans

Hi
I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
impossible to get in my area).
I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look for
when they are done.
I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
Some advice would be appreciated

Charles

Date: 17 Nov 2006 09:06:13
From: daveb
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Higher tech but still cheap -- google up "turbo crazy"

dave

Charles wrote:
> Hi
> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> impossible to get in my area).
> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look for
> when they are done.
> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> Some advice would be appreciated
>
> Charles

Date: 17 Nov 2006 10:39:29
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

If you have access to either a "hot air popcorn popper" or a "heatgun" these
are both superior to using a pan on the stove. The problem with a pan is
that it's very easy (especially if you don't know what you are doing) to
scorch and burn the surface of the coffee without fully roasting it on the
inside. If you do use the pan, its essential to keep the coffee moving at
all times so that there is nowhere that one portion of a bean remains in
direct contact with the hot metal for more than a few seconds.

"Charles" <ce.mason@telkomsa.net > wrote in message
news:ejjkqp$fmu$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
> Hi
> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> impossible to get in my area).
> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look
> for
> when they are done.
> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> Some advice would be appreciated
>
> Charles
>
>

Date: 18 Nov 2006 01:30:53
From: Ed Needham
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

...and count on filling the house with bean smoke if you pan roast indoors.
Smoke alarms will be singing.
If you insist on a pan-type roast, a wok does a good job, if it's a thick
one.
--
*********************
Ed Needham®
"to absurdity and beyond!"
http://www.homeroaster.com
(include [FRIEND] in subject line to get through my SPAM filters)
*********************

"Jack Denver" <nunuvyer@netscape.net > wrote in message
news:D9OdnatkWtgsSsDYnZ2dnUVZ_vWdnZ2d@comcast.com...
> If you have access to either a "hot air popcorn popper" or a "heatgun"
> these are both superior to using a pan on the stove. The problem with a
> pan is that it's very easy (especially if you don't know what you are
> doing) to scorch and burn the surface of the coffee without fully roasting
> it on the inside. If you do use the pan, its essential to keep the coffee
> moving at all times so that there is nowhere that one portion of a bean
> remains in direct contact with the hot metal for more than a few seconds.
>
>
>
> "Charles" <ce.mason@telkomsa.net> wrote in message
> news:ejjkqp$fmu$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
>> Hi
>> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
>> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
>> impossible to get in my area).
>> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look
>> for
>> when they are done.
>> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
>> Some advice would be appreciated
>>
>> Charles
>>
>>
>
>

Date: 17 Nov 2006 06:46:51
From:
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Charles wrote:
> Hi
> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> impossible to get in my area).
> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look for
> when they are done.
> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> Some advice would be appreciated
>
> Charles

I had a message all typed out about how unreliable and messy pan
roasting is, not to mention the unknown characteristics of your beans,
but instead I'll just give you a great big GO FOR IT.

Use the thickest pan you have, cast iron would be good if it isn't one
you've lovingly seasoned as that would destroy both the roast and the
seasoning. Use a medium to medium-low heat and keep the beans moving
constantly. You want them to never be touching the pan at anyone
point but to roll and mix always.

Stop once the beans start to show some oil spots. This target point is
the border between the medium and dark roasts. It's more complicated
than that, but this is an easy point to shoot for and since you don't
know the character of your beans you might as well aim for something
you can hit that will give acceptable results.

Here's a rough road map to that point:
green - tan - calico - snapping like popcorn - silence and browning -
more browning and smoke starts to turn acrid - snaps like rice crispies
- more smoke and oil - fire

Stop after you start to hear the rice crispie sounds. Expect this to
make a big mess as the beans shed their outer paper covering and make a
cloud of acrid smoke. Do this outside if you can. The most important
newbie advise you can hear is to BE PREPARED! Have everything ready.
Roasting beans are hot so have something like a colendar or baking
sheet ready to receive them once they are done BEFORE you start. Keep
an oven mit or two handy.

I hope you enjoy your experience, but don't get discouraged if it
doesn't turn out perfect.

Matthew

Date: 17 Nov 2006 09:07:06
From: Dan Bollinger
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

www.homeroasters.org

"Charles" <ce.mason@telkomsa.net > wrote in message
news:ejjkqp$fmu$1@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
> Hi
> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> impossible to get in my area).
> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look for
> when they are done.
> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> Some advice would be appreciated
>
> Charles
>
>

Date: 17 Nov 2006 06:05:40
From:
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Date: 17 Nov 2006 01:05:37
From: myron
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Well, somewhere between "warm and flaming" is closer to the right
parameters..since smoke often is part of the roasting process..
.

For pan on the stove roasting see:
http://www.sweetmarias.com/skilletmethod.html

http://homeroast.wordpress.com/ and go to tip #5.

Best..
Myron

Charles wrote:
> Hi
> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> impossible to get in my area).
> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look for
> when they are done.
> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> Some advice would be appreciated
>
> Charles

Date: 17 Nov 2006 19:50:59
From: Flasherly
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

jggall01 wrote:
> I use a $19 heat gun and a $3 stainless steel dog bowl to roast 2 cups
> at a time. I stop after the "rice crispy" sound has been going for 30
> seconds or so (i.e. slightly into 2nd crack), or when the beans just
> start getting shiny from the oil. This takes between 10 and 11
> minutes. Throw 'em in a wire strainer right away and keep them moving
> so they cool as quickly as possible.
>
> They start tasting good 48 hours after roasting.
>
> Aside from requiring electricity, this is pretty lo tech, and very
> cheap.

And the lowtech achievement award goes to ...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=35776

[Disclaimer: Harbor Freight doesn't endorse heatguns for having too
much fun at work with 50lbs of green coffee when bored and using
employer electricity.]

Date: 20 Nov 2006 10:58:03
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

OK I bit. I was in a Harbor Freight ($7 20amp GFCI- I just figured out this
week (courtesy of a brave UPC that gave it's life) that a certain circuit in
my house was completely ungrounded. More below.

And they had a stack of the $10 heat guns. I never got into HG roasting but
for $10 I couldn't resist any further. Last night I did my first HG/dogbowl
roast. Or more accurately, my first HG/stainless mesh strainer/stainless
mixing bowl roast (the latter 2 were $1 store items, so the whole rig was
$12.72 after tax). I thought it went pretty well. The HF gun has two heat
settings and unlike some guns , HIGH involves both turning up the element
AND making the fan go faster. On the high setting you get a pretty fair
volume of air - enough to move the beans. Also enough to blow the smoke
away - the only time I saw visible smoke was when I pointed the gun AWAY
from the bowl so it wasn't there to blow it away. I didn't need a spoon at
all, just kept the gun moving and flipped the beans around with the handle
of the strainer now and then ( this also released some of the chaff). I did
300g in around 16 minutes outside when it was around 45F. Tried it this
morning and it was very good - better than my usual 6 minute poppery roast
and almost 3x the quantity. What surprised me the most was the problem of
cooling. I have my poppery rigged so that the power switch controls the
element and throwing the switch starts cooling and this kill the roast
almost immediately. There's only 100g or so that is left at the end of a
roast which is not much of a bean mass to sustain the roast, especially with
cool air blowing. Here, once I turned off the gun (early 2nd crack) the
beans kept smoldering and looked threateningly exothermic for a while. I
poured them thru the air from bowl to strainer and back again but it took a
LOT longer than I expected for them to cool because 300g is enough to form a
"pile" that retains a lot of heat. I'll have to add a fan to my setup.
Otherwise, I'm a convert, I think.

In an older house wiring is often a patchwork quilt of stuff that has been
added to and added again. In my case, there's an outlet right next to the
utility sink in the basement, which must have been put in when the house was
built in the early 50's or shortly thereafter. That outlet was done
craftsmanlike in #12 BX armored cable - still the best stuff around, though
hard to work with and expensive so it doesn't get used much. The metal
sheath forms the ground conductor. Then someone later added a box on the
wall above that had one of those porcelain pull chain lights. That they ran
in old style 2 conductor #14 NM cable (the kind with the braided cloth
cover). Completely ungrounded. So far so good (sorta). A porcelain lightbulb
doesn't really have much need for grounding and back in the day this was
considered OK. But then the fun began. At some point much later, someone saw
the junction box on the wall and said -"Here's a good point to take off a
run for a new outlet circuit. So, they opened the box and the code
violations began. #1 they didn't pigtail the conductors under wire nuts -
instead they double up the wires under the screws to the lightbulb socket.
#2 it was a 20 amp breaker but they ran #14 , #3 (and this is the biggie)
they looked around the box and couldn't find a ground wire, so they fixed
the ground wire to the cable clamp of the box. If the box itself is
grounded, this might work (sorta). But, this box was completely ungrounded
because it was fed by an ungrounded cable. And so the downstream outlets
were themselves without ground even though they were 3 prong types. The
other day there was a storm and the power went off for a few seconds and
then back on - the surge must have tried to go to ground but there was no
ground so instead the poor UPC fried itself (luckily it didn't have anything
sensitive connected to it - just the pump on a fish tank.) Even worse, a
ground fault would make the junction box "live". Luckily no one ever got
hurt from this but they could have. Bigtime because the box is right next
to a cast iron sink. One hand on the faucet, one hand reaches up to pull
the light chain and somehow comes in contact with the metal box and zap,
you're dead. So in addition to reestablishing ground, I changed the outlet
to GFCI which it should be anyway next to a sink. Next weekend I'm checking
every outlet in the house for ground.

"Flasherly" <gjerrell@ij.net > wrote in message
news:1163821859.873189.312830@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>
> And the lowtech achievement award goes to ...
>
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=35776
>
> [Disclaimer: Harbor Freight doesn't endorse heatguns for having too
> much fun at work with 50lbs of green coffee when bored and using
> employer electricity.]
>

Date: 18 Nov 2006 01:41:57
From: Alan
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

"Charles" wrote
> Hi
> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> impossible to get in my area).
> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look
> for
> when they are done.
> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> Some advice would be appreciated
>
> Charles

Here's a pretty low tech but effective process used successfully in
millions of households in the Middle East for roasting small quantities. . .
virtually fool-proof.

First of all, use a pot instead of a pan; the higher sides will keep the
beans from jumping out when you agitate the pot.
Turn the flame up high, throw the handful or so of beans into the pot.
Hold the pot about an inch or so above the flames and, using deft little
wrist-flicks, keep the beans moving around and flipping over.
The advantage to this technique is that you can see immediately the progress
of your roasting.
Continue agitating the beans over the fire until they get to the color you
think you like.
(This usually takes less than 5 minutes and, by the way, you don't have to
be *constantly* moving the beans around --- just use your discretion; you
can hold the pot still for 10-15 seconds at a time). When the beans have
got to the color you like, take the pot off the stove, carry it outside,
close your eyes, and blow into it a few times while agitating the pot a bit
to get rid of the loose chaff. That's it. No covered pans, no
thermometers, no stirring paddles, no waiting for the sound of a "crack"
(which may or may not occur, depending on humidity, bean water content,
degree of heat, etc), no sieves, no blowers. Stove (gas is best) and a pot.
Happy roasting.

Date: 18 Nov 2006 07:46:46
From: Charles
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Hi
Many thanks for all the suggestions. At least now I know what to expect and
maybe
eventually produce a perfectly roasted coffee bean.

Charles
Alan <in_flagrante@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:Fxt7h.4712$yE6.77@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Charles" wrote
> > Hi
> > I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> > I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> > impossible to get in my area).
> > I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look
> > for
> > when they are done.
> > I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> > Some advice would be appreciated
> >
> > Charles
>
> Here's a pretty low tech but effective process used successfully in
> millions of households in the Middle East for roasting small quantities. .
.
> virtually fool-proof.
>
> First of all, use a pot instead of a pan; the higher sides will keep the
> beans from jumping out when you agitate the pot.
> Turn the flame up high, throw the handful or so of beans into the pot.
> Hold the pot about an inch or so above the flames and, using deft little
> wrist-flicks, keep the beans moving around and flipping over.
> The advantage to this technique is that you can see immediately the
progress
> of your roasting.
> Continue agitating the beans over the fire until they get to the color you
> think you like.
> (This usually takes less than 5 minutes and, by the way, you don't have to
> be *constantly* moving the beans around --- just use your discretion; you
> can hold the pot still for 10-15 seconds at a time). When the beans have
> got to the color you like, take the pot off the stove, carry it outside,
> close your eyes, and blow into it a few times while agitating the pot a
bit
> to get rid of the loose chaff. That's it. No covered pans, no
> thermometers, no stirring paddles, no waiting for the sound of a "crack"
> (which may or may not occur, depending on humidity, bean water content,
> degree of heat, etc), no sieves, no blowers. Stove (gas is best) and a
pot.
> Happy roasting.
>
>

Date: 18 Nov 2006 14:02:15
From: jw
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

It came to pass that on 18 Nov 2006, Charles scribed thusly to all in
alt.coffee the following inspiration:

> Hi Many thanks for all the suggestions. At least now I know what to
> expect and maybe eventually produce a perfectly roasted coffee bean.

I'd like to echo the thanks here. I'm glad that someone can come here and
ask a question like this and get such good information. More folks will
benefit from this than just the OP. THANKS!!

--
jw

"It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things
never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal
answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life
is on a stroll. This is how God does things."
-- Donald Miller

Date: 17 Nov 2006 16:37:41
From: jggall01
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Date: 17 Nov 2006 19:03:26
From: Jeff
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Charles wrote:
> Hi
> I need a low tech answer to roasting coffee beans.
> I have managed to get a hand full of beans ( type unknown and almost
> impossible to get in my area).
> I want to roast them in a pan on the stove but am not sure what to look for
> when they are done.
> I presume that it is somewhere between warm and smoking.
> Some advice would be appreciated

My lo tech approach is the "whirly pop" similar to what Sweet Maria's
offers. If makes a lot of smoke, especially with large batches, so
its really only good for using on an outdoor grill. I use mine on my
boat when traveling. (For daily home use I now use a Gene Cafe.)

Once its heated up, constant stirring is necessary. It has to get
really hot, like 400 degrees, and it takes a number of minutes at that
temp, so it takes a real beating. It does tend to stain the popper,
so you might want to consider is a dedicated coffee roaster. I,
however, still use mine for popcorn, so it can do double service.

The biggest problem I had was that I couldn't see the beans without
opening and clearing the smoke, which lowered the temp and stalled the
roast. Fortunately I like a lighter roast, because I almost always
got it a shade lighter than my target.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.stovetop-popper.shtml

BTW, if you really want to get into this, you need to find a source,
or at least accumulate several pounds - it will take a number of tries
before you get something on a par with a good local roaster. If there
are no advertised sources in your country, try going to a local
roaster and begging. That's what I did when I started about 15 years
ago. You should get at least a 15-20% discount (which is the
"shrinkage" when roasting), but if they're nice if could be half the
normal roasted price.

Two more things - whatever method you use, it has to be hot, real hot.
And you have to agitate to avoid roasting one side of the bean. Also,
many roasts don't taste right until 12 hours later. Don't be too
eager to sample immediately.

Date: 20 Nov 2006 21:27:52
From: Flasherly
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

I've had the gun awhile pretty, much new and not used a lot (got tired
of a hair dryer for stuff like painting and electrical shrinktape).
Handy to have like cheap HF stuff that pays for itself first time
around (used a 3/4" wrench setup, sockets 1" to 3 1/2" including a
great swivelhead breaker I got from BigLots for $39 long time ago
recently for a $450 balljoint job - control arm $67). Also opened the
cupboard and pulled out an ancient Poppery and gave it shot last week.
Felt somewhat inconsistent, beans get dark into caramel territory in a
hurry when they do, plus really having to watch it - feels something
might meltdown or go into sparks. Have some future ideas about maybe
building a screen contraption ducting w/ the heatgun - though dogbowl
sounds quickest. Poppery is ancient (didn't even know what brand it
was) ... used it after buying and trying a few scoops in an iRoast2 for
the comparison. iRoast2 appears more consistant but isn't as hot -
should for what it costs (provided it doesn't break and delivers lots
of roasting). Haven't drank hardly six cups of freshroasted yet,
though there's definate distinction, as well in looking forward to more
roasted fresh flavors yet to be experienced. House wiring is 60-ish,
regular Romax - which I haven't gone too mickeymouse after messing once
with a fusebox full of Federal Electric breakers and destroying a 30amp
for the clothes dryer. Federal Electric get locked behind glass cases
in stores, they're so expensive ($60-80 or more for that fuse). Drove
aways to find a cheap fire-salvaged FE-60amp and pulled the Romax for
some extremely heavy gauge for the dryer and a Lincoln stick welder.
Aside from grounding aspect of killing oneself, the other thing that
scares me is insufficient wires that heat up and create a fire hazard.
I agree - don't impose on electricity is a good motto. Nothing stays
on when I walk out the door except for a waterheater set twice at 30min
from a 220v timer and the refrigerator.

Jack Denver wrote:
> OK I bit. I was in a Harbor Freight ($7 20amp GFCI- I just figured out this
> week (courtesy of a brave UPC that gave it's life) that a certain circuit in
> my house was completely ungrounded. More below.
>
> And they had a stack of the $10 heat guns. I never got into HG roasting but
> for $10 I couldn't resist any further. Last night I did my first HG/dogbowl
> roast. Or more accurately, my first HG/stainless mesh strainer/stainless
> mixing bowl roast (the latter 2 were $1 store items, so the whole rig was
> $12.72 after tax). I thought it went pretty well. The HF gun has two heat
> settings and unlike some guns , HIGH involves both turning up the element
> AND making the fan go faster. On the high setting you get a pretty fair
> volume of air - enough to move the beans. Also enough to blow the smoke
> away - the only time I saw visible smoke was when I pointed the gun AWAY
> from the bowl so it wasn't there to blow it away. I didn't need a spoon at
> all, just kept the gun moving and flipped the beans around with the handle
> of the strainer now and then ( this also released some of the chaff). I did
> 300g in around 16 minutes outside when it was around 45F. Tried it this
> morning and it was very good - better than my usual 6 minute poppery roast
> and almost 3x the quantity. What surprised me the most was the problem of
> cooling. I have my poppery rigged so that the power switch controls the
> element and throwing the switch starts cooling and this kill the roast
> almost immediately. There's only 100g or so that is left at the end of a
> roast which is not much of a bean mass to sustain the roast, especially with
> cool air blowing. Here, once I turned off the gun (early 2nd crack) the
> beans kept smoldering and looked threateningly exothermic for a while. I
> poured them thru the air from bowl to strainer and back again but it took a
> LOT longer than I expected for them to cool because 300g is enough to form a
> "pile" that retains a lot of heat. I'll have to add a fan to my setup.
> Otherwise, I'm a convert, I think.
>
>
>
> In an older house wiring is often a patchwork quilt of stuff that has been
> added to and added again. In my case, there's an outlet right next to the
> utility sink in the basement, which must have been put in when the house was
> built in the early 50's or shortly thereafter. That outlet was done
> craftsmanlike in #12 BX armored cable - still the best stuff around, though
> hard to work with and expensive so it doesn't get used much. The metal
> sheath forms the ground conductor. Then someone later added a box on the
> wall above that had one of those porcelain pull chain lights. That they ran
> in old style 2 conductor #14 NM cable (the kind with the braided cloth
> cover). Completely ungrounded. So far so good (sorta). A porcelain lightbulb
> doesn't really have much need for grounding and back in the day this was
> considered OK. But then the fun began. At some point much later, someone saw
> the junction box on the wall and said -"Here's a good point to take off a
> run for a new outlet circuit. So, they opened the box and the code
> violations began. #1 they didn't pigtail the conductors under wire nuts -
> instead they double up the wires under the screws to the lightbulb socket.
> #2 it was a 20 amp breaker but they ran #14 , #3 (and this is the biggie)
> they looked around the box and couldn't find a ground wire, so they fixed
> the ground wire to the cable clamp of the box. If the box itself is
> grounded, this might work (sorta). But, this box was completely ungrounded
> because it was fed by an ungrounded cable. And so the downstream outlets
> were themselves without ground even though they were 3 prong types. The
> other day there was a storm and the power went off for a few seconds and
> then back on - the surge must have tried to go to ground but there was no
> ground so instead the poor UPC fried itself (luckily it didn't have anything
> sensitive connected to it - just the pump on a fish tank.) Even worse, a
> ground fault would make the junction box "live". Luckily no one ever got
> hurt from this but they could have. Bigtime because the box is right next
> to a cast iron sink. One hand on the faucet, one hand reaches up to pull
> the light chain and somehow comes in contact with the metal box and zap,
> you're dead. So in addition to reestablishing ground, I changed the outlet
> to GFCI which it should be anyway next to a sink. Next weekend I'm checking
> every outlet in the house for ground.

Date: 21 Nov 2006 10:30:41
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Some people have tried mounting the gun and aiming it into a bread machine
set on "dough" - this seems to work.

Sivetz makes a "sample roaster" using a heatgun that does a ridiculously
small 60g - you'd be better off w/ the poppery. Or you could gut the
poppery and duct the output of the heatgun into the ex-poppery roast
chamber.

The dogbowl (actually strainer + bowl) approach has as its chief virtue
extreme simplicity. You don't need to have a machine shop in your basement,
just a few simple off the shelf items and a little patience and it seems to
work as well (perhap better) as more automated methods. . It's really a
zen-like experience - you are in touch with the coffee as it roasts - you
see it, you smell it, you are touching it (with the gun) and at the same
time its a mindless enough process that you can think about other stuff too.
You don't want to walk away from a running heatgun - since you have to be
there to babysit the thing anyway, holding it in your hand gives you
something to do. If it was mounted and the phone rang or something, you
might be tempted to walk away "for a minute", which is long enough to start
a fire. Before building any contraptions, I'd experiment with the easy way
first - a lot of people find it to be all that they need or want and though
I'm just starting I suspect that I'll be in that group as well.

"Flasherly" <gjerrell@ij.net > wrote in message
news:1164086872.527183.138940@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
Have some future ideas about maybe
> building a screen contraption ducting w/ the heatgun - though dogbowl
> sounds quickest.

Date: 20 Nov 2006 10:41:22
From:
Subject: Re: Roasting beans

Jack Denver wrote:
> OK I bit. I was in a Harbor Freight ($7 20amp GFCI- I just figured out this
> week (courtesy of a brave UPC that gave it's life) that a certain circuit in
> my house was completely ungrounded. More below.
>
> And they had a stack of the $10 heat guns. I never got into HG roasting but
> for $10 I couldn't resist any further. Last night I did my first HG/dogbowl
> roast. Or more accurately, my first HG/stainless mesh strainer/stainless
> mixing bowl roast (the latter 2 were $1 store items, so the whole rig was
> $12.72 after tax). I thought it went pretty well. The HF gun has two heat
> settings and unlike some guns , HIGH involves both turning up the element
> AND making the fan go faster. On the high setting you get a pretty fair
> volume of air - enough to move the beans. Also enough to blow the smoke
> away - the only time I saw visible smoke was when I pointed the gun AWAY
> from the bowl so it wasn't there to blow it away. I didn't need a spoon at
> all, just kept the gun moving and flipped the beans around with the handle
> of the strainer now and then ( this also released some of the chaff). I did
> 300g in around 16 minutes outside when it was around 45F. Tried it this
> morning and it was very good - better than my usual 6 minute poppery roast
> and almost 3x the quantity. What surprised me the most was the problem of
> cooling. I have my poppery rigged so that the power switch controls the
> element and throwing the switch starts cooling and this kill the roast
> almost immediately. There's only 100g or so that is left at the end of a
> roast which is not much of a bean mass to sustain the roast, especially with
> cool air blowing. Here, once I turned off the gun (early 2nd crack) the
> beans kept smoldering and looked threateningly exothermic for a while. I
> poured them thru the air from bowl to strainer and back again but it took a
> LOT longer than I expected for them to cool because 300g is enough to form a
> "pile" that retains a lot of heat. I'll have to add a fan to my setup.
> Otherwise, I'm a convert, I think.
>
I have been using a similar rig for my roasts for about 8 months now.
The only difference is that my heatgun is a Master Appliance type
heatgun, which put out a higher airflow at a more moderate temperature
than the standard cheapies. I really like the mesh strainer inside
stainless mixing bowl as the bean mass gets airflow around the bottom
edge and not just the top. I usually do two 9oz batches stirring
constantly with a metal whisk to get my 1lb weekly ration.

For my cooler I use a larger mesh strainer that fits perfectly over the
upturned face of a honeywell turbo fan. I've seen this fan at both
Menards and Wal-Mart and others have had success with the same unit.

My my 1lb per week habit, I think the heatgun is really the way to go.
It gives me larger batches and better results than my old popocrn
pumper rig.

Matthew