dark french roast using the Iroast? How?

For non-TMC members to ask questions and offer comments

Moderators: GreenBean, Gouezeri, bruceb, CakeBoy

dark french roast using the Iroast? How?

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:23 am

A few months back I made the move from the Hearthware Precision to the I-Roast, looking forward to large batches of my favourite dark roast. I have fumbled about with various settings, none of which I took the trouble to note down, as I quickly got bored with attempting to programme the machine to my taste yet fail miserably, resulting in distincly medium batches one after the other. The Precision, for me, was easy, I just whacked the knob up to 8 or 9, left the fella roasting, and reaped the benefits 12 minutes later! The I-Roast appears to be demanding me to become a 'slightly' more knowledgeable roaster...probably a good thing...but how long for the first crack...how long for the second etc...to be fair, I'm lost !!! "If only my partner had not broken the Precision glass jug" I cry!

The ultimate goal is to successfully dark french roast 150g of Indian Monsooned Malabar. One problem may be tha I am having to utilise a long extension cable, around 14 feet - I know it's not recommended - but I have to get power to a garden shed somehow. I am not sure of the absolute effect this is having on the roast, or how to calculate it.

I would love to get this sussed...and once more enjoy my favourite coffee experience.

Many thanks

Joe
Guest
 

Postby Gouezeri » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:42 am

Joe,
What kind of result do you get from preset profile 2 (do you have to cut it short)?
This should give us an idea as to how hot your I-Roast is running and what kind of a profile might work.
The other important point is whether your chaff ring sits firmly? Take the whole lid assembly off the roasting pot and see if you can move the chaff ring from underneath.
This covers two of the most important issues... line voltage and air resistance.
Dom
This week I are feeling sleepy!
User avatar
Gouezeri
 
Posts: 4185
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:56 am

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:51 am

I find profile 2, too light. For me the result with 2 resembles what i would describe as a medium roast bean...the colour of a shop bought pre-roasted 'Illy' bean.
Yes, the chaff ring clatters about a bit in the machine during use - I have made no alterations on that front. I have just taken the lid off as you suggested, and yes the chaff ring moves, about half a centimetres play I would say.
Joe
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:55 am

...i don't cut program 2 short...i let it run in full.
Guest
 

Postby Gouezeri » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:59 am

Ok, first things first... time to head for the kitchen :-)
grab a roll of kitchen foil and rip of a sheet, probably about A4 size and scrunch it up to create a washer about 6mm thick and a good 2cm in diametre. This, when placed on top of the chaff ring and under the lid will stop it from moving around and letting loose the chaff.

I'm a little surprised that preset 2 is too light, but this is probably as a result of your long extension lead. Any idea what the line voltage is?
I'll put my thinking cap on now (if I can find it... it's been a while) and see if we can come up with a profile for you.
There's going to be a degree of trial and error though, simply because I won't be able to see the results.
D
This week I are feeling sleepy!
User avatar
Gouezeri
 
Posts: 4185
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:56 am

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:12 am

My colleague has taken a reading direct from the socket - 248v
Was that the reading you wanted?
thanks for your help!!!
Joe
Guest
 

Postby Gouezeri » Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:17 am

Right, I've just checked and preset 2 has the following profile:

• Stage 1: 235C for 6:00 min.
• Stage 2: 204C for 4:00 min.
• Stage 3: 252C for 1:30 min.

Which is 11 and a half minutes of your total of 15 minutes, so there's headroom for you to get a nice dark roast, relative to your recent attempts.
However, having seen these figures again, I am surprised that preset 2 is giving you a light roast (I'm not saying you are wrong, simply that this is not common for an unmodified I-Roast).
Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing have a look at Thom's pictorial guide and using that as a basis we should be able to appreciate the results you are getting (gives us some kind of a benchmark).

If you have to use the extension lead, try and make sure that nothing else (like a washing machine, microwave, kettle, iron etc.) is running at the same time (this is the same for many electric roasters including the HT). Your reading of 248 was that including the extension lead?

I know a lot of this seems like a pain, but once we understand the situation that you are roasting in and the results you are getting, then it makes it easier to come up with a profile.
D
This week I are feeling sleepy!
User avatar
Gouezeri
 
Posts: 4185
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:56 am

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:39 am

Made the washer. All sits snugly on top now...lovely.
I would pretty much describe preset 2 as a medium roast - I know I said it was 'too light', but I sort of meant 'too light' for my tastes, rather than it being a light roast. Sorry if I confused things by saying that. Prest 2 is definitely a medium roast.
The reading my colleague tooks was actually direct from the wall socket source, nothing operational. This is the reading from the extension lead plug again nothing opertaional - 248v. Did you actually need a reading taken during operation of the machine?
Just reassessing the lead, its actually more like 22 feet long. :-(
cheers
Joe
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:45 am

Thanks for the trouble you are taking by the way.
Guest
 

Postby Gouezeri » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:16 pm

Joe,
Glad you got the washer sorted ok.
It's alright, I'd understood what you meant by the roast being a bit light. What would you reckon, about a 10 on Thom's pictorial guide? And you are aiming for what, a 14? All of this is a little dark for my taste, but it is all about personal taste really.
If you are getting 248v at the end of the extension lead you should be ok (I only get 233 here) and my temperatures and times are nowhere near as high. The next important thing is to make sure nothing else is running when you are roasting, so make sure everything else is switched off.
Now then, profile wise this is going to be a bit interesting as I've never seen/heard of someone running the same times/temps as you and it is not easy to judge without using a thermocouple to see what the actual roasting pot temp is.
But, let's try a modified preset 2 as a starting place, if you can try and take notes at the same time, it would help us to know how the roast is proceding, every minute should be ok, just to give us an idea (things you should check are roast temp (just press the button on the left) bean colour/oil, smells/smoke and cracks if you can distinguish them).
So, the profile we're going to try is (these figures are going to seem way over the top for most people, but if you're only get a city roast with preset 2 as it is, this is the next logical step):
• Stage 1: 204C for 4:00 min.
• Stage 2: 235C for 6:00 min.
• Stage 3: 252C for 5:00 min.

So, I'll walk you through this, since, as you say, the interface is a little clunky:
Before you start, weigh 150g of beans (don't use the measuring cup).

1. Push the Roast/Temp and Cool/Time buttons at the same time and “Prog” will appear on the screen.

2. Push Roast/Temp (the screen will display “St” and the stage number) press the button with the “up” arrow to increase the temperature for "stage 1" to 204.

3. Push Cool/Time press the “up” arrow to set the roast time to 4min for stage 1.

4. Push Roast/Temp (the screen will display “St” and the stage number) press the button with the “up” arrow to increase the temperature for "stage 2" to 235.

5. Push Cool/Time press the “up” arrow to set the roast time to 6min for stage 2.

6. Push Roast/Temp (the screen will display “St” and the stage number) press the button with the “up” arrow to increase the temperature for "stage 3" to 252.

7. Push Cool/Time press the “up” arrow to set the roast time to 5min for stage 3.

8. Once you've set the roast temperatures and times for each of the three stages push Roast/Temp and Cool/Time together and “Set” will appear on the screen.

9. Now is the time to add your carefully weighed green beans to the roasting pot and push Roast/Temp to start the roaster; in my clumsy experience it is best to only add the beans at the last minute just before starting a roast. (though in the past 6 months I've only gotten this wrong once)

The extra time in stage 3 should definitely get you a dark roast, but you'll have to watch it and be prepared to press Cool/Time as soon as you think you are getting close to your ideal roast.

Let us know how that works out, how the roast developed (including the details above) and how the finished roast looks (using Thom's pictorial guide).
D
This week I are feeling sleepy!
User avatar
Gouezeri
 
Posts: 4185
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:56 am

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:31 pm

OK...thats fantastic, it's all really clear there.
I am printing the instructions out and will carry this out.
You were spot on re the colour chart - 14 or 15 is what I am looking for on the colour front.
Can't wait to give it a crack...can taste it already! Anything remotely dark is going to be a start - I have been suffering my partners taste for a preferred medium, the last few weeks
:-(
cheers
Joe
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:52 pm

oh and..yes the current iroast preset delivers about a 10 on the chart...
just off to roast
joe
Guest
 

Postby Gouezeri » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:55 pm

Joe,
Good luck with the above profile and do let us know how you get on (it may well only be a starting point). I'm glad the instructions seemed clear (hope I've not forgotten something, I program automatically now).
May I ask what the intended purpose of the beans are, French Press, Espresso, Moka?
Now, whilst I don't want to criticise your own personal taste, I would agree with Thom's comments on his chart that anything 13-14 upwards is going to give you more roast character than origin character, so this is something to be aware of.
Remember, if things seem to be progressing too quickly or well ahead of the total time (from experience most people have a roast time of 9-12, so 15mins is definitely long) be prepared to press the cool button and stop things early (I'd be surprised if you don't).
D
This week I are feeling sleepy!
User avatar
Gouezeri
 
Posts: 4185
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:56 am

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:50 pm

ROAST COMPLETE!!!
I programmed it!!!!! :-)

Ok here's what happened...

When I programmed stage 2, the machine wouldnt allow me the full 6 minutes, I had to opt for 5.59. The same happened when I programmed in stage three cooling, I was only allowed 4.59. My colleague was also with me at the prorgamming stage (he is a computer prorammer) put it down to a possible software problem, according to the manual you should be allowed the full 15 minutes.

THE OBSERVATIONS
Counting down from 15 minutes
15 mins - machine starts, green beans as expected!
14 mins - a little smoke
13 mins - bellowy smoke, light nut smell, colour level 3
12 mins - bellowy smoke, nutty smell, colour level 4
11 mins - rich nutty smell, colour level 5,
10 mins - dark nutty smell, colour level 7, first crack
9 mins - light but richly smelling smoke, colour level 9
8 mins - light but richly smelling smoke, colour level 11, hint of oil
7 mins - light but throaty smelling smoke colour level 12, touch more oil
6 mins - light but well pungent thraty smeiing smoke, colour level 13, covering of oil
5 mins - pungent herby coffee smell, colour level 13/14, glossy with oil
4.59 mins - I stopped the clock and pressed cool with the timer counter reading 4.38

I missed hearing the second crack!!!! I do confess I had to wear ear defenders the things is so loud!!!

no about to taste
Cheers
Joe
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:59 pm

just tasted - I think we're almost there...i could have maybe left it another 30 seconds, I was getting a bit twitchy towards the end.
Absolutely delcious cup Dom....! Fantastic! Sheer delicious-ness.....
:-) :-) :-)
A very grateful
Joe
Guest
 

Next

Return to Open House

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 24 guests

cron