Indian Monsson Malabar - Gene Cafe

[dadioles]

I have just roasted some Monsoon Malabar from Hasbean for the first time and they seem to have roasted successfully but I have not tasted them yet. Here is what I did, can someone suggest a better process (time and temp etc). I have gone into a bit of detail because I am a beginner and this sort of (long winded) explanation helps me.

250g into Gene Cafe (after roasting weight dropped to 203g)
Temp set for 245 deg C, time set initially for 20 mins
(don't forget, it is a countdown timer)
time temp notes
20 (0) start
15 (+5) 189 warm musty smell
13 (+7) 211 early yellow stage
11 (+9) 229 yellow tan to dark straw colour
9 (+11) 238 loud first crack starting, light brown, slight smoke
8 (+12) 244 wound temp down to 237 still cracking, more smoke
7 (+13) 237 increasing smoke, still cracking
6 (+14) 237 Very smokey, oil on surface, happening very fast.
5.5 (+14.5) 237 Lots of smoke, surface very oily, hit stop to start cooling.

A couple of things I noticed:
Almost no chaff at all off these beans, (is that because they are "monsooned"?), just a few small flakes.
The crack was really loud and distinctive but I could not say that first crack ended and second began, it just seemed to go on and on.
When the oil started to appear there was nothing subtle about it, first sign and then whoosh, the oiliest beans I have roasted so far and a lot of smoke.

At the end things started to happen very quickly indeed, caught me a bit by surprise. I normally roast for about 17 or 18 mins, this was just 14.5 before starting the cooling cycle and maybe that was just a shade too long.

Also the beans are quite light for their volume. I put in my usual 250g but the beans took up more space than I am used to, maybe this extra volume of lower density beans was one of the reasons for a quicker roast.
Weight loss was more than I am used to, 250g green to 203g roasted.

The roasted beans are now a rich very shiny dark brown colour.
Looking at the really useful chart published on the Sweet Maria web site

http://www.sweetmarias.com/roasted.pict-guide.html
http://www.sweetmarias.com/roasting-VisualGuideV2.html

I would say that it is a Full City roast or maybe a bit darker (definitely very rich dark brown rather than black), Light French / Vienna?, and very shiny with oils.

It will be interesting to see what it tastes like but I have not developed the pallate the you more experienced coffee drinkers have.

Can someone suggest a more appropriate roasting profile.

Best wishes to all from Les

[Slimboyfat]

Hi Les

I roast MM all the time - sort of addicted to it - but on the stovetop.

I would say that you have ended up a little darker than I do and in less time.

I tend to get to 1st crack after about 13-14 mins and take the temp down at that stage to 'stretch' the roast a bit.

I do get a discernable 2nd crack, at about 17mins and i take it on for about 30-45 seconds from there.

You're spot on about the weight to volume ratio - the monsooning process seems to make these beans a lot lighter, so I always roast them by volume, rather than weight. You're right about the chaff too.

I'd say that your initial temp is about right. Try taking the temp down a notch just as you go into 1st and down again a bit more, once 1st is established.

You should get an extended 1st crack, followed by a lull - ramp the temp back up again at that point to take them into a rolling 2nd and dump just as the oils begin to show (they will always show more oil later anyway)

Regards
Slimboy...

[dadioles]

Thanks Slimboy, that is really helpful.
I shall try and stretch the next one out a bit, the speed of the roast did take me rather by surprise. A lower temperature should slow the appearance of oils. They certainly gushed out quickly last time.

Les

[Bertie_Doe]

MM is also my fav bean and I would agree with Slimboy, ref chaffless, bulky etc, in fact I usually dose at 14.5g rather than 15.5g. They are tolerant of a Lt Vienna roast, but I agree, try and flatten off the profile before 1st crack.

I can't give you temperatures as the basic Hottop dosen't have the profiles. I suspect it's max temp is a lot lower than the GC's max available temp. This is a typical roast :-

17.20 - 1C, 19.10 - 2C, 19.50 - R2, 20.05 - dump

This would give me FC+ to Lt. Vienna, with one oil spot on 10% of the beans on day 3. I also reduce the load down from the recommended 250g down to 225g. I guess I'm roasting a bit cooler than you.

Quentin.

[daveyb]

Remember on the Gene, that you have to guesstimate where the beans are going to end up, as even once you have hit the cool down button they continue to roast for a period of time as it takes so long for the cooling cycle to stop the cooking proccess