Problem with my Behmor.

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Problem with my Behmor.

Postby ackers » Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:42 pm

I have tried quite a few different types of beans but have the same problem with them all, the machine struggles to get them to 1st crack, if it does it is only the first few pops. I follow the recommended recipes for the weight and type of bean, and sit there poised ready to adjust the time to the recommended anticipation time upon hearing the 1st crack, when it gets past this recommended time I hit the + button again and again to keep it near this time until the maximum time has been reached. If I’m lucky I hear one or two pops as the cooling cycle starts. I’ve not tried the ¼lb setting but the 1lb setting is worse than the 1/2lb.
My house voltage is 240 when on load and this is what I set the Behmor to, but 2 roasts ago I reset it to 230 and managed to get the roast several pops into 1st, I reset the voltage to 220 and have just finished another roast, it was into 1st with 20 seconds to go to the anticipation time, for the first time I had to use the – button.
Now the obvious question is, can I safely leave it on the 220 setting, or do I have to go down the I-roast route and start fiddling with resistors.
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RE: Problem with my Behmor.

Postby bruceb » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:19 pm

Just out of curiosity, have you measured the mains voltage when the roaster is turned on and heating?
Three Francesconi (CMA) espresso machines - Rossi, San Marco, LaCimbali, Faema and 2 Mazzer Major grinders- CoffeeTech Maggionlino, Hottop, Alpenröst and HW Precision roasters.
I decided I needed a bit of a change so I roasted some Monsooned Malabar. That was a change!
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Postby ackers » Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:27 pm

The voltage was measured when the machine was runningn. My voltage has always been very stable.
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Postby Gouezeri » Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:48 am

I just roasted a couple of batches tonight (of a bean which shall remain nameless as Steve would kill me if he knew I was still hoarding some! :wink) and had no problem in reaching 2nd crack with the following profile: roaster pre-heated for 2 mins (as I'm roasting with a window open and a "chimney" chucked out of it), 300g of a SHB, 1lb/P2 settings on the roaster. The first batch I stopped just before 2nd (for drip) the second batch I took a little longer and went just into 2nd at a bit over 14min. For both roasts, I cracked the door for a 4 seconds at the start of 1c to stretch things a little.
So my initial advise would be to lower your batch size, to around the 10-12oz mark and stick with the 1lb setting in order to stick within the behmor's "sweet spot". If you can't get into second following this, then I would recommend giving Steve a shout before fiddling with anything

Nice to see you back on the forum Ackers, sorry to hear it's due to another roaster issue.
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Postby ackers » Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:09 pm

I’ve been lurking, popping my head up now and again.
I know the recipes are a guideline, and the machine is designed for tweaking (fine tuning) and, in effect, that’s what I have done by adjusting the supply setting, but that’s been a necessity rather than a tweak. I am quite happy to run the Behmor on this setting if it causes no long term damage to the heaters or fan, but it does seem like getting a new car with a 5 speed box and being told I can only use 3 if I have the roof open.
Am I the only person on the forum who has had this problem?
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Postby Gouezeri » Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:54 pm

Ackers, it would help us to know your current procedure, as it might allow some of the rest of us to run some tests and see whether we can recreate the same outcome. By the same reckoning, I would recommend you try a lower dose size with either the 1/2 or 1lb weight settings.
In some ways I feel that rather than making the roaster easier to use, the current interface makes it more confused. As I say, let us know your current protocol and I'm sure people here will try to help.
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Postby ackers » Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:09 pm

The following is a list of the beans I have tried :-
Costa Rica Finca de Licho
Brazil Pre-Blended Espresso Perfetio 2008-2009 Crop
El Salvador Finca La Fany Bourbon 2009-2010 Crop
Indian Monsoon Malabar 2009-2010
Guatemala El Bosque Amatitlan Red Bourbon 2009-2010 Crop
El Salvador Finca Los Amates Bourbon Cup of Excellence 2009
I started on ½ P4, then tried it without the 2 minuses, then tried it with 2 pluses, in all cases when the timer gets to 2:10 minutes I give it a + to keep it at the anticipation time, 10 seconds later I give it another +, and so on until the maximum time has been reached and the + button stops working. If I’m lucky at this stage I might hear a couple of pops of 1st crack, if not I will hear them during the last minute, at the same time the Behmor starts groaning!
I have tried the same method using P5.
I have used the same method with 1lb weights.
I have not tried P1, P2 or P3.
I dry run every 5 roasts.
I’ve got a couple of days to go before I need to roast again, and if I don’t get confirmation that reducing the voltage setting will do no harm, I will reset it and try preheating and reducing the amount of beans.
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Postby Gouezeri » Sun Jan 24, 2010 11:25 pm

So for each setting you are currently using the designated weight? Ie. 226g for 1/2lb. And you're roasting with P4 and P5 (both of which are relatively slow/long profiles). I think there are a couple of your problems for a start.

If you're aiming for 2nd crack, then I would always use less than the designated weigh. From all of the reading I've done, ideally you want to be using 400g or less on the 1lb for example. This will both increase your chance of reaching 2nd and lessen the likelihood of baking the beans. The + and - buttons and their effect on profiles are currently the subject of a rather long and contentious thread over on CG, so I'm not going to open that can of worms here.

Regarding preheating, remember the Behmor has a thermal cutout which stops you from starting a roast if the machine too hot. So try to preheat less than a couple of minutes.

As for reducing the voltage setting, I think the only person that could advise as to whether this might harm the machine of not, is Joe himself.

Good luck with your tests and do let us know how you get on.
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Postby ackers » Wed Jan 27, 2010 11:40 am

Just a quick update, reset the supply to 240, measured 12 oz of beans and intended using the P5 1lb setting, unfortunately I had a senior moment and set P5 ½ lb. I thought they were looking a bit pale towards the end before I realised what I’d done. I removed them at the start of the cooling cycle and threw them into the whirly-pop, they look quite good but I’ve mixed them in with some others I prepared earlier.
I did another voltage check, it’s quite steady at 245 and only drops to 244 when the roaster is on full power. I’ll take my meter (Fluke 112) into work this afternoon and check the calibration, but it was spot on last time I checked it.
I’ll have another go over the weekend.
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Postby Ziobeege » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:58 pm

Certainly for me at least I get far better success at the P1 profile than any other, and I have tried them all. I manage to get to 2nd crack, roasting outside, in winter, full pound, with 230 volts. I have roasted about 2 dozen times now.

P3, P4, P5 have slower profiles and apply less heat. P2 ramps up to full power, but then drops midroast before going back to full power again. The logic of this nows seems flawed to me as the last thing you want to do is take the foot off the gas when roasting. But that is just my experience

You are using some high quality beans there, grown up high, and so will be on the harder side than soft. I suspect you will get much more success with P1
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Postby ackers » Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:16 pm

What a difference 1 oz makes. I tried my normal P4 on ½ lb setting using only 7 oz. Not only did I get a cracking 1st crack with time to spare, but having never managed to get this far before, I left it too long and over roasted. Tried it again just now and got what seems to me a near perfect roast. After I’ve rested on my laurels for a while I’ll have a go with P1 just to compare.
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Postby Gouezeri » Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:50 pm

P1 Can be a tad brutal I find, and your 1st and 2nd cracks may well merge. Glad to see you are making some progress.

Fun to see a thread on TMC recommending methods for people to roast darker :wink:
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