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truk
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Posted on 04/22/2013 10:15 AM
Hey, I've probably got 30 roasts or so under my belt. 10 or so on the GC, the others on a popper. As many others, I can't really hear the cracks so I'm trying to find out the best way to end the roast.

When does the smoke start flowing? Is there any that starts at 1c and then a big bunch that starts at 2c?

Thanks,
Kurt
Thank the Lord for my family.
 
ginny
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Posted on 04/22/2013 12:13 PM
Hi:

in your Gene you can see the beans roasting and your site/smell should give you a clear indication of the level of the roast.

as for the popper I am not sure what type or if you have modified yours so I do not know if you can see the beans.

I am not sure smoke is the best way to determine a roast level since every bean is different and less chaff can mean less smoke.

clearly I have not helped with the smoke issue. can you tell us about your popper?

-g

smoking
 
John Despres
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Posted on 04/22/2013 6:56 PM
You'll get hints of smoke at the end of first crack and it will build from there.

Ginny makes a good point, though, and there are better clues as to what stage your roast is in than smoke.

John
Respect the bean.
John Despres
Fresh Roast 8, Gene Cafe, JYTT 1k, Quest M3, Mazzer Mini, Technivorm, various size presses and many more brewers.
 
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truk
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Posted on 04/23/2013 2:11 PM
Ginny/John, I've retired the popper now that I have the Gene, so it'll be all Gene from here on out. I really can't seem to hear anything as far as cracks go. At first I thought I was actually figuring out HOW to hear the cracks but now I'm as in the dark as I was on roast #1. I can see the beans good and I can see the smoke so that's all I can go on. Well, except for time, isn't there a pretty standard time that the first and second crack happens in a GC if you leave it on 482 from start to finish? I know all beans vary but I'm just trying to get some basics here.

Thanks
Thank the Lord for my family.
 
truk
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Posted on 04/24/2013 7:38 AM
OK, here's an update...I know this is gonna sound pretty stupid but oh well. On one of the first roasts (maybe it was the first) on the GC I thought I heard some first cracks. So I got excited and moved in a little closer and never could hear them again. I got closer and closer til I touched my ear to the spinning thing a few times. I used a cheap stethescope...no more cracks, no matter how close I got.

So last night I was following some hints by Army Coffee on when the cracks should occur and just sat there about 12 to 18 inches or so from the GC. And guess what, I was able to hear 1c and 2c. Still not perfect, but compared to nothing it's pretty darn good. Sometimes you just need to step back away from a situation!.

Hopefully this wasn't all you needed Barry Roflmao
Thank the Lord for my family.
 
Bmb
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Posted on 07/08/2013 9:59 AM
I also had (in the past, since yesterday) problems hearing the cracks.
Sometimes heard them, mostly didn't.
My roasts were OK, but more in the dull side.
Yesterday I took the upper part of the chaff collector off.
The sound was better but even so I didn't arrive to hear the rack well.
However I could SMELL better !!!
And I was able to identify not only first crack, but even two and three distinct phases in it !!!
I roasted three batches and could identify perfectly well the beginning of the crack, counting one minute and decreased the temperature till next smell change, that was between two to three minutes after lowering the temperature.
Best roasts ever ! Cupped it today and was really lemon citric, mellow nice aroma and sweet taste, as expected from a good Carmo de Minas.
Should evolve very well.
Best of all: Now I'm not worried with the noise any more !

BTW: I also used a smallish IR (?) digital thermometer, pointing at the beans from about 5cm.
The instant reading was inconsistent, however max temp, was really in the range BT should be at that moment, about 200C during 1C with ET 235.
GC, Bezzera Strega, Macap 4M, Graef ES90, Lido, Mokas, Drip, AP & Co.
 
erik82
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Posted on 07/09/2013 5:39 AM
I never use the Chaff Collector. Makes recognizing the different stages much easier although not recommended inside the house.

Most of the time when the GC start smoking a lot more you're around one minute before 2c.
Olympia Cremina 2013, HG one 83mm #0083, Gene Cafe.
Also Zassenhaus grinder, Chemex, Abid Clever Dripper, Kalita Wave, Aeropress, Hario Buono, Bodum Cafetiere and Bialetti Mokapot
 
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