Homeroasters - Home Roasting Coffee Community » THE ART OF ROASTING COFFEE » Roasting Coffee
Who is here? 1 guest(s)
 Print Thread
Help! Newbie can’t get good tasting roasts
Keysparamedic
Top  #1 Print Post
Posted on 02/23/2021 2:17 PM
Hi all!

I apologize for asking a question that may have an obvious answer, but I have looked everywhere and can?t find help... so here goes...

New to home roasting, have an inexpensive Nesco roaster.

It states a 4oz max roast.... I have tried 2 oz, 3oz, 4 oz at a time, does not seem to make an appreciable difference.

The coffee goes through the first crack and a little beyond (with the built in program) then enters a cool down. I have only done ?medium? roasts so far. The beans look like well roasted medium roast level beans.

I have tried the following beans:
A Kenya blend from Showoom Coffee
A Rwanda pea berry and an organic Bali from Coffee bean corral.

once roasted, and cool, I put the beans in a loosely lidded mason jar to allow them to offgas for about 24 hours, then I put them into a sealed container.

Here?s my issue: at no time do my beans ever smell like roasted beans I get from my local roaster, nor does it even smell like roasted coffee.

I?ve tried all different kinds of grinds from medium course to medium fine, and brewed both in my mocha master drip maker and an aero press using the appropriate size grind and it just doesn?t taste good ( like coffee)

I?ve used ratios of 60g coffee per liter of water, and adjusted up/down from there.

(When I grind the coffee it doesn?t even smell like coffee either.)

I know my burr grinder is ok because the locally roasted beans I brew taste awesome.


So, what the heck am I doing wrong?

Any hints or advice anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated, I apologize for my ignorance but I am new to this and have done as much research as I can on my own.

(I tried posting photos but they didn?t upload :-( )
 
renatoa
Top  #2 Print Post
Posted on 02/23/2021 2:37 PM
Is right the coffee just roasted not smell like the commercial coffee, because what you have impregnated in your senses as "coffee smell" are actually the flavors that leave the beans and accumulate for days inside the bag, hitting your nose when you open the bag. Keep the beans in the jar one week and sniff again.
Please note that these are lost flavors, that is preferable to go into the cup, not in the air... so be happy you don't feel them immediately after the roast Grin

But the assert that you don't smell fresh ground coffee too... this is strange indeed... grinding always release the flavors from the bean...
 
Keysparamedic
Top  #3 Print Post
Posted on 02/23/2021 2:48 PM
It?s hard to describe the taste.... definitely doesn?t taste like coffee....
No matter what grind/ratio/method I use.

If it were only one batch of beans from one source I could chalk it up to the beans, but three varieties from two different sources makes that unlikely.

When I buy from the local roaster, I buy one day after he has roasted, beans in valved bag. Still smells more like coffee than my roasts ????

I should also note that I have been buying freshly roasted beans , grinding them myself and brewing for over 20 years, so it?s not the brew... I pretty much have that down to a science.

.It HAS to be something I am doing wrong,
Edited by Keysparamedic on 02/23/2021 2:56 PM
 
OldMan41
Top  #4 Print Post
Posted on 02/23/2021 2:54 PM
I have been roasting for 7 years.
First 2 years was on your roaster.
Then a Hottop P-2 model.
I have never ever ever ever been able to roast exactly the way I buy the same coffee roasted by a commercial roaster!
I recently studied Mill City roasters roasting classes.
I was stunned that they said do not expect to roast exactly as the commercial roasters do.
Instead be happy with how your coffee tastes when you roast.
Watch the classes from MillCity Roasters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnWNIIpJVQQ
 
Keysparamedic
Top  #5 Print Post
Posted on 02/23/2021 2:59 PM
Thanks for the link... I?ll watch them.

I?d be happy if it was at all drinkable, but it tastes awful, hard to describe it?s almost bitterly sour water. Not even a hint of coffee flavor ????
 
OldMan41
Top  #6 Print Post
Posted on 02/23/2021 3:16 PM

Quote

Keysparamedic wrote:

Thanks for the link... I?ll watch them.

I?d be happy if it was at all drinkable, but it tastes awful, hard to describe it?s almost bitterly sour water. Not even a hint of coffee flavor ????


Preheat roaster. Measure beans not guess.
Read our picture info page.
I reduce my picture size by 50% on ISO and 25% on camera assist pic's.
 
Keysparamedic
Top  #7 Print Post
Posted on 02/23/2021 7:47 PM
It roasts for 20 minutes, including a short cool down period.

It?s a very simple machine... only two settings... medium and dark

(Here?s a link to its description)

https://www.wayfa...html?piid=
Edited by JackH on 02/24/2021 7:59 AM
 
renatoa
Top  #8 Print Post
Posted on 02/24/2021 3:21 AM
Ooooupss... !!!
It's not the old Nesco some veterans here remember as oldgearhead iconic machine...

Seems to be a fluid bed sharing internals with a popper family machine perhaps.
If I am right, then 20 minutes is VERY long time for a FB roasting... even 10 minutes is at the upper limit of a decent profile.
If you have first crack past 12 minutes, then you have too much beans inside, or the machine is underpowered.
You can easily check this, start a roast with the lid removed, are the beans moving ? If not, stop the roast, remove some 20% of the load, and try again... until they start barely move.
Do a full roast and decide if you need to add or keep removing beans until first crack will be in the 7-9 minutes ballpark. Then tell us how is your coffee...
 
OldMan41
Top  #9 Print Post
Posted on 02/24/2021 7:05 AM
What Renatoa said makes a lotta since. Maybe buy some beans that need more time to roast.
Or sell it on ebay and buy something else.
I'm sorry your havin so much trouble. Rough way to start each day.
cross fingers
 
allenb
Top  #10 Print Post
Posted on 02/24/2021 12:49 PM
It would help much if you could let us know how many minutes into the roast when first pop starts and how many minutes total roast time prior to start of cooldown.
1/2 lb and 1 lb drum, Siemens Sirocco fluidbed, presspot, chemex, cajun biggin brewer from the backwoods of Louisiana
 
renatoa
Top  #11 Print Post
Posted on 02/24/2021 1:54 PM
This video could give us some hints:

https://www.youtu...r5poltuNd4

... not so good... if this slow move is the same for minimum charge of 2 oz/60 grams, looks like a design flaw.
 
OldMan41
Top  #12 Print Post
Posted on 02/24/2021 2:02 PM
WOW! that's not good.
Good find for Keysparamedic to review...
 
Keysparamedic
Top  #13 Print Post
Posted on 02/24/2021 7:42 PM
Thank you all so much... I?ll try all the suggestions and time the roast and post info here.

Thanks again, you all ROCK,
 
Keysparamedic
Top  #14 Print Post
Posted on 02/24/2021 7:55 PM
Actually, decided to return this roaster as it seems that it?s not ideal.

I wanted to try something less expensive, but as in most things in life.. you get what you pay for.

Thanks again for all the help! I?ll keep you posted on my progress!
 
renatoa
Top  #15 Print Post
Posted on 02/25/2021 1:17 AM
Get a Fresh Roast SR5-7-800, which suits best you as load and price.
These are proven FB machines.
 
renatoa
Top  #16 Print Post
Posted on 02/25/2021 4:06 AM
Another video... look at 4:09 to see how little progress, barely dried, in 11 minutes of so called "roasting"...

https://youtu.be/...Sr8U?t=251

... incredible bad design... wondering if this "Nesco" is the same as the company from 10 years ago...
 
Jump to Forum: