I have been looking real hard at home roasting my own beans. Ive found several sites for my beans and equipment, but wanted to get some feedback on sites that have actually been used. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.:-)
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I love SweetMarias and UncleBeanz. Don't use CBC anymore.
Also see if you can find a copy of "Home Coffee Roasting Romance & Revival" by Kenneth Davids. An excellent book for the beginner.
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Site: Cigar Asylum
Search: Roasting
User: Mister Moo

Should be some interesting reading in those threads....:-)
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Moo has definitely guided many a newbie by the hand into the wonderful world of roasting, including myself.

It's changed the way I look at coffee and consider it almost a ritual and education.

When I began, I got a lot of info from coffeegeek where I read a lot and posted very little.

Being unsure of whether or not it would be for me, I started small with a Freshroast8, which allowed me to air roast enough for a couple days worth of coffee.

Immediately, I noticed the difference and knew it would be something I would enjoy.

The Freshroast gave me easy and predictable results, but I found that roasting every couple days was getting to be more work than fun so I moved up to a Behmor drum roaster, where I 've been for a year and a half.

I love this roaster and it didn't break the bank. It also allows me to rast 3/4 pounds at a time.

That:-) my personal journey.
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Read the entire Sweet Marias web site, take two aspirin, make a budget and call me in the morning. There are Dr. Moo prescriptions for coffeeroasting to suit all patients from the coffee-underinsured (cast iron pan and wooden spoon) to the those with full blown no-deductible major coffee-optical-dental policies (http://www.diedrichroasters.com/inde...age=LabRoaster).

Yo Rico. Happy new year!
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Thanks for the info. I have checked out Sweet Marias and are planning on ordering some beans early next week. Any suggestions on which beans are good to start off with. I drink my coffee black and like it to have a strong flavor. Well sometimes a little Jameson and Baileys finds its way in. :-)
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Get a variety pack with your roaster. I still use and love my Fresh Roast. I like that I can change coffee every couple days.
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Good one to start with is Columbian. It is very forgiving.
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It even forgives bad spelling :-) :-)
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THX Bro, you have a good one too.

"....make a budget and call me in the morning..."

Mr M.

"I love this roaster [Behmor drum roaster] and it didn't break the bank"*

fp

*The Behmor is now $299 and in stock, was $399.

Such is the mindset of the coffee Zombies around here. Ya know, for fresh roast, $299 doesn't seem too bad. Especially since I still get yelled at by Yes Dear for not roasting anymore........
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You can get a Freshroast for 90 bucks.
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Yes I spell bad. :-) So no need to be sorry. :-)
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FWIW, I don't like the Behmor at all and I own one.
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What don't you like about the Behmor?

I am really happy with mine, although I would like a litte more control over the roast profiles.

Eventually I will pay the ticket price for a Hottop.
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Don't like that I can't get dark enough. Understand the saftey aspects, still don't like it.
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OK, I have seen this here - why doesn't Coffee Bean Corral get any love? I don't normally check out the homeroasting threads, but... I have never gotten my beans from unclebeanz (spelling), have occasionally gotten them from Sweet Marias, but for the lion's share of my bean purchases the last 10 years, I have gotten them from CBC, as I compare prices, their's are usually the best.

So, what is it I am missing that these other places get all the love here (Sweet Marias & UncleBeanz) but CBC doesn't? I mean, if it is inferior beans, or sending out inferior beans in place of others, I'd like to know.

Thanks!

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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That's probably my biggest complaint as well.

I've gone so far as to buy a Kill A Watt meter and find the best outlet to trying different times of the day to roast.

The best solution I have found is to preheat for 2 minutes and make smaller batches.

With that system, I can get as dark as Vienna, which does keep my undivided attention on the roast and the burning embers of chaff.
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I have had a Behmor for 3 years and have burn beans in it. Why are you guys having a problem with getting them dark enough?
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In my case, I think it was batch size. You can't roast a full pound of beans.

Also, when the weather cooled down, I found second crack hard to achieve, so I stopped roasting in really cold weather.

Not sure if it had anything to do with it, but after I did the recommended cleaning where the side panel comes off, I was getting better results.
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The old owners were righteous, the new guy I don't trust. On some "expensive" beans, I order a pound and like it, order 5 and get something different. Also, I don't think the new guy really knows coffee, like the old or SM. I think he is mostly a buy and sell kinda guy. just my :-)
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