Coffee Roasting with a Behmor 1600

[Mick]

Once more through the learning process

This time went back to pencil and paper to track/record.

Set my phone to count UP time.

Short 2 cups of beans this time (13-14 oz or so)

P5 manual 9 minutes to end of dry
P5 manual 14:50 to start of 1st crack
"C" Rosetta stone P2 heat. Drum to high speed
16:00 min end of roast, cool. Removed basket to cool outside roaster.
Returned roaster to cool cycle so it could cool down.
24:00 min until beans were cool enough to handle.

Times are cumulative, i.e. start to finish, 16 min total roast time.

Looks to be a decent city (light) roast which is what I want.

 

[jhadsell1883]

Once more through the learning process

This time went back to pencil and paper to track/record.

Set my phone to count UP time.

Short 2 cups of beans this time (13-14 oz or so)

P5 manual 9 minutes to end of dry
P5 manual 14:50 to start of 1st crack
"C" Rosetta stone P2 heat. Drum to high speed
16:00 min end of roast, cool. Removed basket to cool outside roaster.
Returned roaster to cool cycle so it could cool down.
24:00 min until beans were cool enough to handle.

Times are cumulative, i.e. start to finish, 16 min total roast time.

Looks to be a decent city (light) roast which is what I want.

Do you have to toggle to P4 during the manual cycle? I have to watch it pretty close to keep it under 230 degrees so it doesn't shut down.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Mick]

Do you have to toggle to P4 during the manual cycle? I have to watch it pretty close to keep it under 230 degrees so it doesn't shut down.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I didn't. I've never had this one shut down except when I missed the 3 minute warning.

I am sure it will happen though.

 

[TexLaw]

I have to watch it pretty close to keep it under 230 degrees so it doesn't shut down.

I thought the "Err2" shutoff temperature was 330F, not 230. Staying under 230F ain't gonna fly for roasting.

In any case, I've yet to get that message, and I typically stay on manual P5 until 1C (typically P3 after that and before cooling).

 

[jhadsell1883]

I thought the "Err2" shutoff temperature was 330F, not 230. Staying under 230F ain't gonna fly for roasting.

In any case, I've yet to get that message, and I typically stay on manual P5 until 1C (typically P3 after that and before cooling).

While I was typing that I was trying to remember if it's 230 or 330 and you are correct. Maybe I need to stop preheating before putting the beans in. Had been doing that through the winter since it's colder in the garage.

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[TexLaw]

I still don't know why you would have a problem staying under 330 unless you are trying to roast well beyond 2C or your exhaust fan isn't operating to spec.

 

[jhadsell1883]

I still don't know why you would have a problem staying under 330 unless you are trying to roast well beyond 2C or your exhaust fan isn't operating to spec.

I typically have to use P5 till 320, then P4 until the cooler kicks on, then back to P5 to continue the cycle. If I leave it at P5 it will quickly overheat once it gets to 320. I've had the roasted for almost a year and didn't run into issues until this summer, much warmer in the garage with little air flow. I'll have to try not pre heating and see if it stays below temp.

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[TexLaw]

didn't run into issues until this summer, much warmer in the garage with little air flow

Ah, I get it now. Yes, it sounds like you can avoid or reduce preheating. From what I've read, it sounds like you want to do that, anyhow, since you don't want your initial

I'm able to roast indoors (under a hood), so I've not had that problem.

 

[anemic]

I also have to manually stand by to keep the temp from maxing out to the over-temp shutdown. I don't like to see it approaching 310. I try to hover it around 305 (295 to 307)

 

[Mick]

After some great and terrible roasts, I've settled back to automatic P1 up to first crack, then "C" (3:20 min) to end. Sometimes I go into manual with half or 3/4 power during last 3 min.

So far no more "fire dark roast".

.

 

[jamesearthdrum]

Thought I'd give this thread a bump if that's okay. I am awaiting my Behmor 2000AB Plus. I've been roasting in an Air Popper for a few years and wanted to move up in batch size and the SO was okay with the moderate cost of the Behmor. I roast under our 350CFM range hood which seems to work fine with the popper. Any thoughts on if the smoke output from the Behmor will be more than the popper has been? I usually don't roast much past Full City +. I'm looking forward to sharing my experience with the roaster.

 

[FarmerTan]

Thought I'd give this thread a bump if that's okay. I am awaiting my Behmor 2000AB Plus. I've been roasting in an Air Popper for a few years and wanted to move up in batch size and the SO was okay with the moderate cost of the Behmor. I roast under our 350CFM range hood which seems to work fine with the popper. Any thoughts on if the smoke output from the Behmor will be more than the popper has been? I usually don't roast much past Full City +. I'm looking forward to sharing my experience with the roaster.

I for one am looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

[Mick]

@jamesearthdrum Worked for me when we had the cabin in the great white north.

This was during a snowstorm otherwise I would be outside.

 

[TexLaw]

Thought I'd give this thread a bump if that's okay. I am awaiting my Behmor 2000AB Plus. I've been roasting in an Air Popper for a few years and wanted to move up in batch size and the SO was okay with the moderate cost of the Behmor. I roast under our 350CFM range hood which seems to work fine with the popper. Any thoughts on if the smoke output from the Behmor will be more than the popper has been? I usually don't roast much past Full City +. I'm looking forward to sharing my experience with the roaster.

I agree that your hood should do the trick.

 

[dimab]

Behmor has catalytic smoke suppressor. Not that it's completely smokeless, but it should make much less smoke than your popper. In my experience, before the 2nd crack starts - there is barely any at all.

 

[StillShaving]

Thought I'd give this thread a bump if that's okay. I am awaiting my Behmor 2000AB Plus. I've been roasting in an Air Popper for a few years and wanted to move up in batch size and the SO was okay with the moderate cost of the Behmor. I roast under our 350CFM range hood which seems to work fine with the popper. Any thoughts on if the smoke output from the Behmor will be more than the popper has been? I usually don't roast much past Full City +. I'm looking forward to sharing my experience with the roaster.

I would expect 350 CFM to be enough airflow, though you may need to run the fan for a while as the roaster cools down. I always roast outside since my stove fan is under powered. As you know, this will be like running a half dozen or more of air poppers all at once, so you will need some serious airflow towards the end of the roast.

 

[jamesearthdrum]

So first four roasts with the 2000 AB Plus. 1/4lb.(113g) each as the manual advises. You can see the setup. Zero smoke, mild roasting odor. All the same bean; Timor Leste Haupu Lutlala from Indonesia. Used the auto profile P4, added 60sec. with a minute to go to get to first crack, then the C (Rosetta Stone) button added 40sec to get about 20 seconds past first crack. Looks to be City Plus to Full City. The four batches also seem to be consistent in roast level. I'll brew a first cup tomorrow evening and report how it tastes.
Some observation; Average roast time 10:20, which is 2.5 times longer that my Popper roasts. It will be interesting to taste the affect the longer slower roast time has on the taste. Preheat is simple enough but means you do exactly what the say not to do in the manual and that is shut it off with out running a cooling cycle? Getting the drum in is a bit fiddly, I got better at it after the first 3 times. I can see how I will have much more control as the roast progresses compared to the popper, which had no control at all. I'm certainly looking forward to roasting larger batches.
Oh and a small PSA. If you have a high volume range hood, crack a window for better draw.

 

[Whisky]

Bumping this thread up.
Has anybody found roasting “softer” beans at a lower temp adds benefit. I’m currently working through 20lbs of Sumatra Mandheling which are lower grown and sometimes described as soft. My roast today was preheat to 200f, 12oz of beans, start on 1lb then immediately switch to manual P5, stay at P5 until 1st crack then reduce power to p3, increase drum speed, and wait on 2nd crack. At start of second crack I hit cool and pull the drum after 1min to externally cool the beans.

The Behmor manual says these “softer” beans should be roasted at a P3 but it seems like it would take forever to hit second crack much less 1st. As it is, I’m pulling the beans and cooling at about 16min. I had some temp variations with the Behmor today that I outlined over in the “what’s coming out of your roaster” thread which caused my second batch to get a little darker than I was expecting.

So does anyone actually use manual P3 to roast or does everyone usually use p4 or p5 the majority of the time?

 

[CincyDawg]

Bumping this thread up.
Has anybody found roasting “softer” beans at a lower temp adds benefit. I’m currently working through 20lbs of Sumatra Mandheling which are lower grown and sometimes described as soft. My roast today was preheat to 200f, 12oz of beans, start on 1lb then immediately switch to manual P5, stay at P5 until 1st crack then reduce power to p3, increase drum speed, and wait on 2nd crack. At start of second crack I hit cool and pull the drum after 1min to externally cool the beans.

The Behmor manual says these “softer” beans should be roasted at a P3 but it seems like it would take forever to hit second crack much less 1st. As it is, I’m pulling the beans and cooling at about 16min. I had some temp variations with the Behmor today that I outlined over in the “what’s coming out of your roaster” thread which caused my second batch to get a little darker than I was expecting.

So does anyone actually use manual P3 to roast or does everyone usually use p4 or p5 the majority of the time?

I actually follow the same process you described, the only difference is I use 10 oz of beans. I’ve tried some variations but I’ve settled on the above as I feel it gives the best results for me.

 

[JeffJ]

Got my Behmor today and ran the cleaning cycle and then did two quarter pound P1 roasts. Watching the beans too much and the temp not enough. The journey begins.