Tag Archives: sweetmarias

Modified Thermometer Test w/ Rwanda Gkongoro Nyarusiza

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So as mentioned previously I took the thermometer probe and used one of those pipe cutters with the “wheel” for cutting things like copper pipe and sliced off part of the probe.  Due to the fact that this sort of cutter “crushes” slightly while it cuts this ended up making it so I could not slide the inner electronics out without fear of not getting it back in or damaging it (without having a soldering iron currently).  I instead slid all of the formerly connected probe upwards and taped it to the probe’s plug using electrical tape.  I then crimped the remaining probe in place at the top against the braided cover.

My initial test seems to have yielded a technically proper heat ramp based on what was happening.  Additionally the cooling cycle appears to have been pretty normal too.  It appears that when the cool cycle halts the beans are approximately 158 degrees and linger there while in the roasting chamber even when removed from the roaster.  They drop to around 130 degrees after being dumped out into another container within about 20 seconds and then they hang around 130-120 degrees for several minutes if undisturbed.

Here is my heat readings for a standard roast.  In this case I was roasting the Rwanda Gkongoro Nyarusiza.

Markers are A= Rolling First Crack, B= Second Crack.  Fan speed is shown as 100% for the knob being set all the way to the right.  50% is fan knob set in the middle position (straight up).

I was not able to keep track of any additional details due to manually tracking the roast on paper.  Cooling with fan speed increased to 100% starting at 6.1 was as follows:

Bean mass started at 120g and reduced to 102g for a loss of 18g or 15%

Ethiopia DP Haile Selassie Sidamo vs Ethiopia FTO DP Sidamo Shoye Union Initial Test Roast

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So I obtained some Ethiopia DP Haile Selassie Sidamo from a previous order made by my girlfriend that I wanted to test as a known entity in the new roaster.  We have been drinking Ethiopia DP Haile Selassie Sidamo for the past month or more from a 20# bag order at the end of it’s availability with Sweet Maria’s.  We had a previous sampler sized bag of this and liked it and thus bought a large bag of it.  Unfortunately, while it was good,  it did not taste much like the original that she had had for some time.  It was still good but it was not as good.

The new roaster appears to be very comparable for flavors being developed with the SR500 and the Plus 8 regardless of if you are using a lighter or darker roast changing only the roaster being used.  The older sampler appears to yield fruity flavor while the new one did not.  The new one appears to improve with longer 2-3+ day rest periods.  The only thing I can say with this bean is that the flavors must have changed due to differences in the packaging and how it was stored from the original delivery (which IMO appeared to match the review by Tom exactly) and the final order toward the end of it’s availability that seemed like something entirely different.  In either case it was good coffee but the original seemed better.

Today having done a basic test roast yesterday of the original and letting it rest overnight I have tasted it black, with sugar, and with vanilla creamers.  It seems comparable to what I was getting previously with the Plus 8 roaster.  In preparation for tomorrow’s coffee I have roasted two Ethiopia’s for a “Ethiopia comparison”.

Ethiopia DP Haile Selassie Sidamo


  • 6.0 to 4.0 – Minimal churn.
    • Low Heat
    • 100% Fan
  • 4.0 to 3.0 – @ 4.0 Turning amber to tan range. 3/4 inch expansion. Medium churn.
    • Set High Heat
    • Set 50% Fan
  • 2.8 – Initial First Cracks reached.  Partial brown color. High churn.  2 inch expansion.
  • 2.4 – Rolling First Cracks.  Full brown color.
  • 0.7 – End of First Crack period.
  • 0.2 – Initial sparse 2nd cracks.
  • 0.0 – Automatic switched to Cool.
    • Cool
    • Set 100% Fan

Aroma: Initial aroma strong coffee, spice, woody.  1 hour rest aroma including buttery.
Chaff: Significant

 

Ethiopia FTO DP Sidamo Shoye Union


  • 6.0 to 4.0 – Minimal churn.
    • Low Heat
    • 100% Fan
  • 4.0 to 3.2 – @ 4.0 Turning amber to tan range. 1/2 inch expansion. Medium churn.
    • Set High Heat
    • Set 50% Fan
  • 3.1 – Initial First Cracks reached.  Partial brown color. High churn.  1.75 inch expansion.
  • 2.7 – Rolling First Cracks.  Full brown color.
  • 0.9 – End of First Crack period.
  • 0.3 – Initial sparse 2nd cracks.
  • 0.1 – Forced to Cool.
    • Cool
    • Set 100% Fan

Aroma: Initial aroma virtually non existant.  Some light woody and mild coffee smell.  1 hour rest similar to immediate DP Haile Selassie Sidamo.
Chaff: Significant

Let there be coffee…

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And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

That happened on the third day…. probably because by the end of that third day he was getting really tired without some coffee to help him keep working all day and night.  As a result the vegetation came forth allowing a little pick me up from the fruit of the coffea plant with perhaps a little sugar from the sugar cane.  It wasn’t until the 6th day he got to add some cream though.

So on to more serious things starting my experiences coffee roasting.  Today I received via UPS a FreshRoast SR500 from sweetmarias.com in Oakland, CA.  In addition to the roaster I had ordered the 8 pound “regular coffee” sampler.  The samplers can be Regular, Decaf coffee or half-caf.  The full Decaf sampler costs a little more since it does tend to cost more.  You can also opt for an Espresso sampler or just the regular coffee beans depending on your preferred use of green coffee beans.  The beans I received were part of a Regular Coffee sampler.  The random assortment I received were described by Sweet Maria’s as:

  • Honduras Organic – Michelle Guevara Microlot
    • City+ to Full City+
    • Honey-drenched sweet flavor, lemony-bright snap, jasmine tea hints, very pleasant, lively and clean.
  • Java Kajumas Organic Wet Hulled
    • Full City to Full City+
    • This is a low-toned, bass-note flavor profile, foresty flavors, wet earth, humus, dark chocolate, herbal notes, butterscotch sweetness, and low acidity.
  • Ethiopia Fair Trade Organic DP Sidamo Shoye Union
    • City+ to Full City
    • Intense fruit, strawberry, brown sugar sweetness and cinnamon, aromatic wood, sweet caramel finish.
  • Brazil Joao de Campos Yellow Catuai
    • City+ to Full City+
    • Nicely balanced cup with caramel and chocolate roast tones, pungency, spice, and dark chocolate finish.
    • Versatile, great for espresso blends.
  • Sumatra Grade 1 Mandheling
    • Full City to Full City+
    • Very heavy body, complex earthy flavor.
    • This is a deep brooding, pungent, bass note coffee with dark chocolate undertone.
  • Guatemala Bourbon – Finca San Diego Buena Vista
    • City+ to Full City
    • Classic Guatemala cup, balanced between sweet and bittersweet.
    • Vanilla and caramel, citric zest, red apple finish, syrupy mouthfeel.
  • Kenya Nyeria Gathaithi Peaberry
    • City to City+
    • An interesting blend of “Kenya” characteristics:  bright citrus, zesty finish, winey dark fruits, and a touch of sweet Meyer lemon.
  • Rwanda Gkongoro Nyarusiza
    • City+ to Full City
    • A balanced and graceful cup with restrained acidity, sweet citrus, rose, tea-like flavors, floral brightness, medium body, dried orange peel.

Obviously your mileage may vary on what you get when you order.  More to come when I start roasting the beans and brewing.  Next up… observations on the Fresh Roast