New Coffee roaster!

[brdmkr]

Hello, my name is bird marker, er bread maker, I mean board maker and I am a coffee snob.

Now that the intro is passed, I thought I would share my latest endeavor (insert 'Twilight Zone' music here).

I got into roasting my own coffee about 5 years ago.  About a year ago, I burnt up my little hot air roaster.  So, me being an industrious sort, I decided I'd put together a drum roaster to let me roast up to 5 lbs of beans at a time.  I figured if I liked fresh roasted coffe, so would others, and I might be able to make a few extra bucks and have fun at the same time (sort of like my samillin ;D).

Well, today was the first roast (Twilight Zone music again).  I had some old green coffee beans so I figures that I might as well use those to learn.  I heated the drum to 500 degerees and started the roast.  Things were going great until I noticed the temp starting to rise..... RAPIDLY.  Me being the jeanius that I am, I figure to myself, that don't seem quite right.  SO, I sneak a peak inside.  There is one hum dinger of a fire inside the grill

Finally, I got the nerve to open the thing up and snatch out the drum with welding gloves.  I put it on the driveway and quickly extinguished my mistake.  So, what is so bad about all of this??? It happened in my front  yards.  I may need to move to the land a little sooner than I had planned.  The neighbors seem a little, well, scared :D :D

Anyway, I figured out what I did wrong and the second batch was ALMOST like I wanted it (I like it dark and oily but not burnt).   Hopefully, a week or two of good behavior will help the neighbors calm down.  If any of you want to try some FRESH roasted coffee, feel free to drop in on me and I'll try not to start any fires!

[Tom]

I've never heard of it done before, but being a wood guy, could you pass some Red Bay smoke or hickory or cherry through your smoker and make a redneck version of some of these yupee flavored coffees?  Not that I want to be first, but I'd sure like to watch whoever is first.  :D

[sawguy21]

The neighbours were prolly wonderin' how you made the air smell so good.

[WDH]

So, we could drink some of that "funny" coffee and contemplate the significance of your barn doors ??? ???.

[limbrat]

I dont know but i got a feeling that if i brought coffee home and told anyone that it was well over ten dollars a pound and aint roasted or ground. There might be a fire in my yard too featuring me tied in my bed sheets.:D I had better stick to the Community and Melloy Joy.

[WDH]

Limbrat,

I thought all the coffee in Louisianna was made from chickory .

[limbrat]

 I understand that it has a lot of proten and makes good deer fodder. But i think its kind of a crule first thing in the morning.

[WH_Conley]

Wife says my coffee will slap you awake in the morning. Really don't know if I want to try your's or not.

[brdmkr]

Tom,

The flavors are added after it is roasted.  Personally, I don't drink flavored coffee, but I'll be happy to see what I can do if you'd like to try some. ;)

Sawguy,

It smells anything BUT good when it is roasting.  Sort of smells like I would imagine mold would smell if it were burning.  The end result is GOOD. 8)

WDH

You drink a couple cups and you'll be building those barn doors :D

limbrat,

The primary reason I got started roasting was that I developed a taste for Starbucks, Peet's and the like and it is 10 - 11 bucks a pound.  If I roast my own the price is half that (or less).  I've never had Melloy Joy, but community is good stuff.  I had some at a CCs in Baton rouge that was really good (likely because it was  a little fresher from the roaster)

WH,

Mine will get your attention as well ;D

Time for a cup now!

[Patty]

Sounds great brdmkr. Where do you find green coffee beans? Would a hot air popper (as in popcorn popper) work?

I buy coffee from a guy in Gainesville GA. That wouldn't be you would it?  :D

[Burlkraft]

Hey BreadMaker....er...whatever......

I gotta know......... how ya keep them beans from fallin' through the grill... ???  ???  ???   :D  :D  :D

[Texas Ranger]

Kona beans, fresh ground, best coffee in the world.  Even beats Blue Mountain.

[Dave Shepard]

Maybe I should get into this fresh roasted coffee thing. I have stopped drinking coffee altogether, I think there is some sort of local conspiracy to make sure the coffee always tastes like a sweaty sock smells. I've never tried Starbucks, the last time I went to Dunkin Donuts they handed me a coffee and demanded $2.18. I handed it back and told them they should keep it if it was so valuable.

Dave

[Tom]

Personally, I don't drink flavored coffee,

Naw!  I don't drink flavored coffee either.  I especially don't want any that has had the flavor added afterward.

I was thinking more in the line of the wood taste you get when you eat a steak cooked over a wood fire rather than a gas fire.

[Raider Bill]

Costa Rican coffee is the very best!

[DWM II]

I must concur (spelling?) with limbrat,  I love me some Community coffee, its THE only brand bought at home, I was raised on it as well. I dont ever remember mom buying anything different when we was coming up. We start drinking it pretty young as well, kinda as soon as you can take it, its stout 8).

[brdmkr]

Sounds great brdmkr. Where do you find green coffee beans? Would a hot air popper (as in popcorn popper) work?

I buy coffee from a guy in Gainesville GA. That wouldn't be you would it?  :D

Not me Patty.  There are some hot air poppers that work great for roasting (I am told).  I don't think all popcorn poppers will work, but I don't remember which one will and which won't.

So far, I have only purchased green coffee from Sweetmarias.com.  Fresh roasted is much better.

The beans aren't actually on the grill.  They are in a special drum that rotates over the grill.

[Patty]

This coffee roasting intrigues me, and brings up more questions.  ???

What if you put fresh beans into a container and put it on the rotisserie over the grill. Does the bean container need air holes in it?

[beenthere]

I suspect it would need a hole or two -- just to contain the beans to the can and not risk scattering them around the neighborhood... ;) ;)

[Patty]

Yea, I hate exploding bean cans.  :D    I wasn't sure if the bean steam needed to be contained somewhat as part of the roasting process.  So many questions.... :P