This tip sheet is meant to supplement the manual that comes with the Fresh Roast SR500. Be sure to read the manual!
● Use a stovetop hood or fan. You can roast outdoors (in mild weather) or near a window, but low ambient temperatures can slow the roaster. Line voltage, extension cords, or power strips can also affect the amount of heat your roaster produces, so you may need to experiment. Not letting the roaster cool to room temperature before starting will quicken a roast as well.
● Never leave the room while you are roasting coffee, even when using an automated roaster . The time between a dark roast and a fire is not as long as you think!
● Batch Size: Fresh Beans recommends using 5 ounces of beans, or four of the provided scoops. We found best results using ⅓ cup of beans. We hit first crackFirst crack in one of two distinct heat-induced pyrolytic reactions in coffee. It is distinguished by a cracking or popping sound in the coffee, and occurs between 390... ...more about 3 minutes into the roast; City + roast at about 5 minutes; and second crackAfter First Crack, a roast reaction around 440 to 450 degrees that is distinguished by a snapping sound. Second Crack is the second audible clue the roaster-operator receives... ...more (Full City/Full City +) at about 7 minutes. The time is less important than watching color changes and listening for cracks.
● Settings: On the SR500, the manual suggests medium fan speed and high heat, but we liked the result of both high fan speed and high heat. Best results come with keeping the heat on high for the duration of the roast, and adjusting the fan speed for any profiling.
● Dry-process coffee has more chaffChaff is paper-like skin that comes off the coffee in the roasting process. Chaff from roasting is part of the innermost skin (the silverskin) of the coffee fruit... ...more and raises roast temperature, taking up to a minute off of your roast.
● Pay attention to the process, especially towards the end of the roast as the FreshRoast brings coffee rapidly
through the roast stages.
● The FreshRoast is tippy! The parts are only held together by gravity. Remove the roast chamber and chaff
collector before moving the roaster.
● Brush the chaff collector between each roast and soak it occasionally to remove built-up coffee oil. Oil left on
the chamber is of no consequence unless it impedes visibility or becomes a fire hazard.
● I prefer dumping the coffee into a stainless mesh colander after the cooling cycle completes, getting it
away from the warm surfaces. I then transfer the room temperature coffee into canning jars. Wait a minimum
of 4 to 24 hours after roasting before brewing. Coffee is best 3 to 5 days after roasting, and after 7 days
starts to decline in flavor.
For a more even roast, try these techniques:
○ Remember that green coffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... ...more is heavier than roasted coffee. Keeping the fan on high for the
beginning stages of the roast ensures that the coffee will get agitated sufficiently to produce an even
roast.
○ Smaller batches take longer to roast than larger batches (opposite of what you might think)
since a larger volume of beans traps more hot air. If your batch is too small, you may never reach
first crackAn audible popping sound heard during roasting. In coffee, one refers to "first crack" and "second crack," which come from two different classes of chemical reactions.: An audible... ...more.
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Fresh Roast contact info: (805) 501 7731 [email protected] www.freshbeansinc.com
