Walt's Corner

Cooked my first of 20 pounds of Honduras La Peña Denilson Madrid Pacas from Sweet Maria’s Coffee. These are the type of notes I take for the first few roasts of a new origin providing me a good idea of where I’m at later for reference while I cook. Establishes a baseline.

My roaster is a Behmor AB 2000+. Also, the first time I’ve roasted over a pound. Usually divide up my pounds and discard the remaining miniscule overweight grams. This time I decided to absorb the overweight into my standard 20 bags of 453 grams, bringing the total weight of each bag to about 465 grams (2 of the 20 bags had 464 grams). If using more than a pound would have unwanted results I would have lightened the cooks back down to 453 grams.

Also note you will not see the same results on another Behmor as exact voltage, ambient temperature, and individual component variables within the unit affects the end result. I know the temps reported are not scientific, but I use them for my own reference. For those unfamiliar with the Behmor temperatures, A is the exhaust and B is the wall of the chamber. Not bean temperatures.

Pre-cook weight: 465 grams (1 Pound setting).

Profile: P1, which sets the cook time to 18 minutes.

Cook time remaining at 1st crack: 2 minuets, 7 seconds.

Reset the cook clock at this time, which takes the time back up to 3 minutes, 10 seconds remaining.

1st Crack Temps a/b: 331/270.

At 15 seconds left to the cook I decided to add 15 more seconds to the cook and then let the clock run out and begin the 12 minute cooling cycle. This ends up being my perfect cook, putting the beans just beginning to enter 2nd crack.

Cooling temps at the time batch enters cooling cycle: a/b: 345/285.

Although the heat has been terminated and the cooling cycle has begun, temperatures within the chamber continue to rise a bit before actually cooling. The peak temps during cooling cycle a/b: 347/307.

After-cook weight: 389 grams.

All in all, this was a smooth first roast and I’m happy with the results, especially given the added weight. Sadly, I won’t be tasting this particular batch until next week.