drhowarddrfine Senior Member Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 22 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Expertise: I love coffee
Roaster: Toastmaster Popper TCP3
Posted Mon Jul 2, 2007, 12:01pm Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
Hi guys, Long time gone. I've been roasting with the Chefmate mentioned above for just over a year and it bit the dust. Went to Target and bought another, same price. Just finished roasting my first batch of Sumatra.
Before my first popper went out, I would let the beans get to first crack, then insert my thermometer and wait for 440-445 degrees before dumping the beans. With this new machine, it struggles to get over 400 and I hear very little of the first crack. So I put it in a box and closed the lid with the thermometer.
1) It reached 440 but still little cracking though I see cracks on the beans. Why is this?
2) Also, I did one batch by sound only, (waited to hear the first crack). When it started cracking like crazy, I inserted the thermometer and it jumped to 450 and climbing, so I dumped them. I thought it might have gone straight into the second crack at that temperature but there was next to no oil on the beans.
Posted Sat Jul 7, 2007, 6:59am Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
Mark, this is a fantastic how-to. I decided to give it a try, bought a popper for € 14,- and some beans ('Togo' robusta and 'Maragogype Mexico' arabica) and roasted them according to your instructions.
I also made a log of the whole event so I can keep track of everything, including temperature, color and roasting time.
Just one question though: I roasted relatively light (one minute past 1st crack). After I cooled the beans and put them in an Illy tin, the beans smelled pretty weird. Not like coffee at all. Is this normal?
boylesque Senior Member Joined: 20 Jul 2007 Posts: 1 Location: sd Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Jul 20, 2007, 3:26pm Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
has anyone had problems getting toastess machine to heat up enough? my popcorn machine will not get hot enough. i have to roast the same beans 3 times to even get a light roast. thanks
Flick Senior Member Joined: 2 Aug 2007 Posts: 150 Location: Earth Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Rancillo Silvia Grinder: Pasquini Vac Pot: Yama 3 cup Drip: Bodum French Press, Manual... Roaster: Iroast2
Posted Thu Aug 2, 2007, 2:37pm Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
I've been roasting in a popcorn roaster, a toastmaster, and at first i never stirred at the beginning, then later started too, but my beans started to taste flatter, even though my popper reaches a 2nd crack in almost 5 minutes.
And boylesque if it can't reach proper temperatures, then you will have to modify to bypass the thermostat in the popper, just search the internet for how to modify it, i honestly don't think it will be too hard, but test it afterwards and pay attention to it.
Posted Tue Oct 23, 2007, 10:58am Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
Just roasted my first batch! I was amazed how definite the first and second cracks are. I used a batch of green that Kienna here in Calgary put together for me. The beans look good and I can't wait to see if they taste the same.
Paul_Helbert Senior Member Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Tenth Legion, VA USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Moka pot, steam & small pump... Grinder: blades, elec. & hand conical... Vac Pot: Cona II, Cona D, Cory DKG-S Drip: Malita, Chemex, Colador,... Roaster: Poppers & Whirleypop, SC/TO,...
Posted Tue Dec 18, 2007, 10:08pm Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
I read in numerous places that the poppers with the screen in the bottom are not suited to this task. I have never seen discussion of the reason(s) why, so I decided to find out for myself. A three dollar "Presto Popcorn Now Plus" unit from a thrift store was the platform for my experiments. I'm not saying anyone else should copy my actions. I did all my investigation outside or in a non attached garage.
First run the unmodified popper did a pretty good job apart from throwing a lot beans out with the chaff.
Second run (with a tall tin can, open on both ends acting as a chimney) the beans stayed in but the machine shut off about five or six minutes into the roast. Overheated.
Inspection revealed that chaff had been sucked up under the popper and had lodged under the screen, partially blocking the airflow thus allowing the unit to overheat from lack of cooling. A bimetallic safety switch had opened. I solved this by bending the switch in such a way that its action was defeated. A by-pass jumper would be more elegant, but this worked. After a thorough disassembly and cleaning, the base of the popper was covered with a fine hair-net (bummed from a deli worker in a local store). The hairnet prevents any chaff from entering the air flow and the thermal switch never reopened. The tin can chimney was replaced with a glass lamp chimney which allows better inspection during the roast. This is an outdoor use only setup because of the chaff, smoke and bypassed high temperature shut-off. I added a thermometer to measure the bean mass, and can regulate the airflow somewhat by restricting the outflow from the top of the chimney in order to raise temperature at any time during the roast.
It works beautifully. The bean mass is kept in constant motion and roasts are very uniform. Half cup roasts go to Full City in about ten minutes at fifty degree (F) ambient temperature, with about four minutes between first and second crack. It will roast darker and has no trouble with back to back use. It is easy to hear, see, smell and observe temperature constantly.
So, what have I missed? I don't see that this sort of popper (with the hairnet, switch bypass and chimney) is any less suited to roasting coffee than those with the side vents.
brokenarrowjbe Senior Member Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 1 Location: citra, fl Expertise: I live coffee
Grinder: several Vac Pot: no Drip: Technivorm KBT 741 Roaster: poppery/modified stir crazy...
Posted Sat Jan 19, 2008, 5:35am Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
I have been doing this for over 2 years now, it is just as described. I also get mine from yhe thrift shop, and use a can for a chimney, only roast outside. Have a zach and danni's for indoor back up, John
mbabbe Senior Member Joined: 5 Apr 2006 Posts: 1 Location: New Jersey Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Rancilio Silvia Grinder: Not Yet
Posted Fri Jan 25, 2008, 6:05am Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
I think it's better to dump the beans BEFORE you turn off the popper. This avoids the burned spots on the beans.
A popcorn popper lasts between 6 months and 1 year. After a year, switch it out even if it hasn't fried itself, because the built up oils inside the roaster will get glowing hot and spark. Wait at least 20 minutes between batches, or the popper will overheat and you'll have to buy a new one. They are $10 at Walgreens.
I roast in smaller batches (1/3 cup) and decaf roasts in 3 minutes, and regular espresso beans roast in 4 minutes.
mattyb Senior Member Joined: 20 Nov 2007 Posts: 2 Location: New Brunswick, NJ Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Wed Jan 30, 2008, 8:07am Subject: Re: Roasting coffee with a popcorn popper
My toastess popper just died after about 7 or 8 batches. I turned it on and poured in some beans one day, and the thing just didn't want to heat up. I waited a day, and turned it on without any beans in it and it still only got a little warm inside the popping chamber. What the heck!!! It's not like I abused the thing either. I don't think I ever roasted 2 batches on the same day. I think I'm going to try to bypass the thermal switch and see if I can roast without burning my apartment down.
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