Hottop Profiles / Q&A / Tips & Tricks

[slowhand]

   I'm a new Hottop B owner with 5 roasts under my belt. I understand the benefits of stretching the time between 1st crack and the end of the roast to four to five minutes. I have been able to do this, but not without roasting to full city or darker.
   Is it possible (or desirable) to roast to city or city+ and still accomplish this? I am trying to roast different origins to recommended levels as a starting point to see how I like them, then adjusting roast levels to taste. I do not roast for espresso.
   How important is it on lighter roasts to stretch the finishing ramp?
   Any feedback on how to do this would be appreciated. I know lighter roasts are harder to do, but I really need to learn how. I do not have any additional probes, yet, so I'm steering by sight, smell and the stock temperature readings.

     Glenn K.

[lwharton]

I did a batch of Yirg and PNG to City+ on my HT and both batches came out with a fair amount of chaff stuck in the crack of the beans. Even a fair amount of agitation doesnt loosen the chaff. Is this normal? That seems like a lot of chaff that gets ground into your coffee.

[shakin_jake]

I did a batch of Yirg and PNG to City+ on my HT and both batches came out with a fair amount of chaff stuck in the crack of the beans. Even a fair amount of agitation doesnt loosen the chaff. Is this normal? That seems like a lot of chaff that gets ground into your coffee.

~~~When my Hot Top B roasts are done I transfer from the cooling tray to a metal colander, back and forth and chaff is removed.  Most of my roasts go FC and on though



Jake
Reddick Fla.
Q: What's the difference between Obama and his dog, Bo?
A: Bo has papers.

[Stubbie]

This has nothing to do with a Hot Top roaster, but the lighter you roast your beans, the more chaff will stay in the seam.  The darker the roast, the more it opens up and releases the silver skin...

-Stubbie

[cfsheridan]

  I'm a new Hottop B owner with 5 roasts under my belt. I understand the benefits of stretching the time between 1st crack and the end of the roast to four to five minutes. I have been able to do this, but not without roasting to full city or darker.
   Is it possible (or desirable) to roast to city or city+ and still accomplish this? I am trying to roast different origins to recommended levels as a starting point to see how I like them, then adjusting roast levels to taste. I do not roast for espresso.
   How important is it on lighter roasts to stretch the finishing ramp?
   Any feedback on how to do this would be appreciated. I know lighter roasts are harder to do, but I really need to learn how. I do not have any additional probes, yet, so I'm steering by sight, smell and the stock temperature readings.

     Glenn K.

Slow down your roast prior to the onset of 1st crack.  Your entry point to first needs to be much shallower to keep that stretched lenght without taking the roast past City/City+.  City with > 3-3.5 minutes past the onset of 1st crack is tough, but it can be done.

Edit--with the stock thermocouple, make sure you're saving the city roast to later in your session.  Ideal would be that you've done the same bean, as the 2nd roast, so that you have some repeatability, and know when the bean is going to hit 1st crack, so that you can back off the heat ~ 90-120 seconds before that.

[Tex]

Nothing to do with profiles or roasting per se: The display on my B model is a PITA to read with polarized shades unless you're right in front of it. I guess I need to get a taller roasting table? My rolly-table worked fine with the Sono, since most of the work was done on top of the taller roaster.

[shakin_jake]

Looks like you'll be using an electrical extension cord with your new Hot Top Tex, is that right?  I see one in your pic


Jake
Reddick Fla.
If he's got golf clubs in his truck or a camper in his driveway, I don't hire him.
--Lou Holtz, football coach

[milowebailey]

Nothing to do with profiles or roasting per se: The display on my B model is a PITA to read with polarized shades unless you're right in front of it. I guess I need to get a taller roasting table? My rolly-table worked fine with the Sono, since most of the work was done on top of the taller roaster.

Get a chair?

[BoldJava]

Nothing to do with profiles or roasting per se: The display on my B model is a PITA to read with polarized shades unless you're right in front of it. I guess I need to get a taller roasting table? My rolly-table worked fine with the Sono, since most of the work was done on top of the taller roaster.

Get a chair?

Wait long enough.  You will shrink with aging.  In the meantime, ship it to the Midwest for profile development.

B|Java

[Tex]

Looks like you'll be using an electrical extension cord with your new Hot Top Tex, is that right?  I see one in your pic


Jake
Reddick Fla.
If he's got golf clubs in his truck or a camper in his driveway, I don't hire him.
--Lou Holtz, football coach

That's a left over from the Sonofresco Jake. It's power requirements were a lot less than the HT.

I've got a spot picked out in the garage where I'm going to mount a powerful range vent hood, with an outlet to the outside. The HT will plug directly into a 25 amp GFI fitted outlet.

[shakin_jake]

Roger that Tex, did you get the first roast out of the way yet?

Curious minds


Jake
Reddick Fla.
Pessimists by nature have a better time of life, as having our expectations dashed against the rocks is seldom a bad thing. On the contrary it is usually a pleasant surprise.

[Tex]

Nothing to do with profiles or roasting per se: The display on my B model is a PITA to read with polarized shades unless you're right in front of it. I guess I need to get a taller roasting table? My rolly-table worked fine with the Sono, since most of the work was done on top of the taller roaster.

Get a chair?

Wait long enough.  You will shrink with aging.  In the meantime, ship it to the Midwest for profile development.

B|Java

In vino veritas; now just send me some of what you've been drinking so I can accept the
wisdom of what you say!

I'd love to ship it to you, but would you mind if I try a test shipment of lesser value first?
Say, 5 lbs of my premium Kitty Luwak?

[Tex]

Roger that Tex, did you get the first roast out of the way yet?

Curious minds


Jake
Reddick Fla.
Pessimists by nature have a better time of life, as having our expectations dashed against the rocks is seldom a bad thing. On the contrary it is usually a pleasant surprise.

No, I'm hesitant to try - figuring I'd pooch my first roast I don't want to waste any of my premium beans. I need to find something I can afford to ruin?

[shakin_jake]

[/quote]
No, I'm hesitant to try - figuring I'd pooch my first roast I don't want to waste any of my premium beans. I need to find something I can afford to ruin?
[/quote]


~~~The Hot Top is simple enough to run for first timers which you are not...IMO, you will not screw anything up, measure out 280 grams of the Bali BM I know you have and get going!  March Mister!!!, times a wasting=:-)



Jake
Reddick Fla.
Presidency; An exercise in stupidity by a boy educated beyond his intelligence.

[Tex]

~~~The Hot Top is simple enough to run for first timers which you are not...IMO, you will not screw anything up, measure out 280 grams of the Bali BM I know you have and get going!  March Mister!!!, times a wasting=:-)

OK Jake - I did 280 grams of Brazil COE #11 that I got from milo last year. Using your profile, I got a very nice FC before it dumped. Does anyone know of a way to remove the 356° & 410° deadman interrupts (they're a PITA!!)?

I was spoiled by the Sonofresco - it captured nearly 100% of the chaff - the HT ~50%. I turned my cooling fan to blow over the beans as they cooled and it blew away most of the remaining chaff. Not the cleanest roaster I've used - even the UFO did a better job of ejecting & collecting chaff!

We'll see how it tastes tomorrow!