Behmor 1600 Profiles / Q&A / Tips & Tricks

[bvillr]

Joe, pues Tahojoe, thanks for the followup on the Behmor upgrade issue.  I for one am frustrated with my machine.  It is so good that I want more.  You came out with an inexpensive alternative that opened the door to a lot of cheap/less rich people like me who wanted to get serious about roasting.  But, as in life, no good deed goes unpunished, and you have people like me complaining about the fact that the Behmor is so idiot proof that it is constricting - and that it won't roast a full pound of coffee as advertised.  I have done your mods, and I am rigging the system as many write about - the up to 2 minute headstart preheat thing - and I still get cut out at times before the roast is able to complete.  I find that I am not alone.  All that said, I salute your industry and your contribution.  What I would vote for with my pocketbook is a fix/mod that lets us pretend that we all own Diedrichs with temp sensors ... I dream about a usb port linked to the existing temp sensor, to the line power input, and the doe-doe level programming.  Your software would clock each roast and allow us to copy previous profiles that worked for our specific machines in our specific locales and conditions.  We'd know when the beans got to a certain temp, we'd know when to step the temp input down, and we'd know when to finish off the beans.  Give us the power.  This is 2010 - not 1980.  This is all technologically and economically feasible - and really socially acceptable.  I for one would pay dearly for the heathkit-like instructions for the mod.  Remember that we are ubergeeks -  or victims of obcessive-compulsive symdrome.  Who else roasts their own coffee for gosh sakes.  And as we are all finding our beans through the internet and meeting in places like this - we all have laptops we can hook up to the mod so we can drive our own roasts more intelligently.  Again, hats off to you at Lake Tahoe - I was born in Sparks by the way - so get cracking (pun intended) on the killer upgrade.  If you won't, I will, I guess.  Im tired of just bitching and I cant afford a Diedrich 2.5.   

[rgrosz78]

I just started using the Behmor, and I had a hard time searching this thread to find profiles for specific green coffee beans I had purchased. I put the first 21 pages of this thread into a single PDF file, so I could search it easily. I did the same thing for the Behmor thread on the Coffee geek web site.

I spoke to the moderators of both sites about making the PDF files available to everyone else. You can download them from the "coffee stuff" page on my web site: http://www.softwarepolish.com/personal/coffee.htm. I'll try to update the PDF files weekly, as new pages are added to these threads.

[BoldJava]

...
I spoke to the moderators of both sites about making the PDF files available to everyone else. You can download them from the "coffee stuff" page on my web site: http://www.softwarepolish.com/personal/coffee.htm. I'll try to update the PDF files weekly, as new pages are added to these threads.

Thanks.  That is exceptional as your pdf permits an easy search.  Now I need to remember, page 22.

B|Java

[peter]

Hard to believe that thread started 2.5 years ago.

[bwilson]

I found out something interesting this week.  I've roasted more than 150 lbs in my Behmor.  The chaf collector and the roaster walls were nicely coated with carbon, coffee oils and such.  I have always kept the temp controller area on the right hand side clear of residue.  I decided to give the insides a good cleaning using Simply Green and a soft plastic scrubber.  I gave it a couple of cleaning burns and wet papertoweled the insides out before doing anymore roasting. 

You know, I've cut like 4 minutes off my roast times since the cleaning.  The residue must have hampered the reflected heat off the walls and chaf collector.

What a world. 

[pravspresso]

I'm sure once finances/tech. issues are settled, etc...Behmor will work on a new modified version and or ADD ONS for older models.

There is absolutely no competition for Behmor at this price point. Highly unlikely any competitor could match them in quality,

performance and price point.

My machine is a real trooper. Being my first drum roaster after using a Zach & Dani's I will never look back.

ps. Anyone know how much the Diedrich IR-1 costs?

[rgrosz78]

My machine is a real trooper. Being my first drum roaster after using a Zach & Dani's I will never look back.

ps. Anyone know how much the Diedrich IR-1 costs?

Based on these posts, it costs between $6,200 and $6,500.
http://www.sweetmariascoffee.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=192
http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/homeroast/492682?Page=2

[rgrosz78]

Woody, The smaller weave works well for Yemens.  I typically run it with a cooling cycle for 3 minutes and that will jar 7-10 fragments onto the floor of the chaff filter.  I toss them, then pour the heat to it with P1.

RE:  TBerries, I haven't done a roast of Zambian on the Behmor yet.

Quite often, I forget I am using it and realize later, 'oh, I roasted the Bolivians in the smaller screen.'  No consequences.

B|Java

I did two roasts of Sweet Maria's Yemen Sharasi Mokha - Dry processed. This bean was a bit tricky for me.

BoldJava, Thank You for the trick of handling the super-small beans. I also went over the beans very carefully by eye, and found a small rock in each 12 ounce batch.

The first time I roasted these, there was a very sparse first crack. I kept waiting for a rolling first crack, and pooched the roast. I pulled the beans after I heard second crack. Guess I'll use the dark roast beans for my first SO espresso. 

Here are my notes from the pooched roast:

"NO extension cord, NO preheat, 1# P1 B
First outliers of first crack with 5:55 left
No sustained first crack, decided to open door with 3:50 left
Set timer for 30 seconds - when timer goes off, close door

Set timer for 1:30 to finish roast
Heard second crack start with 2:20 left, press cool"

The second time, the roast proceeded the way I expected it to. Here are my notes from the second roast:

"NO extension cord, NO preheat, 1# P1 B
First outliers of first crack with 5:45 left
Rolling first crack with 5:40 left

Set timer for 10 seconds - when timer goes off, open door fully
Set timer for 30 seconds - when timer goes off, close door

Set timer for 1:30, to finish roast - when timer goes off, press cool"

[rgrosz78]

After brewing coffee with the Yemen Sharasi Mokha beans, I can report that the coffee was nearly perfect. My wife and I agreed that it had a deep rich flavor, with no hints of being over-roasted.

My only complaint is that the (relatively mild) fruit flavors only lasted for the first two days. I really like the fruity aspects of lighter roast coffee. Next time I roast these beans, I will stop the roast 15 seconds earlier.

[jon50]

Despite my assertion here (reply #524) that I have no use for commercial roasters,
me being McGuyver & all, I've just ordered a B'mor.  Can't wait for that truck to arrive!   

[milowebailey]

I tinkered with my Behmor today and I just can't seem to get a good roast with it. I feel like BoldJava.   I'm roasting 1/2 lbs and it either ends up under roasted or over roasted.... I don't like that I can't see the beans or read temperature...  any tips from you guys that use these all the time?  Maybe I'm just spoiled with a hottop and ambex.

[Ray T]

Try #1/P3 setting for # 8 -#13 oz.of greens. With the Behmor sound and smell is about all you have. P3 will give you 2 1/2 -3 min in between 1st and 2nd most of the time. Works well for me  . I also have a Hottop, roasts are comparable with P3 on most beans. I also line the bottom of the tray with tinfoil ( helps getting to 1st sooner by 1 1/2- 2 min).  400 roasts in mine not many B/pooched roasts at all. Forget P2 just open the door if you want a temp drop (WAG it you can do this  )


Ray   

[Charly]

 You can toss the chaff tray like I did. Really helps see the beans better. P1 for everything, set 1/2 lb for 1/4 lb roasts, 1 lb for 1/2 lb roasts. Stop it manually when it's ready. Crack open the door for a better look and smell when you feel like it. Also open the door longer to lower temp, stretch things out when needed. Nice quiet machine, no missing cracks because of machine noise. It's a lot easier than a RK drum!

[ecdhunt]

Just ordered a Behmor.  Roasting 1/4 lb or so at a time in the popcorn popper I feel like I'm always consuming everything i roast within 3 days.

Figured limiting the tinkering can be a good thing if it can give me repeatable, predictable roasts.   

[Gime2much]

 Anyone keeping up with what the lads down under are doing to the Behmor...The Holy Grail???
http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1288707025