Temp setting on the SC/TO

[Kevin]

At what temperature setting do you roast your beans at? I set mine to the highest setting (480) and the batch I did seemed like it went from first crack right to second crack. I haven't roasted beans in couple years so I am a little rusty. My heating element is disconnected.

[ptrmorton]

Kevin,

There are dozens of profiles listed in the SC/TO sticky thread.  Check it out and see if your questions aren't answered.  Half the fun is figuring out what works best for you.

[grinderz]

I don't keep it at one temp setting the whole time... just before first crack hits I back off on the heat so the heating element light is out... for a bit less than a minute or so and coast into first. Since the beans are going exothermic (making their own heat) at that point, you don't want to be pouring on the heat up to and through first crack or it race through first right into second, just like you noticed. Another thing to know is that turbo ovens have elements that are either all on or all off. If the element light is on then that heating element is all on regardless of where you have the thermostat set. Also, you can't go by what the thermostat settings are on those things. I think most are not very accurate. Mine runs hotter than what the dial says it should be.

[peter]

Since the beans are going exothermic (making their own heat) at that point, you don't want to be pouring on the heat up to and through first crack or it race through first right into second, just like you noticed.

But...  and maybe I can put this into words better in the morning after coffee..

You still want to add heat during 1C because you don't want the beans expending all their energy.  The flavor compounds we want to create won't happen solely on the exothermic energy.

And because we need to plan ahead for when the beans stop being exothermic and start being endothermic as 1C ends and the ramp toward 2C starts, a judicous application of heat during 1C is a good thing.

It's a balancing act between stalling temps during 1C and after, and a gentle ramping upward.