Gene Cafe Profiles / Q&A / Tips & Tricks

[Richdel]

Nice find!  Keep your inventory of rubber bumpers
above 1 or 2 spares.  They seem to break when you
don't have any more in the inventory!!

Tim Skaling at Fresh Beans Inc is the guy to know
when you need parts. Very helpful.

[BoldJava]

As you may have noticed it does not have the larger chaff collector that comes standard now. I'm guessing the attachment that is on there now is the older style chaff collector. I didn't realize this until after the fact but consider the price I got I won't complain. I found a website that sell the newer one I'm wondering if it is worth buying?

As ECC pointed out, the larger chaff bin has an extender on it that is a perfect fit for an aluminum exhaust hose.  Out the window it goes.

When (not if) your heater goes, it is a simple job.  I have replaced mine 3 times in 6 years as I tend to overdo continuous, successive roasts. 

B|Java

[BoldJava]

Pre-heat Gene and let rumble around at 350* till unit is warm.  Then hold button down till E stop occurs.

Dump beans in and turn to:
471* for low grown
474* for Brazils, Sumatrans
476* for high growns:  CAmer, African, Yemens

Run at those temps.  At 1:00 after first crack, turn down 3-4.* Then, play with profiles, ending 2:30, 2:45 and 3:00 minutes past the start of 1st crack.  See which works better for which bean.

You are putting too much energy into the bean with 482.* Tom at SM's suggests 482* throughout the entire roast.  I couldn't disagree more.  Nuances will be driven out of the bean, or so my experience tells me.  Experiment and see how it works for you.

B|Java

[BoldJava]

Pull out your bugles, just in case.

After 6 years, my Gene is limping.  Even with 45 minutes between roasts, with successive roasts, it has progressively more difficulty reaching and sustaining desired temps.  Spent about 20 minutes talking with Tim Skaling at Freshbeans.

Tim suggests that it is either an ailing fan or motherboard going whacky (I have replaced both as well as heater over the years).  I didn't understand Tim's reasoning for suggesting the fan but I have found him responsive, accurate, and knowledgeable about the Gene over the years.  I have a fan on the way to me from Utah.  If it is the motherboard, the unit is going in the basement and will be a 'parts machine,' and I will grab a new Gene until I have saved enough to pull the trigger on a US Roasters' 1 lb sampler.  I am content for the interim with the Gene and find it perfect for my present demands. Retirement, next summer, is another discussion.

[Richdel]

I will keep your Gene in my prayers.

As for me, I am toying with the idea of making a Sonofresco my next, and
hopefully last home roaster.  After much searching, I just feel it offers the
best value of larger capacity versus dollars spent.  Losing the ability to profile
that I currently have with the Gene is the only reason I haven't made the jump yet.
Just ordered more rubber bumpers for the Gene from Tin S.  Don't forget to
keep extra's in stock just in case...

[BoldJava]

Pull out your bugles, just in case.

...

Grabbed a new Gene off ebay today for $450.  Have a fan to put into the old model.  Diminishes the US Roaster fund by same amount.  Reasoning:
^  If older model lives on via new fan, I will rotate machines and run back to back roasts.  Regardless, it isn't long for this planet.
^  New retirement home will come first -- once that is settled, will have a better sense of where and when the US Roaster sample roaster will go.
^  Will need a new back-up system even if I go the US Roaster route in 2013.

[ecc]

Congrats Dave! Best of luck to you, and your roaster Gene, and your other roaster Gene!

[BoldJava]

Great service from Tim Skaling at http://www.freshbeansinc.com.  When I disassembled the old Gene to see what might be wrong (stalls repeatedly around 455*-464*), lo and behold, I see a nipped wire on the electrical harness (pic below).  The wire can not be re-threaded and crimped back into its seating joint.  It is a toss away arrangement.  Hoping to have two Genes, and be able to roast b2b.

I called Tim on Monday from the office.  Today, less than 48 hours later, I received the envelope with a new harness (it runs from the motherboard to the electrical controls), as well as the two plastic half moons that sit in the base (mine are cracked).

No charge.

Thanks Tim.  Support like that needs to be recognized.

B|Java

[mp]

Great story and great support!

Well done to Tim.

[Richdel]

Dave's story about the great customer support Tim provides is not an an isolated instance.  Tim S. has done the same for me a few times.  He really does go over and above to provide great support for Gene Cafe owners.  Thanks Tim.

[BoldJava]

Old roaster, profile was 471*/465 or so 2.45 min after 1C initiated.

New roaster, to achieve the same time in roast (identical voltage and similar time), 455*/447 or so.  What a difference, even as I achieve the same roast.

[BozemanEric]

How long of a rest period are you all giving your roaster between batches?

[BoldJava]

"E" stop, pull and dump.  Regular cooling back down to 140*.  Rest an additional 10 minutes and go.

B|Java

[BoldJava]

My brother is coming next week and I am going to ask for his help in designing and installing a venting sleeve in one of the 3 window panes I have in my basement casement window.

Now that I have a permanent set-up in the basement, I find less blow-back of smoke into the home as the dryer vent exit is higher than the machine when I roasted upstairs.  I will take some pics once completed to show the set-up.

[mp]

Sounds good. Look forward to your ventilation setup.