Doing some things yourself will accomplish one of two things: save money or accomplish some additional level of quality/perfection/satisfaction.

Such as building a rifle, building a computer, reloading.

I do all of those things to achieve a higher level of quality and not to save money.

I suppose the same thing can be said for roasting your own coffee beans.

So for those who do > is it any better than what you can get or would it just be to save money aka buying beans in bulk, etc?

Also what do you do or equipment would you recommend?

My goal would be to get something better or fresher and not necessarily to save money.

Forum member rainman64:

Up until this year, I roasted coffee beans for approx. 10 years. Sweet Maria beans, single -country origin. I started with a small dedicated coffee roasting device, iRoast, which lasted a year. Wasn't thrilled with it. Then I made a roaster using a Stir Crazy popcorn popper and turbo oven. Good set-up, lasted 4 years before it died.

Then I graduated to a propane BBQ grill with a rotisserie system that rotated a custom roasting drum. Capacity was 2.5 lbs of beans, a most excellent set-up. I used to have pics posted on past threads, but Photobucket is no longer. Best beans I ever roasted, very consistent roasts. Gave away the grill since selling my house and I have the drum and rotisserie system in storage. Will start up as soon as we are settled into a house again.

I seem to recall earlier posts of a member using a cast iron pan to roast coffee beans. Tator Todd maybe????

Ha, silly auto correct changed Tator to tattoo. Caught it in time before posting this.

quote:

Then I graduated to a propane BBQ grill with a rotisserie system that rotated a custom roasting drum.

Would be interested in hearing more about this?

When I lived in Greece I would buy beans at the farmers market. I had a specific utensile everyone uses, in the former of a copper or brass drum on a metal spit. It had a little door which unlatched and hinged open. I would fill it half way and roast it in my outdoor oven. With an ouzo or some wine in hand, I would fiddle with roaster, slowly turning it, shaking it, and opening to make sure the beans didn't blacken and burn. When i was ready to make a cup or two, I would put them in my hand grinder and make a few turns, until the turning got smooth. Add water to the pot, drop in the beans, and it was indescribably good. Mmm. Nothing else compares.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Then I graduated to a propane BBQ grill with a rotisserie system that rotated a custom roasting drum.

Would be interested in hearing more about this?

Years ago, I bought a coffee bean roasting drum online, handmade with heavy-gauge material and custom fitted for a rotisserie kit for a new CharBroil propane grill (the grill was used only for coffee). The drum fit inside perfectly and rotated nicely. It was very simple; pre-heat the grill past 600 degrees, pour green beans in to the drum, place into the grill, hooking it up to the rotisserie motor. Close the lid. I would sit there, sometimes smoking a cigar, and listen for the first "crack", then wait for the second crack to start timing the roast. Open the lid, take a quick peek to see if the roast is proper, then take out and pour into a large stainless steel colander. Using a house fan, I cool the beans, also blowing out the chaff that the roasting creates. Roasting process takes approx. 20 min.

This method is the best way to roast at home, IMO. My first roaster only roasted 1/4 lb at a time, a real pain in the ass. The drum will hold a little over 2 lbs of green beans. I miss my roasted coffee, drinking Peets in the meantime. But I will start roasting once we move and settle down.

I roast my own and have for years. It saves money, tastes better and is fresher than store bought.

I use a dedicated cast iron pot, a whisk and a fan. I buy beans from Sweet Marias. Prices are $5 - $7 per pound.

It is messy so I do it outside on the deck. I roast a couple of pounds at a time and keep the beans in a canning jar and grind daily.

I have one similar to this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/COFFE...2:g:S50AAOSwzLlXh5~D

I was going to try a making a hot air popper, then thought about a Breville, then saw one of these in operation.

https://www.javamasters.com/retailers/coffee-roaster/

Best design I've ever seen, PLC controlled machine roasts to temp, temp/time, or custom setting you program, drops the beans into a tray when parameters are met and cools them with a fan. Local oil change shop had it, best Costa Rica Peabeary coffee I've ever had. Think they gave it up, machine was leased, not enough volume, was designed for a grocery store, or coffee shop.

I'm going to build one like it someday, saving heating elements, fans, thermocouples, and dreaming of when I can retire and build one. Meanwhile, that grill/rotisserie is sounding good.

I am reviving this earlier thread with all the BRCC shit going on while in search of a new coffee supplier.
And YES I am now seeing the light of the BRCC madness even though I didn't want to bail but it is the right thing to do.
So cancelling has made me look into doing it myself.

Anyone have anything more to add on a good starting point of roll-your-own I mean roast .

I have seen equipment from under $100 to over 1K.

Don't need to make quantity but looking for quality and could not care less if it has an app or whatever.

Any advice for DIY?

Coffee is for closers.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Any advice for DIY?

You can do it as simply as using a popcorn air popper, or as expensively as, well... the place I buy my roasts manufactures and sells these:



starting at a mere $27k

Your best bet is sign up over at Home-Barista.com. They have a forum dedicated to roasting

No matter how you do it, it will be various levels of messy and/or smelly. There will be smoke. There will be chaff.

Do you mean to tell me you have no local roasters w/in a reasonable distance?

If you aren't in the market for something like the above, well, I just came back from Costa Rica. One of the best cups of coffee I've ever had was on a tour of a small family farm. They use a pour over method. The things that surprised me: first they said the water must be boiling. I've always heard it should be a bit below boiling. Also they poured it over the ground coffee multiple times.

Anyhow as for the roasting I don't think you need to go crazy with equipment. This is how they did it in Costa Rica.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:


No matter how you do it, it will be various levels of messy and/or smelly. There will be smoke. There will be chaff.

Do you mean to tell me you have no local roasters w/in a reasonable distance?

Yeah, I can deal with this outside.
Sure, there are some local guys, I am just thinking out trying this out, maybe/maybe not.
Curious to start with on the equipment differences.

Tried a French pres for the first time last weekend at the AirBnB we stayed in Austin.
Definitely has me considering it over the Keurig, but not sure about the diy roasting.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Tried a French pres for the first time last weekend at the AirBnB we stayed in Austin.
Definitely has me considering it over the Keurig,...

An AeroPress makes coffee every bit as good as a French Press, produces a less muddy cup, and is a much easier cleanup.

Thanks will look into that as well.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

An AeroPress makes coffee every bit as good as a French Press, produces a less muddy cup, and is a much easier cleanup.

No doubt that the French Press makes the best cup of Joe, and as you indicated it is a bit muddy.
I always use another small strainer into my cup but will take a look too on the AreoPress.