Coffee Roasting Tips

Fresh Roast SR540 and SR800 Roasting Tips

If your roaster is not getting hot enough here are a couple of things to check before contacting us with an issue. 

The supply voltage is critical.  If you have a way to measure voltage, I would suggest doing so.  Just 1-2 volts too low and your machine will only hit temperatures of 400* -430*.  We like to see a starting voltage of 120-122.  Then with the base plugged in and the fan and heater on, only a 4-volt drop.  Anything below 115V will make it really hard for this machine to get up to temperature.  So no extension cords or any other appliance stealing power that the roaster can consume.  

The next thing to look into, the fan speed throughout the roast.  If you run the fan on 9 the entire roast the air is being blown out before it has a chance to be trapped by the beans.  We like to start with the fan on 9 and slowly back the fan down as the beans get lighter in weight as this can help the roasting temperature.  We are looking for a nice rotation of the beans, similar to a soft boil. 

Another factor in roasting is the ambient air temperature. Around 55* it can make it difficult to get enough heat out of the roaster.  

Coffee roasting tips and tricks

Tips to brew the Freshest Roast

Roasting Tips

  • Make sure the supply voltage is 120V before you start roasting.
  • The machine should not be assembled then moved.  You run the risk of the top assembly falling off and damaging the pieces.
  • Never leave the machine unattended.
  • Coffee will loose weight during the roast process, so green beans are heavy and starting with a high fan will help move the beans for a more consistent roast. 
  • If there is too much smoke, hit the RUN/COOL button immediately. 
  • Brush the chaff out of the chaff collector with a small brush or use a shop vac to keep it clean and clear of chaff.  
  • Smaller batches take longer to roast than the recommended amount of beans. 
  • Lowering the fan speed will raise the temperature in the chamber, increasing the fan speed in the chamber will lower the roasting temperatures.
  • Doing roast back to back is not recommended and will shorten the life of the machine and components. 
  • Coffee beans will continue to roast even after the process has stopped.  Try to stop the roast a shade lighter than you would like. 

Fresh Roast 8 Chamber modification

This is an image of the Early Fresh Roast SR Chamber that can be modified to fit the Fresh Roast 8, and +8 models.  The glass is slightly larger which will lower the bean velocity.