javaPRO-CRC Standard Unit ROASTING INSTRUCTIONS

Fill up the javaPRO-CRC Roaster Drum with up to 5 pounds of beans.  We suggest that you try a smaller amount at first - about 1 pound.  Or if you want to you can use the 1/2 cup of beans we supplied with the drum (comes out to about a 1/4 pound of beans).

Plug in both sets of electrical cords.  The black cord goes to the main heating element, and the
smaller cord goes to the fan/RoastBLAST circuit.   (It is best if you use 2 separate
outlets for this matter.)  If you do not have 2 separate outlets one should suffice ... but no guarantees!

Do a PRE-TEST of the fan unit by flipping on the "light switch" on the back of the unit.  You should  hear the fan start going.  If you do not, turn the switch off and open the unit and remove the drum.

Then remove the back heat shield.  The fan is located at the bottom left of the back of the unit.
Again, if it is NOT WORKING give it a spin with your fingers with the light switch in the OFF POSITION.

After doing such, turn the fan switch back on.  It should work.  (Sometimes a bit of junk gets stuck on the blade, etc., and may cause that temporary issue.)  If you have further problems and it is not working, please email me at len@coffeeroastersclub.com before attempting a roast!

At this point you have done the pre-test of the fan and it works.  You have the exhaust pipe sticking outdoors from the unit, or you have a permanent pipe attachment done with the ventilation unit.  Both plugs are plugged in and the coffee roasting drum has the coffee in it.

Now make sure the door of the unit is closed.  Set the timer on the main unit, and turn on the switch on the RoastBLAST unit.

IMPORTANT:  If you are roasting less than 5 pounds of beans please note that the amount of time to roast to your desired outcome will take less time.  Less beans roasted equals less time to roast!

It is recommended that you do not turn on the ventilation fan until you see the first evidence of roasting smoke inside of the unit.  This way the unit will heat up faster and will give you a quicker roast.  Turning on the fan does cool down the unit because it of course has to pull in air from outside of the unit to properly vent the smoke to the outdoors.

NOW, at this point the coffee roasting drum should be rotating, and both the main heating unit and the RoastBLAST heating unit should be starting to get hot and red.  The fan is not turned on yet because you have not yet seen any smoke being generated yet from the roasting process.

For the first few minutes the beans remain greenish, then turn lighter yellowish and emit a grassy smell.

The beans start to steam as their internal water content disipates.  Please note that the steam being generated is not smoke yet ... so it is not yet time to flick on the ventilation fan.

The steam becomes fragrant. Soon you will hear the "first crack," an audible cracking sound as the real roasting starts to occur: sugars begin to caramelize, bound-up water escapes, the structure of the bean breaks down and oils migrate from their little pockets outward.  At this point, or a little bit before, you should start seeing the first evidence of smoke being generated.  It is at this point that it is recommended that you turn on the fan.  AGAIN, if for some reason the fan does not turn on, open up your windows and get a fan propped into the window next to the roaster to pump out any smoke that gets generated!

(Please note that the ventilation setup that is provided was given alot of design consideration and should work properly ... I just want you to be fully prepared in case of an emergency where for some reason it does not work properly!)

After the first crack, the roast can be considered complete any time according to your taste.  Upon completion of "First Crack" we generally have a City Roast.

There will then be a short period of hardly any cracking, then you will hear a sharper "second crack" sounds.  At this point we are entering what is called a Full City Roast.  Much more smoke starts now, from the oils of the bean breaking down into various components, and the sugars in the bean caramelizing and burning.  You should really start seeing some smoke inside of the unit and being pumped outside.

Nearing completion of second crack we generally have what is called a French Roast.

As the roast becomes very dark, the smoke is more pungent as sugars burn completely, and the bean structure breaks down more and more.   The bean will first become an Italian Expresso Roast, further becoming a very very dark Spanish Roast, then basically charcoal.

When you get to the point that you desire, it is very important to turn off the Rotisserie AND THE RoastBLAST switch and remove the Coffee Roasting Drum, removing the end cap and pouring out the beans into an aluminum pan, or equivalent that will not melt or break.  Please make sure that during this whole process that you keep the ventilation fan on inside of the unit!  Also note that when you open the unit smoke will come out of it even with the ventilation fan on!  The beans will be smoking on their own now because they are real hot and basically generating their own heat!  Be very careful with them, they are extremely hot and can burn you!

CAUTION!!  MAKE SURE YOU USE HEAT PROOF MITTS TO
HANDLE THIS VERY HOT DRUM and all of its parts!

After dumping out the beans be sure to stir them continuously until they have cooled down completely.  Remember that they are still cooking, and that due to such you need to stop this cooking process by cooling them off as such.

You will notice "chaff", or bits of dry flakes that have dropped into the drip pan (now chaff collector).  Throw this away.  You will also notice such in the coffee beans you have stirred.  Please try to remove this chaff by either blowing on it outside, or vacuuming it up by holding a nozzle over the beans in the pan.  Be sure not to suck any beans up!  (I get rid of my chaff by going outside, and with an electric fan I slowly pour my beans down into a try in front of the fan!  It works great!

Now you must let your beans "age" for a day (4 hours at the least).  If you are making the roast just for yourself, remember to make only as much as you can use in 4 days ... any longer than that and your freshly roasted beans are not considered fresh any longer!

SOME POINTERS

The unit can hold up to 5 pounds of coffee ... (actually more but 5 pounds is the maximum I recommend).

Remember that the more coffee you try to roast the longer the roasting process will be.  You may wish to do smaller roasts ... say 3 pounds at a time.  It is fun to experiment ... remember Roasting is more an art than it is a science.  The perfect roast is a combination of using your sense of smell, hearing, and sight, along with some timing guidelines .

The unit is well lit on the inside.  You should be able to see the beans ok through the drum using the light that it gives off.  However, you may also wish to use your flashlight to point a more focused light on the roasting drum to see the bean color more readily.

You can use the "NO HEAT ROTATION" feature of the main heating unit to cool the beans before removal. However, if you use such a procedure to cool your beans, please note that it does take a bit of time to cool the inside of the unit.  In such a case it is wise to stop your roasting a few minutes before the intended stop time to make up for the fact that they will still be roasting as they are cooling off!

Experiment with different roasts/beans combinations.  Try the roaster with RoastBLAST on and off.  Turn it on at different times, and length of times for different roasting profiles.  Write down all your successful profiles!

Keep your unit as clean as possible.  After roasting you can rinse out the coffee roasting drum
to remove any chaff/beans that were left behind.

Any questions please email me at:  len@coffeeroastersclub.com

GOOD ROASTING!