Roaster Guide: Fresh Roast SR Series

Are you beginning your exploration into roasting coffee or looking for some quick start information for your brand-new roaster? Well, look no further then our handy guide to getting you to the perfect roast. With so many different options on the market for a coffee roaster it can be challenging to choose what is best for you and how you want to roast beans. Today we are diving into what the Fresh Roast Coffee Roaster can offer and why it’s a good option for both those getting started and more experienced roasters.

What Is the Fresh Roast Coffee Roaster

The Fresh Roast Coffee Roaster is an easy-to-use air roaster for quick batches of green coffee for either your daily cup or for doing a quick test of new beans for the experienced roaster. A helpful addition of an extension tube for even more consistent roasting can also be added onto these roasters. This fluid bed style roaster uses hot air pushing upwards to move the beans all around, with the options to change the fan, power, and time of your roasts. With new models there are nine levels for heat adjustment, the panel and knob setup allow for convenient and fast acting adjustments to your roast. No need for preheating and a faster cooldown sequence adds to the speed of roasting with this machine. Although the roast is more prompt, the sights, sounds, and smells are still noticeable. The glass roasting chamber allows you to see the color changes and the ventilation with the 2-part chaff collecting lid offers easily identifiable smells and sounds to indicate the progress of your roast. This helps you master the senses of a perfect roast for any 4-8 oz coffee batches, making the Fresh Roast SR540 right for you.

General Roasting Tips for the Fresh Roast

The 10 commandments for roasting a perfect batch:

1. Roast in a well-ventilated area
   Smoke is always created from roasting, to ensure the safety of your environment make sure you have some air flow to regulate your smoke.
2. Everything on the roaster is HOT!
   All parts of your roaster; the chamber, the base, and the lid will be hot during and after the roast. Everything except the handle on the glass roasting chamber will be too hot to touch, so be prepared and careful when handling your roaster.
3. Be sure to run the cooldown sequence
   All the heat from the roaster needs time to cool even when using an external cool tray. Let the machine cool all the way down by running the cooldown sequence fully.
4. Don’t use an extension cord or power strip
   Your roaster should have a designated outlet without a power cord, otherwise it will lose power to the unit and not perform properly.
5. Roast above 55 degrees ambient temperature
   The roaster is affected by extreme temperatures and won’t work as well or consistently if your external temperatures are too high or low.
6. Be mindful of little ones
   With all the dangers to look out for, keeping children out of your roasting area is important. Especially with the extension tube because it is a bit top heavy and has more potential to be knocked over. Everything is hot, so always keep young hands away from the roaster.
7. Be sure to clean out the chaff collector
   The lid on this roaster is a two-part chaff collector where air pushes chaff that settles, so make sure to clean it after every use. This will keep the machine running well and ensure better safety during your roasts.
8. Roast on a clear, non-cluttered area
   Having a clean space is an important step to a good roast. We recommend your area is for you, your roaster, and your notebook only.
9. Lower the fan throughout the roast
   This roaster will roast your beans quickly if it can reach the target temperature at a reasonable pace. The fan is helpful in agitating the beans, but should be steadily decreased throughout the roast in order to help the internal temperature reach its target and develop the beans uniformly.
10. Record your roast
    Writing down your roast during the process is highly important for any batch replication with or without adjustments. Record the time, temperature, and events throughout your process to remember the perfect roasting results for you.

How to Roast with an Extension Chamber

The addition of an extension chamber is very beneficial to your roast with SR roasters because it regulates the temperature inside the chamber and increases coffee bean movement during the roast. To place the extension chamber on the roaster, place the large stopper with the gap facing downward into the top of the original glass chamber. The seal that has been placed on top of the chamber with a handle is one of four rubber style closures. The other three rubber bands should be layered at the bottom of the chamber, one on top of the other. Don’t worry about the safety of these stoppers, they were created for the high heat of this roast machine. With the new placement of your extension tube, your roaster can increase its capacity for more green coffee beans and introduce more airflow throughout your roast.

Some other tools the CBC team uses to perfect roasts and make roasting a bit more fun:

• external timer for counting up instead of relying on the countdown on roaster and math
• external (dual basket) cooling tray to remove beans right at the desired profile and to cool immediately
• bean tray for transporting and pouring green beans or finalized roasts
• included notebook for recording roasts
• name of coffee, date, fan power, temp, events
• write out preconditions, 0-12 minutes of standard roast time (darker roasts more minutes to record) record changes with time and temperature and events

Walk-Through a Roast with the CBC Team

Before Your Roast

Start with a dry run of 5 or 6 minutes to burn off the manufacturer residue. Use the “run/cool” button to turn on and then “run cool” again to begin the cooldown sequence. You can use “seasoning beans” to roast during the dry run to prepare your roaster for real beans, but DO NOT drink any coffee made during the dry run.

Make sure all your pieces are tightly attached before roasting (whether using an extension tube or not). Have a towel or hot pad ready for any adjustments or moving parts because this roaster gets extremely hot. Setup your notebook 0-12 minutes, initial conditions, and then record changes and events in detail during the roast.

This is about a 13 minute roast.

Settings During the Roast

There are many different setting recommendations for the perfect roast, here is our advice for the perfect medium roast.

Without an extension tube

As the roast proceeds we'll be lowering the fan by turning the knob on the right and increasing power settings.

Panel display: Fan-Power-Time

1. Initial settings
   9-4-12
2. When the timer reads 10 decrease the Fan to 8.
   8-4-10
3. When the timer reads 9 decrease the Fan to 7.
   7-4-9
4. When the timer reads 8.5 increase the Power to 5.
   7-5-8.5
5. When the timer reads 8 decrease the Fan to 6.
   6-5-8
6. When the timer reads 7.5 increase the Power to 6.
   6-6-7.5
7. When the timer reads 7 decrease the Fan to 5.
   5-6-7
8. When the timer reads 6 decrease the Fan to 4.
   4-6-6

First crack should begin when the timer reads 5.5.

Click the Cool button to begin the cooldown sequence. Lower the heat even though it will not be producing hot air anymore. Turn the fan up if the coffee is not being agitated enough and remember the roast will continue a bit when in cooldown sequence.

Take caution if removing the beans for external cooling.

With the extension tube

With the extension tube attached, there are some settings to adjust.

As the roast proceeds we'll be lowering the fan by turning the knob on the right.

Panel display: Fan-Power-Time

1. Initial settings
   9-5-12
2. When the timer reads 8 decrease the Fan to 6.
   6-5-8
3. When the timer reads 7 decrease the Fan to 5.
   5-5-7

Make any Fan adjustments as needed when the beans begin their roast. If your coffee stops moving, increase the Fan setting because you always want airflow and movement during your roast.

First crack should begin when the timer reads 3.

Click the Cool button to begin the cooldown sequence. Lower the heat even though it will not be producing hot air anymore. Turn the fan up if the coffee is not being agitated enough and remember the roast will continue a bit when in cooldown sequence.

Take caution if removing the beans for external cooling.

Is the Fresh Roast Coffee Roaster a Good Fit for You?

The Fresh Roast Coffee Roaster is a very simple design that is perfect for newer roasters who are looking to learn, those who want a quick and effective roast, or seasoned roasters testing new beans in smaller batches. The quicker roast time fits good coffee into your schedule. The roast machines offered by Fresh Roast Coffee allow you to become familiar with the senses essential to understand the queues of a perfect batch. Making a cup of coffee has never been easier at home than with a roaster from Fresh Roast Coffee.