I'll probably see if Hearthware can fix my soaked roaster, but in the mean
time, I've done my first dog bowl roast.  Wow, was that fun to do!  I could
see, hear, and smell everything, so getting the roast just right was easy.
I even played around with slowing the roast down by pulling the heat gun
further away between 1st and 2nd.  I did it outside on my patio, so the
chaff just blew away and the excess heat from the gun kept me warm despite a
little nip in the air this evening.  I used a cast iron skillet for cool
down - took a minute for the mass of the pan to absorb the heat from the
beans.  The whole setup cost me less than $35 for a heat gun, dog bowl, mesh
strainer (following Justin's method), a wooden spoon, and a plastic box to
store everything in.

Isn't it a wonderful way to roast!? I really love the control you have
over the  entire process.
On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 19:14:41 -0700, Zara Haimo  wrote:
<Snip>

Zara, sounds like you're having similar fun to mine. I'm having fun
exploring the roasting methods not using any electricity though. Good skill
to have just in case IMO. Hmmm, maybe I'll try propane torch next instead of
heatgun! (wouldn't be forced air heat though, so different though
similar...anyone tried propane torch yet!)
Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffee
URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc.http://mdmint.home.comcast.net/coffee/Rosto_mod.htm

Mike M said:
<Snip>
skill
<Snip>
I'd worry that the propane torch would crisp the beans.  I do have an
Adirondock popper I could use in the fireplace if the electricity goes so I
can't use a heat gun.
If this heat gun method takes off, I can see a new model developed just for
the homeroast market.  It would be more like a hair dryer with a "no heat,
fan only" setting for the cool down in addition to the regular heat setting.

Zara,
     After a tough night last night, less than two hours of sleep and a 
long day today, I came home about 4:00 and fell asleep in the recliner. 
   Woke up just before sundown and went out and put the wok on a tomato 
cage out by the power pole with a little more than a pound of a 
leftover blend in it- still working on getting the stash down so I can 
order more - to roast with the heat gun.  Roasting went well, as you 
noted usual great control.   Next week I'll try to roast over the pecan 
wood fire again.   I have a new set-up for doing it will try to get 
some pictures and post.
     It is now six hours later.  I was so tired last night that I forgot 
to send this.
      Jim Gundlach
On Oct 28, 2004, at 9:14 PM, Zara Haimo wrote:
<Snip>

Jim - 
We have a half dozen pecan trees in our yard.  I have been saving
windfallen and pruned wood for a test pecan wood coffee roast. 
Somewhere along the way, I've got to figure out how to roast them.  I
think maybe I could use the wire mesh strainer I also use for the heat
gun method.  (I can't invest too much more in the associated equipment
at this time, seeing as "she who must be obeyed" is already giving me
strange looks as more green coffee and equipment arrives.  She DOES
love the flavor of the homeroasted and her comment to friends at the
dulcimer campout last weekend was "Yeah... he's a little fanatical
about it, but at least it's cheaper than golf!")
Safe Journeys and Sweet Music
Justin Marquez (Snyder, TX)http://www.justinandlinda.comOn Fri, 29 Oct 2004 05:44:28 -0500, Pecan Jim Gundlach
 wrote:
<Snip>

I had thought about a cool-down fan-only setting on a HG myself.  I
can't imagine that any equipment designed for drying hair would get
hot enough to roast coffee.  Maybe you could take an actual hair dryer
set on the cool setting and use that after the HG roasting for cool
down, but that seems like a fair amount of trouble.  Of course, the
box fan and wire mesh thing is a fair amount of trouble too.  I just
cut the heat gun off and start pouring the beans back and forth
between the wire mesh screen and a loaf pan. I am sure that the
fan/screen combo would do a more efficient job of quick-cooling.  I
expect that the most important thing is to do it the same way each
time so that whatever effect it has on the "roast profile" is
consistent and you can learn how to allow for it in your process.
Safe Journeys and Sweet Music
Justin Marquez (Snyder, TX)http://www.justinandlinda.comOn Thu, 28 Oct 2004 22:30:09 -0700, miKe mcKoffee  wrote:
<Snip>

Let's reconsider "cool down" of HG/DB roasts.  Most often as soon as
we reach the degree of roast we want,  it's advisable to cut the roast
abruptly so that the "baking" does not continue.  Lately, when
roasting brighter beans for espresso (Yirg, Kenya), I've been
experimenting by pulling the roast sooner than before (just at the
hint of approaching 2nd), tossing if there's a bit of smoke, but
otherwise leaving them in the bowl to let them do a slow cool.  For
these beans, this "roast lighter/cool slower" method retains the
bright tones without overpowering the final shot.   However, this is
still a very conditional observation.  Does anyone have any experience
or thoughts to share (actually, I'd prefer the experience)?  Thanks,
Martin
On Tue, 2 Nov 2004 09:03:29 -0600, Justin Marquez  wrote:
<Snip>

<Snip>
wrote:
<Snip>
Actually one of the earliest small batch home roast/sample roasters to my
knowledge was and still is a modified by Sivetz hair dryer. But it's use is
as a small fluid bed roaster, not bowl roasting. Debi has a 1600w
professional hair dryer which I just measured temps. Maxed out at about 210f
an inch from nozzle so likely wouldn't work as heatgun roast style
replacement. Using as fluid bed would obviously trap heat. And Sivetz's
usage does state for 30gr sample batches... not exactly batch size people
looking for:-)
Kona Konnaisseur miKe mcKoffee
URL to Rosto mods, FrankenFormer, some recipes etc.http://mdmint.home.comcast.net/coffee/Rosto_mod.htm

Justin,
      Sorry it took so long to get back.   I was looking for the kind of 
popper I use and I just found one.   Go to eBay and search for item 
6128314695  If you watch you can find them every month or so.  The 
brand is Androck and sometimes you can search for it under that 
name.	Get it, or one like it then fill it no more than half full of 
green beans and build a fire with your pecan wood, get a good bed of 
coals and experiment with different amounts of flame versus coals heat. 
  You will want to arrange for some structure to rest the rod that 
sticks out past the basked on and stir by spinning on the axis created 
by the handle and the rod.
         Jim
On Nov 2, 2004, at 8:54 AM, Justin Marquez wrote:
<Snip>