Roasted a batch of Sweet Maria’s Espresso Monkey Blend. It reached first crack at 6:00, second crack at 8:45, and started cooling at 9:00. The bean temperature was 450f before I started the cooling process.
Here are some before and after photos.
Here’s what the inside of each of the loaves look like.
Method 1: Cooking in a dutch oven
This loaf has a lighter texture, with the exception of the bottom which seems a little overcooked.
Method 2: Cooking on baking stone
This loaf definitely has a crust to it. The bottom is a little undercooked, but I think is more uniform compared to the first loaf.
Comparison:
For the next batch, I am going to try baking both at 450f and see if it improves the uniformity when using a dutch oven. I also need to buy a razor blade so I can properly score the bread. I used a paring knife, but I think it’s a little thick and drags the dough.
I made two loafs of sourdough bread today. Making the dough was a two day affair which I will document in a future post. I decided to bake the dough two ways and see the differences.
Method 1: Cook in a dutch oven.
Comparison:
The loafs are still resting, so I haven’t been able to taste them yet. Initially it looks like using the dutch oven introduced too much steam causing it to expand and tear more than using a baking stone. Or, it might be because I baked it first and there was more gas inside it. I may try again but first bake on a stone, then the dutch oven second.
I’m currently roasting using a Poppery II popcorn popper that I bought from a local Goodwill for $1.50. I found that it got to second crack really quickly, and the first and second crack would run into each other. This resulted in a cup too bright for my taste.
To better control the roast, I needed a way to regulate the amount of heat and air. I found Jim West’s Poppery II mods which separates the heating and motor elements. Air flow is controlled by a dimmer control, and heat by a router controller from Harbor Freight. These modifications gave me better control, but I found the router controller very sensitive and I wanted more data to create a more consistent roast.
The next modification involves using an arduino uno board, TC-4 shield, LCDAdapter, SSR, and a couple of K-type thermocouples to help automate the roasting process. I mounted one of the thermocouple sensors in one of the air fins to measure environmental temperature (ET). The other measures bean temperature (BT) and is about 1 inch above the bottom. Using aBourbon I am able to collect more data and better control my roasts. I now know the ET, BT, and RoR (rate of rise) which helps adjust the router controller more precisely. There’s another project, Kona, to automate the whole roast process, but I haven’t been able to get it working correctly in my setup. Having automated profiles would be nice, so hopefully I get some time to debug what’s wrong.
Links:
The rice cooker worked, but it was only big enough for an egg or two. I ended up buying a cheap 8 quart slow cooker from Walmart, but the heating element was underpowered at 300w and caused the temperature controller to overshoot the target temperature. Another issue with crock pots is the heating is uneven. I decided to add a heating/circulating unit.
Again, everything is pretty much copied from Scott’s DIY sous vide immersion circulator build, except for the water pump. The water pump recommended by Scott may fail at higher temperatures. The one from Light Object is rated for 100c and is FDA approved. Because the pump runs off 4-6v DC, I used an iphone charger to provide power.
So far, this setup is working well for me. I’ve made chicken breasts, steaks, and salmon. I haven’t tried vegetables which require higher temperatures.
Parts list:
I used Scott’s DIY sous vide immersion build as a guide. I separated the temperature controller and heating element to give me more flexibility. Having the temperature controller separate will let you plug in any heating/cooling unit. For example, you can use it for an electric smoker or set it to cooling mode and use it for a kegerator or sausage cabinet.
Parts list: