Roasting Coffee Beans NoCal Style

Kit from Santa Cruz (My brother)is also a long time home roaster, He sent the following note with pictures:

Looks tasty! I followed some internet thing. I drilled a hole and put a 550 cooking thermometer in mine, and roast at about 350. I usually roast for about 12 minutes at the most, and get a light roast, which is still pretty tasty.



I use a outside Coleman burner, because its too smokey for inside. It pops like popcorn too-- once early on as the outer hull breaks and once as the bean cracks (or something like that).



I cool in a screeny-colander and swirl, which helps take some of the chaff off. I need to get something to make that nice frothy coffee top though.

Thanks for writing, Where do you get your beans? I finished off the twelve ounces I roasted Friday, so I am going to roast so more today (amongst other things). I want to try going for a shorter amount of time. As for a frothy topped espresso, I can send you one old stove top units or you can look into a machine like the one I got mom, I think it does a pretty good job and it was eighty bucks at Target.

Cheers.