Roastmaster App & Blue Therm Duo

[Rs Roast]

I've been using the iPhone Roastmaster app for some time with my manually operated Hottop and now that I'm planning on buying the Huky in the next couple of days (the Hottop drum motor is dying), I'm having to get probes in order. Does anyone use Roastmaster? I'd rather not dump my expensive Blue Therm Duo and assume that Type K probes work equally well with any temperature device but that may be completely wrong. It would be best if I could use Mr. Li's probes as they come pre-fit to the machine. Any thoughts on the subject?

[VS]

The probes it comes with work perfectly. I am using BlueTherm with Roastmaster.

[akiley]

I am also using a BluTherm with the Huky.  Moved up from a Hottop like you.  Just plugged them in and it worked.

[Bodka Coffee]

I don't have a Huky but I really really like the bluetherm/Roastmaster app combo. I have 481 roasts using it and hardly a hiccup.

[SusanJoM]

Am I correct that Roastmaster is only available for Apple users? 
I think I found that when I first started researching a datalogging set-up for my HUKY.   

[VS]

Apple only, iPad recomended. I tried using it with iPhone, but was pretty hard to see charts. The software is great, smooth logging, nice target temp feature, deltas, etc. You need to pay for the app and then for automatic probe logging separately. Worth the money though.

[SusanJoM]

Apple only, iPad recomended. I tried using it with iPhone, but was pretty hard to see charts. The software is great, smooth logging, nice target temp feature, deltas, etc. You need to pay for the app and then for automatic probe logging separately. Worth the money though.

Probably so for Apple folks.
Not so much for an old (really old) PC person....

[Rs Roast]

I'm sure the iPad works best but my iPhone 6+ (with it's larger screen) works fine.

Following The Roaster's Companion, I've been paying particular attention to the Delta T as the Rate of Rise progresses throughout the roast. The BlueTherm Duo displays the RofR as the roast progresses. I've asked Danny at Roastmaster whether he couldn't find a place on the screen to having a running, minute by minute RofR displayed. That would crowd the iPhone's real estate but wouldn't be a problem for the iPad. It would be quite handy to not have to manipulate the screen to see how the RofR is working.

On another note, Danny is working to key profiles to temperature (rather or in addition to nearly useless time periods) in the next version. One will, of course, be quite aware of time but alarms will be able to be set for temps (probably built in to the profile somehow).

One other plug for Danny at Roastmaster is that he's actively working to develop useful protocols for roasting--making the app better is a real passion for him. That's a nice person to have on my team, someone responsive to my needs who also wants to develop feedback mechanisms that heretofore haven't been considered.

Of course, the Blue Therm Duo is anything but cheap. That said, I also use it for sous vide cooking and for that it's a fabulous tool.

[TimDaddy]

I'd be interested in trying Roastmaster and I use an Apple, but it's a Macbook Pro laptop.  It's my understanding that Roastmaster only runs on iOS devices (iphones, ipads).  Someone tell me if they've had luck running on a Macbook.

Does Artisan have the "Delta T as the Rate of Rise" ability?  Artisan's what I'm planning to use once my Huky arrives in a few weeks, but I haven't really looked into Artisan's features.  It's just what I perceive most people with Hukys use...but I could be way wrong.

I do have an ipad (two, in fact--they're lifesavers on long roadtrips with our 3- and 6-year-olds!) but I think I'd prefer the bigger screen and keyboard of the laptop to use with roasting software.

I'd love to get feedback on any of this.

Thanks,
Tim

[Gregr]

Artisan displays a constant RoR for whatever probes it's reading- it's a very handy feature and towards the end of the roast darn near indispensable. You can also set Artisan to display the delta on the graph itself.

[SusanJoM]

Tim, if you look at the profile that Greg just posted, you can see in the lower half of the graph that he is recording the delta ET (yellow) and the delta BT (blue)  (Delta BT = ROR)

[Rs Roast]

Although Roastmaster shows the RofR as the roast progresses, if I'm shooting for a continuously dropping number, it's quite helpful to see the whole progression as it develops. Certainly the graph shows it in both Roastmaster and Artisan, but graphs, however visually valuable, are a bit crude when it comes to trying to keep the RofR from flattening out, for example. I'd like to see a RofR posted on screen for each and every minute of roasting, something that Roastmaster does not do. Does Artisan do that or just show the current RofR?

One other question I notice regarding your graph Greg: Although I don't have enough roasting experience to determine whether Rao's assumption of a consistent drop in RofR is critical (I've used it for roughly 15 roasts so far), I'm using it as a protocol because, frankly, there's not a lot out in the roasting world that identifies roast profiles so precisely. I notice at the end of your roast that the temps spike upwards. Try as I might to prevent that last 15-30 second, post 1st crack spike (well before 2nd crack), I've been unsuccessful with the Hottop. When my new Huky 500T is delivered in a couple of weeks I'm going to be curious whether the stronger fan would help keep that spike down. But then again, that late in the roast, does it really matter that the temps spike?

[SusanJoM]

I'd like to see a RofR posted on screen for each and every minute of roasting, something that Roastmaster does not do. Does Artisan do that or just show the current RofR?

Yes. You can set up several LEDs on the right side of the screen.  Here you can see the LED labeled DeltaBT.  It gives you a constant readout of your ROR. 

[edtbjon]

...
One other question I notice regarding your graph Greg: Although I don't have enough roasting experience to determine whether Rao's assumption of a consistent drop in RofR is critical (I've used it for roughly 15 roasts so far), I'm using it as a protocol because, frankly, there's not a lot out in the roasting world that identifies roast profiles so precisely. I notice at the end of your roast that the temps spike upwards. Try as I might to prevent that last 15-30 second, post 1st crack spike (well before 2nd crack), I've been unsuccessful with the Hottop. When my new Huky 500T is delivered in a couple of weeks I'm going to be curious whether the stronger fan would help keep that spike down. But then again, that late in the roast, does it really matter that the temps spike?

I'd like to chime in if you may... Just came back to the world after doing a couple of roasts. It does indeed take some concentration.
I also "loosely" follow Rao's recommendations, i.e. I try to keep the RoR steadily declining. This is, if nothing else, a good excercise for controllng the roaster ... and it does indeed produce good coffee.
The roast is quite easy to control in the beginning and takes on by itself in the end. Especially at 1C it's hard to control, I will not go into the gritty details (I don't know them well enough to get into a discussion about them...), as the humidity evaporating the bean and thus creating 1C also messes up measuring the actual temp of the bean (which is still an approximation given the nature of ThermoCouplers). But keeping that RoR curve steadily declining takes experience of a few roasts and learning how to anticipate the air and gas controls. You can keep the DeltaBT (i.e. the graph showing your RoR) steadily declining, but it does take quite some time to master it. If that is beneficial to the roast? Well, personally I think it is. Thus I struggle with my controls...

[VS]

For those new to roasting, here are my 2 cents- initially turn off the deltas and try to achieve certain guidelines (temps and times). Set this up before you roast and try to achieve it as planned. Taste your coffees and compare them. Those extra 30 seconds you add just to keep your RoR declining could be completely changing your flavor outcome.   

Worry about RoR only once you learn how to steer your roaster.