How do you mark the end of drying phase?

[boss99er]

I've heard several of you give a solid measurement of time for the "end of drying phase." How do you tell when you've hit that point? I've been roasting on a TO/TC for a year now, but  since it has such little control, I've never put much thought into exactly when the end of my drying phase hit. How do you measure this? I know/understand how to measure drop, turn around, FC, SC, etc...but not end of drying.

My Huky is on its way, so I cant wait to learn REAL roasting...but want to learn as much as I can in the mean time. I'd also like to get to the point where I'm roasting well enough to sell at the farmers market this spring/summer, so I want to roast like a mad man and learn everything I can as fast as I can. You'll all be seeing a lot of me around here. :-)

Thanks gang!

[SusanJoM]

There's this from Sweet Marias

http://www.sweetmarias.com/library/content/using-sight-determine-degree-roast

[boss99er]

Thanks! I've actually seen that page before, but it doesn't really say which stage you would categorize as "end of drying." At which stage do you consider the bean dried? Would that be the "light brown" stage?

[SusanJoM]

I would have thought right between stage 3 and 4, but....here's a conversation we had on the subject over at Larry's Coffee House

http://www.larryscoffees.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&view=topic&catid=19&id=110&Itemid=531

[boss99er]

Ahh cool, so you'd say right before the marbling starts? I guess technically the marbling comes from the first stages of browning....so you've got a good point!

[Johnny4lsu]

I use 300f for every roast.. Helps me to be consistent

[boss99er]

Not a bad idea. I think I might do something similar.

Thanks for the input!

[dickcoffee]

I use 300f for every roast.. Helps me to be consistent

Me too!

[boss99er]

I use 300f for every roast.. Helps me to be consistent

Me too!

Awesome, good to know. It makes sense to do something like this so everything is consistent. Man...I cant wait to get this thing!

[hankua]

I also use 300f/150c to mark the end of the drying segment although it might occur before or after. At this point I've got in the habit of opening up the air all the way to remove chaff and usually go to 160c/320f; just for simplicity. Then reduce the air back to low for the ramp to 1C. (Huky gets a high air bump every minute thereafter) Thanks Kefir!!!

In my 800n owners manual they note drying end at 160c/320f, with the "bean surface getting some wrinkles"

"Coffee beans at the dehydration step always wear some irregular stripes, It is called cat face"

"Dehydration Step last for around 6' 30""

"In lighter roasts you will get more acidy flavor in the cup. Astringent mouthfeel is mainly caused by insufficient dehydration"

(note: my 800n owners manual was translated from Chinese to English)

[wideasleep1]

Oddly, I use sensory for this...(Behmor experience alert) I watch the window for condensation, and use smell..you can detect the grassy from caramelization easily when 'searching' for it...and repetition with that coffee helps understand when to expect it. If data tracking, you can get more precise, when the parameters (sight, smell, temp) line up.

[Gregr]

Color and smell for me too. 300 seems to be the most common marker but in my roaster 300F has the beans very yellow, the grassy smell has come and gone. Somewere in the 287-292F is where I usually call it.