SR800 Dark Roasting Indonesian Coffee | Beginner's Guide 

Happy to help! Thanks SO MUCH for your order!

aww shucks you made my day! We're working hard to get our shooting space set up in our new office, new vids coming soon!

Be patient with yourself! You may need to make some adjustments from my demo roasts depending on your roasting environment/conditions. So be sure to pay attention to why I made adjustments which is more useful than exactly when and what I adjusted 😉

One note on temp differences between stock chamber and extension tube: I run the heat a good bit higher on the extension tube! There's more efficient airflow so the beans get lower contact time = run the air temp hotter. So I find I'm a good 25 to 50 degrees hotter on the display temp with the tube. Hope that helps!

I do! I'm planning to do a vid on proper roast logging as part of a "roasting basics" series and that will be one of the steps!

Glad you found it helpful my friend!

Learning to hear the different sound the 2 cracks make can take a bit of practice and experience! To me, the 1st crack sounds like popcorn popping and the 2nd crack sounds sharper and thinner, like rice krispies. Once you hear it a few times, you'll be able to pick it out much easier! Sometimes there won't be a pause between the two cracks if you're really pushing the heat hard so it's best not to rely on the pause between them till you've got your roast profile down. Also you might hear "outliers" - late first cracks and early 2nd cracks which interrupt the pause.

I VASTLY prefer using the extension tube. I actually haven't roasted without it in years haha, probably since I made these early videos. It makes the roaster significantly better, hands down. My goal with these early videos was simply to familiarize folks with the SR800 as it comes stock in case their budget prevented them from getting the tube. If you have the budget to get the tube as well, I can't recommend it enough!

@@TheCaptainsCoffee thanks for letting me know! Sounds great.

In general, ext tube will require less fan and power, probably in the neighborhood of 3-5 steps less each! Your time targets should still be in the same range

@@TheCaptainsCoffee Appreciate the instant response.

@@TheCaptainsCoffee I’m getting ready to order my SR 800. So I’ve been watching a lot of videos. Including this one. My follow-up question is what do you mean by 3 to 5 steps of less for each?

@@sammyreyes63 For both the fan and power, 3 to 5 steps of adjustment. In other words, the extension tube makes the system SIGNIFICANTLY more efficient and you won't need nearly as much fan and power to get good agitation/air flow/heat as you do with the stock machine

I definitely plan to! I'm working on a few other vids at the moment but I always appreciate ideas for videos!

I'll keep my eyes out for it!

Absolutely! Im looking at doing a product review or two on a couple home espresso machines and will incorporate my espresso blending and roasting thoughts! I got my start in the industry being a coffee shop manager and training baristas so it's home territory for me

Coffee from Timor is typically fully washed rather than wet-hulled, I recommend treating it more like a Central/South American fully washed coffee!

I see you've watched the extension tube vid so good on you! All the same principles will apply (what to listen for, the density of the beans, how they tend to be sneaky with oil showing a day later etc) but your fan and power settings will need to be much lower since the tube is more efficient. Follow the template on the tube video rather than this one to get started and adjust based on your results!

@@TheCaptainsCoffee I appreciate it...thank you!

@@TheCaptainsCoffee David...so, I roasted 6 oz of Indonesian last night, with the tube. But I am still not getting the same 'look' of my beans (while a bit darker than medium', there are some that have some light pock-marks...wish I could post a pic!) And while trying to stay with lower heat and fan temps, even at the 11:00 mark, with second crack, my temp is barely hitting the 400 using the 'tube' video. I'll try this coffee tomorrow. But what am I still doing wrong? Should I have higher heat before 1st crack? (how about doing an Indonesian vid using the tube??) :)

@@mattycreative Indonesian coffee is pretty dense and takes much more heat. Don't worry so much about following the times and settings that I use in the vid as listening to the "why" of why I make adjustments throughout the roast. You're going to need quite a bit more heat if you're not getting above 400 by 11mins in! Lowering the fan increases the heat significantly while raising the power nudges it up. You're gonna wanna have the heat at 450ish to reach 1st crack (shoot to reach this around the 6 to 7 min mark), then to finish at 2C, you'll need to keep steadily increasing the heat till you're in the 480-500 range. If you're struggling to get there, keep turning the fan down, you only need the beans to be gently agitating, you don't want them flying everywhere! If you're still struggling to get heat, you may have a power problem. Make sure your outlet is on a 15A or 20A circuit and you aren't running any other appliances on it. If you have to use an extension cord, go as short as possible and at least 12G thick wiring.

@@TheCaptainsCoffee Thnx so much, David, for taking the time. Trying your recommendation today!

I just put out a washed coffee roasting video for the sr800 recently! check our channel, it's the latest one

@@TheCaptainsCoffee I meant to say dark roasted washed coffees, my mistake. I saw that one and I have tried those methods with great success so far.

@@nicholasjensen1077 Honestly that washed roasting method works just fine for dark roasting as well! The only difference is you're going to let the roast continue into second crack. Just let it ride another couple minutes (increase fan as needed, keep temperature in chamber in the 460-470 range) and end the roast when it's as dark as you'd like! Should be around 10-12 minutes total roast time (depending on how dark you like it). I'd recommend about 30 seconds into 2nd crack

@@TheCaptainsCoffee thanks, I will try that. I look forward to trying it and the indonesian roasted coffee I just roasted using your tips and method!

It's on the "to-do" list!

coffee oil won't ruin your grinder, but it can cause clogs on certain types of grinders with narrow output chutes. If you like dark roast coffee, I'd recommend frequent cleaning of your grinder with a grinder specific cleaner like Grindz!

@@TheCaptainsCoffee Ty. I use the oro and take it apart piece by piece. I just don’t feel comfortable using those tablets. Thank you. Every time I go over 15% with oil unless it’s just specs I toss. I truly don’t see why many ppl say to turn their power up to 8-9. I get better results doing it your way with lower heat like 4 starting out and usually ending at 6 power and lowest for fan I do 6-7.

We sell them! thecaptainscoffee.com/products/fresh-roast-glass-extension-tubes

225 grams, forgot to include that!

Oh and Gene vids are coming as soon as they're back in stock!

@@TheCaptainsCoffee sweet. My biggest issue with the Gene, or any home roaster for that matter, is I live in Southeast Asia where the indoor ambient temp and humidity are both high (30C and 75%+ humidity). I can’t seem to get a good, lighter roast. If I go far enough after 1C to get rid of underdevelopment it’s roasty. If I drop it just shortly after 1C the roasty goes away but it has some unpleasant, underdeveloped tastes (I cool externally). Looking forward these videos when they do come out!

@@mattseibert8588 Oof that's some rough ambient temp man. I would need to know more about your coffee, charge temp, average roast time etc. but you can make it work at higher ambient temps, just takes some getting used to! If you wanna give me more detail I can maybe offer some general advice since it'll be a bit till the gene vids

@@TheCaptainsCoffeeHi David I can email you if you would like to purchase my gene cafe it’s a year old and only lightly used for six months

That's my preferred method! Some folks crank the heat up to near terminal heat as quickly as possible and leave it there for half the roast, but I don't get great results with that method

This is a common misunderstanding! I've been meaning to make a video on this subject. The roast will only be as homogeneous as the green beans are, which is only common in fully washed coffee. If you roast for homogeneity, you run the risk of roasting out any brightness in the cup.

I understand the basis for the opinion you possess, but I am not in concordance with it. Imagine brewing 30 grams of 100% beans all roasted perfectly to full french. Then imagine brewing 30 grams from a hodge - podge assortment of beans that run the gamut from light to dark. You're saying that batch will have more "brightness." Of course it will, given lighter- roasted beans offer brighter, more floral flavors. But why let the roasting machine dictate this? I prefer a machine that delivers a uniform roast every time and I (Yes ME) can be the one who decides whether I want to mix in lighter roasted beans for brightness. Sometimes this cat needs to go dark. All the way. I ain't looking for brightness during those magical dark drinking experiences. Brightness can lure one's tastebuds AWAY from the ability to discern the chocolate mocha - slightly burnt cinnamon toast layers of rich decadence that dance on the tongue with 100% full french beans. Keep in mind, it takes three things to achieve a completely homogenous roast: 1) preparation of beans prior to roast 2) roasting and cooling skills and 3) a roasting machine capable of delivering uniform results every time.

@@guckertott If "full french" is your desired roast level, I can assure you that nearly every coffee will be even in appearance by the time you reach that level of roast, that's simply the nature of roasting. Roasting for uniformity is an approach to coffee roasting. One that any roaster given a bit of training and practice can achieve on most any roasting machine, it's just a more dated methodology that most folks aren't interested in learning these days. You believed the uneven roast appearance was a short coming of the roasting machine, I'm trying to explain that this was the desired result and explain why that was my desired result. Your assertion that "after roast, beans should be homogeneous in color" is the misunderstanding. Because it's not true! The beauty of home roasting is that you get to decide how you want to roast the coffee. In this video, I'm illustrating a modern, 3rd wave approach to dark roasting, which doesn't necessary result in a homogeneous color unless the coffee is a fully washed coffee. If a dark, even roast is your goal, it's actually pretty easy with the SR800! I hope that helps clear things up :)

@@TheCaptainsCoffee Like butter I need clarification. Sounds like you are saying that the SR800 is capable of delivering consistent 100% uniformity in roast level, but that you were aiming for more of a rainbow effect with this particular effort? I have found it very difficult and in some cases impossible to achieve uniformity with various roasting devices. Obviously , I know that home roasting is a matter of personal preference. But the first goal of any roasting device should be to deliver consistent uniform roast levels with every batch. If it's a personal preference to have a rainbow effect, then the roaster always retains the option to manipulate the controls of the machine (and his methods) to achieve that. I picked full french as one example. When I roast, I am seeking 100% uniformity in all roast levels. As said previously, I always retain the ability to adjust what I brew by mixing in lighter or darker roasted beans after the fact. But this is something I only did in my early years. If you create a video on the subject, consider demonstrating that the SR800 actually can deliver uniformity in Roast level, but that you simply choose not to go for it due to your personal preference.

​@@guckertott and we've come full circle! Here's the problem with your assertion: an even roast appearance is 90% a product of green coffee processing and 10% roasting. You should spend less time searching for the perfect roasting machine, because no roaster will be able to turn a natural processed heirloom cultivar into a an even roast. What you're looking for is the right coffee - aim for fully washed coffees with very stringent sorting and low rate of defects. Also ideally single cultivar (i.e. Caturra only or Gesha only if you feel like breaking the bank). Remove any remaining green defects from your batch prior to roasting (even high grade sorting still has 1-2% defects) using visual inspection. Now roast low and slow and end the roast at your desired development level. Cool in under 3 minutes, optimally using an external bean cooler and rest 5 days to a week. You will likely still have a few quakers (also called floaters) which will need to be manually removed and they are difficult to spot green, but obvious when roasted. Enjoy!

Hey Benji! We've already got one for light roast (last vid) and medium is coming next!

didnt realize that. hehe. by any chance can you cover if the sr800 setup to artisan? what is your thought in using this roaster for business to sell very small batches of coffee.

@@benjimono1254 I'm planning on doing a modification/artisan vid too! Small business? I think you're gonna need 2 - 4 sr800s that you're comfortable running at the same time. Better to invest in a larger roaster like the aillio bullet imo

alright so its not feasible to use it as a micro business.btw is the knowledge of sr800 transferable to the ailio?

@@benjimono1254 the general principles yes! But the execution is different with drum roasters for sure. I'll soon be doing vids on the gene cafe (a drum roaster) as well as a couple on the bullet if there's interest

I like to notch it up as necessary because if you just slam it to 9, there's a good chance you'll have beans flying into the chaff collector and getting stuck up there

I LOVE Indonesian coffee! In the past few years I've seen some producers trying some really interesting new processing methods like honey and natural, most of which I've really enjoyed! I think most folks still think of the Giling Basah profile (which I've always enjoyed but it's a bit one dimensional), but I'm hoping with increased popularity of farmers and producers trying new things Indonesian coffee could really see a revitalization!

This video was filmed under ideal circumstances, i.e.: no extension cord, 20 amp outlet, 70F ambient temperature. If you don't have those things, you'll need to up your heat from my settings or lower the fan (if possible). If you can't change any of those factors (like if you house has old/bad wiring), I STRONGLY recommend the extension tube. It fixes all those problems because it's much more efficient!

@@TheCaptainsCoffee Thanks for your reply! My outlet is a 15 amp and I'm not using an extension cord. The ambient temperature was about 50 degrees here in the northeast. I will definitely look into using the extension tube. Can you roast more than 130 grams when using one? Thanks!

@@Foreshay yup, that ambient temp is what's killin' ya! The tube can easily fix that tho. As for roast weight, are you using the 800 or the 540?

@@TheCaptainsCoffee I'm using the SR540

@@Foreshay on my SR800 the tube can handle an additional 50g no problem! Not sure about the 540. OH but do be sure to account for the additional chaff w/ a chaff expansion kit if you plan on adding weight especially with a natural processed coffee. See my video on the Razzo for more info on that!

225g or about 1/2 lb!

I'm not that really that pretty, it's all in the editing 😉