Tried my FreshRoast coffee roaster for the first time this evening. First time using Artisan as well. The roast (bean temperature) profile went up too slowly initially and then abit too fast/high at the end. It created abit more odor and smoke than anticipated. Perhaps I burned some chaff, though I didn’t see any chaff (at all) in the collector.

Additionally my carefully designed basement coffee roasting smoke/smell exhaust system didn’t work as well as anticipated (I think I will need to place the fan directly in the duct line), resulting in more than abit of a coffee roasting smell in the basement, which spread through the rest of the house, including our bedroom, where my wife was resting in bed.

It then set off the basement smoke alarm (and the kitchen smoke alarm as well). However I had to stay focused on the roast cool down (the roast being the priority), so couldn’t initially shut the alarm, sending my wife into the basement, wondering if I’d set the house on fire. 😁

All is well in the end, though. Will need to readup more, learn to use Artisan better and generally rejig my smoke/smell control system. I’m giggling about this now, but my wife doesn’t seem to share my sence of humour. 😂

You have to try new things, and it isn’t fun or rewarding if you don’t screw it up at least afew times, before getting results. I’ll rest the coffee a week, and then see what it tastes like; might be tempted to taste it sooner.

Sounds like an adventure indeed! Good job you have a forgiving wife 😂

On the duct fan, I don’t know how the Freshroast works or the details of your duct system but (and apologies if you know this already) active ducting can mess with the exhaust flow/temperature crucial to roasting.

La Marzocco Linea Mini - Mazzer Philos

    Also, it’s always handy to have a fire extinguisher nearby. For the very few times I roasted inside, I always had one nearby - never had to use it though, but one cannot ever be too careful either!

    HarveyMushman On the duct fan, I don’t know how the Freshroast works or the details of your duct system but (and apologies if you know this already) active ducting can mess with the exhaust flow/temperature crucial to roasting.

    Thanks Harvey. We have a 8 to 6 inch duct reducer (looks like an inverted funnel) suspended over the roaster’s heat/smoke outlet. The duct reducer is connected to a WYE duct (ie a upside down Y), with one branch of the Y connected to a 4 inch 100 CFM in-line duct fan, and the other branch connected to a foil dryer duct. Problem is that while the WYE ensures absolutely cool temperatures in the duct run, it substantially reduces air suction. So I will remove the WYE and place the fan directly in/line in the duct run. I’ll probably insert a rigid or semi rigid piece of aluminum duct between the duct reducer (the inverted funnel) and the fan, to allow air temperatures to reduce before they reach the fan and the subsequent dryer vent foil duct run. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll post a before and after picture when I have a moment.

    Basement windows are open at the moment, which combined with air freshener, will hopefully remove all traces of last night’s roasting adventure.