Roasting coffee beans at home, using an air popcorn popper.

I converted an old air popper, adding speed control to the fan. Slowing down the fan heats the roasting chamber up more. I removed the overheating safety. Yes, this is dangerous, and shouldn't be done. However, I rewire things all the time, and watch it closely. I roast outside, of course, and my next one I will add a heating element shut-off, to assist cooling down the popper between batches. I roast 2/3 cup at a time, and really like the Sumatra beans the most. Green coffee beans are available in the small town I live in, and if you look around, you'll find some locally or on-line. This makes great coffee in just 7 minutes, give or take. I really love great coffee and dark beer. Not at the same time.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• roaster
• coffee
• popper
• good coffee

[111WashingtonSt]

Yes, that's what I tried to say. I mis-spelled the word produce. Oops. Turning the fan down, as the beans get lighter, has the same effect. My wife likes cooling them in the strainers. I ain't gonna argue with that one.

[pabbananna]

nice hurricane glass mod. I wonder if it helps make the roast more even? I've got to get me some of those nomex gloves too.

[111WashingtonSt]

@pabbananna - The oil lamp shade does narrow down the air escaping a bit, and could, in effect, procude more heat in the chamber. I like the glass to look through, to check out the roast. I live up 'North', so, the outside temps can be in the 30's (like last weekend) or even down to the teens. I crank down the fan speed part way into the roast, to keep up roasting chamber temps. As the beans get lighter, the air can be turned down, in the winter. The "Ove-glove" helps keep from burning hands.

[enthusiasticcab6]

I love homemade coffee, but my machine lay dormant until coffeeloverstipsandtricks (.) com plugged me in!

[bbqpowerd]

the lamp chimney slightly restricts airflow, and less air flow increases the heat, not decreases.... air is a better heat insulator than a conductor... convection cooling must keep air moving to grab more heat... heat being the motion of molecules and atoms means the more of them you have contacting the hot stuff, the quicker it will cool down.... prove it by holding your hand over a hot pan then touch the pan... conversely, dump the beans into a room temperature iron pan for faster cooling