Davidpw
New member
Richmond Va. I have been around coffee for a long while. 20 years in restaurant biz. Trying to get back into creating. Stopped drinking alcohol 10 years ago, so craft brewing is out!
David
David
Hello! Coffee Roaster in training
- Thread starter Davidpw
- Start date
ensoluna
Banned
Welcome David. Sunday is, as you can see, the slowest day for coffee forum. So, I am extending you a warm welcome here. "trying to get back into creating"???? can you explain to us bit more?
ensoluna
Banned
Aha! that was what you meant. then, I guess that you need to get a job or get some sort of roasting training (from a school)....
Davidpw..who is going to be training you to roast? Welcome to the wonderful world of roasting...it can be a bust ass job but very fulfilling!
Davidpw
New member
- Thread starter
- #6
Topher,
Right now I am learning as much as i can. I just ordered Scott Rao's The Coffee Roasters Companion. I am also going thru the forums for nuggets of advice and information. I have thought about getting a Gene home roaster to roast for myself and friends as I learn. I have many years of experience cooking so i will lean on that experience to begin.
I have a Roaster class nearby in Williamsburg (Acadamy of Coffee Excellence SCAA approved) i have thought about taking but the price is a bit steep so i want to make sure the class is worth it before jumping in.
Right now I am learning as much as i can. I just ordered Scott Rao's The Coffee Roasters Companion. I am also going thru the forums for nuggets of advice and information. I have thought about getting a Gene home roaster to roast for myself and friends as I learn. I have many years of experience cooking so i will lean on that experience to begin.
I have a Roaster class nearby in Williamsburg (Acadamy of Coffee Excellence SCAA approved) i have thought about taking but the price is a bit steep so i want to make sure the class is worth it before jumping in.
I bought a Kaldi home roaster a few years back and I love it. https://www.amazon.com/KALDI-Motori...1497365830&sr=8-1&keywords=kaldi+home+roaster It is pretty cheap and easy to use.
I have roasted on this thing at a minimum of 8 batches a month since purchasing it. I get super even roasts and have no complaints except for the metal is not insulated and gets hot as hell...if you brush up against it you will not want to again. You will also have to make a cooling bin. I made one out of a home depot orange bucket and a bain marie container.
John P
Active member
David,
Maybe. Do your own research. Get feedback from people who have gone there.
Hands on training is great, but I think it needs to be relatable and transferable to the equipment you will be using. In most (not all) barista and or roaster training programs, you have exceptional equipment tuned to specific standards and a host of brilliant people assisting with the hows and whys. When you get to your own environment, it's not the same equipment. The likelihood is it's not in a perfect setting and perfectly calibrated.... so whatever "learning" and "results" you have in a training type session --- for good or bad-- need to be taken at face value. So there is probably good information, but you can have a healthy debate on whether or not there is good value.
But if it is the impetus to move you forward with a sound base of knowledge, I would seriously look into it.
Maybe. Do your own research. Get feedback from people who have gone there.
Hands on training is great, but I think it needs to be relatable and transferable to the equipment you will be using. In most (not all) barista and or roaster training programs, you have exceptional equipment tuned to specific standards and a host of brilliant people assisting with the hows and whys. When you get to your own environment, it's not the same equipment. The likelihood is it's not in a perfect setting and perfectly calibrated.... so whatever "learning" and "results" you have in a training type session --- for good or bad-- need to be taken at face value. So there is probably good information, but you can have a healthy debate on whether or not there is good value.
But if it is the impetus to move you forward with a sound base of knowledge, I would seriously look into it.
chast
New member
if you notice Tophers pic he is using a butane counter stove which are pretty reasonable. They are used in a lot of kitchens and buying that and his sample roaster is a lot cheaper than the Gene in the long run. Taking roasting classes in my opinion is a waste of money. If they teach you on a Probat and you buy An Ambex or San Franciscan they do not roast the same. Mill city Roaster have excellent roasting videos on you tube and between watching those and reading and asking questions on this forum you will learn quickly. A bag of beans averages 400.00 for 152lbs. If it takes roasting that entire bag to get your roasting skills then it saved you a lot of money compared to some of these class fees. JMO
