husks and corn poppers

[ArabBeaker]

I've been roasting away merrily using 4 little corn poppers for 18 months and enjoying great results. I would like to hear from others who also roast like this and how do get rid of those pesky bean husks in some origins.
I have been roasting Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombian and Kenyan now for some time and find the latter two the hardest of all with respect to the husks.

Brazil and CR come up very clean after roasting but the other two still have some husk right down inside the centre of the bean.
Is there any way to clean them up ?

 

[ArabBeaker]

wow, in 72 viewings, no one knows the answer. Thats interesting because I don't see this problem in the commercially roasted beans I (used to ) buy, so someone out there knows, but aint saying.
In saying this, I'm assuming that some commercial roasters do bother with this forum.

Maybe its commercially sensitive information....... :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[topher]

It is totally different when you roast on a commercial machine. We have exhaust pipes that let the air flow throw the drum and cooling bin...chaff escapes through the pipes and ends up in a cyclone chaff collector. Your chaff has no where to escape so it ends up in your final product.

wow, in 72 viewings, no one knows the answer. Thats interesting because I don't see this problem in the commercially roasted beans I (used to ) buy, so someone out there knows, but aint saying.
In saying this, I'm assuming that some commercial roasters do bother with this forum.

Maybe its commercially sensitive information

Sorry it took so long to respond....this is the first time I read this post...being a specialty "commercial" roaster I have been busy roasting my fingers to the bone :wink:

one more thing...be careful...chaff is very flammable

 

[topher]

I suggest using washed coffees and avoid the dry processed coffees...the dry processed beans are heavier bodied and complex where as the washed are brighter, cleaner and offer more fruity characteristics...as well as less chaff...hope this helps. :wink:

 

[jlyon10]

I also cool my coffee after roasting it in a corn popper in a colander and have a fan underneath the colander that removes some of the chaff that way.

 

[ArabBeaker]

It is totally different when you roast on a commercial machine. We have exhaust pipes that let the air flow throw the drum and cooling bin...chaff escapes through the pipes and ends up in a cyclone chaff collector. Your chaff has no where to escape so it ends up in your final product.
Thanks topher. I should have been more careful to explain... the problem is not removing the chaff from the final product, I have a cooling fan / screen filter / and shake to remove ALL loose chaff from my roasted beans during cooling... its getting some origins to release the husk from inside the tiny crevise that is my problem.
Sorry it took so long to respond....this is the first time I read this post...being a specialty "commercial" roaster I have been busy roasting my fingers to the bone :wink:

one more thing...be careful...chaff is very flammable

Thanks again. Actually since I posted the original question ages ago I have become happier with my results since modifying my roasting temps/times.

 

[Ellie]

ArabBeaker,
The bean releases that little part (wish I knew the name for it) when it hits the second crack and expands sufficiently to open up that crevice. I've never thought about why it is that you don't often see that little part in many lighter roasted commercial coffees...maybe between getting jostled around and the coffee oils coming to the surface eventually, it becomes detached. Weird subject :?

 

[ArabBeaker]

thanks Ellie,
I'll call it the "husk". Since my original post a couple of thoughts: as to when the bean releases the husk, yes I agree, by the second crack its either gone or nearly gone, but it can depend as much on the origin as it can the stage of the roast (as you say the second crack).
For example, the Brazil I'm roasting releases its husk fairly early on in the roast before the second crack whereas the Costa Rica needs a longer roast, up to the beginning of the second crack to release the husk.

So I guess for me, its a matter of deciding which origins to roast lighter or darker with regards the husk.

 

[topher]

I think you guys are referring to the "silver skin" or possibly the parchment?

 

[ArabBeaker]

yes, that sounds better than husk.
BTW hot air corn poppers blow all the chaff away. It doesn't end up in the final product at all, just all over the garage bench