Scorching the beans - truth or myth?

[javanorth]

Will beans truly scorch if I drop them in my Diedrich IR-12 above 300 degrees?

I''ve recently resumed roasting after a five year break (employee was doing it for me) and I''m trying to improve the consistency of my roasts. It would help if the IR-12 could absorb more heat before my first roast of the day. The machine takes so long to get up to its \"heat capacity\" that my first 3-4 roasts are vastly different. I''d like to let the machine get much hotter before dropping but my manual claims that this will scorch the beans.

Any advice for heating up the system more evenly?

 

[ElPugDiablo]

I usually pre-heat me IR-12 for 30 minutes at moderate flame before I do my first batch. Depending on the size and type of bean, I charge them anywhere from 320 to 390 without any problem. I have read others actually charge theirs at 400+.