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Laser Thermometer for Monitoring?
Big B
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Posted on 10/17/2009 9:49 PM
Just curious... has anyone used a laser thermometer for assessing mass bean temperatures during the roast?
Since the laser must reflect off of a surface to measure & report a temperature you would be actually reading the bean's surface & not the air temperature.
It's only as good as you make it...
 
Koffee Kosmo
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Posted on 10/18/2009 8:13 AM
Hi & welcome Big B

I have not used one myself but unless you have a direct line on the beans themselves you wont get a correct reading

Anecdotal posts that I have read on laser thermometers have stated that they produce slightly off temp readings

KK
I home roast and I like it. Designer of the KKTO
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Big B
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Posted on 10/18/2009 9:05 AM
Thanks Koffee Kosmo,

I was considering mounting one to point in my roasting pan (I use a heat gun & bowl), but got to thinking that accuracy could be an issue if it would be affected by the smoke & chaff coming from the beans.

My ultimate goal was to try to better control the roast for longer times to 1C & 2C... been averaging 6 - 9 minutes now, would like longer without "stalling".
Edited by Big B on 10/18/2009 9:14 AM
It's only as good as you make it...
 
JimG
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Posted on 10/18/2009 11:04 AM
I posted some information ( http://www.home-barista.com/home-roasting/thermometry-for-heat-gun-dog-bowl-roasting-t5378.html ) some time ago on Home-Barista.com. It shows how I fastened a thermocouple to the base of the bowl, and got good results with profile control.

I no longer use my heat gun / dog bowl setup for roasting (switched to Hottop). But the thermocouple setup worked very well for me with the HG/DB.

Jim
 
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seedlings
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Posted on 10/18/2009 7:49 PM
I can't say that the IR will give perfect readings, but it's not perfection but consistency that you're after. If it's off a few degrees, but you point it the same way each time there's no reason why you won't get great results. Harbor freight has some pretty cheap.

Welcome to Homeroasters!

CHAD
Roaster: CoffeeAir II 2# DIY air roaster
Grinder: Vintage Grindmaster 500
Brewers: Vintage Cory DCU DCL, Aeropress, Press, Osaka Titanium pourover
 
Big B
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Posted on 10/18/2009 9:04 PM
So I decided to try my first "profile", with my son assisting with the laser (fun for him too)... was able to keep the beans steadily rising & slowed first crack to 8 minutes and second at 12 with pretty steady temperature control.

Used the same beans from previous faster roasts so I will be able to tell what differences slowing the 1st & 2nd made.
Edited by Big B on 10/18/2009 9:38 PM
It's only as good as you make it...
 
seedlings
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Posted on 10/19/2009 6:49 AM
That's great news Big B! Onward and Upward!

What roaster were you using?

CHAD
Roaster: CoffeeAir II 2# DIY air roaster
Grinder: Vintage Grindmaster 500
Brewers: Vintage Cory DCU DCL, Aeropress, Press, Osaka Titanium pourover
 
Big B
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Posted on 10/19/2009 8:52 AM
Same setup as before... heat gun/saucepan/BBQ, but with a plan & my son assisting by measuring the bean temps with the laser thermometer (I had one from work)... strictly high tech.

I made the first pot this morning (it only rested about 10 hours overnight) and was a significant improvement in clarity & taste over the faster roasts, however the body is still a little light for my wife's taste... it is a Costa Rican so maybe that is all the body it can have.

Will resting longer affect body?

I have some Indonesian (Sulawesi) on the way I may try to blend if it has better body.
It's only as good as you make it...
 
seedlings
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Posted on 10/19/2009 10:17 AM

Quote

Big B wrote:
Same setup as before... heat gun/saucepan/BBQ, but with a plan & my son assisting by measuring the bean temps with the laser thermometer (I had one from work)... strictly high tech.

I made the first pot this morning (it only rested about 10 hours overnight) and was a significant improvement in clarity & taste over the faster roasts, however the body is still a little light for my wife's taste... it is a Costa Rican so maybe that is all the body it can have.

Will resting longer affect body?

I have some Indonesian (Sulawesi) on the way I may try to blend if it has better body.


I need to pay attention!

I believe that the Sulawesi will taste MUCH better in 5 to 7 days - more body and flavor. Indonesians often require a little more rest. A good, very general, profile might take 3 or 4 minutes from green to yellow/tanning, another 4 or 5 minutes to rolling first crack, then another 4 to 6 minutes to rolling second crack. The time between first crack and second crack is a VERY important flavor development period. If that period is short, your flavors will be thin.

CHAD
Roaster: CoffeeAir II 2# DIY air roaster
Grinder: Vintage Grindmaster 500
Brewers: Vintage Cory DCU DCL, Aeropress, Press, Osaka Titanium pourover
 
Big B
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Posted on 10/27/2009 8:44 AM
So I roasted the Sulawesi (Tana Toraja Ke'pe... don't ask me to pronounce it)... WOW, what a difference in body!

I used the laser thermometer again to help control the roast and was able to get first crack at 10 minutes, 2nd just after 13 (kinda proud of myself since this is about twice the roast time from my first attempts with the heat gun alone).

I just had the first cup after resting it overnight... full body, great flavors. I am looking forward to see what a few more days will do for it.

To summarize: from my vast personal experience with home roasting (about 2 months now) I would have to say monitoring the bean temperature to control the roast time has been the single most significant improvement to cup quality so far.
It's only as good as you make it...
 
GregLee
Top  #11 Print Post
Posted on 11/01/2009 9:47 AM
I use a laser thermometer with a popcorn popper for the first part of the roast. It's very convenient for me, since I'm using a wooden spoon to stir up the beans with one hand, and I can aim the laser IR device at the beans with the other. The one I bought was the very cheapest I could find on eBay ($26) and has two limitations. (1) I have to give it 7-8 seconds between readings or I don't get sensible readings. (2) It doesn't seem to work so well when the beans are being agitated violently.

I have not tried to assess accuracy. It seems to give readings in the same ballpark as the thermocouple I was using before I got the laser IR gun.
Greg
 
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