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Stovetop Roasting with the Whirley-PopPage 1 | Page 2 Equipment Checklist
Before You Roast
Setting the Stove TemperatureThe most challenging part to stovetop roasting is being in control of the temperature. Prior to adding the beans, set the roaster on the stove and turn on the flame. Your goal is to get the inside temperature up to 500° F, so make sure the lid is closed. The temperature will fall initially and then as the roast progresses it will climb again. The more you peek inside the roaster, the more heat will escape. Once the temperature has stablized around 500° F, you can pour in the green coffee beans. Start CrankingUnlike other roasters which push the beans around with fans, you are responsible for moving the beans. To get an even roast, start cranking and don't stop. If you get tired of cranking, have a friend nearby to switch off with. You don't want to stop or you'll burn the coffee. Sometimes I'll reverse the crank to mix things up. If the crank sticks, give the popper a quick shake (lid closed).
Monitor the TemperatureThe first thing you'll notice after pouring the beans into the pre-heated popper is the temperature will start dropping. The 500° F will plummet to between 300° and 350° F. Every stove is different, so the amount of flame you'll add is something you'll need to experiment with. The goal is to not the let the temperature drop below 300° F and try to get it close to 400° F. Remember that peeking at the roast releases heat from the popper and will make it more difficult to achieve a steady temperature. It is a good idea to roast by ear. The good news is that unless the stove ventilation is loud, roasting by gas stove is the most quiet method of home roasting. You should easily be able to hear both the 1st and 2nd crack. The bad news is it takes both hands to crank the roaster and one hand to tweak the stove temperature. Having an assistant is helpful. Finishing the RoastA typical roast takes between 7 and 9 minutes. Towards the end you'll hear the start of the the 2nd crack. If the temperature is exceeding 400° F on the roaster, you have the freedom to peek inside to both release some of the heat and check the color and evenness of the roast. Word of warning, don't peek immediately after you flip the lid or you could burn your eyes on the smoke that will be pouring out. Also be sure to use a pot handler or oven mitt when opening the roaster. If you have an assistant, have them aim a flashlight into the open roaster. The beam of light should cut through the smoke to provide a visual indicator of the roast color.
Although it's possible to do lighter roasts, it's going to be a lot easier to go dark. Roasting color with conduction heat seems to even out over time. An additional minute or two can turn a blotchy city roast into a even vienna roast. Once you believe the roast is ready, turn off the burner and quickly carry the popper to your metal colanders. I like having 2 colanders. This allows me to pour the beans from one to another. This both cools the beans and helps remove the chaff. You can also use the spray method for cooling the beans. For more information on cooling roasted coffee read the 2nd and 3rd tip from the article Popper Roasting Tips
ConclusionBesides being an excellent roasting method for those that wish to tweak the roasting temperature, this is also one of the cheaper volume roasters. For around $30 you can roast more than 1/2 a pound of coffee in under 10 minutes. My final word of advice is this is not the best roasting method for beginners. Someone new to home coffee roasting would be better off starting with a roaster where they can watch the beans go from green to perfection. UPDATE: Michael T sent in this tip. If you put a cast iron skillet inbetween your pot/Whirley-Pop and electric burner not only does it distribute the heat better but it soaks up and holds heat really well so temperature changes are less of a problem. Page 1 | Page 2 |
