Nordic Light

[Jonk]

I did not intend any critique of the profile. Yes, the last log I posted was exceptionally light and many would call it underdeveloped (quite a few beans did not actually crack). I still found it delicious while cupping, though one-dimensional. If it was not rehydrated I doubt it would've been drinkable, but still the kind of roast that could need weeks or months before working out as filter coffee.

Just to illustrate why I pay less attention to absolute DTR values. Even Scott Rao, who pioneered the term advises not to: https://www.instagram.com/p/B37XUyIJEbx/

I don't have a moisture meter so I don't know the starting value. By adjusting I just mean the weight lost compared to the starting weight before adding any moisture.

This is a cut bean:

Burundi_Ngozi_NL5B_cut.jpg (130.8 KiB) Viewed 5203 times

Looks even to me. The ugly exterior is of course normal for very light roasts.

As noted before our machines probably have some differences, so sharing profiles might not be completely straightforward even if the factory calibration isn't changed.

Sorry if this is all a bit off topic to the profile.

[nrdlnd]

Dear Jonk,

I think your picture of a "light" bean is VERY misleading! It may be because of bad photographing practice though. I do really hope you aren't trolling! Your picture shows a very dark roasted bean!

I will show a picture of very light roasted beans. It's a Sidamo Grade 2 roasted with NordicLight1B. This roast measured 121 with the Tonino meter. The beans have a light rather even color inside-out and don't at all look like your picture.

Very_light_bean.jpg (976.21 KiB) Viewed 5174 times

Besides: I liked the taste of this very light roast!

[Jonk]

I don't understand the hostility.

The bean of the left in these pictures is from the same batch as the cut bean:

NL5B_211C_NL5_216C.jpg (1.05 MiB) Viewed 5161 times

Captured using my cellphone's macro camera. Not particularly good, but it shows more detail than is visible to the naked eye.

Notice how the hue of the background changes in each picture. What does it tell us? Don't trust pictures to be color accurate.

There are some things the pictures can tell us. This is more obvious in person, but the left bean (NL5B, rehydrated, adjusted weight loss 10.5%) is matte while the right (NL5, regular, weight loss 13.2%) has a smoother, shinier surface. I'd be hard pressed to tell which bean is "darker" or more developed just by looking at the color - to some extent the left bean looks slightly darker to me because of the bumpy, less puffed surface.. But texture is a good indicator and taste confirms that the right bean is more developed.

Have a look at "1st crack begins" and "1st crack under way" on https://library.sweetmarias.com/using-s ... -of-roast/
I suspect that your Sidamo is actually a darker roast, lighting and camerawork aside. It could merely be a matter of different beans of course.

[nrdlnd]

Ok!
Your cut bean picture was a rather bad photograph as I suspected. It is very dark on my screen in contrast to the pictures you are showing now that looks normal. Yes the hue is different in your pictures but the lighting is not the same; different directions of the light give different shadows and the contrast seems to differ also. Maybe your camera makes automatic compensations?

As I've said I measured my roast degree with a calibrated Tonino meter. It was 121 and that is one of the highest readings I've ever had. With the Tonino scale is 95-115 Light and ≥115 is very light or "Cinnamon". DTR was almost 22% and duration I think was about 70 sec. My roast actually looks very similar to yours in your latest published pictures so our machines don't seem to give very dissimilar results and that is good in my opinion!

[nrdlnd]

I have made some small changes with with NordicLight1B to try to avoid a tendency to crash at the end of development. I have made zone 3 less negative and also start the zone later to give more heat after FC.
Of some reason that I don't quite understand is it necessary to go higher in L after the change so I start with L=4.0 to have some margin to be able to get a DTR 20% or more. I have made a comparison between the two profiles. After the changes I call it NordicLight1B2. I mainly use this variant for smaller beans from a high altitude and washed. For bigger beans and maybe also from a lower altitude I prefer NL5B.

230305_Comparison_SidamoGr2_NL1B2_NL1B.png (129.86 KiB) Viewed 4975 times

The yellow RoR is NLB2. As you can see there is less tendency to a crash at the end. I'm still using rehydrated beans and it could be that the amount of water added before the roast was different. The scale I'm using now isn't very accurate so the batch size could differ. I don't understand why the power lines are different. The important thing is that there is a less tendency to crash. My RoR-curve is 5X and with 15 sec smoothing to be able to see changes "better". The default is 1X and 1 sec smoothing.

NordicLight1B2.kpro

(3.37 KiB) Downloaded 327 times

This is the log without comparison:

230305_SidamoGr2_NordicLight1B2_3.png (86.93 KiB) Viewed 4974 times

[dtl717]

Thank you for the update!

[H@R]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your work.

I am a brand new user of the KF and member of this forum. Because i was a little desapointed with "stock" profiles (either with L=1 or greater), I am very happy with your profile 5B that provides both light and developped roasts. My batches are around 95g
I used it for natural Ethiopy (above 2000 m) and at L=2,5, it gives me a bright and juicy acidity without grassy notes i had before (underdeveloppement with L=1). The color looks fine (kind of cinamone)
I also made some roasts for espresso with a coffee from Brasil (NP, around 1000 m) with L=3.2 (too light) then L=3.7 (seems better)

Few questions :
+ do you recommand a minimun rest before drink ?
+ do you have a recommanded range of L ? (maybe above 2,5 and below....??) Just brew or brew and espresso
+ because i am a little bit lost with all your profiles how would you recommend a profile among your different ones to somebody ? A kind of chart or post that summarize all.

I will experiment further.

[H@R]

Update : for a Colombian washed coffee, i should extend a little de roast L=2,7

[nrdlnd]

I wrote a rather long answer but was logged out.

I'm glad H@R that you have enjoyed the profile and that it tasted good! Your description is in line with my goals.

All beans are different and you may adapt the profile. My goal has been to get a light but developed roast. "L" is not calibrated after roast degree. I recommend to start with a higher "L", record 1st crack and then stop at a DTR at least 20%. This is controversal and many roasters look more at factual development time, end temperature and weight loss. I strive for a rather straight ror and try to avoid a flick and crash at the end.

Most of the time I hydrate the beans 8-20 hours before the roasting. I think it's beneficial for getting a stronger and more defined cracking.

Light roasts do often benefit from a longer resting time maybe 7-10 days and sometimes longer.

If you want more comments you will have to post a screen shot. It's a function for that in Studio. I think it's in "tools".

[nrdlnd]

You said you get lost with all the variants of the profiles. It's a process and often the last one has worked best for me. I have described what I've done. I will see if I can summorize to two different profiles for washed and naturals that have worked for me.