In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen and Catherine tackle a listener question that turns into a deep dive on roast technique, timing, and consistency.

Jennifer from New Hampshire asks how to get the most out of her Fresh Roast SR800—and whether there’s a “right” way to approach heat, timing, and roast profiles. Stephen and Catherine break down different roasting styles, explaining why there’s no single correct method—only what works best for your taste.

They also explore one of the most overlooked tools in home roasting: logging your roasts. Even without advanced temperature tracking, simple observations—like when beans yellow, hit first crack, and finish development—can dramatically improve consistency and help you replicate your best results.

If you’ve ever wondered how to refine your roast or make sense of your process, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you roast with more confidence and intention.

Topics covered:

Have a question you want answered on the show? Send it to [email protected]

NOTES:

Check out Jennifer's "Exhaust-o-Roaster" picture here

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Episode 91: In this episode of Roast It Yourself, Stephen and Catherine answer a listener question from John in the UK about improving roast consistency and taking the first steps toward starting a small coffee business.

They share practical, real-world advice on getting the most out of your current setup, how to squeeze maximum experience of each roast, and how simplifying your coffee lineup can lead to better, more consistent results. Along the way, they also explore whether tools like AI can actually help with roast profiling—or if experience still matters most.

It’s a focused, no-nonsense conversation for anyone looking to level up their roasting or turn their passion into something more serious.

Send your coffee roasting questions to [email protected]

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Episode 90: Where do coffee tasting notes actually come from—and how accurate are they? In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen Burnett and Catherine Mansell dive into a listener question from Larry in Michigan about the mysterious world of flavor notes on coffee.

Catherine explains how tasting notes are developed during the green coffee evaluation process, why coffee is roasted and cupped before notes are written, and how producers, exporters, importers, and roasters all play a role in defining a coffee’s flavor profile. The hosts also discuss why tasting notes are really just a snapshot in time, how roasting level and brewing method can dramatically change what you taste, and why your own palate—and even what you ate yesterday—can influence the flavors you perceive.

If you’ve ever wondered why one person tastes apricot while another tastes orange, or why your roast doesn’t always match the notes on the bag, this episode breaks it all down.

Send your coffee roasting questions to [email protected]

NOTES:

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Organic coffee is often seen as the “better” choice—but what does that really mean when it comes to the coffee you roast and drink?

In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen and Catherine tackle a thoughtful listener question about the difference between organic and conventionally grown coffee, specifically when it comes to pesticides and whether they actually affect the coffee bean itself.

The conversation digs into how pesticides interact with the coffee cherry, why processing methods like washed, natural, and honey can change the equation, and why the organic certification label doesn’t always tell the full story about how a coffee is grown. Along the way, they also discuss the economics of organic certification, why many farms follow organic practices without paying for the certification, and how roasters actually evaluate coffees when deciding what to buy.

If you’ve ever wondered whether organic coffee really makes a difference—or how much it should matter when choosing green coffee—this episode offers a balanced, practical perspective from two industry professionals.

Topics covered:

Do pesticides affect the coffee bean or just the fruit?

How processing methods influence exposure

The realities of organic certification for coffee farms

Why many roasters prioritize cup quality over certifications

Send your roasting questions to [email protected]

NOTES:

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Coffee Bean Corral YouTube

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In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen and Catherine are back together in person—and tackling a question from Lee about roasting a Tanzania Peaberry on the Fresh Roast SR800.

If you’ve ever wondered why peaberries behave differently in the roaster, this one’s for you.

They break down:

What makes peaberries physically different (and a little “weird”)

Why they can roast more aggressively in fluid-bed machines like the SR800

How bean density and size impact airflow and heat transfer

Whether peaberry is the right choice for your first roast

Practical profiling advice to help you avoid scorching or racing through first crack

You’ll also hear Catherine’s take on why starting with a consistent Central American bean (like Costa Rica) can make learning a new machine much smoother—and when it makes sense to graduate to more nuanced coffees like Tanzania Peaberry.

Whether you’re brand new to roasting or dialing in your SR800, this episode will help you approach peaberries with confidence—and maybe a little more patience.

Have a question for a future episode? Send it to [email protected]

NOTES:

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In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen from Coffee Bean Corral and Catherine of Current Crop Roasting Shop tackle a question many home roasters have wondered about:

Should you preheat your roaster — specifically the Gene Cafe?

Listener Ilona writes in after purchasing several origins and noticing that some roasters swear by preheating, while others skip it entirely. Stephen and Catherine break down:

What preheating actually does inside a drum roaster

How thermal mass affects roast progression

When preheating can help (and when it may not matter much)

The difference between intentional preheating and simply roasting back-to-back

How your goals for the cup should influence your decision

If you roast on a Gene Cafe — or any home drum roaster — this conversation will help you think more intentionally about your workflow, consistency, and roast development.

Whether you're chasing brighter acidity, better momentum into first crack, or just more repeatable results, this episode gives you practical insight without overcomplicating things.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: [email protected]

NOTES:

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In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen and Catherine focus in on the real-world experience of roasting coffee with the Fresh Roast SR800 and other small-batch air roasters.

They talk honestly about what these machines are great at—and where expectations can get out of whack. From realistic batch sizes and roast times to cooldown periods and the limits of back-to-back roasting, this episode is all about setting yourself up for success with an SR800-style setup.

You’ll hear practical guidance on:

How much coffee you can reasonably roast per batch on the SR800

Why pushing max capacity often leads to inconsistent results

How to plan a roasting session without spending your entire afternoon doing it

What “efficient” roasting actually looks like on a home air roaster

If you’re roasting on a Fresh Roast SR800 (or considering one), this episode offers grounded, experience-based advice to help you work within the machine’s strengths, avoid common frustrations, and enjoy better, more consistent coffee without overcomplicating the process.

A must-listen for SR800 owners and anyone roasting on compact home air roasters.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: [email protected]

NOTES:

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In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen and Catherine tackle a classic home-roasting debate: low and slow vs. hot and fast — specifically on the Behmor 1600AB.

The episode is sparked by a listener question from Mike, a dedicated home roaster who’s dialed in a consistent workflow on his Behmor but wants to know if he can push his roasts further. Using African naturals and honey-processed coffees as examples, Stephen and Catherine walk through how power level, timing, and heat application affect flavor development, acidity, sweetness, and clarity in the cup.

They break down what’s actually happening during each stage of the roast, why certain flavor trade-offs are inevitable, and how expectations should shift depending on the roaster’s physical limitations. Along the way, they discuss why “customization” in roasting has boundaries, how to interpret roast controls that feel counterintuitive, and what experimentation is worth trying — and what isn’t.

Whether you’re roasting on a Behmor or just trying to understand roast dynamics more clearly, this episode offers grounded, practical insights that help home roasters make better decisions with the equipment they already own.

Have a roasting question you want answered on the show? Send it to [email protected]

NOTES:

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Coffee Bean Corral YouTube

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In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, we dive into a practical roasting challenge many home roasters face: scaling up batch size without wasting coffee.

Stephen Burnett and Catherine Mansell respond to a listener question from Greg, a longtime DIY roaster who recently upgraded to an Aillio Bullet R2 and is looking to move from 250-gram batches to the Bullet’s sweet spot of 1.5 pounds—without burning through pounds of coffee in trial and error.

Catherine breaks down what really changes when scaling a roast, focusing on the critical role of preheat temperature, thermal mass, and how to maintain similar roast curves as batch size increases. Along the way, they talk Kenya AA as a use-case, share realistic expectations for profile translation, and offer guidance that applies not just to the Bullet, but to thoughtful, data-driven roasting in general.

As always, the episode blends hands-on technical advice with real-world experience, making it valuable for home roasters leveling up and professionals refining their process.

Got a roasting question of your own? Send it to [email protected]

NOTES:

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Episode 83: In this episode, we dive into a listener question about dialing in a FreshRoast SR800 with the extension tube. We talk through whether temperature targets are actually useful, how reliable (or unreliable) roaster thermometers can be, and why we often focus more on time, sensory cues, and roast phases than chasing exact temps.

If you’re roasting on an SR800 (or any hot-air roaster), this episode is our practical, real-world take on profiles, temperature targets, and how to make your roaster work with you instead of against you—while keeping things approachable, useful, and fun.

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: [email protected]

NOTES:

Follow Our Instagram Account @RIY_POD

CHECK US OUT HERE:

Coffee Bean Corral YouTube

Coffee Bean Corral Website

Current Crop Roasting Shop Website

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