The Roast it Yourself Podcast
Current Crop Roasting Shop’s own Certified Q-Grader, Catherine Mansel, sits down with Stephen Burnett of Coffee Bean Corral to field questions from home coffee roasters and professionals alike about roasting, tasting, and (most importantly) enjoying coffee. Send questions to questions@riypod.com Check us out at: coffeebeancorral.com currentcroproasting.com rancherwholesale.com
Episodes
This week on the Roast It Yourself Podcast, Stephen and Catherine tackle a question that gets right to the heart of roasting with intention: should you roast coffee differently depending on how you plan to brew it?
Listener Steve from North Dakota asks whether coffees labeled for espresso, cold brew, or pour-over are truly roasted differently—or if it's mostly marketing. The d...
Episode 96: This week, Bill (a newer roaster working with an SR800 and extension tube) asks a fantastic question: which coffee books deserve a permanent place on every roaster’s shelf? Stephen and Catherine dive into their favorite resources, from foundational roasting texts to broader guides on green coffee, blending, and the coffee industry as a whole. Along the way, they discuss why some books become dog-eared classic...
Episode 95: In this episode of Roast It Yourself, Stephen and Catherine tackle a listener question from a coffee newcomer diving headfirst into both home brewing and roasting. They break down what makes certain green coffees more beginner-friendly—highlighting why washed Central American beans (especially Costa Rican) are a great place to start thanks to their consistency and ease of roasting.
The conversation then shifts to ...
Episode 94: In this episode of the Roast It Yourself Podcast, the hosts tackle a thoughtful question from a home roaster looking to fine-tune their brewing process.
They dive into whether weighing coffee beans before grinding really makes a difference, how brew ratios impact flavor, and what role roast level plays in measurement—especially as darker roasts lose more mass. Along the way, they break down practical coffee-to-wat...
Episode 93: What’s really happening during first crack—and how much control do you actually have over it?
In this episode, Stephen and Catherine tackle a listener question from a new home roaster dialing in their early batches on an SR540. The conversation dives deep into one of the most critical (and confusing) phases of roasting: first crack. Why does it sometimes drag on? Can you “compress” it? And how do...
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 th...
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 res...
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 w...
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 con...
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:
-
W...
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 sett...
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 exam...
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 ...
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, r...
Episode 82: Can you tell the difference between a Colombian washed and an Ethiopian natural just by looking at the unroasted beans? In this episode, we answer a listener's question about identifying coffee origins and processing methods by what we can glean from the green coffee beans themselves!
Catherine and Stephen share useful tips on what to look for when examining green coffee beans, including:
Visual Identification Tips:
✅ S...
Episode 81: Ever wondered how to nail that bold, dark French roast at home? In this episode, we tackle listener Theron's question about achieving a perfect French Roast using the Fresh Roast SR540 with the extension tube. Certified Q-grader Catherine Mansa breaks down the low-and-slow method for dark roasting, including crucial tips like:
- When and why to lower your fan speed during second crack
- How to avoid bitter, over-roasted...
Episode 80: In this episode, we review a new roaster's roast log to help figure out why he's not getting the results he's looking for using his Fresh Roast SR800. We talk about troubleshooting in general and discuss which data points in a roast are the most vital to achieving that perfect result we're all chasing! Check out the photo of his roast log here.
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: questions@riypod.com
NOTES:
Episode 79: In this episode, we answer a question from a new roaster whose very first roast on his Fresh Roast SR800 was darker than he wanted, and he noticed oil on the beans. He asks us to explain what this oil is and how it may affect the coffee he brews with these beans. Are oily beans desirable? Are they a problem? Check out our response to find out!
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: questions@riypod.com
NOTES:
Episode 78: Can you reuse coffee storage bags? Is there a right way or wrong way of doing it? In this episode, Catherine and Stephen answer these questions and talk coffee storage best practices, and drop a HUGE announcement about Current Crop in the process!
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: questions@riypod.com
NOTES:
Follow Our Instagram Account @RIY_POD
CHECK US OUT HERE:
Episode 77: In this quick on-the-road episode, Stephen (while carefully and safely observing the rules of the road...) shares his absolute favorite reason to roast coffee, and the best way to get other folks into the coffee roasting hobby!
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: questions@riypod.com
NOTES:
Follow Our Instagram Account @RIY_POD
CHECK US OUT HERE:
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