Roasting in the Hills: My Early Mistakes with the Kaleido M10 [That You Can Avoid]
There is something incredibly satisfying about the ritual of roasting your own coffee, especially when you’re looking out at the morning fog of the North Georgia Mountains. When I finally unboxed my Kaleido M10, I seasoned the machine, prepped the work room, and was ready to turn green beans into liquid gold. However, as any experienced BBQ pitmaster or chef or coffee roaster knows, the environment doesn’t always care about your plans.
Between the 40°F mountain air and the learning curve of a new [amazing] roasting machine, my first few batches were less “specialty brew” and more “humble lesson.” If you’re just starting your roasting journey—or if you’ve recently added a Kaleido M10 to your counter—here are the three specific mistakes I made right out of the gate, and how you can avoid them to get your roast dialed in much faster than I did.
The First Mistake: Battling the North Georgia cold with a Low Charge Temperature
My very first roast with the Kaleido M10 followed the seasoning process, but I was unprepared for the unexpected challenge of 40-degree Fahrenheit weather in the North Georgia Mountains. I set my charge temperature to 170 degrees Celsius, a temperature that was recommended more than once in videos I watched — and a temperature that proved drastically too low for the environmental conditions. This forced me to continuously increase the heat throughout the entire roast cycle, preventing any tapering and ultimately leading to a beautiful-looking yet completely flat-tasting coffee.
My learning: If your environment is cold, start hot. It’s better to allow to slow the temperature rise towards the end of the roast to allow for better development time and less burning time.
The Second Mistake: Airflow Dynamics and the Stalled Roast Revisited
This mistake connects to the first, highlighting the importance of air control. Following advice [found within many YouTube videos] to delay airflow until first crack, I didn’t account for the cold air being sucked into the roaster. This drastically stalled the roast, forcing me to constantly increase the heat, resulting in an even longer and flatter-tasting coffee with diminished body and richness.
My Learning: Start with about 20% air (or fan) and let the environment temperature (ET) of the roaster to adjust to the ambient temperature (which was cold). I raised the fan to 40% at first crack which allowed the roaster to adapt and the rate of rise to not be impacted as bad.
The Third Mistake: Chaff Neglect and the Barbecue Dilemma
Perhaps the most preventable, my third mistake was performing back-to-back roasts without clearing the chaff collection drawer (a.k.a., chaff tray) on the Kaleido M10. While this didn’t result in a fire, the accumulated chaff created excessive smoke, permeating the beans with a distinct “barbecue” flavor and bitterness. It was a memorable, yet unpalatable, mistake in my early roasting journey.
My Learning: Despite hearing it multiple times from most roasting videos online, I failed to empty the chaff tray. Empty the chaff tray after each roast. I have an old metal coffee can and I use a stiff brush to clean it out. The chaff can be used in the garden.
By reflecting on these key mistakes—from misjudging the climate’s impact to overlooking crucial [but obvious] details like chaff collection—you too can navigate your coffee journeys more smoothly.
Remember to explore my unboxing and first roast videos for a visual look at these initial missteps, and check out my newer videos to see how I finally dialed in the roast.