RDC8

I note from their info page on packaging that they are taking their environmental responsibilities pretty seriously. https://sabinscoffee.co.uk/coffee-shop/postals-and-packaging/ Their "cellophane" packaging as actually biodegradable plant material, the info label and mailing boxes are compostable, and they supply an air-tight cannister free with the first order. They also seem to supply coffee for their commercial customers in re-usable tubs. Perhaps it is these tubs which are sitting on the shelves ready to do out to customers. I would think that the blue tubs in the images have their greens stored inside. How was the crema when you brewed the espresso? This is usually a reliable indication of the presence of CO2 still in the bean; not fool-proof but probably more reliable than assessing the "puffiness" of the bag. As a suggestion, you might also want to try the beans again this weekend; if they were roasted on the 27th and then brewed on the 9th then they are only 14 days post-roast. From my experience, flavour develops over time and some beans need more time to rest. It's shame you found a coffee that was disappointing for you, but I think these guys should be commended on their approach to packaging.

What is your target market? What is your USP? Why should people buy coffee/equipment from you rather than someone else? The online market is a crowded place and you will need to be quite clear on what makes you stand out in the crowd. Being able to articulate this may help you to identify the most effective marketing/promotional strategy.

So just to clarify - you have power to the machine as indicated by lights behind the front panel, but neither Ewelly displays are lighting up? And nothing else is working; fan? cooling tray? drum pulley? Not sure I can offer any advice; @DavecUK is your man; but as I also have 4-year old Dalian Amazon I am always interested in understanding more about the potential problems; and of course their fixes.

A few additional thoughts as I have done exactly this; converted my garage to a roastery. This is a stand-alone single garage, not connected to the house, and around 25 metres from the closest building. It has no windows and a single point of entry/exit through a tilting door which remains open at all times while working in there. You will definitely need to register as a food business. Your local authority's EHO will need to come and inspect you; from my experience they are looking for two things 1)do you understand the health/hygiene risks in the production, storage, and packaging of your product? and and therefore do you have a plan to manage these risks? You will find online-guidance and templates to help you document your risk management plan. 2)are your premises of a sufficient standard for the storage, production, and packaging of food? To ensure a safe and hygienic environment I have done the following: Lined and painted the interior walls (garage was previously un-lined) Painted the bare concrete floor Separate areas and equipment for green coffee and roasted to avoid cross-contamination Storage of green coffee on pallets to keep it off the floor adequate ventilation and ducting for the roaster Stainless steel work-top for the roaster Bait stations to deter rodents Fire extinguisher on hand I don't have a water supply in the garage; but I use a plastic bowl with warm water for hand-washing (this kept the inspector happy!) You will also need trade-weighted scales, not necessary for the food license, but needed to meet trading standards requirements. Also look at the labelling requirements. As coffee by the casuals mentioned, you need to work with your local authority, as each one may have a different take on what is required. For example, I still have some exposed wooden trusses in the garage roof which my inspector was comfortable with; yours might require a fully enclosed ceiling. I have chosen not to take out insurance on the garage as I believe I am in a low-risk situation - but you need to make the right decision with regards to your circumstances. However, I do have public and product liability insurance. Best of luck with the venture

Thought I'd never be making a post such as this, but here goes: Bought my Rocket Cellini around 6 years ago and have been extremely happy with it since that time. However, I have been planning for a little while to upgrade and, up until today, thought that I had made my decision; a Profitec 700. But then ... by pure chance I decided to look in the classifieds section and saw a special offer on the ACS Vesuvius, now available at the same prices as the Profitec. At first glance, this looks like an offer too good to turn down. From what I can see, the pressure-profiling of the Vesuvius seems to be the key difference in terms of functionality. This is not something I have experience with; is it actually a useful feature? If you have this machine, are you actually changing profiles on a regular basis? Does it actually make a difference in the cup? Any thoughts on deciding between these two machines would be much appreciated. If it helps; either machine would be using the tank rather than being plumbed in. Also, we usually go through between 8 and 10 coffees a day, mostly flat-whites. Thanks in advance

Hi All. I thought I would like to try and improve my understanding of how my damper settings affect air-flow. So I was wondering if anyone has fitted a device to their Dalian to objectively measure this? (a magnehelic?) If so, could you share a few details of your setup; eg what you are using, where you have placed it, whether or not you have it hooked up to Artisan. All useful insights would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks in advance

Just to come back to the OPs query about transporting a mostly home machine to events; this is something which I do from time-to-time with my Rocket Cellini. As long as you take a bit of care and use common sense when loading/unloading then what you are proposing is completely doable. My biggest issue is the faff and effort to get the machine, and associated coffee making paraphernalia, out to the car and unloaded at the other end; the machine itself weighs around 28kg (although I note that Dave's suggestion of the ACS Minima comes in at just over 20kg). If you are going to do this on a regular basis then I suggest you assemble a duplicate collection of everything you need which can sit in a box ready for you to take. By this I mean your tamp(s), cleaning cloths, milk pitchers, thermometers, tamp-mat etc. Otherwise there is a real risk of arriving at your event and realising you have forgotten to pack something really important (like the knock-box). Also, not sure what your experience is with preparing a wide range of cafe-style espresso-based drinks (could you turn out a Macchiato?). Youtube can be a great source of information (although don't believe everything you hear/see!), but I would suggest putting yourself on a barista course run by a reputable trainer. The equipment is only one part of the equation, so much depends on the skill and knowledge of the barista - and that will be you! As others have said, there is a lot to think about. Good luck with your venture. Keep coming back to the forum with questions and updates.

I do pretty much the same as you; except I remove the stainless pipework leading from the roaster to the cyclone and use a toilet brush to give the insides a bit of a scrub. (Note - this is the sole use for this particular brush!). I do also take special care to clean the vanes and housing of the impeller. A vacuum cleaner won't properly clear the build-up so I use a small flat-head screwdriver to gently scrape each vane; front and back. Somewhat tedious but highly necessary! The exhaust pipe gets vacuumed out. It's not ideal as I can still see a build-up of residue on the ridges inside the pipe. I guess at some stage is will be simple enough to replace (I think I paid less than £10 from Wickes for it)

Hi All Hoping to tap into the collective wisdom of the group; I will shortly be starting an epic cycling journey through Scotland; NCR78 Campbeltown to Inverness and then NCR7 back down to Glasgow. If anyone knows of hidden gems of coffee oases en route then please let me know. Thanks in advance.

@Coffee by the Casuals Thanks for the lead on lilpackaging. Similar in style and price to some of the Kite Packaging options, but a far more manageable order size.

@CocoLoco and @CafeColando; thank you both for your suggestion. I hadn't actually thought of using paper envelopes. I will investigate this further and see what options are out there. I always run a few tests of the packaging by mailing my own beans to myself A few months back I stopped using valved bags for whole-bean orders; just one more unnecessary bit of plastic!

Hoping I can tap into your experiences and recommendations if you post coffee (or indeed anything else) in cardboard boxes. I am currently using grey plastic mailing bags to send coffee out to customers and am not totally comfortable with the downstream waste this inevitably causes. Have been looking at switching to cardboard boxes instead - but they seem to be a very expensive option! I will need to pass the costs on to customers so am searching for cost-friendly suppliers. Currently Kite Packaging are looking to be a preferred supplier as they sell smaller pack sizes. Looking to buy no more than 50 of any one size at a time. Happy to hear of any recommendations of supplier suitable for a small-time roaster. Lots of options on Ebay etc - but would like to hear if you have had a particularly good experience with sourcing postal boxes. Thanks in advance

ahhh - I see. Mis-understood your original post. I roast the Bom Jesus too and haven't found a problem with it. I also roast the ibanda and have been reasonably happy with it. Maybe you were just unlucky.

You were right to remove those before roasting @SteveBRS. What's the ratio of rejects? (weight-wise) I think the Bom Jesus comes into the UK via one importer only as it is direct trade (AFAIK) so it might be worthwhile getting in touch with them and sharing your experience.

Quick update: it's now just over 48 hours since dribbling a little WD40 onto the switch and it worked like a charm. Pulled about a dozen shots since and it has worked perfectly every time. Thanks for the tip @El carajillo to squirt out a little WD40 before use; it worked fine and there is no aroma at all!