Roasting Profiles for Indonesian coffees

Lwowiak

I have some Sumatran and  Sulawesi coffees from CS. They are about 2 years old. I use a Baby roaster, so roast batches are 200g.
I am trying (without success) to get the best out of these coffees. I will try them as espresso, and also in blends. I keep getting the funky, earthy notes which I want to avoid. My aim is for body and sweetness. I have tried well roasted Indos as espresso from coffee shops and enjoyed them. I also have commercial blends with Sumatran Kuda Mas in them (at the moment), and enjoy the result.
Rather than blame the bean, I believe I have to change my roast profile as I am not getting the results I seek. I will also get some more Indonesian beans from Beangreen in the next week, to make a comparison with my current stock. Normally I would do a number of roasts and profiles, to work out the bean, but I do not want to be stuck with large amounts of roasted beans that I do not enjoy. So I am asking if anyone can share their successful profiles, and, or tips on roasting this variety.
Current profile is steady heat to first crack, then reducing the heat, and letting it coast to second crack. I tip between 30 to 60 seconds from there. Second crack is identified as the major plume of smoke on my roaster, as sometimes i cannot hear the cracks unless i open up to investigate. I prefer using the smoke as an indicator, as it is more accurate. With my roaster it is preferable to roast at least 30 seconds in to second crack. Time to first crack is usually 9 minutes, with second crack about five minutes later.

Possible alternatives:
Slow steady approach to first crack, with only a small reduction in heat, allowing second crack to come quite quickly. Say 9-10 minutes to first crack.

Reduction in gap between first and second crack, keeping the same moderate ramp I currently employ.

Fast approach to first crack, say 8 minutes, reduce heat to low, then at the 3 or 4 minute mark, ramp up heat, bring on second crack, and then tip.

I am interested in your thoughts and feedback. Thanks in advance to all who comment.

Brett H

Profiling roasts is really beyond me.  My first instinct however was to do exactly as you've done and get different stock.  Let us know mate.

Lwowiak

When I first started roasting, I was very critical of my results. I have since realised that sometimes, if the results you get are not what you like, then blame the bean. Even with different roast profiles, some beans just do not deliver in the cup. I have learnt to avoid many descriptions when it comes to Indonesians, as each roaster has their own interpretation. Terms like "spicy" and "sweet blood plum" finish come to mind. I have never found these notes in an espresso from the said Indos, instead getting earthy funk, etc. Maybe its my roasting style, but I will be able to compare the taste difference, when I roast some Indos sourced from BG. When buying green beans one has to consider that the seller may have a prejudiced palate and an affinity for a flavour, that you may find wanting (the most polite term i could think of). Bold, sweet, syrupy mouthfeel is what I seek in an Indo. If it means a premium has to be paid, then that is perfectly acceptable, as sometimes those few dollars extra per kg, really make an impact in the cup. I realize taste is individual, but "marketing" terms tend to dominate the scene. Some commercial (roasted) coffees, are exactly as described, while others are lacking. Another term, "cocoa" bomb translates to: Nothing special, but if you roast it dark enough, you will have a massive cocoa taste. To be honest, not what I look for in a SO, and even when blending, that sort of bean  can dominate and spoil the flavour of a well balanced espresso. Chocolate notes are a different matter, alltogether.

Koffee_Kosmo

The funkyness you describe of taste and smell is mainly in the Crema Have properly prepaired cupping sessions with lots of Indonesian beans and most produce this metallic industrial taste to my taste buds This changes with the brew method and if adding milk it's wonderfully nice if one stirs in the Crema My roast method is 11/12 min to FC and 6/7 min to SC KK

Lwowiak

Thanks KK for your information. With Indonesians I have found a slow delicate approach to First crack works best. I then have tried two different scenarios, with the approach to second crack. -the first approach is a long slow approach to second crack. -the second is a fast ramp to second crack, about three minutes. I am getting mixed results, and will research further. At the moment all tasting notes have gone down the drain as I have caught some damn virus and my sinuses are playing up. Very difficult to truly analyze the flavours. However, one point has become very clear. The beans that I find have rather average flavours, all came from one source. I have also bought roasted coffee blends from that source that have Indonesian beans in them. I have also bought espresso from a coffee store that uses those same blends. The same taste that does not appeal to me is prevalent in all of these cases. I talked to family and friends over the past week and they brought up this same topic. They visited that same coffee store and said they did not like the coffee because of that earthy funk. Yet other establishments serving a blend with Indonesian beans was fine. I have long since stopped buying beans from that source as the quality is average. The site sponsors here have a fantastic selection of green (and brown) beans. I also have to say that the choices from MG and BG are excellent for blending, though they also have some outstanding single origins.