If you just downloaded RoastSource and you're looking at it thinking "okay, where do I start?" — this post is for you. I'll walk through a complete first roast from opening the app to tasting the result.
Before You Roast
Add your green coffee to Inventory. Tap the Inventory module, hit Add Coffee, and fill in what you know — origin, processing, weight. You don't need every field. Origin and processing matter most because the app uses them to suggest roast profiles.
Pick your roaster. In Settings, select your roaster model. If you're on a Fresh Roast SR540 or SR800, the app has specific heat and fan curves calibrated for air roasters. If your roaster isn't listed, pick the closest type (air, drum, hybrid, stovetop) and the profiles will adapt.
Running a Quick Roast
Start a Quick Roast. Go to the Roasting module and tap Quick Roast. Select the coffee from your inventory, choose a roast level (light, medium, or dark), and the app generates a suggested profile with target temps and times for each phase — drying, Maillard, development.
Log your milestones. As you roast, tap the milestone buttons when you hit each phase: Charge (beans in), Yellowing, First Crack, and Drop. If you want more detail, you can log temperature manually every 30 seconds — but it's optional. The milestone approach works without a probe.
Rate the result. After the roast, you'll get a quick rating prompt — star rating, any tasting notes you noticed, and whether you'd repeat the profile. This feeds into your roast history so you can track what works over time.
After Your First Roast
- Check your History to see the roast record with timing, phases, and the profile chart
- Look at Ratings to see how the app predicted your SCA score based on origin, processing, and roast data
- Try the same bean at a different roast level and compare
The first roast is about getting comfortable with the workflow. Don't worry about perfection — you'll dial it in over the next few batches.
What roaster are you using for your first roast? Drop a comment and I can point you to specific tips.