Ethiopia · Yirgacheffe · Washed · 1,700-2,200 MASL · G2 · John Burton

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Grade 2 Roast Log: Gentle Filter at Level 2.4

What worked: Gentle Filter at level 2.4, 100 g. The first good cup on it was roast 10 of 16; 13 of 16 roasts were tasted. Read how to roast Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Grade 2

Goal: origin clarity16 roasts logged

Aroma of dried red fruits, citrus and vanilla biscuit. Flavours of toasted tea, lemon zest, caramel, spiced cookies and floral notes. Roasted nuts and caramel aftertaste. Low acidity and medium body. Score: 82.5+

Best so far: Bright Filter at level 2.2, 100 g — tasted good 1 of 1 time.

The journey

  • Tasted good
  • Had a fault
  • Not tasted yet

What the roasts show

  1. Roast 1: F-WSH 1500-2200 at level 2.2, 100 g. 1 with a fault (grassy).
  2. Then level 2.2 → 3.3, load 100 g → 120 g: roast 2. 1 with a fault (grassy).
  3. Then level 3.3 → 2.8, profile F-WSH 1500-2200 → NordicLight: roast 3. 1 good.
  4. Then level 2.8 → 3.0: roast 4. 1 with a fault (grassy).
  5. Then level 3.0 → 3.1: roast 5. 1 with a fault (grassy).
  6. Then level 3.1 → 3.3: roast 6. 1 with a fault (grassy).
  7. Then level 3.3 → 2.8, profile NordicLight → Gentle Filter, load 120 g → 100 g: roast 7. 1 with a fault (roasty).
  8. Then level 2.8 → 2.3, profile Gentle Filter → Rich Filter: roast 8. 1 with a fault (grassy, roasty).
  9. Then level 2.3 → 2.2, profile Rich Filter → Bright Filter: roast 9. 1 not tasted.
  10. Then level 2.2 → 2.4, profile Bright Filter → Gentle Filter: roast 10. 1 good.
  11. Then level 2.4 → 2.2: roast 11. 1 good.
  12. Then level 2.2 → 2.1: roast 12. 1 with a fault (flat).
  13. Then level 2.1 → 2.3: roast 13. 1 with a fault (grassy).
  14. Then level 2.3 → 2.2, profile Gentle Filter → Bright Filter: roasts 14–15. 1 good, 1 not tasted.
  15. Then load 100 g → 150 g: roast 16. 1 not tasted.
  • Weight lost: good roasts 12.3%–14.2%, roasts with a fault 12.4%–14.0%.
  • Time in the hot zone: good roasts 1:43–2:43, roasts with a fault 1:46–3:01.
  • End temperature: good roasts 214 °C–223 °C, roasts with a fault 213 °C–222 °C.
  • Good cups were tasted after 8–13 days of rest (4 tastings).
  • The first good cup on Gentle Filter at level 2.4, 100 g was roast 10 of 16.

This shows what differed in the roast. It does not say why the cup tasted different.

Recipes tried

  • Bright Filter

    Settled · 4 roasts · 2:42–2:46

    • 2.2 · 100 g · 3 roasts, Tasted good
    • 2.2 · 150 g · 1 roast, Not tasted yet

  • Gentle Filter

    Moved on · 5 roasts · 2:22–2:34

    • 2.1 · 100 g · 1 roast, Had a fault
    • 2.2 · 100 g · 1 roast, Tasted good
    • 2.3 · 100 g · 1 roast, Had a fault
    • 2.4 · 100 g · 1 roast, Tasted good
    • 2.8 · 100 g · 1 roast, Had a fault

  • Rich Filter

    Moved on · 1 roast · 3:01

    • 2.3 · 100 g · 1 roast, Had a fault

  • NordicLight

    Moved on · 4 roasts · 1:43–1:54

    • 2.8 · 120 g · 1 roast, Tasted good
    • 3.0 · 120 g · 1 roast, Had a fault
    • 3.1 · 120 g · 1 roast, Had a fault
    • 3.3 · 120 g · 1 roast, Had a fault

  • F-WSH 1500-2200

    Moved on · 2 roasts · 1:55–2:26

    • 2.2 · 100 g · 1 roast, Had a fault
    • 3.3 · 120 g · 1 roast, Had a fault

The recipe that stuck

Profile
Gentle Filter
Level
2.4
Batch
100g
13.6%
2:28
End temperature
222°C
Winning batch
R-090 · 2026-07-09
This is not bad, it's smooth, it's nice, it's a little bit fruity… better than the 91 roast.

Compare two recipes

Comparewith
  • Hot zone about the same (2:46 vs 2:44)
  • 4.1 points less weight lost (10.0% vs 14.1%)
  • End temperature about the same (223 °C vs 223 °C)

This shows what differed in the roast. It does not say why the cup tasted different.

Numbers are averages over each recipe's roasts.

What the roasts taught

  • 60g F-WSH loads stayed green — thermal mass mattered as much as level.
  • Cranking F-WSH / NordicLight darker (3.0–3.3) did not fix underdevelopment; it often stayed grassy or went bland.
  • Gentle Filter at ~2.4 / 100g first delivered smooth fruit without green (R-090) — better than the Bright and Rich Filter profiles at similar levels.
  • Still a work in progress: fruit is there but bloom still a touch dark; R-096 at 2.2 is the lighter fine-tune.

Where the good cups live

Roast level against batch size. Colour is the profile; a larger dot is a roast that tasted good.

Roast mechanics across the roasts

Roast loss, hot zone and end temperature for each logged roast. Each line has its own scale, so compare shapes, not heights.

Roast goal

Roast light to medium-light (ending around 400-410°F / 204-210°C) with a gentle approach. Drop just after first crack completes to preserve the delicate tea, floral, and citrus notes. Avoid pushing into second crack or developing heavy caramelization. Aim for a bright, clean cup that showcases the Yirg character.

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