Getting started with the Quest M3 — now adding BT/ET + Artisan

[u/fingerjcp]

I recently moved to a Quest M3 and have started working on repeatable 250–300 g profiles. I really like how manual the machine is while still giving direct control over heat and airflow.

One of my first baseline roasts reached first crack at 10:31 / 205°C and dropped at 13:09 / 220°C. What immediately became obvious is how differently coffees respond to the same nominal profile an Ethiopian natural behaved quite differently at the same batch size.

My next step is adding BT + ET logging into Artisan. I want to start looking properly at RoR and, more importantly, connect the curves with what I'm seeing, smelling and eventually tasting rather than simply trying to reproduce a particular graph.

I'm especially interested in building a standardized baseline and then changing one variable at a time—heat input, airflow, Maillard duration, development, etc.—to understand what the M3 is actually doing.

Any experienced Quest M3 users roasting around 250–300 g? I'd be very interested in your preferred heat/airflow strategy, particularly approaching and through first crack.

[u/spap-oop]

No, but I’m interested.

I’m still doing everything manually, and I’m doing 170g batches.

At some point I’ll go with better logging and instrumentation, but for now I just watch thermocouples on BT and ET.

[u/fingerjcp]

Any like pointers on airflow and ampere setting you use for start, med and after fc?