Its not that I don't care, it is more I have no idea what I'm looking at
Well, since you asked....
Basically, you're trying to make sure certain things happen at certain times. Generally, you are looking for that first crack (like popcorn popping) to happen around 7 to 9 minutes into the roast. I came in right at 8 minutes (the FC: 7:57 on the chart).
After the first crack, you are looking to get that roast done within about 3 or so minutes. That's where a lot of the flavor of the roast develops, and if you over develop the roast, you can end up with a grassy kind of taste that's not very good. You can also "bake" the beans, which also doesn't taste very good.
Lastly, the hot pink line is the rate of rise (ROR), which is how fast the beans are going up in temperature. Generally, you want to start the roast with the right amount of energy or momentum so that you can get to the end with a steady, even reduction in the rate of rise.
So, when you roast a batch of coffee, a lot happens in about 11 to 13 minutes. I am pretty darned happy with the roasts from yesterday. I got the first batch to about 205C, a lighter roast... but made an adjustment and ended with two really nice, medium roasts that I think are going to taste really good.
