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Built for specialty roasters

First Crack started with a straightforward problem: the tools roasters use to log their roasts don't talk to each other. Artisan is excellent for the session — but when the roast ends, your data is stuck on your machine. No bean inventory. No analytics across batches. No cupping integration. No way to share a curve with anyone.

The platforms that do offer those things target commercial roasteries at $100+/month. There was nothing built for the specialty roaster who wants a complete workflow without an enterprise subscription.

First Crack is that tool. Built because it was needed.

What it is

First Crack is two platforms built to work as one. The native macOS app handles live roasting — hardware control via serial/USB, real-time temperature curves, rate of rise, and event logging during the roast. The web platform handles everything between roasts: analytics dashboards, bean inventory, cupping workflow, recipe management, and community sharing. Both sync in real time.

No hardware? The web app works on its own. Create roasts directly in the browser, import existing profiles from Artisan (.alog files) or JSON, and access all analytics and management features without any hardware setup.

Who it's for

  • —Specialty roasters who want more than a session logger
  • —Artisan users who have outgrown desktop-only workflows
  • —Small-batch roasters who can't justify $100+/month for commercial platforms
  • —Anyone tracking roast quality across batches and wanting to improve over time
  • —Roasters who want to share profiles with customers or the community

What's included

The web platform is free. No subscription, no credit card required.

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Real-time roast curve capture(macOS app)
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Artisan .alog and JSON import(web + macOS)
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Web-based roast creation(no hardware required)
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Analytics dashboards(RoR, DTR, drop temp, weight loss)
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Bean inventory management(freshness, cost, yield)
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SCA cupping workflow(per-roast scoring)
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Bean SCA quality scores(green coffee grading)
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Agtron color scoring(standardized roast color)
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Recipe management(triggered actions for macOS app)
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Public roast profile sharing(full curve + analytics)
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Shareable side-by-side comparisons(any two roasts)
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Community browse(filter by origin, process, level)
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Cross-device sync(macOS app + web, real-time)

Platform

The web platform runs in any modern browser on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. The native macOS app requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.

The web platform is free. The native macOS live roasting app has not yet been publicly priced.

Contact

Questions, feedback, or just want to talk roasting — contact@firstcrack.app

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