Ryan's roasting adventures began in his father-in-law's garage in 2009 where they worked together build a homemade roaster out of an old grill, a stock pot, and lots of scrap stainless steel. This crude machine resembled an elaborate piece of steampunk art. It lacked fine control, and smoked up the whole neighborhood, but it created a surprisingly good cup. In 2015, Ryan discovered Mill City Roasters, in Minneapolis and soon possessed a legit 3K roaster, a love affair that has been developing ever since.