The Basics of Home Roasting Coffee Beans

People often discuss coffee roasts in terms of light and dark. This hint can be used as a way to give an idea of what the coffee might taste like, but the final color of the roasted coffee is only one of the factors. Basically, the major part of the story is about the manner in which the coffee is made to be a certain shade.

The changes that the coffee beans go through when heat is applied during the roasting process is known as the coffee’s roast profile. The following is a document which records the temperatures, times and senses experienced during the entire roasting process. If roasting coffee is an art created by a roastmaster, the profile is like a snapshot of the masterpiece that was created by the artist.

Most commercial roasting machines offer the capacity to keep track of and manage specific aspects throughout the roasting process. For roasters that do not intend to make a profit, operating equipment with a smaller capacity makes it tricky to manage certain parameters. Despite this, all types of coffee will go through the same processes until the roaster takes the coffee out of the roaster. Or there is a horrendous fire.

This is a list of steps involved in the roasting process. If you are using basic roasting tools (such as a popcorn maker), the steps may pass so quickly that you cannot easily identify them, but all of them will be present.

It is essential to understand that beans are continuously changing in terms of their composition, structure, and features throughout the roasting process without needing to understand the science behind it. Once heat is applied, coffee begins the process of roasting immediately, not just when its color starts to change to brown.

1. DRYING

Unroasted green coffee generally contains a moisture percentage of 10-12 percent. This is water held within the bean and, like any organic substance, no charring or darkening of color will occur while water is present. It will require an appreciable amount of energy to turn this water from compact coffee beans into vapor, therefore the process of roasting a batch of coffee will take more time when the machine is cold prior to starting. For commercial roasters, it is normal practice to heat up the equipment before any coffee beans are placed in the roasting chamber. This isn’t as noticeable with at-home roasting systems. This is called the drop temperature.

2. YELLOWING

The water has evaporated and the coffee is now in the process of roasting, meaning it is undergoing chemical and physical alterations. Noteworthy points in the aging process with aromatic components include Grass, Hay, and Bread.

3. FIRST CRACK

For the first time, the roasting of coffee beans is accompanied by audible noises, much like the sound of popcorn popping. It is sometimes mistakenly assumed that this significant happening is the initial big event in coffee toasting, however this is not totally accurate.

The coffee bean has been through a great deal of change. The first sound of cracking is a sign that the transformation process is happening as the pressure inside the bean has risen to a level that is too much to be constrained. As the beans separate from their cut in the center and grow, they increase in size to roughly two times their former amount.

This is to make it explicit that the “first crack” in question does not allude to the sound of a coffee bean snapping in the roasting chamber. Instead, it is referring to the stage of roasting in which all of the coffee beans start to split and break apart, which is different from the second breakdown that takes place farther along in the roasting process and at a higher temperature.

4. ROAST DEVELOPMENT

The actual cooking part of the roast—from the point it starts to crack to the end of the roast—is where the majority of the flavor comes from. This interval is often referred to as Roast Development or Development Time. A lot of the unique aroma, flavor, acidity and balance of a type of coffee can be discovered during the preparation phase—and it is best to explore them gradually.

Fiddling with how RD ultimately influences coffee in the cup is the artistic exploration of the roast master—there is no hard and fast rule on how long or short your RD time should be, but here are a few guidelines to get things started:

The specific characteristics of the roasting machine (e.g. size and control functions) will influence how you organize your roasting process. For businesses which roast coffee on a large scale, aiming to have a longer Roast Development (RD) is plausible since it is simpler to adjust and up the bean temperature slowly. It can be challenging for those who home-roast on a small scale to achieve a longer Roast Development (RD) time without entering second crack; as this requires a gentle and gradual roasting process.

5. SECOND CRACK

Once the growth process is complete, the beans will make a second snapping sound as they split open. The noise will be quieter than the initial signs of toasting, however it can occur faster and more noticeably. It is very important to be mindful at this moment and understand exactly what you expect to achieve because the attributes of the beans’ sources are now shifting and deteriorating quickly.

The sign that second crack is about to happen will be an increase in smoke. At the beginning it will have a sugary taste, but it will become thicker rapidly. Oil will begin to exude from inside the bean and accumulate on the exterior. In this second step, a lot of heat is being created by the beans themselves, and with the increased heat and the oil accumulating, there is a significant fire risk.

Reaching the point of the second crack is your specific point for a full city roast, which can create a delightful and sugary taste. But the distinctive acidity and distinctive character are fading away, making way for the French and Italian styles, each with their own particular qualities. There are some people that enjoy coffee roasted a certain way, but it tends not to be sensible to invest a large amount of money on higher quality green coffee, as those distinguishing components that make it special can be diminished as the coffee enters its second stage of roasting. This dovetails into the next phase, below.

6. “CARBONIZING”

This stage is offered up largely with tongue-in-cheek. This is not a standard point in the coffee roasting process, yet it still must be taken into account. As coffee is heated up and roasted for longer, it gets progressively darker, oil is released, it gets charred, and eventually turns completely into carbon.

7. QUENCHING

The process of quenching is when the roasting of a certain coffee is brought to a close once it has been determined that it is roasted to its desired level. The purpose of this is to rapidly lower the temperature of the beans so that the heating stops and the roasting process continues on. It’s a deeper level of cooling than simply cooling the coffee. Popcorn poppers don’t come with this capability, however it is possible to modify them.

Typically, the process of cooling coffee is done by blowing air over it. The beans are placed into a cooling tray within drum roasters, and an intake of cool or room temperature air is directed through them. Occasionally, a brief spray of water is used to hasten the temperature decrease in the roasting chamber of the coffee. This is not really detrimental when used in lesser quantities when it comes to the coffee. Formerly, some commercial roasting businesses would deceptively incorporate water into the coffee in order to raise the beans’ weight.

8. RESTING

“Coffee needs to rest after it is roasted to attain best flavor.”

Myth or science?

We say, art. And anecdotal evidence…

Examining grilled steak could be an effective way of dealing with this subject. It is quite simple to ponder over this option. It’s essential for any skilled chef to know that when a steak (or another grilled meat) is removed from the grill, it shifts and develops as it is given times to “rest.”

EQUIPMENT

For home roasting, most people start out using either a pan or a Whirley-Pop machine on their stovetop. The positive aspect of it is that it’s an affordable and practical method to start roasting. Nevertheless, managing your roast is a challenge and can be time-consuming.

Chaff Tray/Collector is utilized to gather the bits of dried husk or bark which can be found on coffee beans – otherwise known as silverskin. These will come off during roasting. A chaff tray/collector will catch chaff.

You will want to speed up the cooling process of your roasted beans if your roaster doesn’t come with its own cooling system. This will stop them from proceeding to grow/cook because of the high temperature atmosphere. A cooling tray or pan is ideal for this.

A thermometer can be attached to certain drum roasting devices to help monitor the roasting progress.

Many roasters use the comparison of pre-roast and post-roast weights to get a better idea of the transformations in their beans.

What would be the result if you prepared a perfect roast, but you couldn’t recall how you achieved it? Logging aspects such as the time it took to roast the coffee, the temperature, comments regarding the coffee’s flavor, the type of bean used, and more will enable you to recreate the same roasts and try out new styles. You have the option of writing down your notes in a notebook or getting one of a few apps, such as Roast Buddy, Roastmaster, and the more advanced Typica, which is usually preferred by professionals.

Valve bags are ideal for storing freshly roasted coffee since they offer an air-tight seal.

ROAST PROFILES

A coffee that is only lightly roasted will not have gone beyond the first stage of the roasting process. This degree of roasting is likely to bring out the bean’s unique fruity and acidic flavors. Nonetheless, there is a peril that the beans will not reach their full potential and they could have a grassy or tangy flavor.

The beans are close to or almost at their second crack.

Dark The beans will have surpassed second crack. They will be oily and have more “toasty” characteristics. They tend to be linked with a thicker texture, a less acidic taste, and, when done without skill, a more bitter flavor. Third wave coffee companies generally don’t prefer dark roasts, however you can still locate them.

Roasters may adjust the roasting style of coffee so that it is slightly darker if it will be consumed as an espresso, or perhaps slightly lighter if it is intended to be brewed through a pour over method. Some roasters prefer to create a roast profile that will work for both espresso and filter coffee- this is referred to as an omni roast.

Cinnamon/Blonde Roast More names for light roasts.

Generally, a City roast is considered to be a lighter roast, City + is seen as a medium-light roast, and a Full City or Full City + tends to be identified as a medium roast.

Generally speaking, Vienna or Light French roast is a dark roast, and Full French roast is even darker, with Italian being the darkest of the three.

Initially, a pan is precisely what it appears to be. A Whirley-Pop is similar to a saucepan, but it has a crank attached to it to assist in moving the beans as well as a lid that can be flipped back to observe the shade of the beans. It’s actually designed for popcorn.

You must keep stirring the beans to guarantee an even roast. Many individuals find it difficult to make light roasts with this technique. It would be beneficial to have a plan B in place in the case that there is a lot of smoke. Doing this on an outdoor stove may be easier, yet being outside can make it tricky to maintain steadiness with the temperature.

In an air roaster, heated air serves to heat the coffee beans. Many people tend to use this method to roast at home, and in actuality, it’s where a lot of people begin their roasting journey before moving over to a stovetop roaster. It’s easier to control and offers more consistency. Despite this, drum roasters provide more authority over the cooking process in comparison to the other possibility.

A drum roaster features a cylinder that gradually turns, causing the beans to rotate. Typically, one can roast a larger quantity of coffee beans with a machine roaster than with air or stovetop roasters. As well, you can begin to control additional characteristics, like temperature. Smoke suppression technology might be incorporated in them so they can be used inside.