We’ve talked about how the origin of a coffee bean and the growing process used by the farmer may affect the flavor profile of your morning cup, but what about the roasting process? Roasting coffee is a delicate procedure, both an art and a science. It can bring out the best qualities in a great coffee bean, so we can thank our roasters for helping to create the masterpiece that is a delicious cup of coffee.
Roasting coffee involves a lot of chemical reactions, transforming the green coffee bean into the aromatic and flavorful bean that is the source of our favorite beverage. The technicalities of these reactions are more of a science lesson, so rather than going into depth about the chemical compounds, we can look at the “stages” of the roasting process.
- Yellowing: The yellowing stage is the first in the roasting process. It lasts for a few minutes, and we can observe the beans changing into a yellow-y color. A grassy smell will occur during this time.
- Steaming: During this stage, the beans begin to heat. Steam is released as the water contained in the beans starts to evaporate.
- The First Crack: As the steam becomes more fragrant, the “first crack” occurs. The first crack is a literal cracking sound that signals the beginning of the real roasting. In this stage, sugar caramelization occurs, water continues to evaporate, and the structure of the bean changes– the bean breaks down and oils are released.
- Roasting Stage One: Once the “first crack” is heard, roasting can be stopped at any time. Roasters are familiar with how the beans look and the smells that are emitted to know how the bean has been chemically altered at each point in the roast. This first stage is a very light roast. Our roasters favor this stage in roasting because it maintains the integrity of the bean’s flavors and properties, allowing all of its qualities to shine through in the cup.
- Caramelization: As the bean continues to caramelize, the bean’s oils continue to migrate,and the beans grow in size as the roast darkens.
- The Second Crack: The second crack is usually a lot more “abrupt” sounding than the first. At this point, the roast character begins to overpower the properties of the bean’s origin. The second crack signifies a very dark roast, and continuing to roast past this may result in the beans literally cracking into small pieces.
- The Dark Roast: The roast now is very dark. The sugars are almost completely burnt, so the smoke emitted is very strong in fragrance. The bean continues to break down, losing some of its unique flavor properties.
- Past the Point of a Decent Roast: As the roast continues past a dark roast, the sugars completely burn and the resulting coffee lacks body and positive flavor profiling.
While the beans are being roasted, they are kept in motion. This is to ensure that the beans don’t sit in one place and burn. Like we discussed before, the internal temperature and external color of the beans change during the roasting process. When the roast reaches a desired level, the coffee beans must be cooled down. If not, there is a risk of the beans continuing to roast beyond the “perfect” point. When the beans are removed from the roaster, they can be cooled down by using air from fans to quickly ventilate cool air. What this does is ensure that the beans remain at the same roast level, retaining the flavor and body properties that the roaster aimed for.
Roasting Profiles: An Art or a Science?
When coffee is purchased, its roast is usually described generally: light, medium, or dark. These take into consideration the roasting temperature, but specialty coffee roasters go beyond this and create roasting profiles.
Roasters develop roasting profiles for each coffee they receive, based on their individual properties. The roasting profiles are created by taking into account a collection of data. They have so many factors to consider, including the altitude that the coffee was grown at and the temperature in the room where the coffee is roasted. The roasting process can make a great bean taste fantastic by highlighting its best features, or it can destroy a great bean.
It’s up to the roaster to recognize a bean’s best qualities and find a way to highlight them with a roasting profile. They must also be able to determine just how long to roast the beans to achieve their best flavor. This can take several rounds of trial and error to develop the best roasting profile for a new coffee, but the results are always worth it. A good roaster will spend plenty of time cupping their beans to get a better idea of what they are working with.
Here at Apex, we work with three roasters who use their knowledge to develop amazing roasting profiles. Our roasters will roast lightly, aiming to keep the flavors of the beans true. In doing so, they avoid the problems that can occur with roasting at too high of a temperature. The renowned Tim Wendelboe discusses his roasting strategies at great length in a Q&A. He warns that roasting at too high of a temperature either at the beginning or end of the roast could result in the beans ‘scorching.’ In addition, lightly roasted coffee has a higher extraction than darker roasts. All signs point to a lighter roast for getting more flavor from the beans!
Roasting is a delicate process requiring skill, knowledge, and pure intuition. We can thank our roasters for knowing how to roast for the perfect brew! You can read more about our roasters’ philosophies here:
Normo Coffeebar and Microroastery
Want to sample their work? We’ve got a great giftset that will allow you to taste something from each of our roasters. Just in time for Christmas, the Apex Christmas Giftset is the perfect introduction into the world of coffee, with coffees curated especially for either the French Press or the Moka Pot. Experience the different flavor profiles created by our roasters’ unique methods.
Questions?
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