I have my Uncle Nikos to thank for introducing me to roasting my own coffee beans. Like dark chocolate, I tend to crave a slightly more bitter, darker brand of coffee than is commonly found. Also like chocolate, it’s a fun thing to make that allows the engineer in me to use batch records…
And, after all, why not love coffee, which can be surprisingly healthy! Check out this link: Eight Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee
There are tons of resources available on-line, but here are some brief instructions:
- You can perform the roasting in almost anything allowing dry heat to be applied fairly precisely, but ideally you are constantly mixing the beans while they are being heated. Hence, investing in a small, at-home coffee roaster is highly encouraged. Here is the one I use.
- There are also lots of sources for unroasted coffee beans. I’ve mostly used Sweet Maria’s.
- Various recipes/suggestions can be found, but here is the protocol I’ve had the most success with for a relatively dark roast. Ultimately, it is the final time/temperature combination that drives most of the result.
- ‘Drying phase’ at ~100-150C (212-302F) for 5-15 minutes
- Getting to ‘first crack’ at ~180-200C (356-392F) for 10-25 minutes
- ‘Second crack’ at 220-240C (428-464) for 5-10 minutes
- Immediately post-roasting you will need to rapidly cool the beans while separating the popped beans from their skins (kind of like peanut shell skins). This is best done by transferring the beans back and forth between two colanders
- Finally, store the coffee in a good, opaque coffee bag with a 1-way valve for venting. Here is what I use. It will take 3-4 days of storage before the flavor has really set it, so ‘condition’ it in a dark, cool, dry place.
- Thus far, I’d say the final roast temperature is by far the biggest determining factor with regard to taste, but most certainly the source of the beans, overall time/temperature roasting profile, and post-roast storage time/conditions all play a factor. Create your own log and find what works best for you!
Below are some pictures from the process
Finally, I have a former colleague Anthony to thank for his notes on roasting coffee. He upgraded to a small batch roaster called the Gene Café off axis roaster which sure beats the hot air popcorn popper setup and wooden spoon I had previously.
Beans
https://goldstarcoffee.com/ (favorite supplier by far! Their Kona is heavenly! Sometimes I cheat and get it already roasted, which is so good too)
https://www.sweetmarias.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv_S_jtrG-AIVIsnjBx0Qiwn6EAAYASAAEgLKhvD_BwE
I learned a trick somewhere that you can create a good blend by thinking like you’re assembling a rock band – the foundation accounts for 80% pre-roast weight (pick 2 types of beans that each are 40%) – and just like a rock band these are the foundation of your band, like the drums and bass guitar…. I usually use deep chocolate flavors like south American, Sumatra or Kona…. Then you need something bright (the electric guitar!) for the front…usually a Yirga Cheffe, Guatemalan or Kenyan coffee for the remaining 20%. Mix them all together and roast…I usually aim for between first and second crack (full city or city+ ).