Within the time it takes for a batch to be roasted, hundreds of chemical reactions take place. This can make controlling them difficult. The final cup can be affected by small changes in temperature, humidity, and airflow. Roasters need to be extremely precise about their roasting procedures and environments.
A few test roasts are often done in a smaller machine than the one they use to create the perfect roasting recipe. To see what’s inside, roasters record temperature and time.
After the sample roasts have been completed, roasters typically wait 12 to 24 hours before testing the coffees for quality. Coffee cupping is when they taste the coffees and take careful notes. They carefully assess the flavor, aroma, sweetness, bitterness, aftertaste, and body. It’s a long process.
Once the roaster has selected his favorite batch, he re-does it again – sometimes more often than once or twice – to get the coffee right before moving on to larger batches that can be sent to shops, coffee shops, and homebrewers.
Roasting: What Is The Art?
Coffee from one roaster can be habitual, but switching to another roaster after a while will reveal something unique.
Coffees can take on the personality of their roasters.
Allow Me To Clarify.
Shannon prefers well-rounded coffees with medium body and sweetness. While his flavor descriptions aren’t very specific, they are well chosen. This roast style is a delight for Folgers drinkers as well as a pleasure for seasoned specialty coffee professionals.
Roman’s coffees are usually more complex and less robust than Shannons. His flavor descriptors are sometimes quite unusual, but they are as careful as Shannon’s. The roast profiles are more subtle but can be more intimidating to some people.
The style differences between the two coffee roasters are clear. Roman’s aim of “complex yet subtle” can be seen in Shannon’s coffee.
These two coffee roasters are very talented and well-known. But they are not just concerned with the numbers. They see their coffee as an expression of their values and personal personality.
Investing In The People
Coffee roasters are artists, scientists, and craftsmen. However, they are also neighbors, friendly faces, and warm embraces. They need to invest in others.
As we’ve discussed, roasters love it when international relationships blossom to the point that they can make a difference in the lives and livelihoods of farmers. Many roasters take pride in supporting local efforts to build schools clinics and wells.
Great roasters are also passionate about helping others in their local communities. They publish transparent information on coffee sources, tell the stories and help people improve their coffee brewing skills.
Roasters are the link between farmers in Ethiopia’s coffee forests and regular people who enjoy their coffee at a local coffee shop. The window through which we can see life beyond our cultural context is provided by roasters.
The greatest investment in a roaster’s efforts to bring people and cultures together over great cups of coffee is his effort.
These Breeze Valley Coffee Roasters are heroes because they accomplish what we’ve discussed. They aren’t knights in shining armor for poor farmers or the guardians to coffee roasting secrets.
