Coffee Bean Roasting Advice

The Art of Roasting Coffee

Roasting coffee is an art, and like with all true artists perfection comes with time. Experience comes from roasting over and over again and in time you learn what works for your roasting techniques and what doesn't.

When roasting coffee beans at home, regardless of your roasting equipment it is important to ensure that your machine is preheated for a few minutes before the green coffee beans are added to the roasting chamber, ensuring all surface areas are uniformly hot.

Keep the chamber moving; never allow your roasting chamber to stop moving while the heat is still on. The beans must keep moving so they don’t burn and possibly start a fire. A fire in your roaster means your beans are ruined, and possibly even your roaster, not to mention the dangers associated with fires.

Fine tuning your roast, the roasting time of coffee beans is a general guideline seven (7) to fifteen (15) minutes depending on your desired degree of roast and the condition of the beans, the dryer the beans the sooner you will hear the popping sound. As you roast beans you will begin to know right when to take them off the heat and stop the roasting process. The coffee roasting temperatures vary from 390F to 465F. Deciding when to remove the beans is the hard part and is purely dictated by the taste and aroma you want to achieve.

*Coffee Bean Roasting Grades*

Grades of coffee roasting; from left: un roasted (or "green"), light, cinnamon, medium, high, city, full city, Italian, and French. photo from wikipedia

When you have decided that the roast is as dark or as light as you want it you need to remove the beans from the roaster as soon as possible and start to cool them. This is crucial, as the beans will continue to cook even after being removed from the roasting chamber. The darker the roast the more it will taste like espresso roast coffee. I've found that roasting at home, the best way for me to cool the beans fast and evenly is to use a large metal colander and a fan. With the fan on and pointed at the beans, I swirl the colander using a large spoon to stir the beans. They are usually warm to the touch in about five (5) minutes.

The most fun I have had roasting coffee beans at home is experimenting with flavors. I like to add spices to the roasting chamber such as cinnamon and vanilla beans to add a little extra aroma for special occasions. I’ve even waited till grinding time to add the spices.

Experiment, have fun and in no time you will be an experienced coffee roaster. Remember, it takes time to perfect roasting and every batch is a unique, one of a kind masterpiece. When first starting to roast coffee beans at home use small batches that way if something does go wrong, it's not a costly mistake.

After you have roasted and cooled your coffee beans it is essential to let your beans sit in an open container, out of direct sun light for at least twelve (12) hours. This allows the Co2 build up from roasting to escape. After the required twelve (12) hours of wait time, you can store your coffee beans in an air tight, ceramic container or if need be you can pack small amounts of beans in zip lock baggies. Be sure to "burp" the bags before sealing. If in doubt of the seal you can put that bag in another larger bag and seal with a rubber band. You can store your coffee beans in a dark cupboard for up to two (2) weeks. Never place your beans or grounds in the freezer or refrigerator as they can absorb orders and alter the aroma and flavor of the coffee.

To enjoy the best flavor and aroma of your freshly roasted beans, only grind what you will be using immediately and then brew. The freshly roasted beans can be stored and kept for up to two (2) weeks.