Home Roasting for Beginners

[TimmyBoston]

I'm am just now getting ready to home roast my own coffee. Where do I start? I am totally lost.

Any and all beginner info would be greatly appreciated, especially that for a total newbie.

Thanks all!

 

[Ron]

Start here: http://coffeegeek.com/

Good luck and have fun.

 

[TimmyBoston]

I genuinely appreciate the tip Ron, but any basic information to help me get started before going to a whole new forum? I'd rather gleam all the info I can from B&B before moving on.

 

[sweetzen]

Tim,

If you're even thinking about home roasting, you probably have a favorite coffeehouse coffee. The first thing I'd do is visit Sweet Marias (www.sweetmarias.com), go to the "green beans" section and read the descriptions of that (and similar) coffees. For starters, I'd pick a coffee that could take a wide range of roasts (basically, some coffees burn more easily than others). Even if you decide to buy your coffee from someone else, you'll want to do your homework on what you intend to buy.

At the beginning, I'd pick one coffee and stick to it (just like the "one razor" advice given to DE newbies like me ). For instance, master Sumatra before moving on to Kenya AA. Also, realize that a decaf bean roasts entirely differently from a regular coffee bean. You'll want to buy at least 5# of this coffee (but maybe not 20#, until you know for certain that you love those beans).

If you decide to go with an air-roaster (certainly the most fool-proof option), where are you going to roast? The beans give off a lot of smoke (enough to set off smoke detectors), and with a small capacity roaster you might be roasting every day. A garage, workshed, or covered patio would be good. Also, these air-roasters can be noisy (think hair dryer on high), so think about noise pollution when it comes to placement.

You'll want to wait a day before brewing the coffee you roast (I'd really recommend two days). You know how lasagna is always better the next day? Well the same thing is true of coffee. Brewing it the day you roast it will almost guarantee a "harsh" cup.

Which brings me to storage. For the five years I've been home roasting, I have stored my coffee in sealed bags on the kitchen counter. You can get these bags at Sweet Marias, but I'm sure any supplier will have them. So long as you use the coffee within a week or so, this is all you need.

If you use an air roaster, perhaps the most difficult part will be making roasting a part of your daily routine. When you roast daily, you can't skip a day. So, just to be safe, you might want to pick up some roasted whole bean coffee and keep it in your freezer... just in case.

All that's left is to experiment with your beans and your roaster until you get something you love. You will immediately notice an improvement over Starbucks coffee (which will taste burnt from that point on). And (much like wetshaving, I imagine) enjoy your new hobby. Share your home-roasted coffee with friends and family (it makes a unique and personalized gift). Also, take this opportunity to learn more about what makes each bean unique... this will lead you to your FAVORITE COFFEE BEAN. For us, it was Mexican Oaxaca Pluma, which we regard as just this side of heaven. Take your time, and enjoy the experience.

Happy roasting!

 

[Scotto]

Tim,

Any specific advice will depend on what roaster you are using. My suggestion is to peruse Sweet Marias "Coffee University". There is a lot of good information there on roasting.

In a nutshell, here is what you need to know:
The biggest checkpoint in roasting is so-called first crack. This is where moisture/gas is liberated from the bean, and they quite literally crack. It takes some time for the bean to absorb heat to get there, and the time will vary wildly by what type of roaster you use. On my Gene Cafe, it can take anywhere from 10-13 minutes to get to first crack. It is a bit hard to explain until you do it, but the smell and sound of first crack is quite distinctive.

In principle, the roast can be stopped any time after completion of first crack depending on what you are looking for. Lighter roasts will emphasize acidity and varietal tastes, while more roast will drive things toward the more bittersweet. The terms for these roast levels vary wildly.

There is also second crack, which occurs when the physical matrix of the bean fractures. A roast taken to the verge of second crack, or just entering it, can be called a Full City roast. Continuing to roast past second crack will add more and more roast taste at the expense of the coffee's unique personality, going through a Vienna roast, then French, and eventually to something like Starbucks.

There is a lot of terminology, but at its essence it is very simple. Add heat as fast as you can until you get to first crack, and slow down between first and second crack to develop the flavors. I target at least 4 minutes, and preferable more, from the first sign of first crack until the end of the roast.

I am sure DJ can show up wax philosophic since he is the board expert.

BTW, sweetzen, I agree that the Oaxaca Pluma is an awesome coffee

 

[loueedacat]

This is terrific advice. Thanks, and glad I stumbled on this. I"ve been thinking about doing this myself.

 

[sweetzen]

Any specific advice will depend on what roaster you are using. My suggestion is to peruse Sweet Marias "Coffee University". There is a lot of good information there on roasting.

For starters, I'd stick to the iRoast2. When I started home roasting, I used a Hearthware air roaster, and it was an easy way to learn. Sometimes it's hard to hear the first/second crack over the noise of the machine, but if you stick to one bean at first, you will quickly learn how long it takes to get there.

Also, burn the beans! Well, maybe not on purpose, but in my opinion if you never burn a batch of beans, you're not trying hard enough. Coffee beans will change flavor (sometimes dramatically) throughout the roast. You'll learn a lot about coffee (and what you like) by giving yourself lots of room to experiment. Find the lightest roast you like for your beans, then start going darker. Eventually, you will be drinking burnt toast (nasty!), and you can stop. A process like this takes time, but it's worth it. But treat it like an experiment, and jot down notes on what you liked/didn't like about various roasts. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how many coffees you can get out of a single type of bean.

 

[sweetzen]

BTW, sweetzen, I agree that the Oaxaca Pluma is an awesome coffee

One of the things I love best about the Oaxaca Pluma is the fact that it tastes great at any temperature. As the cup cools, the flavor is still excellent, with a nice, mellow aftertaste. Nothing exotic, just the ultimate "house" coffee, IMO.

Alas, I have not been able to get any (from Sweet Marias, at least) for the past nine months or so. I'll be ordering coffee this weekend, and am going to try the Peru FTO Cuzco.

Tim, experimenting with coffee beans is an adventure in itself. There's all the terminology, "wet process," "tree-dried," "monsooned," etc., but it all comes down to one thing: what tastes good to you. That's why I'd recommend keeping things simple, for anyone new to the process. Get a roaster, get some coffee, and roast.

I've probably roasted 400 pounds of coffee of various kinds over the years, and apart from the few batches I burned, I have never been disappointed. I liked some better than others, but EVERYTHING was better than Starbucks. I'm sure you'll be happy with the results, so as the Nike commercials say, "Just do it!"

 

[ouch]

as the Nike commercials say, "Just do it!"

+1

As they say, what one man can do, another can do*.











*Not applicable to scoring chicks.

 

[Ron]

I genuinely appreciate the tip Ron, but any basic information to help me get started before going to a whole new forum? I'd rather gleam all the info I can from B&B before moving on.

So far, you've received a lot of good advice. I agree that you ought to get a roaster. The hot air popper and the pan roasting didn't quite work for me. The roaster you choose will depend in part on your environment. I chose the Zach & Dani's roaster (now the Nesco roaster) because I don't have an oven hood and I didn't want the smoke to permeate the house. I've been thoroughly satisfied with my roaster now in its third year. I roast for espresso generally although I do use a vacuum pot occasionally. You'll enjoy experimenting with different beans and different roasts. But be forewarned, you may never be able to drink mass produced coffee again.

 

[Hoos]

I third the recommendations for visting Sweetmaria's website. There's a ton of info. You can pretty much ignore the detail info on coffee regions/growing. Focus on the topics on homeroasting and equipment. No forum to join.

Homeroasting can cover everything from cheap (cookie sheet in the oven) to $300+ roasting machines. Like coffee, it's a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I recommend starting off small with a popcorn popper or the heat gun/dog bowl method (per Sweetmaria's recommendations) to make sure you want to do it. Small investment, great returns. After about a month, you'll know if you want to keep doing it.

I started out with that and graduated to the SC/TO setup which can handle about a pound of beans at a time.

It really is a great hobby, not too expensive (barring acquisition disorder), and you get to consume and share what you make.

 

[indykramer]

I have been interested about home roasting for a bit too. I looked around wal mart and other stores that sell poppers and i cant find one that has side vents. Which models have the side vents or which poppers do you use?? Thanks.

 

[sweetzen]

I chose the Zach & Dani's roaster (now the Nesco roaster) because I don't have an oven hood and I didn't want the smoke to permeate the house. I've been thoroughly satisfied with my roaster now in its third year.

+1

My Hearthware didn't even last two years. Well done, Nesco!

BTW, the Nesco roaster + an 8 pack coffee sampler (4 pounds of coffee) can be had at Sweet Marias for $159. And by the time you roast 20 pounds of coffee with the Nesco, it will easily have paid for itself.

 

[TimmyBoston]

What roaster do you guys recommend (if one at all)?

I really like the looks of that Gene Cafe, but sadly it is way out of my price range.

I will also be placing a Green Bean order from Sweet Marias....What beans should I start with?

Thanks so much for all the great information provided thus far.

 

[KenS]

For your first green order from SM's I would suggest the double 8 green sampler. All of the coffees are good. You get a chance to find your favorites, and each week it's a different flavor.
Enjoy, Ken

 

[cmontgomery]

I just got the Behmor 1600 and love it. I got it from SW and it came with the double 8 green sampler. Simple to use and makes great coffee in my opinion!!!

 

[waliguy]

Home roasting depends upon what you want to put into it.

Newbies should start slow...get a popcorn popper (see Sweet Maria's site for details) and see if they like it.

I started 4 years ago with a popcorn popper and still use one.

 

[michaelskar]

I found a correctly-designed popcorn popper at walgreens (the kind with the side slots rather than the mesh on the bottom). It was 10 bucks and is (so far) working extremely well for me. It is a Kitchen Gourmet brand, 1200 watt. I saw it on their website, but my local walgreens had 2 or 3 on the shelf.

You can roast about 10 tablespoonfuls at a time (1/2 cup of beans) in just about 5 mins, and once you "get" the sounds and smells of first and second crack it is quite simple (I find that 15 seconds or so into the second crack is perfect for me). It is so very very easy I was amazed.

Of course the main problem noted with using a popcorn popper to roast coffee beans is in fact true: the beans are not completely uniform in "doneness"...that is, some appear slightly darker/lighter than others...but you can get it pretty uniform and the poppers are so cheap. I'm sure I'll want to upgrade to a "real" roaster eventually, but for this practice phase the popcorn popper is perfect.

 

[Howard Newell]

I'm still looking for a popcorn popper to roast beans, but in the meantime I'm using a fine wire mesh colander that I got from Target and roasting beans in the oven. I'd definitely recommend Sweet Maria's coffee.

 

[sweetzen]

Newbies should start slow...get a popcorn popper (see Sweet Maria's site for details) and see if they like it.

Ask ten home roasters for recommendations, and you'll likely get ten different answers.

I'd say just the opposite (about the popcorn popper). Once you factor your time into the equation, the alternatives to a Nesco or Hearthware roaster aren't that great a deal. If you spend days looking for the right model of popcorn popper, just to save $100 (and get a less consistent roast, to boot), well... I don't see that as much of a savings.

IMO, you'll enjoy the experience more if you take the guesswork out of it, and if you get a machine that's made to roast coffee it's as simple as reading the manual. Less time plus better results more than makes up for the extra expense.

As always, do what seems best to you. Just my 2 cents.