Coffee Roasting Process
The purpose of roasting coffee
You might be surprised to learn that coffee beans aren’t beans. Instead, they are seeds that can be discovered inside coffee cherries. The fruits of the coffee plant, which is a fruit tree, resemble berries in appearance. The seeds, often known as coffee “beans,” are left after peeling and pulp removal.
These “beans” are green and have a grassy fragrance before roasting, which differs greatly from the robust flavor you’ve grown to associate with coffee.
The crafty little beans develop between 800 and 1000 different scent compounds during roasting, which is how the coffee you know and love is created.
Different roast profiles and flavors are created during the roasting of coffee; therefore, the temperature and amount of time significantly impact these flavors and the color of the beans.
Phase 1 is The Drying Phase
Coffee beans must be dried before roasting since their relative humidity is only 10% (give or take). The roaster will determine how long it takes, but the beans should be about 160°C when this process is complete. There must be a careful balance since the beans could be burned if heated too quickly or too much. As the third stage of the process is exothermic, energy from the bean is also gathered during this stage (heat producing).
Phase 2 The Browning Stage
During this stage, the coffee beans will start to lose their initial grassy aroma and smell more like hay or toast; this is a sign that the aroma precursors are turning into aroma components. An interesting process known as “the Maillard reaction” occurs during the browning stage. Here, the beans have received enough heat to induce the amino acids and sugars to interact, darkening the beans’ color and generating each bean’s distinct and individual scent signature.
You’ll come across what’s referred to as “the first crack” after the browning stage, which is when coffee beans start to get close to being edible. It happens as the coffee bean enlarges and the moisture starts to evaporate. As the moisture creates steam, it builds up pressure and causes the beans to split open, which can be heard and is somewhat similar to when the popcorn pops. Coffees with a lighter roast are often not roasted any further.
Phase 3 The Development Stage
At this stage, the coffee begins to fracture during the development due to an exothermic reaction brought on by the energy stored throughout the drying phase. The overall duration depends on the desired flavor profile or roast and is where the fragrance compounds are created. A second crack may form if a dark roast is desired, but the roast should not continue past the second crack since the coffee beans will start to bake and produce a doughy-tasting coffee.
Phase 4 The Cooling Stage
At this point in the process, the coffee beans must be moved to a cooler tray as soon as the correct roast is obtained so they may cool fast. The heat the beans emit can lead them to continue to cook even after roasting, resulting in burnt and charred beans if they are not rapidly cooled.
What to learn more? An in-depth look at how we approach the farmer-to-consumer process.
Eight primary phases involve manufacturing coffee, beginning with the farmer and finishing with delivering a cup of freshly brewed coffee to the user. There is a chance that a mistake will be made in each of these processes, lowering the farm’s initial quality standard. Therefore, our best defense against losing our investments in our green coffees is to make sure there are no mistakes by following these measures.
In any coffee, regardless of origin or quality, lies an opportunity to sample coffee of the highest possible quality that the location within a coffee origin can produce. Said differently, producers cannot make excellent coffee in every origin or region.
Coffees with extraordinary flavors must begin with a farmer who is producing their raw beans in a region with the elevation and climate conditions ideal for making premium coffee. They must cultivate, choose, and prepare this coffee to maintain its best chance. The same is true for lesser-quality coffees. To avoid compromising the quality of their finished product, they must maintain its initial quality. Failure at any of the remaining essential processes, from the seed to the consumer, will increase the cost of quality regardless of what is accomplished via those steps.
A high degree of knowledge on the best approach to maintaining coffee’s quality must be maintained by the management of every stage of the production of coffee, starting with the grower and ending when a cup is presented to a consumer. By participating in each phase, you gain experience and get this insight.
Rivers Bend Coffee Roasters learned these processes as a journeyman by performing them for over 20 years. As a result, we don’t skimp on quality. Nor of the quality of the products we purchase, we do not compromise. The eight steps listed below are what we believe to be the key components:
1st Step: Before shipping, growing, plucking, washing, milling, packaging, and storage.
2nd Step: Storage before transportation and quick and safe shipping to a final location
3rd Step: While awaiting roasting, storage in a nearby warehouse or inside the roasting facility.
4th Step: Using knowledge gained via trial and error and then focusing on conserving past investments made in previous steps, proper roasting can be accomplished while protecting taste qualities obtained at the grower level.
5th Step: Freshness: A crucial factor is noting that coffee quickly loses its freshness after roasting. Immediately after roasting, make coffee. Once more, it’s about safeguarding the investment. The value of coffee decreases as it ages.
6th Step: The phase of grinding and extraction is quite essential. The results of every step before them can be ruined by a grind level that does not correspond to the brewing process.
7th Step: The Specialty Coffee Association oversees the standardization of coffee brewing techniques (SCA). Through trial-and-error testing, the SCA has created general guidelines for espresso, drip, and manual brewing techniques. These criteria are a good place to start for us. Additionally, freshly made coffee quickly spoils, mainly if enclosed in a pot or left on fire. The significance of knowing how long brewed coffee can sit before it starts to lose its distinctive taste is frequently minimized, but if it’s not done correctly, it can undo all the previous steps’ hard work.
8th Step: If a coffee beverage is delivered to a customer using anything less than a friendly, courteous approach, the customer’s perception of the genuine quality could be ruined.
The consumer will protect a roaster’s investment in their raw coffee supply chain if these processes are strictly followed and with the utmost integrity. Customers who use our brand must understand how to carry out their respective stages to use it. We are here to assist you if you need it with this.
The Rivers Bend Coffee Roasters wholesale brand adheres to these guidelines when buying exceptional coffees. With the main objectives of safeguarding your investment and giving you the coffee you wish to provide to your communities, we continue to adhere to these measures if you pick us as your private-label roaster, regardless of the quality you choose for your brand.