ROAST

TO BROWN GOLD

The green coffee bean itself is not at all similar to the fragrant, aromatic coffee we know. Odorless and largely tasteless, the bean must first be roasted in order to bring out the full benefits of our favorite drink. During the roasting process, one tries to roast the coffee bean as gently as possible in order to ensure the full development of the aroma. Water drifts out of the bean, it swells up and at the same time loses mass. Roasted aromas begin to develop in the beans, they begin to change color and in the nose you can already perceive a changed smell of hay or nuts. After the 12th minute, the natural fruit acids in the coffee are noticeably reduced and you get a comparatively low-acid coffee roast with a full aroma and taste!

Tradition vs. Industry

Industrial roasting processes

The assembly line roasting process is mostly used in industry. The coffee is roasted at relatively high temperatures (approx. 500 - 600 ° C) for 1.5 to 3.0 minutes. As you can see from the name, this takes place on an assembly line under an open flame. After roasting, the coffee is cooled down with water to stop the roasting process. The advantage of this roasting process is the high production rate, compared to traditional roasting, extremely large batches can be roasted in a very short time, which is why this process is also known as the short-term roasting process. Due to the short and very intensive contact with the flame, the bean looks roasted on the outside, but the bean is not completely roasted inside. The disadvantage is to be tasted clearly, a higher acid content exceeds the aroma of the coffee and is also indigestible.

Traditional roasting process

When one speaks of the traditional roasting process, it is mostly what is known as the drum roasting process. Compared to the short-term roasting process, this has a roasting time of 15 to 18 minutes, which in turn explains why it is referred to as a long-term roasting process. At a roasting temperature of a maximum of 220 ° C, the coffee beans are gently and slowly roasted until they reach the second crack. The principle of the drum roaster is relatively simple - a rotating iron drum with blades inside keep the coffee beans moving. The drum is heated from the outside with the help of a gas burner and the beans are roasted using contact heat with the hot drum and the flushing of hot air. There is no direct contact between the bean and the flame. After the bean has reached the desired degree of roasting, it is released onto the so-called refrigerated ship. The batch is cooled with the help of exhaust air in order to prevent the aromas from burning.

As simple as the process may seem, it requires great craftsmanship and a great deal of experience on the part of the master roaster. External influences such as air pressure, air temperature, humidity, etc. have a major influence on the roasting process, which makes it almost impossible to control the roasting process using a computer program.

"It is impossible to roast good coffee out of bad coffee, when you roast coffee you just try to lose as little quality as possible from the highest quality."