Avoid These 8 Mistakes When Roasting Coffee to Get a Delicious Finished Product

The temperature of the device, especially in the roasting drum, will be affected depending on the weather and surrounding environment. When the roaster is not preheated, the heat may not be evenly distributed, causing inconsistent roast quality. If beans are roasted when the roaster is not preheated, they may take a long time to heat up, or they may come into contact with surfaces that are too hot, leading to the risk of burning the coffee.

Therefore, you need to warm up the device before roasting to create a stable and consistent environment with the temperature inside the machine. This helps ensure that the coffee is roasted at a certain and consistent temperature, thereby helping the batch achieve its best flavor. Additionally, when the device is preheated, the roasting process is faster because it does not take time to reach the desired temperature. Coffee limits the risk of roasting for too long, preserving the maximum flavor quality of coffee.

Coffee roasting is a process that requires control of many variables and adjustments to build the ideal roast profile. It is very difficult to accurately remember all the parameters of previous roasts. Therefore, you need to monitor and record processes and errors when roasting coffee so you can improve the quality of the finished product.

According to some experts, you should record changes at least every 30 seconds. You can pay attention and record the temperature levels from the time the device is heated until the end, the changes in air quantity index, and pressure, and the time the particles change,...

Changes should be recorded at least every 30 seconds to avoid errors when roasting coffee

Over-roasting or under-roasting is a common mistake when roasting coffee, and it is the most difficult to fix. This error is easy to recognize after finishing the roasting process. Physically, under-roasted coffee is lighter and you won't be able to crush the coffee with your thumb when pressing it on the table. Over-roasted coffee will become oily and even turn black. In terms of flavor, under-roasted coffee can have some nutty or bready flavors, with a thick consistency. Over-roasted coffee will be quite diluted when brewed and will have a bitter taste.

To avoid this mistake, it takes time to learn and practice roasting. You need to determine the desired finished product structure and monitor each change to make appropriate adjustments.

Each type of coffee will have a unique texture, size, and chemical composition depending on the variety, production, and processing method. These characteristics cause the beans to have different changes during roasting and are suitable for a certain roasting method. If you do not clearly understand the structure of coffee, it will be very difficult for you to build a good roast profile and optimize its characteristics.

The more details you know about coffee, the better you can roast it. For example, large sized coffee will take longer to heat up in the roaster so a higher temperature setting is needed. Coffee with lower density will absorb heat more easily at the beginning of roasting, so it may be necessary to shorten or reduce the time and temperature. High-density coffee can absorb heat after roasting and undergo development after the first crash. Coffee with high moisture content will require more energy to reach the first crack,.....

Understanding the details of coffee helps avoid mistakes when roasting coffee

Making mistakes when controlling roasting time can destroy the rich flavors found in coffee. If heat is removed from the roasting process at the wrong time, the temperature of the bean can stagnate instead of sublimating as it should.

You need to pay attention to the period when the rate of rise (degrees per minute) levels off or drops to negative levels at the end of the roasting process, usually before the first burst. This means you are keeping the coffee at the same temperature or reducing the temperature before the sugars in the coffee develop properly. At the same time, you need to avoid keeping your temperature before the first crack and you can avoid burning the coffee.

The batch of coffee can be scorched if you use too much heat in the early stages of roasting. The grain is exposed to high temperatures too quickly right from the start, causing the outside to carbonize but the inside to remain intact.

To avoid this error, you need to adjust the roaster temperature appropriately. Increase it slowly and steadily and monitor each grain change.

You need to pay attention to monitoring and adjusting the roaster temperature to avoid errors when roasting coffee

Not cleaning roasting equipment properly not only results in poor flavor, but it can also be very harmful to your health. When the roasting equipment is clean, you can also avoid debris (husk, grain fragments) from previous roasts, affecting the flavor of the next batch. Furthermore, the husks of eggplant seeds left in the machine can cause a fire. Therefore, you should clean the roaster regularly and make sure the roasting area is clean and tidy.

Once roasted, it can be difficult to stop yourself from immediately tasting it to see if the roast was successful. While freshness is important, roasted coffee needs to release CO2 (degas) before it is truly ready to enjoy. This length of time depends on some different factors, including roast profile, varietal and altitude, etc. Cupping before this resting period will often produce inaccurate results. Therefore, you should give degas coffee some time to evaluate.

Cupping too early may not accurately assess coffee roasting results

Above are 8 common mistakes you may make when roasting coffee. Pay attention and eliminate these errors in the next roasting times to get satisfactory finished products. XLIII Coffee hopes you can roast many different types of coffee and unleash their true potential. In addition, visit XLIII Coffee stores to experience specialty coffees!

Source collected from perfectdailygrind

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