Coffee beans grown in different micro-climates are distinctive from one another and this is just one of the factors that affects their quality. Plant a great variety in the wrong soil or at the wrong altitude and the resulting product is inferior. Roasting is another factor that affects quality and modern specialty coffee roasters allow for more control over the roasting process. Despite the fact that these machines are usually user-friendly, it takes technical skill and experience to take the best varieties and reveal their full potential by roasting.
The crude machines of the past vary greatly from the computerized versions available today but the basic principles are still the same. The bean is taken from its green state and roasted to release the flavors. Drum machines are commonly used and these work by rotating and causing the beans to tumble around with gas or electricity providing the heat source. Hot air machines are also used and beans are roasted on a currant of hot air.
The drum machines come in many different sizes, from those suitable for roasting high volumes to those that sit on a tabletop. They are designed to allow for manual, semi-automatic or automatic control of roasting. The use of the machine with its monitoring tools helps with efficiency and consistency of results.
A green bean is spongy and soft while a roasted bean is crunchy. The color, smell and density is changed by the roasting process. Chemical changes take place as beans are quickly brought to high temperatures. As soon as they reach a certain point, they are cooled down to stop the process. It is a matter of seconds between perfection and a ruined batch.
All the variables involved in the process have to be carefully managed to create a successful roast. Some of these variables are the size of a batch and the moisture content of a particular variety. Times and temperatures are carefully measured, such as when the process begins, when a certain temperature is reached and when cooling begins.
Color changes occur as the beans are heated. They first turn yellow and then begin browning. Some roasts are light brown, others are medium or medium-dark and others are dark. The beans also start producing a cracking sound when roasted. The times at which the cracks occur and for how long is measured. A bean swells and increases in size when heated but it loses moisture. The amount of moisture lost can be established by taking weight measurements before and after roasting.
Various adjustments can be made to better express the sweetness, body or acidity of a particular variety. What is called a roast profile is developed for the different varieties and this helps with consistency from batch to batch. Specialized names are given to favorite roasts. In general, they fall into the categories of light, medium, medium-dark or dark.
Coffees are coming into their own as complex and flavorful beverages. Companies, both large and small, are devoted to producing the best quality roasts and selling equipment for roasting. The perfect roast is very much a matter of personal taste. It is possible to find excellent roasts online and they come in types to suit many different tastes, varying from light and medium to medium-dark or dark. One can also shop for the most modern roasting machines, easily comparing types and prices.
The crude machines of the past vary greatly from the computerized versions available today but the basic principles are still the same. The bean is taken from its green state and roasted to release the flavors. Drum machines are commonly used and these work by rotating and causing the beans to tumble around with gas or electricity providing the heat source. Hot air machines are also used and beans are roasted on a currant of hot air.
The drum machines come in many different sizes, from those suitable for roasting high volumes to those that sit on a tabletop. They are designed to allow for manual, semi-automatic or automatic control of roasting. The use of the machine with its monitoring tools helps with efficiency and consistency of results.
A green bean is spongy and soft while a roasted bean is crunchy. The color, smell and density is changed by the roasting process. Chemical changes take place as beans are quickly brought to high temperatures. As soon as they reach a certain point, they are cooled down to stop the process. It is a matter of seconds between perfection and a ruined batch.
All the variables involved in the process have to be carefully managed to create a successful roast. Some of these variables are the size of a batch and the moisture content of a particular variety. Times and temperatures are carefully measured, such as when the process begins, when a certain temperature is reached and when cooling begins.
Color changes occur as the beans are heated. They first turn yellow and then begin browning. Some roasts are light brown, others are medium or medium-dark and others are dark. The beans also start producing a cracking sound when roasted. The times at which the cracks occur and for how long is measured. A bean swells and increases in size when heated but it loses moisture. The amount of moisture lost can be established by taking weight measurements before and after roasting.
Various adjustments can be made to better express the sweetness, body or acidity of a particular variety. What is called a roast profile is developed for the different varieties and this helps with consistency from batch to batch. Specialized names are given to favorite roasts. In general, they fall into the categories of light, medium, medium-dark or dark.
Coffees are coming into their own as complex and flavorful beverages. Companies, both large and small, are devoted to producing the best quality roasts and selling equipment for roasting. The perfect roast is very much a matter of personal taste. It is possible to find excellent roasts online and they come in types to suit many different tastes, varying from light and medium to medium-dark or dark. One can also shop for the most modern roasting machines, easily comparing types and prices.
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