Coffee roasting

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KellyM

Senior Cook
Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
151
Location
Seattle, Wa
So making good coffee is a part of cooking, right? I'm wondering if anyone here roasts their own coffee beans, and if so, what they use to do it?
 
No.... and anyway, I wouldn't want to forgo the weekly treat of going into the coffee merchants and buying freshly roasted beans... that smell is just heavenly when all the varieties mingle.
 
Ishbel said:
No.... and anyway, I wouldn't want to forgo the weekly treat of going into the coffee merchants and buying freshly roasted beans... that smell is just heavenly when all the varieties mingle.

Freshly roasted coffee in your house smells pretty darned good, too. Just not while it is roasting. That's why I roast outdoors. :)

Kelly
 
KellyM said:
So making good coffee is a part of cooking, right? I'm wondering if anyone here roasts their own coffee beans, and if so, what they use to do it?

Kelly,
I started about six months ago. I planned to buy an iRoast 2 with my first green coffee order, but at the last minute decided to take a stab at oven roasting first, then buy the roaster if that didn't work out. Well I had this elaborate idea of how I was going to go about it that ended up being ridiculous. I did discover that I can do it quite well on the stove top. The sites specializing in coffee spend tons of Kbs and bandwidth describing the relative advantages of the various roasters, which they will happily ship to you with a simple click on a shopping cart icon, then say something dismissive like, of course there might still be a few cowboys out there who use the skillet method; well that must make me a cowboy 'cause it works for me. If any body's interested I'll post a short but very detailed description of exactly how I do it.
Ishbel said:
No.... and anyway, I wouldn't want to forgo the weekly treat of going into the coffee merchants and buying freshly roasted beans... that smell is just heavenly when all the varieties mingle.
Ishbel, As pleasant as that sounds, I wouldn't trade home roasting once a week for it.
 
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skilletlicker said:
Kelly,
I started about six months ago. I planned to buy an iroast2 with my first green coffee order, but at the last minute decided to take a stab at oven roasting first, then buy the roaster if that didn't work out. Well I had this elaborate idea of how I was going to go about it that ended up being ridiculous. I did discover that I can do it quite well on the stove top. The sites specializing in coffee spend tons of Kbs and bandwidth describing the relative advantages of the various roasters, which they will happily ship to you with a simple click on a shopping cart icon, then say something like, of course their are still a few cowboys out there who use the skillet method, well that must make me a cowboy 'cause it works for me. If any body's interested I'll post a short but very detailed description of exactly how I do it.

Skilletlicker,

Thanks for the response. Many years ago, I was actually employed as a cowboy, but now, I am somewhat ashamed to say (after your post) that I use the decidedly "Yuppie" method of hot-air roasting my beans.

I looked at the skillet method, and it looked like too much work to me. So I paid about sixty bucks for a roaster, and it works just fine. Tell you what, though. I s'pose if we really wanted to make coffee like the old-time cowhands, we'd be boiling it over a fire.

All levity aside, I would be interested in your method. I've never before spoken to anyone who skillet-roasted their beans, but I've actually seen some contraptions to do it with.

Kelly
 
KellyM said:
...I've actually seen some contraptions to do it with.
Are you talking about the Rube Goldberg contraption made from an aluminum dutch oven? The coffee sites throw in a free paper that tells you what parts to replace right away.:rolleyes: I admit, I have no experience with these, so if anyone reading this makes them, sells them, or uses them, please add your knowledge and experience to the conversation. No offense intended.
KellyM said:
...I would be interested in your method. I've never before spoken to anyone who skillet-roasted their beans...
I roast 1/2 cup of green beans at a time because that's a week supply for me. More than a week and it isn't fresh roasted.
Materials:
  • 10" pan with stainless steel interior.
  • Glass well fitting lid.
  • Timer that will count up in seconds from zero.
  • Two large metal bowls, collanders, or a combination of each.
You want a very good quality pan to help prevent scorching.
I mention a stainless steel finish pan because you can see the beans through the smoke as they turn very dark brown or maybe even "light black" depending on the roast. They tend to disappear in non-stick or cast iron plus iron is way too heavy! You also want the glass lid so you can watch the beans. It is important not to remove the lid from beginning to end because you want to maintain an oven like environment.
  1. Have all your materials out, within reach and ready to go before you start.
  2. Preheat a large burner to medium. (electric stove)
  3. Preheat your lidded pan.
  4. Add the beans, start the timer and, with one hand on skillet handle and one on the lid handle, shake continuously and toss every 10 seconds until almost done (see below). The lid never comes off the pan! The beans roast a little while, even after poured out of the pan. They're very hot.
  5. Pour the beans into one of the bowls and quickly take both bowls outside.
  6. Pour the beans back and forth between the two bowls to cool and stop the roasting. If there's any breeze the chaff will be separated. If there's no breeze blow gently. You took it outside so you wouldn't have to sweep the kitchen.
  7. Don't seal airtight for 8 to 24 hours because it is releasing carbon dioxide.
  8. After 8 to 24 hours, seal tightly and use within one week.
You can brew coffee right away, but it will be better if you wait 24 hrs.

I said above, "until almost done." Knowing when that is; that's the art. You want to stay aware of the color and smell, and listen to the beans very carefully.
When coffee beans roast they expand and pop, kind of like popcorn. Like popcorn, the pop is audible but not as loud, the change in the bean appearance is not as dramatic as the change in the popcorn kernel, and the coffee bean pops twice. Roasters call the coffee bean pop a crack, and the timing of the cracks, especially the second, is a very big deal. Light roasts might be done a little before the second crack. Darker roasts a little after. When I do it this way, the first crack is about five minutes and the second is about nine. Some online geen coffee suppliers are good about recommending the right roast for a particular bean.
As I said this is the art; the discussion of it could fill volumes and any more would be beyond the scope of this post and the experience of this writer.
 
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Kelly,
A lot of that post I know you know, but I included hoping we might be able to recruit some new roasters. The more of us around to swap techniques, and advice on suppliers and varieties the better.

Why don't you explain your method. An acquaintance on another forum and I both started roasting at the same time and he opted for a roaster like yours. Last I heard he was well satisfied.
 
Skilletlicker,

Thanks for taking the time to write all that. While I won't debate your no doubt good results, it still sounds like a lot of work to me. For the rest of the folks out there who are not willing to put quite as much time and effort into really good coffee:

I use a Freshroast brand hot-air roaster, which is basically a glorified popcorn air-popper. The major differences between this and the popcorn popper are better air-flow, a built-in chaff collector, and a clear glass roasting chamber, so you can watch the progress of your beans as they roast. These features make the purchase of this roaster worth it over trying to go "on the cheap" and using a popcorn popper, as far as I am concerned.

Operation is simple; put the beans in, turn it on, and watch them roast. Yes, you can listen for "first crack" and "second crack", but since you can also watch them, after a couple of tries you will know when to pull them out from the color. The machine also has a timer, but this is only really useful if you are roasting many batches at once. Once the machine gets hot, and you determine on a given day how long to roast your beans, you can do multiple batches using the timer. Otherwise, just watch 'em.

Why would I want to roast my own beans, you ask? Well, because you want to drink fresh coffee, don't you? Fresh coffee tastes the best, and coffee is expensive. I, for one, want stuff that is expensive to taste good. Okay, call me crazy.

Green coffee beans can last for a very long time if stored properly. However, once the beans are roasted, they start going downhill rapidly in terms of quality. They release gasses, the oils break down, and things get ugly.

Coffee beans are best if used 24 hours after they are roasted. No more, no less. How long have those roasted beans been in those bins at the grocery store or at your local coffee shop? You don't have any idea, do you? Neither do I.

When you roast your own, however, you know exactly how long it has been since roasting. Therefore you can always brew your coffee at the peak of freshness.

Also, since green coffee beans last for such a long time, you can buy larger quantites, and not have to worry about stale coffee. Green coffee beans are a lot cheaper, especially when you buy twenty pounds or more.

So, you can buy probably stale coffee at the store for too much money, or you can buy a bag of raw beans, roast them yourself a little at a time, always drink coffee at the peak of freshness, and pay less money.

If you think a can of Folgers is pretty danged good, ignore this post. However, if you appreciate really good coffee, you might want to think about roasting your own.

Kelly
 
KellyM said:
If you think a can of Folgers is pretty danged good, ignore this post. However, if you appreciate really good coffee, you might want to think about roasting your own.

Kelly

At 6AM I don't care whether its Folgers, Starbucks or home roasted...all I care about is getting into me. Intravenously if necessary. And trust me...everyone else in my house is as interested in that as I am!

Kelly, roasting your own sounds like an interesting procedure, but I have to admit, I simply don't have the time for something like that. I would rather just buy myself smaller amounts of good stuff so it doesn't degrade too quickly.
 
Alix said:
At 6AM I don't care whether its Folgers, Starbucks or home roasted...all I care about is getting into me. Intravenously if necessary. And trust me...everyone else in my house is as interested in that as I am!

My gf is like that, too - LOL - and we HAVE talked about setting up a 'drip' system for her. I'm not QUITE so bad (I can hold out longer than her) and even run a quick errand or something before I have some... but it has to be quick.
 
Alix said:
At 6AM I don't care whether its Folgers, Starbucks or home roasted...all I care about is getting into me. Intravenously if necessary. And trust me...everyone else in my house is as interested in that as I am!

Kelly, roasting your own sounds like an interesting procedure, but I have to admit, I simply don't have the time for something like that. I would rather just buy myself smaller amounts of good stuff so it doesn't degrade too quickly.

Well, by the same token, a box of macaroni and cheese is pretty good, too.
 
Yep, I love a good box of KD. Many people don't, but to each his own. I love to hear about what people are trying and liking. Some of it I would love to try out, but need to find the time.
 
Answer to Alix

I really enjoy talking to other roasters, but to be honest, so far, the post I related to best was Alix's
Alix said:
At 6AM I don't care whether its Folgers, Starbucks or home roasted...all I care about is getting into me. Intravenously if necessary. And trust me...everyone else in my house is as interested in that as I am!

Kelly, roasting your own sounds like an interesting procedure, but I have to admit, I simply don't have the time for something like that. I would rather just buy myself smaller amounts of good stuff so it doesn't degrade too quickly.
When I first started thinking about home roasting my attitude was that I wanted better coffee, not a new hobby. I was willing to add no more than a 10 or 15 minute once per week task, that I could schedule at my convenience in order to achieve it. My interest and proficiency have improved but the time I'm willing and able to devote to it hasn't changed. I also refuse to complicate the process of brewing that first precious morning cup. Before the home roast I was already grinding store bought whole roasted beans as needed so, for me there was absolutely no additional early prep time. Home roasted or store bought, grinding on demand might add 10 or 15 seconds per pot over pre-ground, but that's a very small price that IMHO is definitely worthwhile.

There are a couple points that Kelly makes, about which I have a different opinion. The first and most important is the idea that you have to roast every day. In all honesty, I'd never seen that until I read it in his post today.
KellyM said:
Coffee beans are best if used 24 hours after they are roasted. No more, no less.
Until today, the narrowest roasted whole bean freshness window I'd heard of was six days. I admit I stretch that to seven because I'm not too good at six day recurring schedules. If I had to roast every day to get much improved coffee, I wouldn't roast.

Another point of difference between us is this:
KellyM said:
it still sounds like a lot of work to me. For the rest of the folks out there who are not willing to put quite as much time and effort into really good coffee...
Good grief Kelly, It's nine minutes once a week!

One more suggestion regarding Alix's concern. If you consider roasting on a once per week basis and decide to purchase a roaster, look for one that will handle enough beans to last you a week in one, or at least the fewest possible, roast cycle(s).
 
Skillet, I don't drink coffee anymore, but appreciate your expertise/knowledge and sharing/posting with us here. Good read. Thank you. :) Again, baffled by the original post/query, are you asking for a recipe, then saying it's too much work, & comparing the short method to mac n cheese! Are you asking a question or posting a recipe?
 
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mish said:
Skillet, I don't drink coffee anymore, but appreciate your expertise/knowledge and sharing/posting with us here. Good read. Thank you. :)
mish,
I appreciate your kind words. I claim no expertise. As to Kelly's method. It is more common in roasting circles than mine.
 
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