In order to create a unique taste profile in your cup, the green coffee must be go through a few steps . A very important one is the coffee roasting! This step is of course carried out in our Wild Coffee Roastery and requires a lot of Skill, patience, passion and of course experience . There are of course some differences in the roasting process that we would like to present to you in this article. Unfortunately, Most of the world's coffee still comes from large roasters that process their coffee using industrial roasting methods. However, we at the Wildkaffee Rösterei are advocates of artisanal coffee roasting! The artisanal roasting of coffee ensures that high-quality specialty coffee its unique taste can develop perfectly . We will explain the exact differences between the two roasting methods in the course of this article. We will also explain how coffee roasting works and which steps are involved in coffee roasting. Elias Fischbacher from the Wildkaffee Rösterei wishes you lots of fun discovering!
Coffee Roasting - Craft vs. Industry
In order to extract the delicious coffee flavor from the green coffee bean, a roasting process must be used. Unfortunately, most coffee on the world market is processed using the industrial roasting process. But that is not reprehensible. Nevertheless, coffee roasting in our roastery takes place exclusively by artisanal drum roasting! The artisanal coffee roasting then ensures that the end result in your cup particularly finely nuanced notes and aromas contains! Let's compare the differences between artisanal and industrial roasting processes!
Industrial roasting process: In industrial coffee roasting, the beans are processed in a much shorter time because a higher temperature is used. The roasting process takes between 2 and 7 minutes and is carried out at a temperature between 400 and 800 degrees. The advantage of industrial coffee roasting in barrel roasters is the amount that can be processed in one day. Of course, this also pushes the price down, which unfortunately also affects the quality of the coffee. Due to the extremely high temperatures parts of the bean tend to burn , and it can also happen that the bean It looks roasted on the outside but is still completely raw on the inside . In addition, the coffee must be roasted be cooled down quickly so that it does not "sag" - In cooking, this process would be called post-cooking. It simply means that after roasting, it is roasted further and does not maintain the desired roasting level . After coffee roasting, the beans are therefore sprayed with water . This also ensures that the coffee slightly acidic notes developed .
Artisanal roasting process: When roasting coffee by hand, however, different rules apply. The green coffee is roasted particularly gently and over a longer period of time. When roasting coffee by hand, lower temperatures are used and the beans are given more time. This allows the beans to develop their excellent notes perfectly. The artisanal roasting process takes 10 to 20 minutes and works with temperatures of around 220 degrees. After the coffee has been roasted, the beans are placed in a special sieve, where they are cooled to the desired temperature within a minute. This step ensures that the targeted degree of roasting is actually achieved, because even with artisanal coffee roasting, the beans could otherwise "suck". In our roastery, we work with two roasters: the IMF RM60 and the Loring S35 Kestrel.
Roasting coffee – the roasting process!
When roasting coffee, the beans go through various phases that involve physical and chemical processes. Yes... roasting coffee is actually an art in itself and is almost like a science.
At the beginning of the roasting process, the green bean loses most of its remaining liquid content. Therefore, the beginning, i.e. the first phase of coffee roasting, also known as the drying phase . Gradually, the the color of the coffee bean , this a yellowish tone accepted, the Maillard phase . The carbohydrates and amino acids react with each other. Slowly the sugar molecules begin to caramelize - Melanoidins are produced, which are responsible for the beans taking on their familiar brown colour. These 3 phases contribute significantly to the body and the excellent taste.
The temperature in the roaster and in the bean rises steadily. This means that the coffee is exposed to more and more pressure, as steam and carbon dioxide are produced. If the bean can no longer withstand the pressure, you will hear it break slightly. In the technical language of coffee roasting, this is known as the first crack. Maybe you have heard this term before?
After the first crack, the development phase begins! The name says it all, because now the complex taste worlds of coffee Each country's coffee now develops its typical notes. To preserve the unique taste, the the roasting process ends shortly after the first crack . Depending on the country of origin and variety, the coffee still has a relatively high acidity and fruity notes. However, coffee from other countries also has sweet, berry notes. The longer the roasting process takes, the darker the beans become. The result is chocolatey, nutty aromas that we expect in an espresso.
Coffee Roasting - Traditional Roasting
Did you know that a few years ago coffee was still roasted at home? The roasting of coffee was carried out in so-called Roasting pans on the stove, which was fired with wood or coal. Coffee roasting at home was actually until the 1950s The excellent aroma produced during the roasting process was widespread in residential areas at that time. However, the coffee was roasted too unevenly and some beans burned. That's why the coffee didn't taste particularly good back then, compared to today. But with the start of the economic miracle, the in-house coffee roasting was stopped. From then on, coffee roasting was done in large industrial roasters. The smaller ball roasters did exist before, but they were not nearly as established as they are today, for example!
Coffee Roasting - The Taste of Coffee
Anyone who expects that creating a roasting profile once is enough when roasting coffee is wrong! Coffee is changing, just as our nature is changing. This means that the different harvests always taste different! The aim of our roasting masters Hardi & Stalti is to to get the best out of each individual type of green coffee . The roasting process is supported by a computer-aided software called Cropster, which helps the roasting master to achieve a consistent roasting curve and thus a balanced taste. We want to guarantee you perfect coffee enjoyment!
Conclusion!
Coffee roasting is not only a passion, but also a science. Objectively speaking, various chemical and physical processes are associated with coffee roasting. It takes a lot Passion, patience, skill and of course experience to achieve a quality, excellent end result. When roasting coffee, three different phases are passed through: Drying phase, Maillard phase and the development phase . In short, in the first phase the coffee loses its remaining liquid, then it changes its color from green to a yellowish tone and finally to the well-known brown color. In the last phase, After the first crack , it develops its unique taste, which also develops the country-specific tasty notes. The result of a gentle long-term roasting in the drum roaster is then a particularly tasty coffee that shines with finely nuanced notes.
