Roasting Coffee Beans Is So Easy
Home wine makers will be happy to hear that roasting coffee beans is even easier - and the results are often as good as the pros.
There is a wide choice of roasters available. Everyday kitchen equipment such as popcorn maker or frying pans can be used. The most important thing is to make sure the equipment is clean. Left over butter or oils could really affect the taste of the coffee.
Lighter roasts contain slightly more caffeine than dark roasts, and they can also have more of an acidic taste than dark roasts. Which ever beans you chose be sure to chose the best you can afford.
The beans will need to heat to between 460F (223C) and 530F (262C), so be prepared for some smoke. That’s easily taken care of with a small room fan or stove top exhaust. Beyond the smoke there will be an odor, so your first experiments should probably be done with the windows open and no one home.
Get those beans in your roaster and turn the heat up until it is really hot. (Disabling your home fire alarms for a little while may be a good idea).
Many roasters have an in-built thermometer, but having an extra thermometer may be a good idea when you use the frying pan method. Candy making thermometers are ideal for this purpose.
During the process those green beans will turn yellow, then brown. How brown depends on how dark you like your roast, which is always an individual choice.
As the bean begins to get hot, pressure will build up on the surface of the bean and after a while you will hear a loud crack as the bean bursts. This should happen around four to seven minutes after your begin roasting the beans. This sound is normal so don’t be alarmed. Just remember to keep stirring the beans so they don’t stick and get burnt.
As the sugars in the beans heat up they will begin to caramelize (this means the beans turn brown and ‘burn’ a little). The caramelization needs to be to your own personal taste. Remember to check the beans every 30 seconds or so.
Continuing to roast the beans will sometimes result in a second loud crack. By now the beans will be very dark, some people will consider them to be overdone. Roasting after the second crack will just burn the beans and make the result too harsh to drink.
Transfer the beans to a metal colander, then agitate them. The reason you need to agitate the beans is to remove the fine skin ‘chaff’ that results from roasting. Once this skin is removed the beans are ready to use.
Try a few batches with varying degrees of time or darkening. Experiment to get the flavor you like. Keep in mind that the heat trapped in the bean will continue to cook it for a short while, so try stopping a little short of your desired end goal.
For the popcorn popper style roasting, be sure to get one that allows you to stir up the beans to keep them moving around and not sticking to the surfaces. For the stove top style, a cast iron skillet works great. Be prepared for lots of stirring and viewing. Roasting coffee beans happens quickly!
Posted
on Friday, September 19th, 2008 at 7:42 am and is filed under Beverages.
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