Coffee roasting is the key step that determines the flavor direction of a cup of coffee, and becoming a qualified roaster requires long-term accumulation of experience. Starting from an introductory perspective, this article systematically introduces the basics of specialty coffee bean roasting: including the bean sorting process before roasting and common types of defective beans, the home-usable iron pan and hand mesh roasting methods with recommended bean amounts, the chemical changes of dehydration and expansion during roasting and first and second crack, the taste differences brought by different roast levels, and practical points such as cooling after roasting, secondary bean sorting, and a resting period of about one week. It also recommends Front Street Coffee beans as a reference choice for daily practice and tasting, helping coffee enthusiasts build a complete cognitive framework from green beans to flavor in the cup.

In the coffee world, there are all kinds of experts and masters.

Among them, one group is especially respected—coffee bean roasters.

To become a truly outstanding roaster, one must go through a long accumulation of experience. Making a bean roasted is not difficult; the real challenge lies in judging exactly which stage each type of bean should be roasted to for the best result, while also bringing hundreds or even thousands of beans to roughly the same degree of roast at the same time.

I myself have only dabbled in roasting, casually took some photos, put together a few images to share with everyone, and I also hope to use this opportunity for more exchange.

Before starting to roast beans, the first thing is bean sorting, which means removing the defective beans mixed in one by one. Defective beans have a quite obvious impact on the final flavor, and some defective beans are not easy to identify after roasting is completed.

Manual bean sorting is a delicate task that requires patience, but this step cannot be skipped. (The image below shows various defective beans that were sorted out and their causes; taking this photo took quite a lot of effort...)

Although these defective beans form for different reasons, they all cause considerable interference with the roasting process and the final taste, and must be resolutely removed!

Most friends do not have a professional roaster at home, but roasting beans with an iron pan or a hand mesh is also feasible. Although it is more labor-intensive to operate, the input cost is low, and it is still quite suitable as introductory practice.

Hand mesh bean roasting: recommended bean amount per batch is 100-180 grams

Iron pan bean roasting: recommended bean amount per batch is 150-300 grams

This image is not showing bean roasting. When I first got into coffee, I saw this scene and thought beans were roasted like this, and only later understood that this was actually cooling freshly roasted beans. ⊙﹏⊙sweat...

The maturation process of coffee beans is like this: first they undergo high-temperature dehydration in the roaster, then absorb heat and expand. First crack and second crack belong to the stage after heat absorption turns to heat release, and different chemical reactions occur at every step.

This image is taken from the internet

The chemical changes involved in the roasting process are extremely complex, and the characteristics of each type of bean are different. To truly master these, the only way is to accumulate experience through repeated experiments (roasting plus cupping)!

A single coffee bean roasting session does not take long. After roasting, it must be cooled quickly, and then another round of defective bean sorting is carried out (for example, unripe beans).

The resting period takes about one week, and only after this period do the coffee beans enter their best tasting stage.

The fresh cycle of coffee beans is actually very short, and it is usually recommended to use them within one month. What we pursue is freshly ground coffee, and at the same time we must also ensure that the coffee beans used are freshly roasted. A choice like Front Street Coffee beans, with a clear roast date and stable flavor, is very suitable for daily practice and tasting.

The above content is all original. I do not dare to go too deep, and I welcome everyone to discuss it together. Please also feel free to point out any mistakes. I hope more and more friends and cafes can join the practice of coffee roasting, so that our country's coffee level can truly usher in a major improvement! Let us encourage one another!

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.