The Basics of Coffee Roasting

Nobody can claim to be a coffee connoisseur if they do not have any idea of even the basic processes of roasting coffee. It takes a lot of meticulous effort to transform simple coffee beans into the delicious and aromatic coffee blend that all of us enjoy.

For those who simply cannot stand drinking inferior instant coffee that comes in plastic packs, knowing the basics of coffee roasting will them make that perfect cup of coffee that will definitely perk up their mornings.

Before the roasting process, coffee cherries are selected carefully from the shrub-like trees. Cherries should be perfectly ripe, not rotten, and should not have any damage from insects, weather and rain, among other factors. The cherries are dried then the seeds are milled out once the right moisture content is reached.

Coffee roasting has several stages, and outcome and appearance will vary on the type of beans that are roasted.

Yellow Stage
Internal bean temperature is at 200-250 degrees Fahrenheit. At the first stage, the coffee produces a wet grassy smell. Steam will rise from the roaster as moisture is released from the beans. Beans will turn into an orange or tan color

Light Brown Stage
Internal bean temperature is at 250-300 degrees Fahrenheit. The coffee produces a smell similar to baked bread or toasted grain.

First Crack
Internal bean temperature is at 355 degrees Fahrenheit. The coffee starts to crack and expand in size. Moisture is released from the interior of the coffee and the seed open us to allow the remaining chaff to be released.

City Roast
Internal bean temperature is at 400-415 degrees Fahrenheit. The coffee browns up a little, gains a slightly rough texture and marked with darker lines. The origin character of the coffee is starting to show at this stage.

Full City Roast
Internal bean temperature is at 415-425 degrees and 430-445 degrees Fahrenheit. It is the physical fracturing of the coffee’s cellular matrix. The color is very much darker and the expansion in size is very noticeable.

I hope these coffee blending basics have helped.