Steps In Roasting Coffee

Coffee became popular after an Arab goat herder discovered the lively effect of coffee berries. He boiled it (same as roasting today) and tasted it. After that it was easily spread all throughout the Middle East, then Europe and America until it totally invaded the whole world.

Coffee berries will undergo different process of roasting before they will become the famous coffee of all time. This is a process in which aromatics and acids as well as other flavor components can be created, balanced or even altered in a way for a great flavor, acidity, aftertaste and body of the coffee as preferred by the coffee roaster. This article will give you an initial background on the process of roasting coffee beans.

Endothermic is the first stage in roasting coffee beans. From the red berries, it will be picked by hand and washed with freshwater to remove the remaining residue. The beans will be extracted. The green beans will slowly dry until it turns into yellow which begin to smell like toast or popcorn.

The next step is also called the first crack. Each bean will double its size from approximately 205C (400F), the color will become light brown and it loses weight of approximately 5%.

Then it will rise up to 220C and change its color to medium brown. Approximately 13% weight loss will occur because of the heated temperature. Characterized by a change in the chemical composition is called pyrolysis, a chemical process of the bean as well as the release of carbon dioxide.

After this step it is automatically followed by a short endothermic then immediately followed by another exothermic (second crack). On the second pyrolysis which occurs between 225-230C it will change its color from medium brown into medium-dark brown. The second pyrolysis is much quicker.

Maximizing in roasting will also maximize the sweetness and aroma of your coffee while the bitterness and acidity that is minimized is called Espresso potential. Most people prefer their coffee as black roast extreme but the espresso will never be delicious. And because of the unpopularity of straight espresso, the espresso based drinks such as milk or other flavors to replace the sweetness during dark roasting became popular.

Sugars in coffee begin to caramelize from 170-200C. And coffee will be labeled into light, medium light, medium dark, dark or very dark as preferred by the coffee consumer. Lighter coffee has more caffeine than the darker roast coffee because of it's smoother with less fiber for your everyday diet.