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Roasting Coffee Beans

March 7th, 2010    Subscribe To Our Feed

To achieve a good coffee bean roast you have to start with coffee beans that have been skillfully selected and dried.

Some bean processors use a wash to remove the fleshy fruit from the bean and to separate different kinds of beans. Density differences in the bean will cause some to float higher, making for easier removal or separation. Others use a slower, more expensive dry-process.

Dry-processed beans will have a more subtle acid profile, while the acidity of wet-processed beans is more striking. Some acidity in coffee is desirable. The alternative is a flat, lifeless cup.

What happens to beans as they heat up during roasting?

During the process aromatics and acids, along with other flavor compounds, are produced in varying concentrations.

During the first stage the beans absorb heat and the green beans are slowly dried to a yellowish tinge. ‘Green’ doesn’t refer to the color, per se, but simply to the beans being unroasted or raw. Properly done, the beans will have an odor reminiscent of toast or popcorn.

From about 170°C-200°C (338°F-392°F) sugars in the bean will begin to caramelize, aided by the increase in temperature of the moisture enclosed by the skin. That’s just one reason it’s important that beans have the proper moisture content, which comes from correct drying. Caramelized sugars are less sweet, so reaching the proper amount is important for the final brew.

At about 205°C (400°F), beans will expand to about double their original size and become light brown, simultaneously losing about 5% of their original weight. As the temperature rises to about 220°C (428°F), beans will lose about 13% more weight and release some CO2.

When the temperature increases to around 230°C (446°F), the roasting beans become medium-dark brown and take on an oily sheen. Often there will be a loud pop as the beans enter the ’second crack’ phase.

Here roasters have to be very cautious not to overdo it. Volatile aromatic compounds are boiled off and the oils on the outside of the bean can combine with oxygen in the air. That process can strip the bean of desirable flavors and lead to a burnt taste.

The goal is to arrive at just the right balance of bitterness, acidity and a host of other attributes making up the final flavor profile.

In tasting guides coffee connoisseurs will sometimes see the term ‘body’, as if its meaning were self-evident. ‘Body’ despite what it suggests, does NOT refer to the actual thickness or viscosity of the liquid. That attribute is the result of the kinds of proteins and fibers in the brew.

Used as tasters do, it refers to the feel on the tongue when rubbed on the roof of the mouth. It’s the result of the fat content in the drink and that - apart from growing conditions that home roasters can’t control - is determined largely by the roasting.

Too light a roast will leave too high a concentration of bitter compounds in the final product. Too dark will produce an excessively chocolatey, burnt taste. Experiment until you find the balance that suits your taste.

The Basics of Coffee Bean Roasting

March 2nd, 2010    Subscribe To Our Feed

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.

A variety of roaster types are available, but even a frying pan or popcorn popper can be used. Be sure to start with ultra-clean equipment, though. Nothing spoils the taste of coffee like left over fish oils or butter.

Dark roasts contain a little less caffeine than lighter roasts, but they lack the acid taste of the latter. Be sure to start with quality beans, of course!

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.

Put the beans in the roaster and turn up the heat! (Take care to be ready to temporarily disable those over-sensitive home fire alarms.)

For some roasters, the thermometer is built-in, but you may want to have an extra for when it’s open, or for those frying pan experiments. Candy making thermometers work well for the 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 they begin to heat up, moisture - both oil and water - will put pressure on the bean surface and you may hear a loud crack when it bursts. Not to worry, this is normal. Stirring every 30 seconds or more, you’ll hear this after four to seven minutes of heating.

The sugars inside will begin to caramelize (turn brown and ‘burn’ slightly) as the roasting continues. Again the degree is a matter of taste. Check the color every 30 seconds or so.

Roast long enough and sometimes a second loud crack will occur. At this stage the beans will be quite dark and for some palates a little overdone. Beyond the second crack you’re really just burning the beans and boiling away the sugars. The results will be too harsh for most.

Pour into a metal colander to cool, then agitate. Since the roasting process produces chaff (a fine skin that detaches from the bean as they’re agitated), you’ll want some method for removing it. Mesh cooking screens are one option.

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 happens quickly!

What to look for when picking the perfect Coffee Grinder

March 1st, 2010    Subscribe To Our Feed

Coffee beans, like any food product, oxidize when exposed to air. The grounds, since they have a much larger relative surface area than the bean, and no covering, suffer this effect even more. Grinding beans at home produces the least exposure to air and the freshest grounds. And you can grind only what you immediately need.

But nothing is without its price. Grinding is time consuming and messy, so if you choose to invest the effort to reap the reward, pick the best you can afford.

Grinders fall into three broad categories - burr, blade and crusher.

The third type is some kind of mashing device, often an ancient-style mortar and pestle. These crush the beans, which is difficult and produces a very uneven sized granule. Not recommended where you have a choice.

The blade grinders don’t actually grind at all, they chop. A whirling blade slices the beans into smaller and smaller sections until they approach something like a small grain. Unfortunately, the grains are invariably too large and of inconsistent size.

As a consequence the surface areas of the granules vary, releasing varying amounts of flavor oils when brewed. Another effect of slicing is often the production of excess heat, as a result of the high speed of the blades. That friction warms the grounds and partially dissipates the aroma.

The first type is the first choice. Burr grinders have a pair of motor driven plates with pyramid-shaped teeth that grind the beans to a consistent, small-but-not-too-small granule. The better models allow adjusting the size of the grain and the speed of the grinding.

Adjusting the size is important in order to ‘fine tune’ the grounds to allow just the desired brew. Controlling the speed keeps the warming effect to a minimum.

Even burr grinders fall into two classes - the conical burr grinder is preferred by real coffee aficionados. Though noisier, they allow the most control of grain size and speed.

Good conical burr grinders can rotate as slowly as 500rpm. By contrast other burr grinders spin at 10,000rpm or higher, blades between 20-30,000rpm. That allows very fine control and little heat. The fine grind is especially important for Turkish-style brews. Some grinders have a continuous dial, others have a series of up to 40 steps to adjust the granule size.

Beyond those broad attributes, the home barista will want to look for solid construction, ease of cleaning and low noise. A cleaning brush and removable upper burrs is essential. Different materials used can also affect how much static electricity is produced - that causes the grains to stick to the burrs and container.

A timer switch and auto-shutoff is a nice addition and being able to see the beans as well as the grounds is helpful for judging the results in the grinder. Dark plastic or glass may be aesthetically appealing but it obscures the view. Grounds can change color slightly depending on the fineness.

Read reviews and be prepared to spend a little more and you’ll be rewarded with the freshest, most flavorful cup.

Bon cafetite!

Make your own Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

January 1st, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

When I first started drinking coffee, it was either instant or putting coffee beans into your coffee machine. It has all moved on now, yes, you can still get a simple coffee, but now the coffee lover has a choice of many flavors and variations.

The list is endless
Some of those varieties of flavors include caramel macchiato, white chocolate coffee, pumpkin spice, etc. It seems that the list of flavorful possibilities is endless.

Additionally, a real treat for chocolate lovers and coffee drinkers is chocolate covered coffee beans. Any reputable coffee specialty store or Internet web site supplier can make these chocolate covered coffee beans available to the consumer. However, those individuals who are adventuresome and want to make homemade chocolate covered coffee beans the process is fairly simple.

That process involves the following 1.Selection the coffee beans 2.Buy the Chocolate and following the steps in making this delectable treat.

1. Select of Coffee Beans

The key ingredient that is the difference between good and excellent homemade chocolate covered coffee beans is the selection of the right coffee bean. Therefore, it is important to buy coffee beans that are of optimum quality.

High-quality coffee beans can be purchased at grocery stores, but probably a better place to purchase the coffee beans would be a coffee specialty store. In addition, the Internet can prove to be a smart place to shop especially if the individual has discerning tastes for quality and wishes to have a variety of coffee beans to choose from.

2. Select the Chocolate

The next important step in making homemade chocolate covered coffee beans is the selection of chocolate. The best type of chocolate to choose it is that chocolate that made specifically for dipping. In addition, the selection of chocolate to be used for the dipping process can include chocolate chips and squares.

Once the type of chocolate has been selected the next step is to choose your favorite chocolate flavor. Examples of choices available include white chocolate, milk chocolate as well as the dark or semi-sweet chocolate.

3. How to make the Chocolate Coffee Beans

Once the coffee beans have been selected and you have decided on your choice of chocolate it is time to begin the dipping process of making chocolate covered coffee beans. That process begins with melting the chocolate.

When melting the chocolate it is important to keep in mind two important considerations. The first consideration is to make sure that you do not burn your chocolate. Therefore, it is important to melt the chocolate at a proper temperature. That melting temperature should be at a low heat and the melting chocolate should be stirred often.

Another consideration is to make sure that you do not mix water with the chocolate. This combination will produce lumps in the melted chocolate mixture.

Once the chocolate has been completely melted the coffee beans can be dipped in to the chocolate. After the coffee beans have been dipped into the chocolate they need to be set aside in order for the chocolate to harden. This process can be accelerated by placing the chocolate covered coffee beans in the refrigerator.

Once you have done this you will have the some fantastic chocolate covered coffee beans to enjoy. If your looking for the best coffee you have ever tasted I would recommend having a look at Mystic Monk Coffee that is roasted by monks passionate about coffee.

When Roasting what Green Coffee Beans should you choose

August 18th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

If like me, you have trouble functioning in the morning till you have had a good cup of coffee, nothing worse than having a poor coffee in the morning. I personally enjoy it with black with sugar, while others add milk or cream, or have the coffee with nothing added.

For most people their mornign coffee is simply brewed at home using an automatic coffeemaker or by purchasing a cup of coffee down at the local diner or local coffee shop on their way to work. It may then come as a surprise to you that the original color of the coffee bean is not brown, but green. Brown is the color that the coffee bean takes on after it has been roasted.

Many coffee lovers are nowadays choosing to roast their own coffee beans. Therefore, the selection of good green coffee beans is paramount and when selecting green coffee beans there are certain factors to consider. Those factors include the actual look of the bean where the green coffee beans were grown, and the best ways to purchase this product.

What to look for in your Green Bean

Some points to consider when when selecting green coffee beans to roast is the appearance of the bean.
Shape and Size:
The green coffee beans that are selected should be uniform in their . This is due to the fact that when you begin to roast the beans there should be uniformity in that roasting process. This uniformity will allow for a consistent tasting cup of coffee.
The Color:
It is important that the color of the coffee bean is uniform as well. Any unevenness in the color may suggest a problem experienced when the coffee bean was dried. This unevenness in color may produce an unbalanced favor.

Where does the coffee bean come from?

Green coffee beans can be harvested from countries all over the world, so it is important to find out where it has come from. For example green coffee beans can be obtained from the mountains of Columbia to the mountains of Hawaii. Obviously, the flavors differ in taste depending upon where the coffee bean is grown.

In addition, decaffeinated green coffee beans can be obtained from countries such as Costa Rica, Columbia, Guatemala, etc.

Where can you Find Green Coffee Beans

If in the market for green coffee beans the best way to shop and select this product is by searching the Internet. In addition, contact the local specialty coffee shop and ask for their input regarding the purchase of green coffee beans. Also, if you know of individuals who roast their own green coffee beans ask them for their opinion regarding their favorite bean as well as where they purchased those coffee beans.

If you have a look on the internet,many companies offer sampler packages so you can try before you buy. Generally these packs will contain a variety of green coffee beans from various parts of the world. Having this variety allows you to sample a variety of green beans from growing regions around the world. If your looking for the best coffee you have ever tasted I would recommend having a look at Mystic Monk Coffee that is roasted by monks passionate about coffee.

What are The Different Types Of Coffee

August 11th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

When your waiting to order your coffee in your local coffee shop, the amount of different types of coffee can be bewildering, and make it difficult to choose the coffee drink you actually want. As you probably know there is a wide range of types of coffee, and it is not only limited to the drink itself. The choice begins with two different types of coffee bean, that can then be roasted in a variety of methods.

Become an informed coffee coniseour

After reading this article you will be be able to confidently place your order and know what sets your choice apart from all of the other different types of coffee. Instead of ordering something simply because you like the flavour.

What are The Different Types Of Coffee Bean

In commercial coffee production there are two types of beans used, they are the Arabica and the Robusta

The Arabica coffee bean

This bean is grown at high altitudes, usually ranging from 1000 to 2000 meters. This type of coffee bean is considered to be superior to the Robusta species due to its lingering caramel aftertaste, delicate flavor, and refined aroma. However, it has a lower yield and contains less caffeine than its counterpart.

The Robusta coffee bean
This bean is grown at lower altitudes, and it has both a higher yield and caffeine content than Arabica coffee beans. It has a strong flavor, and it is commonly used in instant coffee.

How are the beans roasted

How the bean is roasted can make a huge difference to the taste of the coffee. These range from the American roast, to Italian roast, to European roast, to instant coffee. So what iss the difference between these types of coffee?

The American Roast
The American roast is a medium roasted and this gives it a mild flavor.
The French Roast
In contrast the French Roast coffee beans, are heavily roasted and produce a much stronger tasting brew.

The European roast
The European roast is different in that it is created by combining two-thirds of heavily roasted beans with one-third of a regular roast. A variation on this is the Viennese roast which is comprised of one-third heavily roasted beans and two-thirds regular roasted beans.

The Choice

If your like me when you enter a coffee shop your head starts to spin at all the choices, latte, mocha, etc etc. They all sound exotic and full of promise, but what are you actually getting.

The short black coffee is a standard espresso, consisting of dark coffee with rich cream. To make this a latte you serve it with milk and a small head of froth instead of cream.

The macchiato may sound complicated, but in reality the it is really as simple as adding a dash of milk to an espresso. While a cappuccino is an espresso with dense, frothy milk and chocolate powder on top. Lastly, a mocha is an espresso mixed with hot chocolate and served with steamed milk.

Time to decide

As you can see there are a number of different types of coffee available to you, but once you get passed all the exotic names, it is not hard to understand all the different factors that make up your coffee. So when your next the coffee shop, armed with this information, why not try something new. If your looking for the best coffee you have ever tasted I would recommend having a look at Mystic Monk Coffee that is roasted by monks passionate about coffee.

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