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The roasting of coffee is an intensely dynamic combination of art and science wherein a batch of raw, green coffee beans is transformed into a caramelized, aromatic state which can be ground, brewed, and enjoyed. The goal of the Roaster is to unlock the many potential flavors that lie dormant within the green beans to achieve a delicate, nuanced, and balanced cup that best showcases the characteristics that make each particular coffee unique.
We refer to both the men who operate them and the machines themselves as “roasters”; indeed, we couldn’t have one without the other. Like a skilled painter or professional athlete, our Roasters respond to a number of factors and react intuitively, drawing from their knowledge of green coffee and its inherant potential. Each day, one of our Roasters (the operator’s will hereafter be referred to with a capital “R”), calculates how much of each coffee is needed to fill the orders. Every roast is tailored to the individual needs of the coffee that is being roasted, as each coffee is treasured for its own specific traits and qualities. (A Sumatra might be roasted a bit longer in order to bring out its syrupy, full-bodied earthiness, where a Costa Rica might need less time to preserve its bright, high notes.)
We are currently operating three gas-powered Ideal Rapid Gothot roasters: a 23-kilo and two 90-kilos. These machines date from the 1950’s, and were handcrafted from cast-iron and steel in Stuttgart, Germany.
Very basically, they work by spinning green coffee beans in a large, continuously turning drum heated from jets of flame which are shot into the canister that houses the drum (not directly onto the beans). A typical roast takes approximately 15 minutes. The temperature begins at 440 degrees Fahrenheit, is then dropped down to around 200 and brought back up gradually to 440. A fan pulls away smoke and fumes, and large afterburners located above the roasters, burn off any remaining smoke, matter, or chaff. Throughout the process of each roast cycle, the Roasters respond to both the machine and the beans within; they are constantly checking gas levels, time, and temperature, as well as the color, sound, and aroma of the beans. A few minutes, or even seconds, can reduce a bright, medium-bodied bean with distinct blackberry flavor notes to a flat, paper-tasting brew. If the temperature is too low, the oils will not come to the surface of the bean and the end product will taste starchy and lifeless.
A number of chemical reactions occur during this process, during which the beans change from their original pale green to a golden yellow, then orange, and eventually a deep, chocolate brown. A French or Italian Roast almost burns the beans, turning them black with carbon. At about 380 degrees, and approximately 10 minutes into the roast, "first pop" occurs, during which water vapors leaving the bean rupture the cellular structure, causing an audible crack. Aromatic oils continue to work their way to the surface of the beans, and a few minutes later, “Second pop” is heard as these oils heat up. During the final minute, flavor nuances in the coffee are coaxed into the spotlight as the beans are skillfully guided towards a delicate balance of acidity, body, and subtleties of flavor. When the coffee reaches this elusive pinnacle of development, beans are released and rapidly air-cooled to halt the process. |
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