Sunday, September 14, 2014

Specialty Coffee Roasters Available Online

By Kerri Stout


Coffee beans grown in different micro-climates are distinctive from one another and this is just one of the factors that affects their quality. Plant a great variety in the wrong soil or at the wrong altitude and the resulting product is inferior. Roasting is another factor that affects quality and modern specialty coffee roasters allow for more control over the roasting process. Despite the fact that these machines are usually user-friendly, it takes technical skill and experience to take the best varieties and reveal their full potential by roasting.

The modern, computerized machines used for roasting today are quite different from those used in the past but the basic principle remains the same. Drum and hot-air machines are most commonly used. Drum machines have horizontal rotating drums and the beans tumble around in these while heat is applied. A hot-air roaster forces hot air through a perforated plate or screen under the beans and they are lifted on a currant of air.

The modern machines vary in the level of control that can be exercised. It is possible to operate them manually or use semi-automatic and automatic control. They also vary in capacity with some designed to handle high volumes and others to handle medium sized or small volumes. They have various ways of monitoring times, temperatures and color development.

A chemical process takes place when beans are heated. They are transformed from being green and spongy to brown and crunchy, developing flavor in the process. They have to be brought to a high temperature quickly and then cooled down rapidly. A few seconds too long at a certain temperature and a batch can be ruined.

There are many variables that have to be taken into account in the roasting process. Some of these are the moisture content, the batch size, the start temperature and the cooling time. Times and measurements are taken before, during and after the roasting process and recorded.

Color changes occur as the beans are heated. They first turn yellow and then begin browning. Some roasts are light brown, others are medium or medium-dark and others are dark. The beans also start producing a cracking sound when roasted. The times at which the cracks occur and for how long is measured. A bean swells and increases in size when heated but it loses moisture. The amount of moisture lost can be established by taking weight measurements before and after roasting.

Adjustments are made to times and temperatures in order to fully capture the sweetness, acidity or body of a certain variety. A roast profile is created for each variety and this helps to establish consistency between different batches. Each type of roast is given a special name.

Coffees are coming into their own as complex and flavorful beverages. Companies, both large and small, are devoted to producing the best quality roasts and selling equipment for roasting. The perfect roast is very much a matter of personal taste. It is possible to find excellent roasts online and they come in types to suit many different tastes, varying from light and medium to medium-dark or dark. One can also shop for the most modern roasting machines, easily comparing types and prices.




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