Nowadays, finding enough information to determine the correct grind size for different coffee brewing methods is easy. However, choosing the right roast profile for coffee can often be confusing.
What does espresso roast or filter coffee roast mean? How can you be sure you're making the right choice when selecting a new specialty coffee? Do you really need a different roast for each brewing method? What is the difference between the various roast levels available on the market?
Roast Profile : What should you know about roasting when it comes to specialty coffee?
These are the questions we'll answer today. Here's what we'll cover:
What is a roast profile?
The roasting process
The difference between filter and espresso roasting
What is a Roast Profile: Achieving excellent, consistently high-quality coffee requires extensive expertise and a never-ending thirst for knowledge to find the perfect roast. For this reason, roasting coffee is considered a true art.
A roast profile is the recipe for roasting a specific type of green coffee beans, significantly affecting the coffee’s flavor characteristics. It contains all the critical parameters of the roasting process. Recording these parameters allows the roast master to replicate the same batch of beans and achieve the same result next time.
Key Roasting Parameters: In a specialty coffee roast profile, factors like batch size, the temperature of the green beans before placing them in the roasting drum, and the drum's pre-heating temperature are recorded, as well as important parameters during roasting, such as the temperature curve.
In addition to the roast profile, factors like origin, variety, and processing method of the beans also impact the flavor. The goal of a roast profile is to deliver consistent flavor and highlight the best attributes of the specialty coffee beans.
You can imagine how complex things can get when roasters use different specialty coffee beans each time, needing to adjust the roast profile to find what works best for each coffee.
Developing a Roast Profile: Roasters typically follow two methods to develop a roast profile for a specific coffee:
During cupping. They create a test roast, then taste the coffee to evaluate its potential. Based on the tasting results, they decide if they want to enhance this coffee.
Test roasting. Many roasters have small roasters dedicated to experiments, which are used to roast small batches and then taste the coffee to select the best roast.
The Roasting Process : Individual roast levels serve as indicators of coffee taste. Generally, coffee becomes more bitter the darker the roast. On the other hand, lighter roasted beans retain more moisture and emphasize the fruity character of the coffee.
In some regions, like Northern Europe, coffee enthusiasts prefer light roasts, while in other regions, coffee is roasted longer, giving it a slightly burnt, bitter taste. Many mistakenly believe this means the coffee is very strong, but in reality, it’s about flavor, not caffeine content.
The Crack : There are several ways to determine the current roast level of the beans. Visual assessment isn't enough; accurate determination relies on the bean’s temperature, aroma, color, and sound. The crack is a key indicator during roasting. It occurs when pressure builds inside the bean, causing it to pop—this is the "first crack."
The first crack signals progress in the roasting process. For a light roast, the roast is stopped at this stage. For very dark roasts, the roast continues until the "second crack," where the beans lose more water, and their cellular structure begins to burn.
Different Roast Levels : There are ten roast levels for coffee beans, ranging from light to dark:
Light Cinnamon: The beans are still light brown before the first crack.
Cinnamon: The first crack is heard, but the beans are still light brown.
New England: The light brown turns slightly darker.
American: The color becomes darker after the first crack.
City: The roast continues past the American roast.
Full City: Occurs before the second crack, with the beans darkening and oil starting to appear.
Viennese: The second crack begins, with more oil and the beans turning dark brown.
French: After the second crack, the beans get even darker, and more oil surfaces.
Italian: The beans take on a deep dark brown color and remain shiny due to the oil.
Napoli: The beans turn black, the last stage of roasting.
The Difference Between Filter and Espresso Roasting : Most bags of specialty coffee will indicate whether the coffee is intended for filter brewing or espresso. In theory, any coffee can be used for any brewing method, but the roast determines the flavor and the ideal preparation method.
Coffee roasted for filter brewing is roasted lighter and is best used for filter methods only. Espresso is roasted darker and is best prepared using an espresso machine, stovetop brewer, fully automatic machine, or AeroPress.
Omni Roasting: Omni roasting has become popular among coffee roasters. Omni roasting means the coffee is roasted in a way that allows it to be brewed as either filter coffee or espresso without losing flavor.
Omni roasting is based on the idea that well-roasted quality beans can showcase their unique flavors regardless of the brewing method. Ultimately, it all depends on "taste," not on how it’s roasted or brewed.
Conclusion: Do you need a different roast for each brewing method? It all depends on your taste in coffee. When buying specialty coffee, you can trust that roasters know what they’re doing and why they roast coffee the way they do.
If you prefer strong, bitter flavors in your coffee, dark roasts will suit you, while lighter roasts are perfect for those who enjoy light, fruity flavors.
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