Roasting FAQ
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Roasting
Do we need to check with the health board to roast & sell coffee beans?
Do green beans shrink when roasted, or is there weight loss in a roasted bean?
I have had different coffees from different parts of the world, but did not realize that Bolivia had so many different varieties. What are your suggestions be for roast levels for Bolivian coffees?
Bolivian coffees have wonderful fruity, floral acidity, which gets overpowered with darker roasts. Our preference is around a City+ for a roasting level.
Regarding using one of your coffees as a base for blending, would the AA work, or should I go with the AAA? Would there be a detectable difference in quality when mixed with other beans? What is the difference between the two?
If you are going to blend I would recommend you start with the Superior (AA). It is a very good coffee and you will be saving some money. Unless you are an experienced, well trained cupper, you will probably not be able to tell the difference between the Superior (AA) and the Cumbre (AAA), even more so if you use them in a blend. We prefer to use the Cumbre (AAA) as a single origin (not a blend) because we like to maintain its unique flavor characteristics. It actually makes a wonderful single origin espresso.
Would you recommend your AAA coffee or the AA coffee for someone who likes a City+ to Full City roast? I notice that you recommend the AAA for espresso but didn't know how roasting to the above choices would change the cup. Also, I noticed that the AAA is being shipped in a vacuum sealed bag while the organic is being shipped in a burlap sack. Would I be correct in assuming that the AAA should be stored in burlap after arrival?
Yes I would wholeheartedly recommend both our Superior (AA) and Cumbre (AAA)coffee beans for a City+ or Full City roast. You raise a good question that is often complicated by confusion about terms. Espresso is a way of brewing coffee, not a way of roasting coffee. Most people assume that "espresso" is a kind of a roast. It is not. You can use any roast to make espresso. However, the espresso drink comes out better with darker roasts (but not too dark). I recommend our Cumbre (AAA) for espresso because being a harder (denser), higher-altitude bean, it can tolerate the added heat and not lose its great fruity acidity that it is normally lost when roasting too dark, most other coffee beans. Because of its higher quality (and cost), our Cumbre (AAA) beans are shipped in a vacuum-packed lined, foil bag, while our Superior(AA) coffee beans are shipped in a burlap bag. The main reason we use vacuum-packed bags for our higher-quality beans is because we want to avoid the drastic humidity changes that occur when the coffee-laden vessels pass the Equator (where humidity can reach 100%). Once you can settle your green coffee beans in a cool, dry and airy storage area, burlap bag storage is good for about 9 months, while vacuum-packed can last for years. So in a few words, it will be fine to store our Cumbre (AAA) in a burlap bag as long as it is in a cool, dry, airy place. (e.g. kitchen cupboard). Hope this helps.
Hi, I recently purchased 8 lbs. of your AAA coffee beans and am quite pleased with them. Can you tell me the actual difference in the cupping of the AA verses AAA? is there really much difference in flavor? Please try to explain, thanks.
I believe only the trained coffee drinker can find much of a difference between our Superior (AA) and Cumbre (AAA) beans. A trained professional cupper can find enough nuances and taste attributes that induces her/him to rate the Cumbre higher in the cupping score. Usually the difference in those attributes are the intensity of the fruity flavor, the depth of the cool down (as the coffee swirls around cooling off in your mouth), the aftertaste sensation and the different flavor modalities as the coffee cools down. When cupping, you will notice that different coffees change flavor as they cool down (some get better, some get worse). All this makes a difference for the ultimate cupping score. I would recommend that you try both. At the end of the day, you drink coffee because you enjoy it, not because an expert tells you that this coffee or that coffee is good. If you can't really tell a difference, buy the Superior and save yourself some money!
Hi, I'm a novice and just bought a roaster from you. What is the best coffee for espresso and do you recommend a particular espresso machine?
For espresso, we recommend our Cumbre Premium (AAA) Grade. It is a higher altitude (harder and denser) bean, which means it can take the additional heat and roast up quite nicely dark. I would recommend you start with an inexpensive (under $300) home espresso machine and if you still like it and use it a lot, consider buying a more expensive and sophisticated one. By then you will know much more about coffee and would feel more comfortable (or not) about spending the extra money. Remember that for espresso, you need a burr grinder. We sell the Hearthware and the Zach & Danni. I would recommend the Hearthware. It costs a little bit more, but has a bigger, better electric motor.
Do you have any recommendations on a roasting program/profile for a dark espresso roast using your Cumbre Supremo coffee? Sweet Maria's suggests that coffees from a lower climate like Brazil should have a slower start (cooler temperatures at first). I don't know if this is true for Bolivian as well?
For an espresso roast using our Cumbre Supremo (A4) grade coffee beans, I would not get it very dark (half way between first and second crack). My philosophy is to get the beans as hot as possible as quickly as possible and keep the heat up there until the desired degree of "roastness". I (like the northern Italians) prefer my espresso roast moderately dark (no hints of oil on the beans). Bolivia coffee beans are harder and denser (higher altitude) than Brazilian beans, and can take the added heat, so I would not start them slow (cooler). Hope this helps.
It is my understanding that roasting a batch total of 300 grams of 4 different green coffee beans at once (using the Gene Cafe roaster) is not a problem and will produce good results, similar to an industrial drum roaster. Is this correct?
From conversations with commercial roasters and our own experience, we know that it is better to roast different coffees separately and them blend the roasted coffees, as opposed to roasting a green coffee blend. The more uniform the coffee (size, hardiness, density, terroir) the better the roast comes out. To bring out the best flavors of a coffee, you need to find its own best roasting profile, which you can't do with already blended green coffees.
Just started using the home roasting machine that I bought from you, and was wondering if you knew how we can make flavored coffee, like a vanilla or hazelnut?
Sure, it's easy. Buy your favorite flavored syrup (e.g. Torani), add the amount desired to your freshly-roasted coffee, and mix. That is all! For best results, add the flavoring syrup after the coffee has gotten a chance to de-gas (4 to 6 hours after roasting), but not too long after that.
I was wondering why I didn't notice some of the flavor characteristics such as chocolate, honeysuckle, and melon. I understand that these are opinions of tasters, but I did expect at least hints of these flavors. These descriptions were why I purchased the quantities I did. Don't get me wrong, its very good coffee, the roaster works great, and I don't regret my purchase, I guess I just expected the flavors that written about each of the three different coffees. I've tried a lot of different roast times and temperatures as well and I can see how this affects the outcome. If you could give me advice on perfecting the flavors I would appreciate it.
There are two issues that we need to separate, which I believe may be causing some confusion. There are "flavored coffees" which have flavor syrups added to them after roasting which make the added flavor overpower the natural flavor of coffee and really stand out. For example Hazelnut, Vanilla, or the funky "triple mambo strawberry, kiwi, chocolate". We do not sell such "flavored coffees", where you will in fact easily notice the advertised flavor.
Our coffees, however, are natural without any 'outside" flavor added. Hence, such flavors are very nuanced, and usually only easily recognized by trained, experienced cuppers that evaluate "pure" coffee. So with our coffees, for example, it is relatively easy to discover the chocolate flavor (many professional cuppers and plain coffee lovers have told us), but not so easy to "discover" the other fruity flavors like honeysuckle and melon. We add such taste descriptions directly from the notes of professional coffee cuppers that have (independently and blindly) evaluated our coffee samples. With some experience and training you will be able to discover other flavors as well. A current recurring natural flavor is cocoa, for example.
You are doing the right thing by trying different roasting temperatures and times to obtain the described flavors. Remember, however, that such flavors are very subtle, rarely pronounced and some tasters notice them more that others. In a way, it is no different that good wine tasting. Different people get different flavor nuances and consequently not everyone describes the "top" wines the same. The same is true with high-quality coffee.
I have what might be a stupid question, but could you tell me if the coffee we get from you, Premium Extra (A) can be used for espresso? If not, can you recommend a product we could purchase?
There is no such a thing as an stupid question! The quick answer is yes, you can use our Bolivia Premium Extra (A) for espresso and it will be a nice one. Contrary to popular belief, espresso is not a coffee bean or a type of roast. It is a way or making (brewing) coffee. Consequently, any coffee bean can be used to make espresso. The only restriction on making espresso, because of the added pressure and quickness of contact between water and coffee grounds, is that you do not use light-roasted coffee or very dark (oily) coffee. However, the better coffee bean you use, and the more judiciously roasted coffee you use, the better your espresso will be. I personally prefer moderately dark roasted coffee (just after second crack) for my espresso. While you can successfully use our Premium Extra(A) beans to make espresso, we recommend our Bolivia Cumbre (AAA) beans as a single-origin espresso. Our Cumbre is higher-altitude, denser, higher-quality beans that make up an awesome espresso, if I may say so. It is definitely worth the extra money.
I like what is called "breakfast blend" coffee. If I start roasting my own coffee, could you tell me how I can make breakfast blend?
Roast the coffee medium (the color of chocolate) and use good, uniform coffee beans like our Superior (AA) grade. Enjoy!
Do we need to check with the health board to roast & sell coffee beans?
This depends on the health regulations in your town, and the size of your roasting operation. Home roasters and small operations generally do not require specific board of health approvals.
This is our 1st attempt to home roast. What roast is recommended ( dark, medium, or light)? How long do you wait after roasting to brew coffee?
I would start with a medium roast and then based on your taste preferences make it lighter or darker. There is no general agreement on how long after you roast your coffee you can brew it. The range is from four hours to five days. Even though you could enjoy your coffee right after you roast it, it will taste better if you let it de-gas first (let the CO2 escape). I personally would not brew any coffee until eight hours after roasting. Overnight tends to be the most common denominator. Just roast today what you will brew tomorrow.
Do green beans shrink when roasted, or is there weight loss in a roasted bean?
Yes, green coffee beans when roasted gain volume and lose weight. The "normal" roasting shrinkage is 12 to 18%. The darker the roast, the more weight you lose and volume you gain. Since roasted coffee is sold by weight (not volume), this is one of the reasons why dark roasts are usually sold for a higher price. It takes more green coffee!