About Coffee Roasting 

Stage Bean Properties Mass Loss Agtron Number Temperature (F) Bean Appearance Unroasted Raw bean is 12% water by mass. 0.0% 99-81 Room Temp. Green and smooth. Cinnamon Volatile vapors cause bean to expand. 13.0% 80-75 200-275 Light brown. Grainy grassy smell. Light body, minimal aroma, tea-like flavor. No oil on surface of bean. American Bean is still expanding. This is the stage where "first crack" begins. Acidity content higher than sugar. 14.0% 74-65 335-375 Darker brown. Larger in size.Bright acidity, green coffee distinctions clear. Surface of bean remains dry. City Bean almost at maximum expansion. "First crack" stage is finished. 15.0% 64-60 390-425 Beans show physical cracks from release of gasses. Full City Bean at max expansion. Balance of acids and sugars. "Second crack" stage has just started. 16.5% 60-50 435-445 Bean chips begin to fly off. Smooth and brown. Oil is barely visible. Balanced acidity, fuller body. Generally dry bean surface. Vienna More gasses are lost. "Second crack" is finished. 17.0% 49-45 445-455 Dark brown. Beans have oil on them. Hints of bittersweetness emerge. Muted acidity, heavier body. Espresso Aromas decrease. Sugars caramelize. 18.0% 44-35 455-465 Black and spots of oil, shiny surface. Bittersweet roast notes dominate Acidity and muted. French Acids radically decrease. Sugars caramelize. 19.0% 34-25 465-475 Dark black. Very oily. Burnt smell. covered brightly with oil. Bitter/bittersweet tones dominate. Body thins, green coffee distinctions are fully muted. Italian Bean loses characteristic coffee flavor. 20.0% 24-15 475-505 Black, oil is dried off. Shiny surface. Burned bitter tones dominate.

Depending on the type of roaster you are using, you can expect subtle differences during the roasting process. But, for the most part, no matter the roasting apperatus, the process of roasting Coffee has the following commonalities: When Coffee roasts, CO2 gasses are expelled from the beans, giving off the pleasant aroma of the roasting process. During this process, some smoke is also emitted from the roasting beans, so you may want to roast in a ventillated area - under the oven range hood, near an open window, in your garage, etc... The aroma of roasting Coffee is often not what one expects roastingCoffee to have. The aroma varies widely thru the different roasting stages of the bean, ranging from the aroma of fresh grass, to a grainy aroma, the smell of freshly baked bread, freshly roasted nuts, and finally, the aroma of a freshly roastedCoffee bean! The sounds you will hear during home roasting will also vary from roaster to roaster, some being quieter than others. Some have the sound of a hot-air popcorn popper, or a blowing hair dryer. Other roasters have the sound of tumbling beans in a drum. For the most part, the sounds from all of the roasters are very tolerable and considering the final product, might even become a welcome sound in your household! As for the sounds of the actual beans roasting, the beans will be going thru some pretty drastic changes, and you will be able to hear them! You will find that the sounds the beans make are one of the most important parts of determining when the roast is complete. Coffee beans go thru basically two stages of sound while roasting. The first, most audible sound you will hear is referred to as the "first crack". This is where the beans have expanded to their limit due to the heat, and internal pressures from the steam and gasses. Once the bean reaches these pressures, the beans structure actually gives way, and you will hear an audible POP!!, similar to the sound that a kernel of popcorn makes during its popping process. At this point, the beans are still not ready. Leave the roast continue. Once the "first crack" is finished, the beans internal temperature continues to rise, all the while reducing its moisture content, and begins carmellizing its sugars. The next audible stage you will hear is referred to as the "second crack", where the fiberous structures of the bean actually begin to break downand seperate. This time the SNAP!! has a crisper sound, and is not quite as audible as the "first crack". Depending on the bean you are roasting, as well as your personal preference, the roasting process is at its final stage. Some prefer a bean roasted to just before the "second crack", some prefer a darker roast well into the "second crack" stage. All in all, this process takes anywhere from 7 minutes to 20 minutes, depending on many variables, but mostly on the roaster you are using.. Once the beans are cooled, they continue to lose CO2 gasses, which is an important period to go thru for the best flavor. Most roastmasters let their beans"air out" for at least 2 to 4 hours before storing them in an airtight container. This may also vary on the type of bean. And lastly, you can expect to have the BEST cup of Java you have EVER had in your life!!

What the average consumer does not know is just how fresh is "fresh roasted" Coffee? Most people do not realize that Coffee begins to lose flavor almost immediately after it is roasted. After a few days, as much as 15-40% of the flavor is lost. Roasted coffee stays "semi-fresh" for about 7 days when kept in an air-tight atmosphere, on the other hand, green coffee beans stays fresh for 2-10 years, depending on the storage method. Once a bean has been roasted, is is best kept in a whole bean form until brewing time. Ground coffee loses its flavors at a much quicker rate than whole beans. Home roasting is simple, and allows the average coffee lover to experiment with different bean types, roasts, and blends, to suit their own personal preferences. Even if it takes you one or two batches of beans to achieve the roast that suits you, your worst roast will be much better than ANY store bought coffee! And you will also begin to realize just how horrible those high priced cups of coffee are that are sold in those "popular" franchised coffee shops. Their number one goal is revenue, not creating the best cup of coffee you could possibly have, like a fresh cup of home roast. Beans from each region of the world vary widely in characteristics, and home roasting allows you to experience these characteristics in the purest form: non-blended roasts, which are difficult to come by when purchasing pre-roasted coffees. For example, its difficult to realize just how delicious a cup of Hawaiian Kona is when purchased already roasted from some grocery chain, because the "Kona blends" those chains carry are almost always mixed with low-priced, inferior beans to keep their costs down. Purchasing green beans are also at least half the price you can purchase comparable quality beans that are pre-roasted in a coffee shop. More and more Coffee aficionados are turning to home roasting to achieve the results only previously achievable through "World Class" Cafes. Using a variety of methods - from clay pots to popcorn poppers to home roasters - they are roasting and blending their own FRESH ROASTED Coffee Beans.