Roasting curve – the variable that determines the taste quality of coffee
– DESCRIBE THE ORIGIN –
In 2020, Cropster – the creator of coffee roasting software and Balzac Brothers – a green coffee importer organized the RoastID competition to evaluate the capabilities of global roasters. The contest consisted of three rounds, each of which required participants to analyze five different roasting curves. Participants had to predict the effect of temperature in the curve on the quality and score of the coffee and fine-tune each roasting curve to perfectly match the respective tasting scores. What is a roasting curve? Does it really determine the score and taste of the coffee? Let’s find out with 43 Factory Coffee Roaster!
The roasting curve in roast profile
Similar to the variety of flavors, the coffee world has millions upon millions of roast profiles. Each type of roasting profile will determine the finished product after roasting and is created by many factors such as heating speed, heating time, coffee bean quality, rotational power, wind or flow adjustment time. wind,…On modern roasters, these factors will be displayed on a chart. In which, the roast curve is the line showing the change of temperature every minute at certain times during the roasting process.
Importance of roasting curve to coffee score and quality
The heat during the roasting process will cause the compounds in the coffee beans to resonate with each other to create magical chemical reactions. In particular, the adjustment of the roasting curve helps the worker predict and control these reactions to help coffee have special flavors.
Improve quality and consistency
The roasting curve is a useful indicator for monitoring the temperature in the roaster at different stages. It helps roasters know what stage the beans are in and adjust the temperature appropriately at key moments. Through the roasting curve, roasters can also create a standard profile, reconfiguring batches of roasts by ensuring that the same amount of heat is applied to each batch, thereby improving quality. and coffee bean consistency.
Preserve inherent flavor characteristics
In addition, roasting curves can help identify and control the stages that coffee beans go through in the roasting process such as the drying, Maillard, and development stage. Each stage will have a certain effect on the taste of the coffee. For example, if the drying time is too long or too short, the organic compounds are too modified or too wet to be metabolized, and the coffee will lose its acidity and consistency. If the Maillard happens too quickly or too slowly, the coffee will lose its sweetness and affect the caramelization in the beans. Therefore, thanks to the roasting curves, the roaster will easily check whether the amount of heat applied in each of these roasting stages is enough or not to make more accurate changes to avoid burning, burning or not enough ripe.
Create the right roasting profile to help the beans maximize their potential
Roasting profile is a combination of factors such as start temperature, end temperature, roasting time, heat rise rate and different roasting stages. Each of these factors affects the growth of the beans in the roaster and produces variations in texture, color, flavor and aroma. When using the right roasting configuration, the acidity, sugar and aromatic compounds in the coffee beans will reach the maximum, bringing great enjoyment to the drinker.
Usually when roasting a batch of coffee, roasters will use a roasting curve as a model to compare with the actual curve. Depending on the characteristics of the coffee beans, the reference curve will be different. Roasters can rely on monitoring the temperature and duration of the current roast with the sample roast and adjusting them to match to recreate the desired roast profile. For example, Kenyan coffee needs a higher feed temperature because the beans are thicker. Less sour Brazilian coffee requires a longer Maillard period to increase the sweetness and boldness of the coffee.
As can be seen, the roasting curve determines almost the entire output quality during the roasting process. Following a standard reference roasting curve will ensure a consistent batch of coffee and avoid mistakes that damage the beans. Therefore, if you own a home coffee roaster, pay attention to the roasting curves and adjust accordingly for each type of coffee to create your own favorite flavors. Otherwise, you can visit XLIII Coffee – the brand that evolved from the forerunner 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to enjoy extremely light-roasted specialty coffee and learn more about roasting profiles!
Source: perfectdailygrind
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