COFFEE ROAST EVALUATION AND FLAVOR RECOGNITION

Imagine roasting a new batch of coffee, waiting a few days for the beans to settle, grinding the coffee, brewing a cup of coffee and eagerly tasting it. Hmm, disappointment. The coffee doesn’t taste like you expected, in fact it doesn’t taste good at all. Of course, this happens to a lot of roasters. Trial and error is just part of the process and you have to find that perfect roast. This process can take days, months or even longer, but it’s part of the journey to finding the right flavor profile for every roastery.

However, evaluating your roaster at every stage of the process can help you achieve the perfect, satisfying roast more efficiently. In this article we want to detail the different variables you can use to evaluate your roast, recognize flavors and eliminate pitfalls as soon as possible.

1. Distinguishing Coffee and Defects

Start by briefly discussing with your coffee supplier what type of coffee you are looking for and your experiences with some of the coffees you have tried in the past. Together you will be able to find out which coffees might be more suitable for you. Here again, it can be trial and error, you will always come across certain coffees that will not meet your needs. To ensure the quality of your coffee, you can classify your green coffee. SCA coffee bean classification is a method for comparing coffee beans and assessing the relationship between defects and cup quality. There are many criteria for classifying coffee beans such as color, size, where it is grown or the altitude at which it is grown. By paying attention to your coffee selection, you can really know if the coffee is right for you, even before you start roasting.

2. Is your roasting method correct?

Every specialty coffee is different and deserves a different approach. You can’t use one roast profile for every bean and expect great coffee. However, there are some general rules you can follow for different origins or processing methods, but you still need to pay attention to the coffee in your roaster. Do some research to find the best roasting method, try it, evaluate your roast, and then do it yourself.

3. Record Your Roast

By profiling your roast with software, you can analyze the roast before you can even cup it. A roast profile is a collection of data points in a roast chart or table that will help you understand the changes in the roasting process of your coffee. It tells you what temperature and what adjustments were made at that point. Our own software, OTL profiler, allows you to save and export your roasts so you can learn what needs to be changed in your roasting process next time. And if you find a great roast for your coffee, you can always find it and even replay it. In addition, OTL's automatic software can automatically save your roast profile and replay it without no need to spend time supervising, saving you labor costs when setting up your roastery.

4. Prepare your coffee

When testing your batches, make sure you give each batch the same amount of time to drain and cool. After the coffee has cooled, let it sit for the same amount of time, whether it is two, three days or any other personal preference, be consistent by using the same amount of time every time.

- Grinding your coffee

Speaking of grinding your coffee, make sure you have a dedicated coffee grinder for your cupping sessions and that it is fully calibrated for cupping. It is not just the settings that are important, your grinder itself must be able to grind consistently. This involves the grinder itself, but also the condition of the machine. Make sure your burrs are clean, properly aligned and in top condition. Worn edges are unlikely to produce consistent results.

- The Importance of Water

Don't forget your brewing water, an important step as it is not only the main ingredient in the beverage but also acts as an important solvent in the coffee brewing process. If you are experiencing any chemical or mineral flavors in your coffee, this is largely related to the quality of your water. Therefore, make sure you are consistent in the water you use when sampling your coffee. You can filter your water thoroughly by installing a filtration system. Additionally, there are a number of ways to monitor your water parameters to ensure they meet SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) standards. Eliminate water quality as a factor in your results.

5. Different Flavors and What They Mean

- Smoky Flavor

When you are enjoying coffee, you may encounter thousands of flavors, but there are a few that will stand out in particular. One of them is smoke. In most cases, smoke is caused by the way you roast your coffee. The unpleasant smell of smoke can be caused by insufficient airflow in your roaster or a roast that is too dark. The roasted coffee will always taste smoky because even the correct airflow cannot prevent the smell of smoke from penetrating into a dark roast. Our advice is to experiment with your airflow settings and see what kind of results it gives you. Although it is not completely eliminated, with an OTL roaster, you will experience a roasted bean product that ensures the lightest smell of smoke, you can even just feel the aroma of the roasted coffee beans, which is a roaster product used by many customers, the best review experience in the territory.

- Acidity

Another commonly heard taste is acidity. The acidity in your coffee can be caused by the difference in temperature that your coffee beans experience. Roasting at a high temperature will take away the acidity of the beans, but remember, high temperatures at the beginning of the roasting process can cause the beans to burn, which is obviously not good. Additionally, starting at a high temperature can cause you to roast the beans too quickly, which will not allow the beans to release all of their natural sweetness. Sweetness develops after acidity, which is what you need to find the right balance.

- Sweetness in Bitterness

Let's talk about sweetness, one of the most appreciated flavors in a cup of coffee. It is a flavor that adds complexity to your roast. When you are looking for a roast that focuses on acidity, you need sweetness to complement it for a balanced and enjoyable drink. The full development of the coffee from the beginning of the browning period until the first crack is important. This will caramelize the sugars in the coffee. As you extend this roasting stage, the complexity of the sugars will develop more, while overcooking will cause the flavor to lose its brightness in your cup.

Ultimately, balance is key. After the first roast, you want to reduce the development of sour flavors, so don't roast your coffee too dark. Doing it right will give you the sweet and sour flavor combination you may be looking for.

We hope this article has given you some insight into the process and techniques involved in how you evaluate your roast. And if you still haven't found a roaster to experience it, come to OTL. With many years of experience in the profession, and being certified by the SCA - Specialty Coffee Association (International Specialty Coffee Association), OTL will help you find the flavor you are looking for in your cup of specialty coffee. In addition, OTL roasters can overcome the disadvantages of roasting that many other roasters have not been able to do.