Ramp through first crack for light roast?

[DavidMLewis]

The figure of 10° F per minute through first crack has been bandied about here. What should one do, though, when stopping a roast just after the end of first, as George Howell does? You still want a fair time from the start of first through the end of the roast for development. Should you still go fairly quickly through first and then very very slowly for the next five degrees or so, or should you just try to go slowly but evenly up through first to the end?

David

[another_jim]

I've experimented slowing down at the start of the first and speeding up a bit later; but the results were no better than a simple ramp from just before the first crack onset to end of roast. I start my final ramp at 385 (about 5 to 10F below the first crack onset on my readout) and generally go 4 minutes for brewing, 5 minutes for espresso, no matter how light or dark I roast.

Going roughly the same length of time for any depth of roast is pretty much SOP for skilled roasters (Willem Boot actually suggests finishing darker roasts **faster** than lighter roasts -- I've never tried this), and going a bit longer for espresso bound coffees than cup bound ones is also pretty standard.

However, the timing is not at all standard. Terroir keeps their profiles confidential, but judging by cup character, I think they finish in about 2.5 to 3 minutes, producing a very bright, aromatic roast that flirts with sour and green notes, and definitely requires lower doses. I sometimes finish cupping roasts in 3 minutes for the aroma, but my normal 4 to 5 minute timing maximizes the natural sweetness of the coffee. People who go 5 to 7 minutes bring out more complex roast flavors, and timing in this range is pretty well mandatory if you want a lot of chocolate.

[DavidMLewis]

Thanks a lot, Jim. Just to be clear, though, I know that if you don't get enough energy into the beans at the beginning of first you wind up with the dreaded balsa-wood taste. How do you avoid that and still stretch a light roast out? I have some of the Paradise Aged Lintong that Cafe Imports had at the SCAA show, and they said they roasted very lightly, stopping just after the end of first. That stuff is way too good to waste much of, is why I'm asking.

Best,
David

[another_jim]

Thanks a lot, Jim. Just to be clear, though, I know that if you don't get enough energy into the beans at the beginning of first you wind up with the dreaded balsa-wood taste. How do you avoid that and still stretch a light roast out? I have some of the Paradise Aged Lintong that Cafe Imports had at the SCAA show, and they said they roasted very lightly, stopping just after the end of first. That stuff is way too good to waste much of, is why I'm asking.

Best,
David

I just reviewed it for Coffeecuppers (it'll be up in a few days). It's the best aged coffee I've ever had, the first coffee ever I've given a 10 for flavor (it's perfect for what it is, so why not?).

Miguel likes this coffee roasted light. Miguel is an extraordinary roaster, and I can't imitate his roasts. Nor has he offered to give lessons (commercial roasters usually do not).

I always roast aged coffees the same way. I spend an extra minute in the run up to the first crack to develop the wood flavors, and I spend an extra minute in the final ramp (5 minutes in this case). The added time will lower the temperature at which the second crack starts, in my case down from 443F to 428F. I stopped my roast at 430F with an overall profile of 4 minutes to 300F, 4 minutes to 385F, 5 minutes to 430F.

I can guarantee unconditionally that you'll be floored by the coffee if you roast it like this.

As to the dreaded balsa wood if the roast stalls in the first crack -- I get this if the roast is delayed too long in the 300s before the first crack, rather than in the first crack. However, aged coffees are all about wood flavors, so slowing down at this stage is a good idea.

[farmroast]

What is it about first crack that naturally slows down the roast, bean temp/time rate. Is it a release of moisture, expansion allowing more heat to be absorbed or what other factors?

[cannonfodder]

I had some a couple of months ago and it was very good. I have been meaning to order a couple pounds of the green to use in an espresso blend that is just a little lacking in body. It has a lot of fruity coffee but needs something to balance out the blend and I think this will do the trick. It makes a good SO as well.

[DavidMLewis]

What is it about first crack that naturally slows down the roast, bean temp/time rate. Is it a release of moisture, expansion allowing more heat to be absorbed or what other factors?

I certainly don't know, and I'm not sure anyone does completely, since there are a huge number of reaction pathways active at that point. The effect is strongest in single-origin beans that are physically uniform enough to go through first largely at the same time. Two things are clear to me: if the roast stalls because of that the coffee will taste flat, and you have to get some energy into the beans before it starts or you can never catch up. An extreme example is Sweet Maria's Rwanda Butare, which requires the heater in my Hottop to be on full-bore from 396 (about nine degrees before first starts) till 414 (just as it's beginning to slow down a little) just to ensure a 10°/minute average ramp through first and keep it from stalling. Jim probably (certainly) knows more.

Best,
David