Hi all,

2kg drum roaster and kiosk owner here. I would just like to ask recommendations for resources on dark roast techniques. Please, chime in your own references, as well as personal feelings about dark roasts, whether you qualify that as full-city or starting from city-plus.

I have never gotten into roasting coffee dark, and have absolutely never heard the 2nd crack with my own ears...

I've recently resparked an interest in dark roasts, when I brewed an old, oily batch and found it to be pleasing (it consisted mostly of a city ++ coffee that I was trying to darken a bit, and some robusta. Yep.) Also, whenever Starbucks is my only option, I'd only get their drip coffee if they were brewing their "Willow blend", which is their lightest roast. And y'know it ain't bad. I've been Googling about dark roasting, of course, but mostly shooting at the wind with the results. Notably, I saw some good reviews of US companies like Counter Culture doing dark roast blends, and this ony piqued my curiosity even more.

Before my current display of 4 origins, I used to offer Dark and Medium options of the same origin to customers, and I was delighted to see them atlernating between the two. I think it's something I should bring back.

In the Cat N' Cloud podcast on iTunes, Pete Licata who guesting on it, mentioned that in Melbourne, shops are getting into small-output light roast brews, since, as Licata affirmed, he wouldn't be really into drinking an entire 12 ounce brew of a light roast specialty coffee. But people would still like to grab on the go full cups of coffee, and expect to drink it as it cools on their desk -- dark roast suits this, wouldn't you say so? So I guess this is also from a customer service perspective and outside the parameters of specialty coffee.

I think your roast level should depend on who you are trying to sell to. If you're able to coerce enough people to enjoy light roasts and sustain a business off of it, then go right ahead! I know that's what I would prefer to drink and cup all day long.

I've been finding that the general public just wants what most roasters would consider a "daily drinker." A coffee that is heavier bodied, not entirely complex, and roasted a bit darker.

Personally, I like something that's juicy, relatively complex, and sweet. I'm a bit tired of roasting super light for the sake of roasting light. Coffees still show their true colors even if you take them a tad bit darker.

Agreed with all of this. I'm pretty sick of the light roast trend all together (mostly anyway). I would much rather have a dark roast than an underdeveloped roast; and soooo many roasters are currently underdevelopment their roast.

I read an article just yesterday in barista magazine. It was about how dark roast are coming back. I believe it. Instead of burnt/ashy/dripping with oil dark roast they are well developed and delicious.

Yes, I recognize that there is a beautiful way of fully developing a coffee, to the point that a roaster might coax out some sweat (oil) out of it, or a little glistening shine of oil. But, as in my reference to Licata's short opinion, these coffees-that-doesn't-taste-like-coffee may still be prone to souring up and degradation as it cools.

I guess just to be clear -- is there another dimension, a new world at the 2015-2016 frontier of roasting, that acknowledges the 2nd crack and attains truly chunky, chocolatey, and nutty dark roasts, as opposed to "thin" and "burnt out" roasts, once described by N3roaster in his videos. For example, would decreasing ROR still apply to dark roasting if you're gunning beyond 470 F? Or, secondly, what's the elbow room of flavor in this region?

PS, Thanks for your insights, Justin, William -- though I'd prefer if we can tread a little more lightly with your opinions. I empathize with you guys all the way. (I think the issue with underdevelopment in many coffee start ups arises from using cupping as basis for roasting. It should be brewing as the basis for roasting.)

I've stumbled into 2c briefly with slow ROR at that point and found myself enjoying those accidents on a roaster I'm just learning. Before this thread started I came across some coffees on Sweet Maria's that look like they'll do well at that roast level and ordered some to try and learn that style of coffee. In the SF Bay Area I thoroughly enjoyed Caffe Trieste's Espresso Blend and it was something I returned to from time to time. The key with all of these was brewing them cool enough -- below 178F and sometimes below 174F. Across the world people enjoy dark roasts, light, and everything in between. I think of these as different styles of cooking, not right or wrong.

Not exactly, but a good read anyway.

http://www.ipcoffees.com/low-slow-or-de ... e-roasting

I have been roasting Sweet Maria's French Roast Blend for several years now. I take it 1 minute into second crackl That is hard to do in that it is so much longer a roast than I normally do. But, a lot of my friends and family love it. It tastes like coffee is supposed to taste is what they say. I like it too as a change of pace.

I have also recently been going back to darker roast. I enjoyed the 3rd wave fad of lighter and brighter and almost forgot how pleasant darker roast can be. I was pleasantly surprised with SM holiday espresso blend 37. 1st time taking a roast in to 2c for several years.

A few years ago, one of the local roasters used to do a Cuban dark roasted and it tasted great to me. I haven't heard any mention of Cuban beans here. Are they still around?

My most popular coffee is a South American blend I call The Duke. It's a fully developed roast, but just. It's lively and juicy, without a hint of roastiness. It's a coffee coffee, with just enough sparkle to add distinction from the typically over-roasted coffees available from other roasters in my area. The light roast craze has not hit western NJ yet and likely never will.

In response to (uneducated) requests at farmers markets for "dark roasts", I started taking this same blend into the first few snaps of 2nd and a 15* hotter finish temp (still within Rao's parameters). The beans have an even sheen when cooled and maybe a hint of oil after a week. I call it Duke Dark to allow for, and promote a comparison to the original.

It's been popular, but the interesting thing is that the people that first bought The Duke and then tried Duke Dark, all said they liked it, but tended to revert back to the original over time. The "roastiness" of Duke Dark is perceived as "stronger", but that extra twinge is starting to become objectionable to some. In either case, it has proven educational for people to experience the same exact coffee at two different roast levels.