I did roast some coffee last weekend.  I had a couple pounds of a nice Kenyan bean that I wanted to try.  However, I realized just how messy our garage (where I roast) is and I decided not to take any photos.  That would be too much like airing my dirty laundry.  So, I will do my best to describe the hot roasting action well enough that you can get a good idea of the process.  You can also click over to Sweet Maria's website for more info.  They have some great tip sheets that are really helpful.

The first thing you need to know is that you don't have to spend a lot of money in order to get started roasting.  I began by roasting coffee in a hot air popcorn popper.  There are models that work better then others so I read what Sweet Maria's had to say and then bought a popper on eBay.  I then needed to do a simple modification to the popper in order to use it for coffee.  Basically, I needed to extend the roasting chamber in order to keep the heat and beans in.  I saw where some people had used soup cans but I decided to use the chimney from a hurricane lantern.  A quick trip down to our local hardware store solved that problem.  They had exactly what I needed.  The chimney was a little loose when I fitted it into the top of the popper so I folded up a sheet of aluminum foil and molded it around the bottom lip.  After that, it fit perfectly.

The air popper worked great but had a couple of obvious issues.  First, you can only roast 3 or 4 ounces at a time.  That may not be so bad if you're only trying to satisfy one or two coffee lovers.  However, as we often give it away as gifts, it made for some epic roasting days in the weeks before Christmas.  The other downside is that the poppers are noisy.  After a while listening to the thing roaring away can get a bit tiring.  Other then that, an air popper is a great way to try out roasting without investing too much money, time or energy.

Last year I decided to once again give coffee as Christmas gifts but wanted to make the process a little more efficient.  I couldn't afford a big  electronic roaster so I decided to go with another popcorn popper.  I found that a lot of people have good luck roasting a full pound of coffee in Whirly-Pop stove top poppers.  You know the kind... they are the ones with the crank that turns a little stirring paddle.  I saw that Sweet Maria's mentioned that there is a stainless steel version that does a better job so I order one from their website.  The only modification I made to the popper was to drill a small hole in the lid that would fit an instant read thermometer.  Once that was done I was ready to start roasting.

First let me say that some things you read imply that you can roast in your kitchen if you have a good vent hood over your stove.  Don't try it!  The coffee puts off a very pungent smoke as it roasts and your house will smell like it for days.  Fortunately I knew that from the air popper days so I set-up out on our deck.  I started out using a Brunton butane burner as my heat source.  It worked really well for a couple batches and then the BTUs would drop off.  After that it would be a fight to get the heat high enough to do a good job of roasting.  It was getting expensive to switch fuel cans every two batches so I knew I needed to find another option.  I'm pretty sure a decent propane camp stove would work well as long as you have a larger fuel tank that will provide a consistent heat for a longer time.  For now, I popped back down to our local hardware store and bought a $17 electric hotplate.

Next you need to assemble the rest of your tools.  It is good to have a reasonably accurate scale so you can weigh out the beans for each batch.  You will also need a heat-resistant spoon handy so you can did into the roaster and visually inspect the beans.  A digital timer is helpful for keeping track of the roast and for aiding in maintaining a consistency from batch to batch.  Finally, you need a way to cool the beans as quick as possible.  They are very hot coming out of the popper and will continue to roast until you can get them cooled down.  Some folks have made coolers using fans and colanders.  Others spread the beans out on baking sheets.  I pour them back and forth between a stainless steel bowl and a large colander.  There is often a lot of chaff still in the beans and the process of moving them from one bowl to another will give much of the chaff a chance to blow away. 

Now the last thing to consider is the coffee itself.  I know there are many places you can source your green beans from, including eBay, but I have always used Sweet Maria's.  They have an extensive list of beans and it can be a bit of a challenge to pick just one or two.  I read through their cupping notes and pay attention to their suggested roasts.  I worked in downtown Seattle during the late 1980s and cut my coffee teeth on Starbucks and Stewart Brothers.  I think that is why I am more attracted to darker roasts.  I get that you can better taste the essence of a coffee at a lighter roast but I found it very hard to pull the beans off the heat in time.  Most every batch of mine starts edging towards french roast because that is what I like.  I am getting better at it most of my beans end up being darker then they should.

So, you now have everything you need and are ready to get started.  The first thing I do is to weigh out one pound of the green beans and have them staged in a bowl that is easy to pour from.  I then start the heat under the popper/roaster and watch the thermometer.  Basically, you want to dump the green beans in once the temperature hits about 400F and adjust the heat so that it doesn't drop below 300F.  I am having a problem with that and I think it is because our garage is so cold right now and the electric hotplate doesn't respond as quickly as gas would.  I have learned that I need to get the roaster up to about 450F before pouring the beans in.  I have also started pre-heating the beans a little so they don't go in cold.  Currently I am doing that by adding them to the roaster for a few minutes while it is in the initial heating process.

As soon as the roaster reaches the target temp I pour in the beans and start the timer.  Sweet Maria's will give you and idea of what your roasting "curve" should look like.  You will have an idea of how long the roast should last and when the first and second cracks will occur.  It is a combination of timing, heat and listening for the cracks that will tell you how the roast is progressing and when to remove the beans from the heat.  After a little experience you will notice that the beans start putting off more smoke and the stirring gets easier as they start a crack.  As you get close to your desired roast you will want to dip the spoon in and take a look at the beans.  The last stage of the roast can move very quickly so it is a good idea to visually inspect the beans.  Once they look like you imagined, immediately pour them into a bowl and start the cooling process.  As I mentioned, the quicker you cool them the quicker you stop the roast.  Being lazy with the cooling can easily allow the beans to reach a roast that is darker then you wanted.

Once the beans have cooled you will want to put them in a bag or container that will allow them to vent.  They will put off unwanted gases and you should let them sit for at least 12 hours before use.  Even with the slowness inherent in using the electric hotplate; I can usually get two batches roasted in about 30 minutes. 

So there you have it.  A quick idea of how easy it can be to roast your own coffee beans.  I know I have left a lot of details out of this so I encourage you to click over to Sweet Maria's website and read through their help sheets and cupping notes.  Or, if you want, ask me a question in the Comments section and I'll do my best to provide a quick answer.

Good Luck & Have Fun!

 

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