Monday, March 7, 2011

Roast Coffee

A freshly brew cup of coffee is how many people start their mornings. With the latest crave in gourmet coffee shops, people are looking for better, fresher tasting coffee. To get fresher coffee at home, you can roast the coffee beans yourself.


Instructions


The Basics


1. Find a source for green coffee beans. The green coffee bean is the inside of the coffee bean. It can be stored for long periods and remain fresh. If you cannot find a local source, many Internet sources are available.


2. Decide on how you will roast your coffee beans. There are many different home methods. You can invest in expensive home roasting equipment. Coffee beans can be roasted as simply as using a Whirly Pop popcorn popper.


3. Roast your coffee beans. The variety of methods have different steps. While there are some similarities each differ a bit.


The Oven method








4. Prepare your pan. A large baking sheet that has perforated holes in it is best. This gives the beans circulation. You can use a 1/8 inch drill bit to drill holes in a baking pan.


5. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Ovens may differ but this is the optimal temperature for roasting coffee beans.


6. Arrange your coffee beans in a single layer on your pan. You want them close together. Cover the entire surface of the pan.


7. Roast for fifteen to twenty minutes. If your beans take longer, you may need to adjust the temperature. The longer you roast, the deeper the color of the bean.


8. Remove your coffee beans. Place them in a metal colander. Shake the colander to remove the chaff from the bean.


Stove Top or Whirly Pop Method


9. Preheat your pan or popper to 475 degrees. This is usually over a medium setting.


10. Add your coffee beans. It is usually recommended that you start with eight ounces of green coffee beans.








11. Crank or stir constantly. The constant movement gives the beans the circulation they need for an even roast.


12. Listen for the first crack. This will happen in four to seven minutes. You will want to turn on your fan at this point. The coffee beans will start to smell aromatic.


13. Check the color of the beans. You will want to do this frequently. Once they start to roast they move along quickly.


14. Remove from heat when desired color is reached. Immediately transfer coffee beans to metal colander to remove excess chaff and cool.


Final Preparation


15. Cool your coffee beans as quickly as possible. They will continue to roast because of internal heat. Cooling them quickly prevents them from burning.


16. Rest your coffee beans. Beans have the peak taste twenty-four hours after roasting. Letting them rest allows the chemistry to stabilize.


17.Store your beans. If you can not use the beans right away, store them in an airtight container. They are best used as soon as possible for the finest flavor.

Tags: coffee beans, your coffee, your coffee beans, green coffee, beans circulation