Coffee Roasting: Roasting a single Coffee Bean (video)
Have you ever been sitting around pondering “What actually happens during the coffee roasting process?”
You’ve probably guessed that this isn’t an article for coffee roasters. You guys should know this stuff already!
[Sassy_Social_Share]Having said that, even if you are a coffee roaster check out the last bit of the video. This is what you should never, ever, ever do.
This video isn’t new, but it’s good. It was made by Hungarian coffee roasters Kávékalmár. You should check out their video page, we’re fully intend to cover off some more of them in the future.
We recently did this video about coffee tampers made of pencils. Check it out.
Coffee Roasting Video “PÖRKÖLT 3”
Coffee Roasting: Roasting a single coffee bean, step by step
The video starts with a single, ripe coffee cherry being picked.
Next the outer skin and pulp is removed.
Next, the parchment is removed, leaving you with a single, green coffee bean, ready for roasting.
The bean is packed up and posted off to the roasters.
When it arrives, it’s checked for quality.
Here’s where it gets a bit unusual, and breaks away from the norm. The green coffee bean is drilled out, ready for it’s wire mounting for the solitary roasting.
Finally it’s weighed and measured, ready for roasting.
And here we go! A single coffee bean, heading into the “roaster”.
Look at this setup! For the older readers, we’ll say it looks a bit “Heath Robinson”. For the younger readers, it looks more like “Joseph’s Machines”.
Either way, we’re sure you’ll get it. If not, give it a google.
The coffee roasting starts…
And here’s a little close up of the action.
Warming up.
And here we go – the silver skin breaks away, much like a snake shedding its skin.
Coffee Roasting: The first crack
The first crack! Blink and you’ll miss it, but here’s the money shot.
The first crack, which sounds similar to the sound of popcorn popping, is the point when the coffee beans actually become a usable, packable product.
Coffee goes through two cracks when roasting, and most light or medium roasts will finish somewhere between the two cracks.
Tátkos! The finished, solitary roasted coffee bean.
Coffee Roasting: Don’t do this!
This is what happens if you keep going, and keep going… After the solitary bean roasting they pushed it way past where a bean should ever have to go. All in the name of science and curiousity.
Coffee lovers, look away now.
The coffee bean starts sweating, get greasier and greasier. Greasier than a cheap Turkish kebab from a back-street takeaway on a Friday night.
Finally it goes almost deep-fried. Yuck.
From greasy to something worse, mummified even…
Look away folks, it’s catching fire!
And it’s lit!
It’s no longer a coffee bean, it’s a cinder.
Look away, the bean has been fully burnt up. The end of a sorry over-roasted coffee bean story.
Now you know. And don’t forget to check out their other videos.
About CoffeeCode
This article was written by Gregg Romano who is the founder of CoffeeCode, the UK’s fastest growing and most exciting coffee blog. CoffeeCode has a focus on great coffee, inspirational design and sustainability.
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