Additional Messages from the Roastmaster

Science of Roasting

The Science of Roasting To Perfection

Evening Star Coffee Roasters’ method of roasting is summarized into five distinct steps.

Step 1 – Drying of the green coffee berries (beans) during the beginning of the roasting process.  The temperature of the coffee beans rises to 205-212°F.  The coffee beans appear to change from green to a yellowish color.

Step 2 – Initial crack signals the definite start of the roast transformation or pyrolysis of the coffee bean.  At 370-385°F, the coffee beans begin to crack, as the chemical make-up of the beans are significantly changed.

Step 3 – The coffee bean sugars begin to caramelize, giving the beans a distinct brown color.  Here, water within the structure of the bean begins to split off .  The coffee beans will inflate to a size that is 1.5 times their initial size in the green-bean state.

Step 4 – The coffee beans become quiet.  The cracking sound stops; however, the chemical make-up of the beans continues to change during the roast.  This state of silence continues, based on the heat parameters set by the roast master. 

Step 5 – The final crack and completion of the roast occurs.  In this step, the coffee beans begin to carbonize.  The beans are discharged at a specified SCAA color tile into the roaster cooling bin, where unheated air is introduced to cool the coffee beans quickly.  This air stops the roasting of the coffee beans.

Art of Roasting

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A BATCH OF EVENING STAR COFFEE BEING ROASTED

Our goal is to draw out each coffee bean’s unique character and attributes during the roasting process. We consider roasting an art that is performed with a passion for perfection. If the roasting time is too long, the coffee will taste “dark” and burned, while coffee that is roasted for too short a time will lack flavor. At Evening Star Coffee Roasters, we roast with our eyes, ears, and nose (no computers or digitization processes with pre-set computer logic). We look for all the key signs, smells, and sounds of a perfectly roasted coffee. When the coffee reaches optimal flavor, aroma, and body, we stop the roasting process and discharge the beans into a cooling bin. We firmly believe that a hands-on approach to roasting guarantees freshness and consistency across all roasts. A hands-on approach allows for complete control of the roasting process when unforeseen variables arise. These variables are situations and occurrences that a computer or a digitization process would not be able to detect thus sacrificing the quality of the roast. Our goal is to roast to perfection!