Quick guide to Home Roasting Coffee (Pic Heavy)

[xairbourne]

After watching a few videos on youtube I decided to have a bash at roasting my own coffee.
So I got myself a whirley pop. £12 off eBay. It was clean just coffee oil staining (honest)

I did my first batch in the house. Not advised… windows open, smoke alarm and the hole house smelling of roast coffee, I now roast in the garage.

I cook on my camping Grill n Go.

On a low flame

These are the green coffee beans I am currently roasting they are from Vietnam. Purchased on eBay.

Measure out 8oz of green beans

Set up my improvised cooler – my gas space heater (no gas needed)

I have my 2 steamer pans ready.

I use these to tip the beans in when ready, then outside passing from one to another to help cool and get rid of the cooked husk.

As I tip the beans in I also start my stopwatch, different beans cook at different times so I use it as a guide. After a few roasts you get the feel for it and start cooking by sound.

Turning the handle on the whirley pop for about 8 mins nothing happens.

Then you hear the first crack. Sounds like toothpicks snapping.

Keep turning, the crack stops and you get the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] snap and the beans are almost done. Now its down to preference longer for a darker roast or dump them for a lighter roast, your taste. Keep an eye on the time so you know for next time.

I dump the beans into the pan and start tipping back and forth.

It’s quite difficult to take photos and roast coffee at the same time.

You need to cool them down as quickly as possible to stop the cooking process.

Put them on the fan. I swap the pans over every min to help with the cooling, takes about 5 min.

cool beans

Lost about 2oz in the roasting process

Beans are cool and now put into a glass jar.

Done.

Some say leave them for 2 days to allow any gasses to escape or you could have fizzy coffee? I don’t I put them straight in the machine, you wont taste better coffee.

 

[Toddy]

Brilliant
I didn't know we could buy green beans in small quantities, or roast them successfully at home

I foresee a lot of smoke alarm frisbees though

M

 

[samobaggins]

Very interesting thanks for sharing. Would you recommend the seller of the beans? How do you like your coffee?

 

[xairbourne]

I have tried a few varieties of green beans from different sellers, I'm currently on the Vietnamese. Im still experementing with the roast times, I will do one batch dark then another lighter and blend them together. You can buy different beans and blend them together, but you can only drink so much before you are wired and the testing has to stop


Also try and resist the urge to peak at the beans while cooking "If you're looking you not cooking" it will extend the cooking time. I just had the top open to show you the beans changing.

 

[TeeDee]

What a brilliant Post and Tutorial! Thank You very much. Verrrrryyyy Interesstingg!!!

 

[Russell96]

Very cool and thanks for sharing. As a coffee addict I think I will give that a go!
Russ

 

[santaman2000]

Brilliant
I didn't know we could buy green beans in small quantities, or roast them successfully at home .....

To be honest, getting them already roasted is a relatively recent thing. My Dad (born in 1909) could remember when green was the only way they came. When I was a kid we got an old coffee grinder like this one

When we got the beans (even then, in the 1960s) whole beans only came green so we parched them ourselves the same way the previous generation (and all generations prior to them) had done: without the fancy equipment. We just spread them in a single layer on a tray (cookie sheet/baking sheet) like this

and popped them in a 400f oven until they were done (about a half hour) then stored them in a jar until ready to grind a batch.

We had an advantage using an electric oven; Daddy's Moma had to use a wood fired oven back in the day.

 

[David LaFerney]

One more thing like homemade bread or homegrown tomatoes that people just don't know what they have missed.

 

[pysen78]

Great post. Makes me want to have a go myself. I'm already grinding it myself, so why not roast?
For anyone into boot sales, or thrift stores, there used to be a primus roasting attachment sold in days gone by. I've once seen one but didnät get it. Feel kinda sorry now, but someone else might get lucky. Looks like this:

 

[Herbalist1]

Useful post - thanks for sharing. Doh, something else I need to try now. I'll add it to the list.
The problem with this site is that folks keep posting such interesting stuff - now we need some people to post their time management tips so that I can find the time to fit in all the things I want to have a go at

 

[Big Stu 12]

Nice tutorial, thanks for sharing

I ve been roasting Green beans for a long time now, and just using a Cast iron frying pan, just hold the pan on an angle and keep them moving, I use this method at camp over the fire as well,

Just remember to take off the heat early as they will still carry on Roasting...

To grind them I use the axe helve in my enamelled cup, at home I have a hand grinder

I use these people for my beans

http://www.frescogourmetcoffee.co.uk/

also I use FRE10 for a 10% discount

 

[xairbourne]

I finally got round to making a coffee roasting video for those interested in home roast coffee. The beans made in this video were a birthday gift for Sandy aka Jacklore.



https://youtu.be/nbPIPXASN9o

 

[Monikieman]

Looks great. Got a cast pan so I might give it a try. I hand grind fresh beans daily so this would be great to try.

Is there that much difference between home roasted and good shop ones?

 

[xairbourne]

If you buy beans, the good ones have a roasted on date. But after a month they start to loose their oils, if its ground coffee after a week. So home roast for me all the way, just can't beat it.

 

[Monikieman]

If you buy beans, the good ones have a roasted on date. But after a month they start to loose their oils, if its ground coffee after a week. So home roast for me all the way, can't beat it just.

I was hoping you wouldn't say that!!!!!!! Cheers

 

[rik_uk3]

Good thread, in the past I used an electric pop corn maker with great success, cost me about a tenner IIRC