Thursday, February 20, 2014

Alaska Coffee Roasting Techniques And Information About Them

By Krystal Branch


The tastes of the various types of coffee differ mainly because the processes used to roast them are different. Inasmuch as the type of beans will also contribute to the difference in taste, this is not as important a factor. Roasting of the beans can be achieved using an oven, on top of a stove, using gas, hot air popcorn popper or hot air toaster. 10 to 20 percent of water in the beans is removed during the process. In Alaska coffee roasting is done using various techniques.

After beans have been roasted, there are two processes that may follow; they can get dried using air or quenched through spraying. At certain instances, one realizes packages of coffee that indicate that they are water dried. This would mean that when the beans were being quenched, there was re-absorption of 12 percent or even more of their weight. Most of the time when beans lose flavor, it is because of the process of evaporation of gases within them.

Various people have differing opinions on the best time to have coffee. This will mostly be dependent on personal taste. The majority of people are in agreement that the best brewing time is straight after they have been roasted, up until after 24 hours. Grinding is best done just before brewing. There are several techniques used to roast beans. During the process, the beans reach a time when they crack. Cracking can happen once or twice.

There is the use of fluid bed roasters that utilize convection to cook. Rather than the use of direct heat, hot air permeates into the interior, facilitating the process whereby beans get roasted. Cooking for a lengthy period will produce heavy flavors. Controlling the temperature is very crucial because beans are supposed to be roasted and not burnt.

The process does not involve the use of water, as one would think because of the use of the term fluid. The term is used in reference to the movement of beans which happens fluidly. Since they are placed in a chamber used for roasting, they float on a bed of air. It is there that they are subjected simultaneously to the same temperature. The advantage of this is that it enhances consistency and rarely will there be beans in fluid bed roasters with inconsistent roasts.

The resultant flavor from drum roasted beans is very strong. On the other hand, when they are roasted for extended periods, they will develop a burnt taste. Convection is used in this technique, just like in fluid bed roasted ones. Conduction is used as well. Drum roasted beans have flavor that lingers for longer.

The use of drum roasters requires much less real training, unlike when fluid bed roasters are to be used. This is part of the reason these roasters are rarely bought for light use. Most people however prefer them because they are strong. They will not need high speed fans like in fluid bed roasters. Airflow is also effectively controlled.

For people that reside in Alaska coffee roasting could also be done individually from home. Pan roasting is the best technique to use because it requires no training, plus the equipment needed is affordable. Individual roasting has the shortcoming of requiring a lot of time and precision. This explains why some people would rather not roast coffee individually.




About the Author: