Developing a Roast Profile - Question about consistency and progression

[7over]

Dave Borton runs our green selections. He's cupping recommended new crop from Cafe Imports, Royal, and Olam and breaking bags up for our guys. He's passing on cupping notes and roast profiles to help them get started. We shoot for SCAA 87+ quality coffee. With coffee that good, it's actually kind of hard to not get a reasonably good roast, but we're still learning too. That means cupping and lot's of it. So much so, I actually considered investing in spittoons today. :coffee1:



That said, as far a "one roast to rule them all" goes, if you like aromatics, we think Scott Rao's diminishing ROR technique comes pretty close

If there were one profile to rule them all, there would be no romance nor art left in roasting. In fact, there would be no need for skilled roasters.
I can't imagine using the same roast profile for the same coffee from the same farm but different harvest seasons, much less the same roast profile for an Ethiopian and a Sumatran.
Even with the concept of diminishing RoR during roasting and the percentage of FC to EoR, there is a universe of minor changes in roast profile that can be detected in the cup. 10 to 20 seconds difference in virtually any part of the profile (even with identical finish temp and identical overall roast time) impacts the cup. Those 20 seconds can mean the difference between 'reasonably good' and 'outstanding'.

 

[peterjschmidt]

Dave Borton runs our green selections. He's cupping recommended new crop from Cafe Imports, Royal, and Olam and breaking bags up for our guys. He's passing on cupping notes and roast profiles to help them get started.

Borton!?! You let Borton cup and select your coffees!?! You must be kidding me!!!!


<big wink> I have the utmost respect for the Old Goat!



I'm wondering if there aren't two subtexts in this thread, one about profiling for everyday roasts, which of course vary wildly, and a profile for cupping where it's customary to use a more consistent profile across the board.

 

[MillCityRoasters]

If there were one profile to rule them all, there would be no romance nor art left in roasting. In fact, there would be no need for skilled roasters.
I can't imagine using the same roast profile for the same coffee from the same farm but different harvest seasons, much less the same roast profile for an Ethiopian and a Sumatran.
Even with the concept of diminishing RoR during roasting and the percentage of FC to EoR, there is a universe of minor changes in roast profile that can be detected in the cup. 10 to 20 seconds difference in virtually any part of the profile (even with identical finish temp and identical overall roast time) impacts the cup. Those 20 seconds can mean the difference between 'reasonably good' and 'outstanding'.

Well, yeah. But everyone has to start somewhere and Scott's technique takes full advantage of the quiet revolution that's taken place in thermometry, data collection, and analysis. Besides that, I think the art is more in sourcing quality greens. My experience is that great greens roasted competently produce great coffee more reliably than mediocre greens roastmastered to perfection.

 

[soliloquy]

Steve, If you guys need an extra set of tastebuds on cupping days let me know. As much as I hate drinking great coffee, it would be un-neighborly of me not to offer.

 

[wwcove]

A one size fits all does not work in coffee roasting or most anything else in life...

 

[MillCityRoasters]

Steve, If you guys need an extra set of tastebuds on cupping days let me know. As much as I hate drinking great coffee, it would be un-neighborly of me not to offer.

There's always an open seat at our cupping table. Get in touch with dave@millcity (etc.com)

How's the Victory working for you?