Roasting beans at home is an exciting experience that gives you the freshest coffee possible.
Yes, this may seem daunting at first. Huge mechanical roasters may be the first thing that springs to mind, but this isn’t what we’re talking about.
Roasting at home is actually an easy process once you’ve practised it a few times. It has so many benefits and is a truly unforgettable experience.
If you’d like to find out exactly how to roast your own coffee beans, the benefits of it and the best place to purchase green beans, then keep reading.
What is organic green coffee?
Green coffee is simply beans in their natural and unroasted state.
Do they look the same as roasted coffee?
Certainly not. They are pale in colour and have a slight green tinge, which is how they received their name. They are smaller in size and much harder, so we’d recommend leaving the tasting until after you’ve done the roasting, if you’d like to keep your teeth intact.
Where can I buy green coffee beans?
As you probably know, there are plenty of places to buy roasted coffee online. However, when it comes to raw beans, it is a little more limited.
We recommend buying from trusted sellers that specialise in coffee to avoid receiving poor quality beans.
At Adams and Russell, we offer a wide variety of premium quality raw green beans that have been tried and tested so that we provide only the best for our customers.
What will I need to roast green coffee at home?
There are a few ways to roast coffee, which can be adjusted depending on what you have available at home. If you have any of these at home, you’re all set for roasting:
- Stove top popcorn maker
- Oven
- Frying pan
- Wok
- Iron skillet
- Coffee roasting machine.
You will also need oven mitts, something to stir the beans with (e.g a wooden spoon), a colander and an electric or gas burner if you’re using a pan.
How do I roast green coffee beans?
Before you begin to roast, DIY Coffee Roasting tells us a few things to prepare first:
- Turn on an exhaust fan or open some windows.
- Let others in your house know what you are doing, just in case the fire alarm is triggered and it causes a bit of panic.
- Get your equipment out and ready to use.
Let’s get to the roasting. If you are using a pan, wok, skillet or popcorn maker, here are a few general steps to follow:
- Heat your roasting device to around 250°C.
- Start with a handful of beans. They will double in size when roasting and you need enough room to stir them around, so try not to overfill.
- Gently stir the beans continuously or every 30 seconds for at least 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, or usually around the 7 or 8 minute mark, you should notice that the beans become yellow, start to smoke and make a subtle crackling sound.
- Keep stirring and keep a close eye on them. The beans should start to become a deeper colour.
First Crack:
- Listen out for the first crack, which will be a loud cracking or popping sound.
- You can take the beans off at the first crack and you will have a nice light roast.
Second Crack:
- If you keep them on, they will continue to caramelise and will crack a second time.
- After the second crack, we recommend you take the beans off the heat to avoid burning them. For a more in depth look into the caramelization process, you can read Sweet Maria’s coffee roasting guide.
Cooling:
- Pour them into colander and shake gently so the outer skin or ‘chaff’ can fall off and seep through the holes in the colander.
- Then put the beans on to a cooling tray and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- You will then need to let them rest for around 4-8 hours, or overnight in a loosely closed container. This lets the beans ‘off gas’ and release CO2.
Roasting in an oven
The process of roasting in an oven is slightly different due to the fact you won’t be able to continuously stir.
This simply means keeping a close eye on the beans and opening the oven to stir if you detect any uneven roasting. Other than that, the previous steps can be followed for oven roasting.
When do I drink green coffee and how do I store it?
After you have let the beans cool and ‘off gas’, the beans can be enjoyed at any time. All you will need is a coffee grinder and you can get straight to brewing.
For storage, you want to avoid moisture, air, heat and light. So, we recommend storing your beans in an opaque air tight container that is in a cool, dry environment. This could be a container or a valve bag.
When it comes to how long you can store your coffee for, it depends on a few factors.
If you are storing ground coffee, the general guideline is 2 weeks max. If you are storing beans, it is usually a couple of months.
However, it is important to know that these are just guidelines. The best way to figure out how long your coffee will last for is to taste it. If it your beans still have excellent flavour a few months later, then they are fine to drink.
You will gauge the appropriate storage length through experience and trial and error.
What are the benefits of roasting your own raw green coffee?
Although it may seem daunting at first, there are so many benefits to roasting at home. Here are a few:
- Freshness – It is hard to beat the taste of freshly roasted coffee.
- An unforgettable experience – Roasting at home is something every coffee lover should experience. It immerses all your senses, from smelling the aromas to hearing the gentle crackling.
- Less expensive – Buying raw beans is cheaper than pre-roasted.
- Customise your flavours – This process allows you to roast for as long or as little as you like, meaning you can customise your own flavours to suit your taste.
- Longer storage – Green beans can be stored for a lot longer than normal coffee. This also provides a lot of convenience by having a constant supply that you can dip into whenever you like.
- Less waste – Choose exactly the right amount you want and leave the rest raw, meaning less waste.
