Roasting Coffee

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Dunerunner, Jan 18, 2023.


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  1. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Although we mostly know that acquiring green coffee beans in a SHTF situation might be impossible, green coffee lasts years if stored properly, but is best if roasted within 12 months of your purchase. Green coffee beans are processed by the producer at about 11% moisture content and being porous, they will readily absorb flavors of other foods or the container they are stored in. Green beans also do not like high humidity environments and are prone to mold growth if stored that way. Conversely, a low humidity environment tends to dry out the green coffee and thus robs it of the flavor profiles indicative of the area where it was grown and produced. Temperature is also an important issue. Too high or fluctuating temperatures tend to create issues.

    So, how do you store green coffee beans? Valved bags that allow air to escape but not enter the storage medium is one option. They are usually mylar or plastic lined, resealable and opaque protecting the beans from light. Air tight containers are another option and act somewhat like valved bags in that they protect against moisture and light. The downside is they are plastic or glass and must be opaque. Plastics can impart a flavor to the coffee and glass is prone to condensation at the right temperature resulting in the possibility of mold growth. Vacuum sealed containers are another option that allow you to evacuate air from the container and again they must be opaque and are prone to condensation given improper storage temperatures. Air escape containers allow air to be forced out and are opaque. The down side is that they are more expensive than some of the other options.

    What ever system you choose to store your coffee, remember the beans you buy are processed in another country unless you live in an area where coffee is grown and produced. The beans will store for up to 12 months stored properly but remember they are shipped from Central America, South America, Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hawaii, and other coffee growing areas around the world and are generally months old by the time your distributor receives them and you buy them.
     
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  2. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Now to talk roasting. Let me count the ways. :rolleyes:

    1. On a cook stove in a cast iron frying pan outdoors is recommended. And that pan becomes a dedicated roaster.
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    2. In an air popcorn popper
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    3. In a rotating drum roaster over an open fire or propane cook stove.
    [​IMG]
    4. In a counter top drum roaster
    [​IMG]
    5. What I roast in
    [​IMG]
    6. Or go full coffee nut case and risk a fire on a BBQ
    [​IMG]
    7. Or Go Pro
    [​IMG]
     
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  3. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    The price range of these options run from a pan you pick up at a garage sale (recommended) to the all pro roaster from a few dollars to over 8 thousand dollars. My roaster cost right now is $479 at Sweet Maria's coffee, the same vendor I source my green coffee from. I'm West Coast so finding a distributor close to my home was important. There are many green coffee distributors online offering numerous varieties of green coffee and like wine, coffee is all about where it is grown and at what altitude in what soil and weather patterns.
     
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  4. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Roasting coffee is a science. There is a drying stage to the roast where excess moisture is removed, a yellowing stage where the beans begin to take on some color, a browning stage where the sugars in the coffee are caramelized and a finishing stage where the specific profile of the roast is finalized. The coffee you choose to roast will determine the roast profile IOW, how long the drying, browning and finishing stages are and what temperatures you will want the roasting chamber and beans to be at within those stages. It is a given that roasting in a pan, popper, over a propane burner, on my machine or in your BBQ these temperature levels will have to be your best Mister Spock guess. If you want professional results a pro roaster allows you to track your roast on a PC and repeat that profile in an automated roast later.
     
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  5. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    Beginning to see why our British cousins preferred tea! ;)

    FYI, roasted, ground canned coffee is good for much longer than is stamped on the container, so long as it stays sealed. Once the seal is broken, use it up at your normal rate. I'm currently using coffee that had a "best by" date of over a year ago, after using up some that was over 3 years past it's date.
     
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  6. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Vacuum sealing keeps it fresh until exposed to air. I used to vacuum seal my ground coffee before I started roasting. Makes one wonder about stocking up on canned coffee for the apocalypse!!
     
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  7. Alanaana

    Alanaana Monkey++

    I was curious about storing green coffee beans. Here it will be interesting to figure out what works best because the climate is humid. I have some opaque mylar bags. I just got 50 lbs of black beans and plan on storing those in my 5 gallon mylar bags. Different kind of bean, I know.
     
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  8. Alanaana

    Alanaana Monkey++

    I love your pictures! I feel like I'm taking a coffee roasting workshop right now. Thank you so much for sharing your process! I wouldn't have thought of using a popcorn popper. Is that a toaster over that you use?
     
    Dunerunner likes this.
  9. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Last edited: Jan 18, 2023
  10. Wildbilly

    Wildbilly Monkey+++

    I just want to be able to get my daily caffeine fix after SHTF! I could care less about the taste or form (be it coffee, tea or holly)! To that end I have planted some native holly that contains caffeine that the Indians called the "Black Drink", I have vacuum sealed coffee and tea for future use, and I might try growing a few coffee and tea plants in a greenhouse someday.
     
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  11. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    [LMAO] It is a Behomr 1600 Plus roaster. The newer model is the 2000AB Plus and has a few more features. Both are dedicated coffee roasters and run on 110VAC. I recommend a dedicated 20A circuit or not running anything else on the branch circuit when roasting. My wife decided to vacuum the house one day while //i was roasting and tripped the circuit breaker ruining a batch of coffee. You don't want to interrupt a roast once you have started.
     
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  12. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    @Dunerunner You need to teach your wife, the "Green Acres" system of Load Management...
     
  13. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    After throwing out $6 of half roasted coffee beans, I think she has learned. Anymore she asks if she can vacuum, or tells me I can vacuum after I'm done roasting. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
  14. Alanaana

    Alanaana Monkey++

    Same here! I used to not be a coffee drinker, but now I don't want to imagine life without caffeine It's cool that you planted native holly. I didn't know about that and am going to look it up. I planted yerba mate which is part of the holly family. I actually have what I call the "caffeine corner." It has a coffee tree, green tea, yerba mate, cacao, and then ginger and turmeric which don't have caffeine, but are good enhancements.
     
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  15. Alanaana

    Alanaana Monkey++

    You were the right person to ask about coffee roasting! I asked if it was a toaster oven before I read the other threads more specifically. That's dedication to the roast! It's good that you and your wife were able to work out a good system. How long does a roasting session typically take? It's good to know about the circuits. The circuits in the house I'm in right now need to be rewired, but my other house could probably handle it. I usually start with the easiest and most accessible option and then go from there. So I'll try the cast iron first. Looks like I have a lot to look forward to!
     
    Dunerunner likes this.
  16. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    On my roaster a 210 gram batch takes 20 minutes. Roasting in a pan is something I’ve never attempted. The head brewer at my son-in-laws brewery pan roasted cacao nibs for a stout they were brewing back in the start-up days and he tossed the cacao as you would when sautéing vegetables. There is plenty of smoke generated when roasting coffee so make sure you are up wind of that and be prepared for fire.
     
    Alanaana likes this.
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