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VIII - Roasting styles overview
This section contains a brief explanation of the various roasts you can achieve with the Hottop Coffee
Roaster, and will give you a general idea of how roast level affects taste. There are numerous factors that
affect the roast level at a given time or level setting on the machine. These can include bean age, moisture
level, bean size, line voltage fluctuations, and many more. At some roast levels as little as thirty seconds
can have a big effect on taste. Because of that use the following suggestions as starting places only. The
best guide to preferred roast level is your taste!
Many people think that very dark roasted coffee is the best way to roast, or that coffee has to be
roasted until it is oily to be good, but that is just not true. As mentioned before, a light roast, before second
crack, keeps more of the delicate flavors, and can give the coffee a wonderful taste that many people never
get a chance to enjoy. Experiment and you will discover what you like best.
Cracks, Flavors and Roast Styles
Before first crack occurs, the coffee will often taste grassy, and can be quite sour. You can find this
out for yourself by light-roasting one batch to this extreme and tasting it. Coffee roasted this light has a
hard, acidic bite that reminds one of sour citrus fruit. In the extremes, think grapefruit and you will not be
very far off. Coffee roasted this light is usually not very agreeable to the majority of coffee drinkers. The
beginning of first crack as the time when the coffee is just entering the state where it becomes drinkable.
Up to this point most of the roasting time has been spent removing excess moisture from the beans.
Roasted just into the beginning of first crack, the coffee will be crisp, and acidic - like a very dry
wine. This roast style is generally called “Cinnamon”. Some coffees can be very nice when roasted this
way, but most people prefer a roast that is a little darker when the coffee has a more developed flavor.
Between the time just at the end of first crack, and shortly before second crack begins, the taste-
features of most coffees will be most prominent. Depending on the coffee, these natural flavours can be
remarkable and probably unlike what you have ever tasted. The taste will be predominantly “coffee,” but
behind that you can find tastes of fruit, spice, chocolate, nuts, and in some varieties a pleasant leathery or
oaky taste. This style of roast is often referred to as “city roast,” and is generally appreciated by a majority
of coffee drinkers. It is quite suitable for drip coffee or press pot. Some “City” roasted coffees can also
make a very nice espresso, or be used for siphon or vacuum brewers.
A “City” roast is one of the more difficult to achieve because you have to predict when second crack
will occur and stop the roast somewhat before that point. With experience, and by keeping a detailed
“roasting log,” you will learn to anticipate this point using the various tools and techniques discussed in
this manual (sound, smell, appearance, and time).
As the roast progresses into second crack, the acidity gradually lessens, while at the same time the
body of the coffee becomes heavier. The natural flavors of the coffee beans are reduced in strength, but the
coffee gains in sweetness. Coffee that is roasted about fifteen snaps into second crack is generally referred
to as “Full city”. This is the style that most people prefer for siphon brewers, and espresso. The taste is
very well balanced between acidic and bitter, natural flavors are retained, and the body makes for a very
pleasant beverage. You may notice that some of the beans have small spots of oil on them when they drop
into the cooling tray, but these often disappear as the beans cool.
As you roast further into second crack and the surface becomes shiny, the coffee will obtain a dis-
tinctly bittersweet taste. This is often referred to as a “Viennese roast”, and many people like this for a
cappuccino since the flavor cuts through milk quite effectively.
Be careful when you are roasting the beans this dark. Ten or fifteen seconds in roast time at this point
can have a significant and dramatic affect on the taste of the coffee, and thirty extra seconds in this phase
can easily be the difference between good coffee and a beverage that tastes burnt– a very unpleasant coffee
taste.
The “Viennese” style is as dark as most people enjoy their coffee, but as you become more proficient
at roasting you may want to experiment and roast the coffee a bit darker. If you do, you will see large
drops of oil appear on the surface of nearly all the beans. The smoke produced now is quite dense, and has