Owner`s manual

11
Bean Color as a Roast Indicator
As the roast progress the beans go though series of a subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle color chang-
es from their original color, to green, to beige, then through a whole range of browns- first dull then shiny
as they darken, and progressing to brown so dark that it can look black. Although color is important, for
someone new to coffee roasting it can be difficult to use color as the sole indicator of roast. Bean color
is discussed Chapter VI, so feel free to consult that for more details, but for people learning to roast, the
sound will be the best indicator as mentioned above. As your skills and perception or the process progress,
and as you narrow the range of your preferred roast levels, bean color will increase in importance as an
indicator of roast level.
*1 KN-8828 - These times are taken using a stopwatch, starting from when the beans were added to the roaster.
*2 KN-8828D - Starting with 19 minutes programmed time on the machine, these are the times as indicated on the
digital display as the machine counts down the roasting time.
KN-8828 *1
Approximate
Elapsed Time
(Min:sec)
KN-8828D *2
Indicated
Roast Time
Remaining
(Min:sec)
Roast Level Indicators
You Will Observe
7:00 - 8:00
14:00-12:00
Beans become green in color, there is some steam
which has a pleasant grassy aroma.
9:00 - 10:00
11:00-10:00
Beans change slowly from green to yellow. The smoke initially smells
like pancakes, then becomes more like baking bread.
11:00-15:00
9:00-8:00
Beans gradually turn from dark yellow to a “cinnamon” brown color.
The smoke has a “nutty” odor.
15:30 - 17:00
3:00-1:45
First crack, sounds like breaking pencils. Beans medium brown at this
stage. The smoke increases and begins to smell like coffee.
18:00
1:00
Second crack, sounds like breaking toothpicks. Beans dark brown and
oil spots seen on some beans. Smoke becomes much denser
19:00
0:00
You will hear the rapid sounds of second crack, and the smoke coming
from the roaster will be pungent and quite dense. This is about as dark
as most coffees should be roasted. Much more and the coffee will be
burned.
IV - Basic Roasting Instructions and Your First Roast
That was a lot of information to remember, but follow along and it will all become quite clear during
your first roast. Believe it or not, using the Hottop Coffee Roaster is actually quite simple and safe when
the procedures and safety guidelines in this manual are followed.
WARNING: Never leave the roaster unattended during a roast!
This chapter is intended to make you familiar with the roasting process, and the way the Hottop Cof-
fee Roaster actually works. Before starting to roast your first batch of beans, be sure you have completely
read and understand the safety precautions and instructions presented in this manual.
Remember that the only purpose of this first roast is to practice, so don’t be concerned if the coffee
doesn’t come out as you might expect. Don’t be afraid that anything can go wrong. If you follow the safety
precautions and the operating procedures, roasting coffee with the Hottop Coffee Roaster is fun, easy, and
safe.