Feeling a bit stuck as a Roaster? Here are 4 thoughts to help you become better!
Take notes about everything!
We think our memory is better than it really is! How many times have you roasted a second batch of a coffee and you forgot exactly what you did last time? I’ve done it heaps! Notes help us remember. They also help us calibrate… Was it a super hot day? Did I miss a gas change? What was the temp of First Crack? What would I do differently next time? Notes also help us when we are approaching a new Coffee… How did other Natural Coffees from Honduras roast? How did other Peaberry coffees roast? The more notes the better!
Taste everything you roast BLACK!
Tasting Coffee without Milk helps us to taste the coffee as it is without anything to hide behind. It will give you the best picture of how your roast went. The more you taste with your notes next to you, the more you will be able to understand the different aspects of roasting and how it affects the flavour. If you haven’t read our Blog Post on Cupping, do so now!
Pick an area you aren’t strong at and focus on improving.
For example, I really struggle with Honey Processed Coffees… I can’t seem to develop them as full flavoured and as sweet as I would like. So, I want to focus on roasting more of these coffees, reading about them and speaking to other roasters. Rather than avoiding a weakness in your roasting, turn towards it and put the effort into it for a little while to make it better. It might be Brazil Coffees, Roasting for Filter or whatever. Just focus on it and learn!
Experiment!
We are creatures of habit which means we get stuck into a rhythm and so we learn less. The more we try, the more lessons we learn. It could be trying a new coffee from a different country or one that is processed differently or has some pretty out there tasting notes. It could be trying to roast a different way or trying a different type of roasting (e.g. Espresso or Filter). Even if you don’t love the new thing you tried, that’s okay! You will have learnt and experienced something new which helps you be a better roaster and appreciate coffee better.
So there you have it! 4 Tips! Which one are you going to implement first?