DEDICATION

To Laura and Abigail: The loves of my life, two women who

make every day a joy.
To John and Meribeth Hoos: My parents who are the reason
I am the person I am.

To Kevin Hoos: My brother who I respect and admire more

than I can tell him (I don’t want it to go to his head).

To William Schaefer: An intensely close friend who has

been with me through thick and thin, and who was a sounding
board to me throughout this process.

To Zach Lemmon: One of my oldest friends, without whom I

may have never gotten into coffee.

To Augusto Carvahlo Dias Carneiro, for not only bringing

me to Portland, but for encouraging me during the course of
my writing of the book. He is basically the best boss ever.
PHOTO BY CONNIE BLUMHARDT
 4 • ROB HOOS

WHY THIS IS WORTH A READ

To be honest, nothing makes me as uncomfortable as telling
people about myself, especially when the purpose of disclosing
that information is to impress them. That being said, seeing as
I am neither famous, nor infamous; nor do I work for a national
or internationally known coffee roaster, I will divulge a few
reasons regarding my experiences, thoughts, and opinions that
may be beneficial.

• As a consultant:
* I specialize in flavor profile matching, especially when
switching roasting equipment manufacturers.
* To my credit, I have been able to apply theories
discussed in this handbook to match flavors so closely
that the roasting teams I have worked with haven’t
been able to differentiate between the coffees they
roasted, and the coffees I roasted. (On different roaster
manufacturers as well).
* I have successfully worked with a wide variety of
clientele from both the “second and third wave” in
coffee. Some of which are household names, and others
are well known regionally.

• I am very involved with the Specialty Coffee Association of

America (SCAA) and the Roaster’s Guild of America (RG),
specifically in industry education:
* Instructor Development Program Certificate Holder
* Specialized Lead Instructor for Roasting Certificate
Holder
* Subject Matter Expert on Roasting for SCAA/RG
* Member of the Roaster’s Guild Certificate Committee
* Content contributor and developer for Roaster’s Guild
Level 2 courses at the SCAA Leadership Summit
 5 • ROB HOOS

* Instructor for Roaster’s Guild Level 1 Certificate

Program in Beijing, China.
* Certificate Holder Roaster’s Guild Level 1 & 2
* Lead Instructor and Station Instructor for the Specialty
Coffee Association of America

• I have a wide range of experience within the coffee industry:

* Barista
* Barista trainer
* Production / Packaging
* Green Buyer
* Lead Educator
* Production Roaster
* Lead Roaster
* Director of Coffee
* Independent Consultant

• I am a professional within the coffee industry:

* Currently I am the Director of Coffee for Nossa Familia
Coffee in Portland, OR.
* In the last 3 years, I have logged over 7,500 production
roasts alone. If they average 12 mins. per roast, then
that is 1,500 hours of my life, or 62.5 days (not counting
sample roasting, profile development, and roasting for
fun)
* I’ve been interested in coffee since 2001
* I’ve been working in coffee since 2006
* I’ve been roasting coffee since 2009

Anyhow, I hope that is enough about me. Bottom line for me

is not related to my credentials; rather to my experience that
everyone that I know who has applied these basic approaches
 6 • ROB HOOS

to modulating the flavor profile of their coffee have reported

back to me that it works. Friends and colleagues of mine who
are also professional roasters buy in, and that is enough to
keep me from thinking that I am either insane, an egomaniac,
or a fool.
SOMETHING I MUST NOTE:

In this handbook, I provide a lot of linkage with what sort

of science I believe to be going on during roasting that causes
the changes in my experience of the flavor profile. These are,
to a certain extent, my opinions. I am not a scientist by trade.
I do not (unfortunately) have a gas chromatograph or a mass
spectrometer at my house, or in my lab at work. The truth
is, whatever science I state has come to me through a lot of
reading, thinking, and drawing of logical conclusions (though
I think it to be reasonable and well thought out). I am looking
forward to testing these items out and plan to adjust my
opinion along the way.

This project started before I moved to Portland in late 2011.

It is ongoing…

Please read the book in order the first time, it will help you
understand things better.
 7 • ROB HOOS

OPENING
One of the things that got me interested in coffee in the
first place was an intense fascination with the multitude of
possibilities and nuanced dissimilarities in the flavor profiles
of coffee. During my time as a barista, I had learned how I
could modulate those flavors within the coffee through altering
the extraction. Part of what helped me understand how to do
this was the vast amount of information on the Internet and
bookshelf about that role and the effects of different extraction
parameters on the final taste of the cup.

When I started working as a coffee roaster, a whole new

world opened up to me. As I excitedly dove into roasting,
thinking that here I would be able to take control of the flavor
profile of coffee to the next level, I quickly realized that I was
diving into a sort of vacuum. The roasting community seemed
much less accessible to me as a beginner (and as a roaster
in the Midwest). I assumed that people had the information I
sought (essentially, how to change the way that coffee tasted
by changing the roast profile) and that, for whatever reason,
I was simply unable to access it. So I decided to purchase my
own 1-kilo roaster and began to figure out how to modulate the
flavor profile by altering my roast profile. I read every book,
website and scientific article I could get my hands on, and
then began to develop theories based on all of my experiences
roasting and cupping up to that moment. I then began to use
basic means of scientific method: experimentation, control of
variables, observation, and repetition

My propensity for reading, experimentation, and

information gathering helped me progress rather quickly
within the industry. After moving to Portland, Oregon, I
became more involved in the specialty coffee industry.
Through working with various coffee industry groups (SCAA,
 8 • ROB HOOS

Roaster’s Guild, etc.) and consulting, I came to realize that the

void in information about modulating flavor through profile
manipulation was not imagined, nor were people just “holding
out” on me. For the most part, it seems as if no one had (or has)
presented information most relevant to the end goal of cup
quality/characteristics. It is into this void that I hope to shout
with this manifesto.

I have been as precise, objective and analytical as I can be

with my current equipment. Readers should be able to take
my experiments and reproduce them to test my theories and
paradigms. I have been working with this approach for the past
three years and have found it to be true regardless of roaster
manufacturer, batch size, origin, altitude, etc. I hope that
these standards can help you as much as they have helped me.
Additionally, with something as complex as coffee, I recognize
that the nuance, and thus the conversation, is never over.
That is why I will be hosting a blog and ongoing discussion
concerning the ideas I have presented in this handbook
(www.hoos.coffee/blog) Ideally, this will help the community of
professional and home coffee roasters continue to advance our
understanding of our passion and profession.
 9 • ROB HOOS

A MANIFESTO
Manifesto: “a public declaration of intentions, opinions,
objectives, or motives, as one issued by a government, sovereign,
or organization.”1

I appreciate the definition of a manifesto. I have always

been a person who desires to be completely direct and up-front.
For that reason, as I begin the writing of this manifesto, this
presentation of my beliefs and opinions about coffee roasting,
I have decided to just lay everything out on the line. Below are
the honest reasons why I am writing this handbook:

1. This handbook is meant to document, and clarify through

the act of writing, exactly how I currently understand and
approach coffee roasting, especially with respect to the
flavor development of coffee during roasting (and how
changing the profile can affect the flavor of the coffee).

2. Coffee is my passion, hobby, and profession. When it comes

right down to it, I am taking the time to put all of this into
writing because coffee is something that I am intensely
passionate about and in which I am heavily involved.

3. I worked a long time to develop this specific approach to

coffee roasting and flavor development and would like to
be able to lay claim to some of these concepts as my own.
I don’t necessarily see myself getting rich or famous,
but I would appreciate getting credit for my work and
contribution to the industry.

4. Finally, I am hoping that after reading this, some of you

will approach me and ask me for some help in the form of
consulting. I do not have a big name or a reputation in the
industry. That is okay, but in order to do the work I really
enjoy, I have to put myself out there like this.
I have chosen to write this handbook more informally.
 10 • ROB HOOS

I have some internal conflict over the style I should use

to present this information because my greatest desire
is to present an incredible, bullet-proof scientific article/
book. However, between work, consulting, and family life,
“ain’t nobody got time for that.” Although I am employing
the scientific method to the best of my ability in the
experimentation and observation that has led me to the
conclusions I hold so dear, due to time and resources I am not
able to compose the formal scientific paper that I plan to write
in the future (hopefully with the help of someone with access
to a mad-scientist lab). This publication then, is a preamble to
the larger, professional, robustly scientific publication that will
come at a later date. In addition, this publication will work to
bring my ideas on coffee flavor development to people in a way
that may be easier to apply to their day-to-day work.

This handbook is a manifesto because I hope to do a few

things with it. I hope to challenge the status quo within the
coffee industry that treats the act of coffee roasting as an
art form, lacks expectations for consistency, and treats the
creation of flavor compounds within coffee as some sort of
black magic. Additionally, I want to present my perspective on
coffee roasting, flavor development, and consistency. The act of
writing is an invitation for the reader to enter my brain, and I
am sorry for the mess.

1
manifesto. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged.
Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/manifesto
(accessed: October 17, 2014)
 11 • ROB HOOS

A CHANGE IN PARADIGM
In defining the unique aspects of my approach to coffee
roasting, I am outlining a philosophy or paradigm more than
anything else. My philosophy begins with the idea that coffee
roasting is a definable, understandable process for which
a unified theory can be created. This is not to say that every
specific detail that plays a part in coffee flavor development
can be perfectly predicted and understood. Rather, there exist
trends of flavor development common to all coffees and by
understanding these trends, informed and intelligent decisions
can be made. As Oregon roaster and inventor Michael Sivetz
stated in Coffee Technology, “Although green coffees vary in
chemical and physical properties, the chemical and physical
changes they undergo during roasting are similar even though
they vary in degree.”2 Thus, the bulk of my time and effort has
focused on learning how to appropriately deconstruct the roast
curve and understand its components, and then – through
application of scientific method – manipulate the roast curve to
produce the desired changes to the flavor of the coffee.
There are a number of points of the roasting curve that I
find to be incredibly important – specifically for coffee flavor
development – including the following:

• The pre-roast considerations (ambient temperature,

humidity, etc.)

• Beginning of the roast to time and temperature of the

beginning of chemical reaction (i.e. color change and the
beginning of the Maillard reaction)

• The duration of the Maillard reaction until the beginning of

first crack

• The duration of the time between the beginning of first

crack and the end of the roast
 12 • ROB HOOS

• The degree of sugar caramelization (represented as an

end temperature off the thermocouple reading bean mass,
Agtron color, or other color measurement)

• The role that thermodynamic pressure plays in the

development of flavors in coffee

There are other crucial points that I monitor, but they

do not contribute specifically to flavor development during
roasting (though they contribute to my ability to meet the
profile). Although those points lay outside of the scope of this
publication, they are important to the actual act of roasting
and could be covered through independent consulting or by
attending SCAA courses on roasting.

For much of the rest of this publication I will be breaking

down and explaining the significance of the deconstructed
sections of the roast profile. Please note that these sections are
broken down based on their occurrence in the chronology of
the roast curve, and not based on level of flavor contribution in
roasting.

2
Michael Sivetz, Coffee Technology
(Westport, Connecticut: The AVI Publishing Company INC, 1979), 249
 13 • ROB HOOS

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOURCING

APPROPRIATE GREEN COFFEE
“The intrinsic potential flavors lie within the bean; the
mechanisms of roasting can only bring out what is there … An
oak log will still smell of oak volatiles; and a hickory log will still
smell of hickory volatiles.”3

I won’t go on much about green coffee because it isn’t the

point of the handbook, but sourcing great coffee is crucial.
Or perhaps I should say, sourcing coffee that meets your
company’s goals and roasting program is of great importance.
If there is anything I have learned about roasting coffee, and
intentionally manipulating the flavor profile of the coffee
through adjusting the roast profile, I am left with the absolute
impression that you cannot find something that isn’t there.
Though Sivetz says it perfectly in the above quote, let me
provide one more analogy. I like to think of a coffee like a
color (let’s say blue). You can only do so much to a coffee by
manipulating a roast. You can turn that blue into a teal, or a
navy blue, or even a purple, but it will never be orange. You
will never make it better or substantially different than its
potential, but you can make it worse than its potential. If you
wanted orange, you should have sourced coffee that was red,
yellow or orange. Source what you want, and always make sure
you are treating everyone in the supply chain (including the
Earth) with respect.

3
Michael Sivetz, Coffee Technology, 257
 14 • ROB HOOS

CHARGING TOWARD THE BEGINNING OF

CHEMICAL REACTION
The first consideration roasters must make when
approaching the beginning of the roast is considering the
charge temperature and charge weight of the batch they will
be loading into the roaster. Charge temperature indicates the
initial heat value of the drum as read by the return air (exhaust
air) probe on the roaster. This is not a precise measurement
of the total temperature, simply an approximation of the
temperature of the air after it has passed through the
roasting drum (ideally, indicating the heat of the air after
either depositing heat into or being heated by the metal
in the roasting drum). One will need to modify the charge
temperature up or down for the following reasons: batch
size, batch number of the day, anticipated residual heat in the
roasting system, and desired heat application in the roast.

Typically, a smaller charge weight will call for a lower

charge temperature, and heavier weight will call for a higher
temperature. Usually, the greater the batch number for the
day, the lower the required charge temperature (because of
thermal retention). Additionally, if you just roasted a dark roast
coffee, you will likely need a lower charge temperature for the
following batch because of higher heat retention in the system.
Depending on the roast profile of the coffee you are trying
to roast (especially compared with the power output of your
roaster), you may need a higher / lower charge temperature
in order to achieve the necessary rate of rise (or modify your
batch size slightly). The bottom line is, charge temperature and
charge weight will help the roaster establish the initial thermal
momentum of the roasting environment.

Another important indicator is your turn-around point.

The turn-around point is a piece of roast data that, while
 15 • ROB HOOS

not a precise measurement, gives the roaster a grasp of

what is happening with the rate of heat transfer early in the
roast. In a roast profile, the turn-around point represents
the bean probe’s rate of rise hitting zero after sharply
dropping for the first minute or so (results will vary based
on thermocouple type, thickness, and placement). At the
beginning of the roast, the bean probe is heated roughly to
the environmental temperature of the drum. When you add
the room-temperature beans into the roaster (i.e. charge the
roaster), the bean probe readout begins to drop sharply. At the
same time (though we cannot see it in any readouts), the bean
temperature is sharply rising from room temperature to meet
the thermocouple as it declines. The turn-around point is the
measurement of when and at what temperature the beans rise
in temperature equalizes with the thermocouple’s declining
temperature, after which the two rise together (called “turn-
around,” “equilibrium,” or “delta point”). The timing of the
turn-around can help you understand the momentum of
the roast long before getting a true Rate of Rise (RoR) from
the bean temperature thermocouple. If the turn-around
happens earlier than planned, you are entering the roast with
more thermal momentum than you may have expected and
should lower your heat application. This can also be true if
the thermocouple temperature reads abnormally high. If the
turn-around happens significantly later than it should, then
you are probably lacking in thermal momentum and should
use slightly higher than normal heat application. Similarly, if
the temperature for turn-around is lower than normal, it may
behoove you to use greater heat application in order to meet
the planned profile.

Though charge weight/temperature and turn-around time/

temperature do not directly cause flavor development in the
roast specifically, they significantly affect the rest of the roast.
These factors do not have to be held in total constant in order to
 16 • ROB HOOS

match a roast profile or match flavor development; rather, the

craft and skill of the roaster manipulates them to maintain heat
application in the early stages of the roast.

After charging the roaster with beans, the thermocouple

drops rapidly in temperature until equalizing with the
constant rise of the bean temp at a bean temperature probe
RoR of 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The readout then begins to
rise right along with the average surface temperature of the
bean mass (and air), as free moisture begins to be driven off
the bean. For lack of better terminology, I often refer to this
as the drying phase. There are no real significant chemical
reactions happening; rather, water vapor is being driven off,
pressure is beginning to build and the thermal momentum of
the batch is being established. As enough moisture is driven
off the bean, chemical reactions can begin and color changes
(specifically pale green/white to yellow) become visible on the
surface of the coffee bean. This color change is one of the first
critical points of measurement. Note the temperature at which
the bean becomes yellow in your roaster and try to use that
thermocouple measurement to standardize your notations.
Noting the time and temperature of the beginning of chemical
reaction is absolutely critical to understanding development
and helping to replicate that roast at a later time.

Quick notes about this segment of the roast:

• The “drying phase,” for lack of a better term, begins at the

charge of the roast and ends at the critical point noted as the
beginning of chemical reaction. This point is noted as the
beginning of color change to yellow and adoption of hay-like
aroma. This signals the beginning of the Maillard reaction
and the measurement of our next critical segment.

• Matching time from charge through drying to this point

with other batches of this coffee at this curve will help
develop consistent thermal energy for chemical reaction
 17 • ROB HOOS

phases and make your job as the roaster operator much

easier.

• If you know through experience that this coffee does not

develop roast defects if it is allowed to “dry” (i.e. drive off
free moisture) until this point (x amount of time allows for
proper drying without causing roast defects), then it will
help to safeguard against negative flavor contributors like
scorching and tipping.
* Tipping is caused by excessively rapid heat application;
scorching is caused by too high of a drum surface
temperature during the charge of the roast. It causes a
toasty, grainy, burnt flavor.
* Facing is another defect, in which coffee that has
already gone through color change is scorched. It
may happen due to drum speed (centrifugal force),
drum overloading, or too high a rate of conductive
heat transfer. Facing causes burnt and char like
characteristics in the cup.

• If the time from the charging of the roast to the beginning

of chemical reaction is too short, then the development of
roasting defects like scorching and tipping are more likely.
* In addition, a shortened time frame will result in
unevenly driven off moisture, creating the potential for
some inconsistencies in the development of the flavors
in the coffee.
* If this time is too fast, then you may have too much
energy within the roasting system and will experience a
“runaway” curve that does not enable you to meet future
goal times and temperatures for your roast curve.

• Consequently, if the time from the charging of the roast

to the beginning of chemical reaction is too long, it could
result in a lack of pressure within the bean during chemical
 18 • ROB HOOS

reactions, which will result in deficient flavor development

in the coffee (i.e. a flat coffee).

• An elongated drying time could result in a lack of thermal

momentum in the roaster and make it impossible for you
to achieve a solid match for the rest of the roast curve you
have planned.

• Take care during the drying time, as you are not only trying
to avoid certain flavor defects stemming from roasting
defects (tipping, scorching), you are also trying to set
yourself up for success later in the roast.

This first notation (beginning of chemical reaction) along

the path of the roast curve is not directly a control point
to cause the development of positive flavors; rather, it is a
control point to help aid in the avoidance of negative flavor
contributions. Additionally, since this helps to further establish
thermal momentum in the roasting system, it indirectly causes
the development of certain other flavor contributors based
on the fluctuations in the later roast curve caused during this
time. It is critical to understand your roasting system well
through a little trial and error (or expert advice) in order to
determine optimum charge temperatures, turn-around points
and overall heat application to achieve ideal results for the
“drying phase” of roasting. The number of variables for each
unique situation are too great for me to cover; in this volume.
 19 • ROB HOOS

MAILLARD REACTION
“A remarkable scheme of the Maillard reactions has been
proposed by Hoge (1953, 1967) who gives clear information
on the mechanisms of this non-enzymatic browning reaction.
Nursten (1981) proposed a classification system of the Maillard
reaction products: (i) ‘simple’ sugar dehydration/fragmentation
products (furans, pyrones, cyclopentenes, carbonyl compounds,
acids); (ii) ‘simple’ amino-acid degradation products
(aldehydes, sulfur compounds); (iii) volatiles produced by
further interactions (pyrroles, pyridines, imidazoles, pyrazines,
oxazoles, thiazoles, compounds from aldol condensations).”4

The Maillard reaction is one of the most chemically

complex reactions that occurs during coffee roasting. It more
than doubles the number of volatile aromatic compounds
present in the coffee compared to the initial volatile aromatic
compounds in green coffee as well as produces a number of
critical intermediate and final products. This chemical reaction
begins early in the roast as amino acids act as catalysts with
reducing sugars, resulting in a complex non-enzymatic sugar-
browning process. As expressed by Andrea Illy and Rinantonio
Viani, “Water and carbon dioxide are generated by the very
important Maillard reaction, which leads to the coloured
products, the melanoidins, and to the main part of the organic
volatiles.”5 These continue to change, react, change, and
react, creating a number of intermediate products as well as
different chemical compounds. For our purposes we will be
considering the beginning of color change to yellow to indicate

5
Andrea Illy and Rinantonio Viani, Ed.,
Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality Second Edition
(San Diego, California: Elsevier Academic Press, 2013), 192

4
Ivon Flament, Coffee Flavor Chemistry
(West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons, LTD, 2002), 39
 20 • ROB HOOS

the beginning of the Maillard reaction. This chemical reaction

will continue until it either runs out of compounds with which
to react, or is ended by the drop of the roast into the cooling
tray (though it will continue until the coffee is decently cooled;
this is one of the reasons why it is super important to have an
effective cooling tray).

Though this reaction continues until the end of the roast, it

is not productive for us to measure it, since we are concerned
about a number of different roast phases. Thus, we will
be measuring it from the beginning of color change to the
beginning of first crack. Taking into account the vast array
of volatile aromatic compounds created during this stage, in
my mind some of the more important compounds that are
created are the melanoidins. There has been research into the
“…flavor binding, color, texture, and antioxidant properties of
melanoidins and investigation of the physiological effects and
fate of melanoidins (COST, 2002).”6 In my opinion, the greatest
contributions have to do with flavor, and texture (think body).
As the Maillard reaction continues, it generates more and
more melanoidins, which continue to modulate the complexity
and perceived body of the coffee (they have a high molecular
weight, which correlates with higher viscosity and thus thicker
mouth-feel). By lengthening the roast during this phase, you
can increase the perception of complexity and body (and
modulate the way we perceive the flavors). By decreasing the
time that the Maillard reaction is permitted to occur, you can
decrease the body and improve the clarity of the coffee.

Quick notes about this segment (I call MAI) of the roast:

• The measurement of this segment of the Maillard Reaction

begins at the initial color change point noted above.

• This measurement ends when you can tell that the bulk of

6
Illy and Viani Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality Second Edition, 204
 21 • ROB HOOS

the coffee in the roaster is beginning to enter first crack

(the audible demonstration of sugar caramelization).

• The duration of the Maillard reaction is significant because

this reaction will continue to occur until either the roast is
ended or it runs out of reactants.

• The Maillard Reaction is caused by amino acids acting

as catalysts with reducing sugars, this chemical reaction
continues to produce intermediate products, which it then
reacts with to produce other intermediate products.
* This chemical reaction is likely responsible for well
over 600 volatile organic compounds within the finished
product.
* In addition, this reaction continuously produces
melanoidins. These high-molecular-weight browning
products contribute flavor, body/texture, color,
bonding and complexity to the coffee. Specifically to our
experiments, they greatly modulate the experience of
the body of the coffee.

• If you increase the amount of time that the Maillard

reaction is allowed to occur, you increase the complexity of
the sugar browning tones you are creating in addition to the
weight/texture/mouth-feel.
* Ex. Brown sugar turns to maple syrup turns to honey/
vanilla turns to molasses

• Though the specifics are different with every coffee (i.e.

some just will never have a honey-like tone or a vanilla bean
in the finish), this modulation of flavor holds true with all
coffees.

• When considering how to modulate this part of the roast

curve, you should consider what you taste in the cup, and
then think about the human experience of taste. Ask what a
heavier mouth-feel would do to this coffee, or what greater
 22 • ROB HOOS

complexity could add or subtract from the experience you

are trying to craft. Also, consider how the heavier mouth-
feel (viscosity) and the increased complexity affect the
clarity of the beverage.

In disclosing some detail about how I arrived at my

conclusions, I would like to share some of my cupping scores
for a variety of experimental coffees in order to help the reader
understand the potential effects of altering the Maillard time.
In these experiments, I will talk about the differences made
in the following coffees: a Brazilian Micro-lot, a Mexican
Organic, a SHG Guatemalan, and an Ethiopian Kochere. All of
these cuppings were done blind in our cupping lab at Nossa
Familia Coffee in Portland, Oregon. For these particular
experiments, I held the drying time, development time, and
final temperature as constant as I could (aiming for less than
10 second deviations) and manipulated only the time spent
in the Maillard-to-first-crack (MAI) phase. In the body score,
I am listing the qualitative (horizontal) score first (6-10) and
following that with an intensity score (1-5).

Body σ from
Brazil Micro-lot Notes
Score Baseline

Baseline 8|3 0:00 Honeyed with clove, ginger, and

cinnamon, cherry flesh.

Fast MAI 7.5 | 2 -0:10 Cherry, with a seed-like savory

spice, pie cherries and graham
cracker, floral, chocolate, slight
merlot grape, brown sugar,
significantly less body.

Slow MAI 8.5 | 3 +0:39

Plum, seed like, sweet, herbaceous
spices, drinking chocolate, dark
cherries, floral and fragrant, merlot
grape with heavy body.

Brazilian Micro-lot: In this experiment (my first), I tried to

hold all things constant with the exception of my time between
 23 • ROB HOOS

color change and the beginning of first crack. Though I was

almost completely successful, I had one roast that fell out of
specification, yet helped to highlight the points I am making
here. Considering baseline time as 0:00 for Maillard reaction,
the faster Maillard reaction varied by -0:10, and the slower
Maillard reaction by +0:39 (the out-of-spec-for-development-
time experiment was +0:35). With the baseline roast, I noticed
the following: decent body (qualitatively an 8 on SCAA form)
with a 3 for intensity of body. Descriptors I used for this coffee
included chocolate, honeyed, clove, tea-like, notes of cherry
flesh and cinnamon spices, balanced. The faster time for
Maillard reaction was a 7.5 qualitatively and a 2 with regard to
intensity. Descriptors I used for this coffee were cherry, soft
floral, seed-like, graham cracker, very light-bodied. Meanwhile,
my scores for the longer Maillard reaction were an 8.5, and a 3
with regard to intensity. Descriptors I used were plum, herby
spices, drinking chocolate, dark cherry, heavy-bodied. Finally,
since it is relevant to this discussion, the accidental modulation
of the “out of spec” roast resulted in a 7.5 qualitative analysis,
and a 4 with regard to the intensity of the body. Descriptors
used were chocolate, honeyed, and candied plum. There was
also a note about the heaviness of the body. There seems to
be a clear trend in this coffee to the modulation of a heavier
body (and in this particular case, a more pleasing qualitative
analysis) with the increase in duration of the Maillard reaction.
Additionally, there is a change in the descriptors moving
toward “heavier” and more complex taste descriptors.
 24 • ROB HOOS

Organic Body σ from

Notes
Mexican Score Baseline

Baseline 7.5 | 3.5 0:00 Sweet, caramel, rich red

berries, floral, graham
cracker, red apple.

Fast MAI 7.5 | 4.5 -0:08 Sweet nut, perfumed floral,

spice, molasses, chocolate,
green grape to apple.

Slow MAI 8 |5 +0:26 Sweet, chocolate, brown

sugar, fruit, warming spice in
aftertaste.

The Mexican Organic coffee displayed encouragingly

similar results despite differences in variety, altitude,
processing method and microclimate. The baseline once
again is represented by 0:00. This time, the faster reaction
is represented by -0:08, and the longer reaction time by
+0:26. The baseline roast of this coffee scored as follows: 7.5
qualitative, and 4 with regard to intensity. Descriptors used
on this coffee include sweet caramel, rich red berries, floral,
graham cracker, and red apple. The faster of the reactions
scored the following: 7.5 qualitative with a 4.5 intensity. Though
this doesn’t match with the proposed effects, the rest of the
data would make this out to be an erroneous score (I am only
human). Also, the variance is under 0:10, which is part of the
reason I developed a 0:10 consistency standard. (I have trouble
tasting variance if it is within 10 seconds, so when production
roasting I only consider variances of less than 0:10 to be on
target). The descriptors used for this one include sweet nut,
perfumed, floral, spice, green grape to apple. The longer
Maillard reaction yielded an 8 on the body with an intensity
of 5. Cupping notes for this coffee included sweet chocolate,
brown sugar, fruit. Notice that once again we have not only
a shift in the intensity toward heavier body as we progress
through a longer Maillard reaction pre-first crack, but there
is also a shift in the descriptors toward weightier and more
 25 • ROB HOOS

complex flavors.

Thirdly (and fourthly) is the experimentation with the

SHG Guatemalan. Let’s deal with the first round, and then we
will move over to the second. During the first round, baseline
was 0:00, faster reaction was -0:29, and longer reaction was
+0:23. Please note I cupped this coffee 7 times, and this is
a representation of the average scores for these coffees.
Baseline scored 7.75, with a 2.75 intensity. Cupping notes for
the coffee included sweet, citric, peach, floral, vanilla, white
tea, raw sugar, baking spice. The faster Maillard scored
a 7 and an intensity of 2.25. Cupping notes for this coffee
included dull, sweet, bland, floral, peach-like, spices, seed-
like, caramel. The longer Maillard reaction scored 7.625, and
3.5 with regards to intensity. Cupping notes used to describe
this coffee included floral, vanilla, peach, baking spices, baked
peaches, cinnamon, honeyed, chocolaty, tobacco, peach pie,
mulled spices, coriander seed. In this example we see again
a trend toward increase in intensity of the body, alteration of
qualitative scores, and a modulation of descriptors from simple
to complex, and from light to heavy.

SHG Body σ from

Notes
Guatemalan A Score Baseline

Baseline 7.75 | 2.75 0:00 Sweet, citric, peach flesh,

vanilla, white tea, floral, lime,
molasses.

Fast MAI 7 | 2.5 -0:29 Sweet nut, perfumed floral,

spice, molasses, chocolate,
green grape to apple.

Slow MAI 7.625 | +0:23 Fruity, floral, vanilla, peach,

3.5 baking spices, vanilla,
cinnamon, honeyed, chocolate,
tobacco, heavy, darker
peach tones, mulled spices,
molasses, baked peaches.
 26 • ROB HOOS

SHG Body σ from

Notes
Guatemalan B Score Baseline

Baseline 8.5 | 3.5 0:00 Peach pie, tea-like floral tones,

pie spices, molasses and
honey (hints of caramel).

Fast MAI 8 |4 -0:03 Peach preserves, cherry, hints

of floral, cinnamon, clove,
herbaceous spices, caramel
chocolate, syrupy.

Slow MAI 8 | 2.5 +0:41 Fruity peach (ripe), tea like,

heavy floral tones, slight seed
like and tea like characters,
honey like sweetness, very
syrupy.

The second set of experiments with the SHG Guatemalan

resulted as follows. Baseline 0:00, faster reaction was -0:03,
longer reaction was +0:41. Baseline scored 8.5 with regard to
quality and a 3.5 with regard to intensity. Descriptors included
peach pie, tea-like floral, molasses, honey and caramel, floral
tones. The faster Maillard reaction time scored an 8 for
qualitative and a 4 for intensity. Similar to the experiment
with the Mexican, we have what appears to be an outlier, but
the differentiation is minimal and can be accounted for by the
slightly longer length in development time. The tasting notes
for this roast were peach preserves, hint of cherry, floral,
cinnamon, clove, chocolate, molasses. The scores for the longer
Maillard reaction time were an 8 qualitative and a 2.5 for
intensity. This is an outlier in the true sense of the word. I can
theorize as to its presence, but I am better off just admitting
the flaws in my cupping and indicate to the reader that, despite
this outlier, I still fully believe in the aforestated trending and
utilize it to this day. Tasting notes of this roast were fruited, ripe
peach, tea-like, heavy floral, honey and graham cracker, syrupy.
There seems to be a slightly similar trend to the descriptors
despite the variation in the cupping scores.
 27 • ROB HOOS

Kochere - Body σ from

Notes
Ethiopian Score Baseline

Baseline 7.5 | 2 0:00 Floral, white tea, honey,

citrus, lemon, berry, vanilla,
butterscotch, bergamot.

Fast MAI 8 | 3.5 -0:11 Lemon, floral, vanilla, slight

seed-like character, cinnamon,
orange, orange rind, floral,
bergamot.

Slow MAI 8 |3 +0:54 Chocolate, floral, nut, citrus

blossom, malt, sweet lemon
meringue, berries, lemon bar,
caramel, vanilla.

Kochere - Body σ from

Notes
Ethiopian (2) Score Baseline

Baseline 7.5 | 4.5 0:00 Floral, white tea, honey,

citrus, lemon, berry, vanilla,
butterscotch, bergamot.

Fast MAI 7.5 | 2 -0:11 Lemon, floral, vanilla, slight

seed-like character, cinnamon,
orange, orange rind, floral,
bergamot.

Slow MAI 7.5 | 3 +0:54 Chocolate, floral, nut, citrus

blossom, malt, sweet lemon
meringue, berries, lemon bar,
caramel, vanilla.

Finally, my experiments with the Ethiopian Kochere.

This one provides us with a particularly rich glance into
the development occurring in the Maillard reaction from
beginning of color change to the beginning of first crack
because in addition to the dedicated experimental data, I have
data from a number of production runs with slight variations
in Maillard reaction length. We’ll begin with the experiment,
and then I will branch out into discussing the other sets of
data. Baseline 0:00, faster development -0:11, and slower
development +0:54. Baseline scores a qualitative 7.5 (7.5
second cupping) with a quantitative 2 (4.5 second cupping).
 28 • ROB HOOS

The cupping notes for this roast are floral, white tea, honey,
citrus, lemon, vanilla, butterscotch, and bergamot. For the
faster reaction time, the coffee scored 8 (7.5) and a 3.5 (2) for
intensity. Cupping notes for this coffee were lemon, floral,
vanilla, seed, baking spice, orange rind. Finally, the longer
Maillard reaction development scored an 8 (7.5) for quality
and a 3 (3) for intensity. The tasting notes for this expression
of the coffee were chocolate, floral, nut, citrus blossom, malt,
sweet lemon, lemon meringue, caramel, and vanilla. As with
the other coffees, you can see a clear progression in terms of
complexity, and weight of flavors as well as a trend within the
scoring.

With the Kochere specifically, I logged a number of

intentional variances in our production roasts. By pairing these
with cupping notes reflecting not the SCAA form interpretation
but the flavor modulation, we can see a clear picture beginning
to develop. In this extensive listing of Maillard times with
regard to the baseline, a trend in flavor descriptors becomes
apparent. Flavor moves from less structured toward complex,
and from lighter in weight/body to heavier.
 29 • ROB HOOS

Time Relative to
Flavor Profile
Baseline

-1:12 Cane sugar, honey, vanilla

-1:05 Honey-like

-0:59 Sweet honey, vanilla

-0:51 Caramel, molasses, a lot of vanilla, buttery

-0:49 Wild honey, vanilla, syrupy

-0:44 Cane sugar, honey, vanilla

-0:40 Cocoa nibs, honey, wild honey

-0:36 Cane sugar, agave nectar, buttery, vanilla bean

-0:25 Caramel, vanilla bean

-0:16 Cinnamon, butter, vanilla, baking spices

0:00 Honey-like, vanilla, butterscotch

+0:48 Chocolate

+0:53 Chocolate, malt, caramel, vanilla bean

At its core, this chart demonstrates the basis of my understanding

of the role of the Maillard reaction in the roasting of coffee. It
increased the complexity of chemical composition and the perception
of body, resulting in the appropriate modulation of the perceived
flavor for the coffee drinker. In other words, you could intentionally
give a coffee a tea-like structure, or a caramel-like mouth-feel, or
give it a heavy, buttery body all by modulating the length of time the
Maillard reaction is permitted to generate melanoidins.

Even so, there is no silver bullet here. Each coffee has within it
a slightly different chemical composition that will cause it to have
different flavors and potential for flavors. But in the end, they all
will trend in the way I have suggested. As a roaster, you have a great
amount of control in how you will present the coffees (what you are
accentuating and what you are downplaying), but you only have so
much latitude. In order to land on certain flavor profiles, you must be
diligent and deliberate in your sourcing strategies and then use these
roasting strategies to draw out that potential.
This is the owner of Nossa Familia and I by our Loring Kestrel.

A container of Brazilian coffee Picture I took on my 2015 trip

being unloaded outside of Nossa to Guatemala. Bourbon from
Familia Coffee. Timoteo’s Farm in San Miguel.
Cupping coffees in the Nossa Cupping coffees at origin during
Familia Lab. my 2015 Guatemala trip.

The aftermath of our first round of cupping at Finca San Jeronimo.

Action shot of coffee being pulled out with the trier.
PHOTO BY LUCAS CHEMOTTI

My beautiful Loring. Coffee cools in the cooling tray of

the Loring Kestrel.
PHOTO BY LUCAS CHEMOTTI
Augusto couldn’t resist getting this picture lined up. This is coffee
being moved with water from the pulper to the drying patio.

This is me in my SCAA volunteer This is a picture of me from early

shirt picking coffee cherries 2012 roasting on the Loring
(canario variety) in Brazil. Kestrel at Nossa Familia Coffee.
Un-roasted Brazilian coffee being scooped to load into the roaster.
PHOTO BY LUCAS CHEMOTTI
 36 • ROB HOOS

DEVELOPMENT TIME
Next we arrive at a point in the roast where the majority
of coffee roasters will feel a little more at home. Unlike other
segments of the roasting curve I have previously enumerated,
this phase has a common name and designated start point.
Development time is set to begin at the beginning of first crack,
and measures the length of the roast to the drop (where coffee
exits the roasting chamber and enters the cooling tray). There
are also a series of conventions people hold about development
time, but they are currently not universal within the coffee
industry.

To begin with, development time is actually very complex.

It is not simply one set of chemical reactions occurring;
rather, it is a multi-dimensional interaction between many
separate chemical reactions that are not only happening on
their own, but also interplaying with one another. During this
stretch of time, the Maillard reaction is continuing and is now
reacting somewhat differently, since it is coming into contact
with different new compounds that are being generated by
other chemical reactions. Sugar caramelization, organic
acid degradation, Strecker degradation, and pyrolysis are all
occurring simultaneously with the ongoing Maillard reaction
and causing a number of different changes in the chemistry
and flavor profile of the coffee. We will spend time in this
section focusing on the significant aspects of the roast that
affect flavor development during this stage.

Sucrose begins to undergo caramelization (at different

temperatures depending on the speed at which it is heated),
forming water vapor and carbon dioxide leading up to and
continuing during first crack. Then, there is enough pressure
in the bean that we experience first mechanical crack. This
is where the structure of the bean fractures and begins to
 37 • ROB HOOS

expand, leading to the rapid off-gassing of reaction byproducts.

Caramelization, which we will spend much more time talking
about in the next section, converts sucrose into caramel, and
replaces the sweetness of the sugar with a bitter and complex
flavor. Sugar caramelization is also important in that the
degenerating sucrose forms acetic and formic acids, among
other byproducts. Joseph Rivera states: “Depending on actual
roasting conditions, acetic acid concentrations can increase up
to 25 times its initial green bean concentration. Overall acetic
acid concentrations reach a maximum at light to medium
roasts, then quickly dissipate as roasting progresses due to its
volatile nature.”

During this phase, we have the degradation of organic acids

being quite noticeable, specifically those in the chlorogenic
acid group (CGAs) as well as the loss of citric and malic acids.
All of these are present in the green coffee and begin to break
down to form other organic acids as they decompose. Quinic
and caffeic acids would be great examples of acids generated
due to CGA breakdown. Likewise, the citric and malic acids
present in the green coffee are decomposed and partially form
other organic acids like citraconic acid for citric, and fumaric
and maleic acids for malic. CGAs are responsible for a lot of the
bitterness in coffee stemming from the organic acid content.
Citric and malic acids tend to be more pleasant. Thus, the
trick is to sufficiently decompose the CGAs while retaining as
much citric and malic acids as you prefer for your light, acidic,
enzymatic coffees. Phosphoric acid levels tend to stay about
the same during the roast (in other words, you have to use
sourcing to control it). As noted above, acetic acid is formed
through sucrose caramelization, peaks, and then begins to
decline. The real trick to timing the length of development time
for a particular coffee is to understand the balance of organic
acids you want to taste in the cup, and modulate the length of
development time to achieve that flavor. Develop too rapidly
 38 • ROB HOOS

and you will have excess CGAs remaining and experience

bitter and metallic acidic compounds; roast for too long, and
the acidity will be muted or less perceptible to your palate (or
even become unpleasant).
Those more expert on organic chemistry than myself
suggest the following:

“A great number of acids is generated by Maillard reaction

or caramelization. The most prominent are formic and acetic
acids.”8

“The predominant acids are chlorogenic, acetic, and citric.”9

“In brewed coffees, the acidity is largely due to homologous

organic acids of vinegar, namely acetic acid, propionic acid,
butyric acid, valeric acid, etc., the latter of which have strong and
distinctive tastes.”10

The final thing I’ll mention happening during this stage is

pyrolysis, or the thermal decomposition of compounds into
their more basic compounds (and eventually carbon) without
the presence of oxygen. This reaction begins shortly after first
crack and continues until the end of the roast. Pyrolysis could
be a contributor to what some consider to be a “roast” flavor if
it becomes too far out of balance with other compounds in the
final product.

7
Rivera, Joseph. “Acetic Acid.” CoffeeChemistry.com.
Accessed December 22, 2014.
http://www.coffeechemistry.com/acids/acetic-­acid.html.

8
Illy and Viani, Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality Second Edition, 197

9
Sivetz, Coffee Technology, 252

10
Michael Sivetz, A Critique on the Causes and Decline of: Coffee Quality
(Sivetz, 1996), 68
 39 • ROB HOOS

As we can see, there is a lot going on during this phase

of the roast. This is perhaps why the development phase
has been, to this point, one of the areas of greatest focus and
scrutiny by most people in the roasting community. When
this segment of the roast has been modified, the reactions I
feel make the greatest impact on my tasting coffees have been
the organic acids and the volatile compounds formed by the
Maillard reaction. Though sugar caramelization and pyrolysis
are also occurring during this segment of the roast, I will
specifically focus on them in the next chapter of this handbook.

In order to demonstrate my findings, I will amalgamate

information from my cupping trials of the same coffees listed
in the Maillard reaction section. Once again, the acidity scores
represent SCAA cupping form scores (6-10) and the second
number represents the experience of intensity of the acidity
(1-5).

Brazil Acidity σ from

Notes
Micro-lot Score Baseline

Baseline 8.5 | 3 0:00 Honeyed with clove, ginger,

and cinnamon, cherry flesh.

Fast 7.5 | 5 -0:57 Chocolate, Concord grape,

Development floral, sweet, tangy, strong
acidity (citric?) honey, musk
melon, grape to candied plum,
spice.

Slow 6.5 | 1.5 +1:03 Honey, plum, seed-like,

Development molasses, melon to grape,
slightly tart, lighter in body
with heavy chocolate tones.
Low acid.

With my initial experiments in the exploration of the

different segments of the roast curve, I was encouraged by
the trends I was seeing and their logical nature. I was able
to significantly vary the development time of the coffee and
 40 • ROB HOOS

taste that variation in the cup. With the fast development, I

was able to increase the speed of the time in “development”
and reach the terminal temperature 57 seconds sooner than
I did with the baseline roast. The result was a more intense
experience of acidity with a lower qualitative score. With this
particular roast, I did accidentally vary the length of MAI time
+0:35. This contributes to the chocolate notes and candied
plum (increased complexity and experience of body over the
baseline significantly). With the slow development time, I
was able to match roasts and vary only the length of time in
“development” phase. This resulted in a significantly lower
experience of the acidic intensity of the coffee, and a much
lower qualitative score. Here we see the overall flavor profile of
the coffee moving from a lighter, more tannic and bitter acidity
to a sweeter and more rounded experience, and finally to an
almost nonexistent experience of acidity.

Organic Acidity σ from

Notes
Mexican Score Baseline

Baseline 8 |4 0:00 Sweet, caramel, rich red

berries, floral, graham
cracker, red apple.

Fast 7 |4 -0:35 Ginger, cinnamon, apple-

Development white pear, soft, nutty, slightly
vegetal.

Slow 6.75 | 3 +0:19 Sweet, spicy, berry-like fruit

Development to red apple, mulled cider,
slightly heavier body.

We see similar results with the second experiment. I

was exceptionally fortunate to keep the roasts for these
experiments almost completely on track. The other segments
of the roast (outside of development time, which I was
intentionally modifying) were within 0:10 of baseline, and the
amount I was able to cause the development time to deviate
was significant. We see (with regard to actual score) a similar
 41 • ROB HOOS

intensity score between the baseline and the fast development

time; however, we also see a significant variation in the
qualitative score of the one with faster development.

Accompanying this lower score, we also see the presence

of vegetal tones. I would conjecture that these vegetative
tones could be linked to excess chlorogenic acids (CGAs)
remaining in the coffee. When comparing the baseline to
the slower development time, we see a significant decrease
in the intensity of the acidic composition, as well as a lower
qualitative score. The liveliness of the acidity is diminished
as well. In this experiment, we see the manipulation of
development time causing a modulation in the experience of
the acidity from intense to less intense, from lower in quality
to higher in quality, and then sinking off once again, and a
modulation of the composition of the organic acids from
vegetal and bitter to balanced, to diminished.

SHG Acidity σ from

Notes
Guatemalan A Score Baseline

Baseline 8.5 | 4 0:00 Sweet, citric, peach flesh,

vanilla, white tea, floral,
lime, molasses.

Fast 8.25 | 3.75 -0:11 Cocoa nibs, floral, sweet,

Development candied peaches, lime,
citrus, seed like, lemon-lime,
brown sugar.

Slow 6.25 | 3 +0:23 Sweet, tobacco floral, raisin,

Development baked peaches, maple,
vanilla, butter, canned
peaches.

With the first experiment with the SHG Guatemalan coffee,

I was able to keep the development time experiments within
0:10 for all other segments of the roast, and varied it by more
than 0:10 (though only slightly with one of the coffees) with
the development time. With the faster development time, I
 42 • ROB HOOS

was barely faster than the development time for baseline.

The baseline’s peach and citric tones take on a slightly more
bittering characteristic and change to lime, or lemon-lime-like
acidity with candied peach. In extending the development time,
the citrus tones fade into the background and more complexity
and tones associated with body come out. The citric tones fade,
and peach flesh becomes baked peaches, the tea floral becomes
more tobacco-like, etc. This is a great example of how a roaster
can shift the development time to modulate the flavor of the
coffee in small and nuanced ways.

SHG Acidity σ from

Notes
Guatemalan B Score Baseline

Baseline 8.5 | 4 0:00 Peach pie, tea-like floral

tones, pie spices, molasses
and honey (hints of caramel).

Fast 8 |4 -0:43 Bright citrus, lime-peach,

Development dried peach to mango like
acidity, tea-like, seed-like,
honey, graham cracker,
sweet, floral, peach.

Slow 7 |3 +0:12 Cooked peaches, chocolate

Development and brown sugar, sweet
syrup, sweet, slightly flat.

Between the baseline and the faster development time, the

difference is quite significant, but the experience of intensity
and quality is not that different. However, it continues to
illustrate a similar point when you begin to look at the flavor
descriptors. The faster development time has a greater
experience of citric acid (and even a slightly bitter citric acid
with the lime), the stone fruit or peach even shifts to allow the
cupper to experience mango. With the longer development
time, we notice a more expected outcome with regard to the
qualitative and intensity score. They are both lower in score
than the baseline. Once again we see a shift from bitter to sweet
citric, to more balanced and sweet acidic compounds, and
 43 • ROB HOOS

eventually to their decline. There is a shift in the experience

of depth and complexity of tones as the development time
lengthens and the Maillard reaction continues to do its thing.

Kochere - Acidity σ from

Notes
Ethiopian Score Baseline

Baseline 8.5 | 4 0:00 Floral, white tea, honey,

citrus, lemon, berry, vanilla,
butterscotch, bergamot.

Fast 7 | 3.5 -0:48 Sweet, citrus, slight sweet

Development corn, cocoa nibs, lemon cake,
lemon blossom, wild honey,
orange.

Slow 6.5 | 4 +0:46 Lemon, chocolate, earthen,

Development coriander seeds, flat, dull,
slight vegetal.

Kochere - Acidity σ from

Notes
Ethiopian (2) Score Baseline

Baseline 7.5 | 3.5 0:00 Floral, white tea, honey,

citrus, lemon, berry, vanilla,
butterscotch, bergamot.

Fast 7.5 | 4.5 -0:48 Sweet, citrus, slight sweet

Development corn, cocoa nibs, lemon cake,
lemon blossom, wild honey,
orange.

Slow 7|3 +0:46 Lemon, chocolate, earthen,

Development coriander seeds, flat, dull,
slight vegetal.

The final dedicated experiment was with the Ethiopian

Kochere. Represented above are two different cupping scores
on the coffee. In the first cupping, we see another round of
successful roasts for the experiment (matching other times
within 0:10, and varying development time by at least 0:10).
The baseline compared with the faster development time
shows either a decline or a similarity with regard to qualitative
evaluation, and (at least in the second cupping) a significant
increase in the intensity of the experience of the acidity. There
 44 • ROB HOOS

is also a shift from the more straight-forward lemon and berry

in the baseline to a heavier citrus (and potentially a more bitter
citrus experience) with the shift toward orange. The floral tea-
like and bergamot characteristic devolve into a more simplistic
blossom. When comparing the baseline with the slower
development, we see coriander seeds take over for the floral
tones as “fragrant” tones dominate, and many of the interesting
notes from the coffee begin to soften and dull. This, once again,
confirms the suspected trend we are noticing with flavor
development during the modulation of “development” time.

Finally, as with the segment on Maillard reaction, I want to

compare roast data on the Ethiopian Kochere that I conducted
by slightly varying our production roasts.

Time Relative
Flavor Profile
to Baseline

-0:48 Seed-like, corn, orange, lemon, honey, citrus, musty.

-0:13 Orange, tangerine, bitterness, hibiscus floral.

-0:09 Orange, floral, tea-like.

-0:05 Bergamot, seed-like, lavender, floral, lemon, orange,

seed, orange rind.

-0:02 Lime, lemon, bergamot, tea-like.

-0:01 Citrus, lemon, blossom, tea-like.

-0:00 Lemon, Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, Earl Grey tea,

bergamot, floral.

+0:02 Lemon, hibiscus, bergamot, tea-like.

+0:03 Sweet lemon, bergamot, lavender, floral.

+0:46 Seed-like, lemon, slight lemon, soft, earthiness.

Basically speaking, we can see that there is a correlative

effect between the length of the development time and the
perception of the organic acids present in the coffee. CGAs
tend to cause bitterness and, in my opinion, the slightly
 45 • ROB HOOS

underdeveloped coffees tend to have more bittering present.

Ivon Flament says, “… In summary, the conclusions were
that chlorogenic acid contributed to body and astringency
…”11 (This note about body could be linked to the idea that
some of the CGAs end up entangled in melanoidins.12). The
experience of bitterness due to low development time can go
from metallic bitter/vegetal bitter, to a pleasing bitterness
(like from an orange or grapefruit rind … think tannins) with
more development, then a better balance of acids such as citric,
malic, acetic, etc. – thus giving some sweet tones to the acidity
in the coffee, which go from sour to sweeter before eventually
beginning to dull as you approach a deeper development.
The longer you go with development time, the lower the
concentrations of organic acids and the more soft and round
the experience of acidity and fruit. An overly fast development
time will tend to yield bitterness from the organic acid balance
(whether metallic or vegetal) and the overdeveloped will soften
or neutralize the experience of organic acids present in the
cup, dulling the “liveliness of the coffee.” In my opinion, the
interplay of degrading CGAs, citric and malic acids with the
developing acetic represent the greatest bulk of organic acid
contribution to flavor.

With regard to Maillard reaction byproducts during this

phase, we can see the transition from lack of floral tones
(or more aggressive, less-structured floral tones) to more
structured and softened tones. As a general rule of thumb,
the longer the Maillard reaction is allowed to continue, the
more complexity and texture (with regard to mouth-feel) one
could expect from a coffee. This tends to be true whether it is
reacting within the MAI Time (Color Change to First Crack) or

11
Flament, Coffee Flavor Chemistry, 37

12
Illy and Viani, Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality Second Edition, 195
 46 • ROB HOOS

the development times.

Quick notes about the time from the beginning of first

crack and the end of the roast:

• This is a really complex matter for the following reasons:

* The Maillard reaction is continuing and is now reacting
differently as it comes in contact with new reactants
being produced by sucrose caramelization, organic acid
degradation and pyrolysis. For our purposes, this is
why we break the Maillard reaction into pre-first crack
and post-first crack. Additionally, in my experiment
/ observe / record / repeat approach, I am unable
to independently modulate the Maillard reaction’s
activities post-first without altering the other chemical
reactions mentioned.
* As noted, sucrose (the primary sugar in coffee) is
undergoing caramelization. As caramelization occurs,
the sugar breakdown creates complexity and bitter/
complex caramel compounds as well as volatile organic
compounds.
* Organic acid degradation is occurring as well, with
chlorogenic acid groups breaking down and forming
other organic acids (acetic, quinic, etc.), citric and
malic acid degrading, etc. The length of time from the
beginning of first crack to the end of the roast will have
a lot to do with the final organic acid composition of the
coffee’s flavor profile.
* Pyrolysis is also occurring during this stage of the
roast. This is the thermal breakdown of chemical
compounds into their simplest forms due to heating.
Eventually what pyrolysis means is the breakdown of all
compounds into carbon and volatile residues. As heat
continues to decompose everything, the coffee continues
to evolve.
 47 • ROB HOOS

• It is really difficult to wrap all of that information

up into a nice, neat little ball to tell someone what the
adjusting of the development time of a coffee will do to
overall flavor. In my experience, the two most significant
adjustments to the flavor profile of a coffee come from the
organic acid composition, and the complexity caused by the
Maillard reaction interacting with these new reactants and
intermediate products.
* In general, the way organic acids tend to shift is as
follows (with relation to “development time”):
++ Bitter
++ Bitter and vegetal
++ Bitter and citric/malic/other more pleasant acids
++ Bitter and citric/malic/other more pleasant acids and sour
++ Citric/malic/other more pleasant acids, and sweet and sour
++ Citric/malic/other more pleasant acids and sweet
++ Sweet
++ Dull
++ Bland
* An example of this shift is as follows:
++ Bitter, unpleasant copper coin taste, strongly acidic
but disconnected
++ Bitter, unpleasant, slight hint of something vegetal (hops)
++ Citrus rind (like grapefruit rind)
++ Grapefruit or lime-like
++ Meyer lemon with a hint of rind
++ Meyer lemon
++ Lemon shake-up (if you’ve never had one, you should try it)
++ Sweet, more toward melon
++ Low to no acidity
 48 • ROB HOOS

* The way that the Maillard reaction influences this is by

modulating the complexity of the beverage:
++ Introduction of more floral or fragrant tones to
the coffee. The suggestion would be that a longer
development time should accentuate these nuanced
floral/fragrant/seed-like tones.
++ Conversely, a faster development time should
hinder the ability of the Maillard reaction to create
complexity within this flavor range and provide
an even greater accentuation to the acidity/fruit
tones. However, at a certain point, the acidity will
be disconnected from our experience with flavor
because of the one-dimensional nature of an overly
fast development time. This could result in bitter,
vegetal tones or the experience of metallic tones
associated with the acidity.
 49 • ROB HOOS

DEGREE OF CARAMELIZATION/PYROLYSIS
Part of the development time of the roast (the ending, to
be precise, but meriting its own section here) includes the
choice of degree of caramelization to which one would choose
to roast. Essentially we are asking the question, “How much of
the sucrose should we take to the point of caramelization as the
heat travels inward in the seed?” The degree of caramelization
in the coffee seed seems to be connected heavily to the final
temperature to which you are roasting. I say this because,
through much tasting, sweetness seems preserved with
some long and drawn-out development times, but seems easy
to cover up or degrade with higher-end temperatures and
at different rates of development times. In other words, the
sweetness, level of caramelization/pyrolysis is disconnected
to a great degree from the length of “development time.”
Therefore, we will be treating terminal temperature as its own
particular beast.

Coffee contains primarily sucrose with regard to the

makeup of its sugar content. How much of that sucrose do you
intend to caramelize, and how much of it do you plan to retain
as residual sugars, which help give coffee natural sweetness?
If the bean temperature does not reach high enough, there
remains the chance for vegetal flavor contributors to remain
in the coffee. This could be due to a lack of pyrolysis of certain
compounds that can lend vegetal tones to coffees. It could
also be because the strength of the caramel tone in the coffee
is not enough to obscure the compounds causing us to taste
vegetation in our coffee.

Conversely, too much caramelization and, eventually, too

much pyrolysis leads to an excessive amount of bitterness
and flattens the complexity of the coffee. You are left playing a
delicate game.
 50 • ROB HOOS

Here are notes from one experiment with a SHB

Guatemalan I did specifically to test this theory.

Deviation of Roast:

Roast Phase Baseline Low Drop High Drop

Drying Phase 0:00 +0:03 +0:10

Maillard 0:00 +0:03 +0:03

Development 0:00 =0:03 +0:08

σ End Temperature 0F -6 F 6F

Please notice above that all of the deviations from the

baseline roast are quite acceptable, and to my ability to taste
should have little to no effect on the flavor of the roasted
coffee. The only significant contributor should be the final
temperature (simultaneously representing the degree of
caramelization and pyrolysis).

SCAA Cupping Form:

Sweetness
Fragrance

Clean Cup
Balance

Overall
Flavor

After

Body
Acid

Uni

Roast Total

Baseline 8.25 8.5 8 8.5 8.5 8.5 10 10 10 8.5 88.75

Low Drop 7.75 7.5 8 7.5 8 7.5 10 10 10 7.5 83.75

High Drop 8 7.5 7.5 7.5 7 7 10 10 10 7.5 82

Within the qualitative score numbers on the SCAA cupping

form, there definitely seem to be slight qualitative differences
that end up resulting in a significant difference in overall
score. With the roast profile that I was using, what these
numbers seem to indicate is that there is a range of pyrolysis
and caramelization that is more desirable, and ranges on either
side of that “sweet spot” that are less desirable.
 51 • ROB HOOS

Intensity Scores:

Roast Fragrance Aroma Acidity Body

Baseline 3 4 4 3.5

Low Drop 3 3.5 4 3.5

High Drop 3.5 3.5 4 3.5

It is worth noting here that the intensity scores are not

modified or changed greatly. This would also suggest that the
intensity of these elements are not connected with the final
degree of roast, but rather with the actual curve representing
the path the coffee follows through roasting.

Flavor Descriptors:
Herbaceous

Sweetness

Aftertaste
Floral
Fruit

Body

Roast

Baseline peach pie tea-like pie spices molasses tea-like peach,

floral and honey, honey,
caramel floral

Low Drop vegetal floral garden pea sweet - light, very green tea,
peach toward / cucumber honey or tea-like, seed-like
green tea and tea-like raw sugar honeyed

High Drop peach pie, savory, seed-like sweet, rich chocolate, pie spices,
molasses sesame chocolate jagged syrup
seeds

Finally, when looking at how the flavor profile of the

coffee changes, we see significant differences forming
between the coffees. The lower drop temperature results in
vegetal tones because of lack of caramelization and pyrolysis
(specifically, pyrolysis reducing or eliminating contributors
to a vegetal taste profile). The coffee roasted to a lower
terminal temperature did tend to remain sweeter, but lacked
some of the complexity and balance brought about by the
 52 • ROB HOOS

greater caramelization/pyrolysis. The deeper levels of sugar

caramelization and pyrolysis gave the darker of the two roasts
a more savory characteristic with more bitterness from the
caramels. The path that flavor development seems to follow is
from vegetal and sweet, to sweet and not vegetal, toward mild,
toward slightly bitter, then toward bitter.

Bottom line is, whatever you are going for in a roast,

approach it with caution and consideration when choosing
your final end temperature. Also keep in mind that darker
flavors, greater complexity and heavier body can be made
without burning coffee!

Additionally, remember that the SCAA Coffee Taster’s

Flavor Wheel can provide a helpful guide to understanding
the progression of coffee flavor through the caramelization
process. Early on (with relation to end temperature / degree
of caramelization), you start with more “enzymatic flavor
tones” residual from the terroir of the coffee and the balance of
chemical compounds in the plant. (Bear in mind that enzymatic
flavor tones are not created during roast, but may be covered
up do to caramelization, pyrolysis, etc.) As you continue to
caramelize, you will shift into the sugar browning section of the
taster’s wheel and these flavors will become more dominant.
Finally, if you continue caramelization/pyrolysis you will arrive
in the section marked “dry distillation” which is due to the
pyrolysis and carbonization of volatile aromatic compounds
among others in the seed.

• The degree of sugar caramelization is the final point of

consideration within my paradigm for controlling the flavor
development during coffee roasting.
* By controlling your final roast degree, you are
essentially controlling how much or how little sugar you
are allowing to be turned into caramel.
* Unlike organic acids, which seem to be more greatly
 53 • ROB HOOS

affected by time (with regard to their development or

decomposition), sugars seem to need the addition of
heat to the environment in order to caramelize to a
greater extent.
* Essentially, the lower the end temperature, the more
residual sugar is left in the coffee, contributing to a
sweeter cup.
* Conversely, the higher the end temperature, the more
caramels you have developed--reducing sugar, adding
complexity, and balancing the sugar content with bitter
compounds.
* On the low end of proper caramelization lie vegetal
tones. These can be connected with development time as
well; if a coffee is underdeveloped, the sweetness takes
on a more vegetal characteristic. This could be tomato,
cucumber, garden pea, etc.
* On the high end of proper caramelization, pyrolysis
flavors begin to dominate, and chocolate and deep
caramel tones become ashen and carbon.
* The SCAA Flavor Wheel tends to work decently well
in understanding what flavor range you will be
experiencing at certain levels of caramelization.
++ With lower levels of sugar caramelization, you
will have a heavily sweet coffee with notes in the
floral and fruity range (unless you mess it up; then
vegetal).
++ Medium-range sugar caramelization will accentuate
caramel, chocolate, vanilla, nut, and the like.
++ Higher levels of caramelization lead to pyrolysis and
the destruction of volatile aromatics, resulting in
super dark chocolate, woody, carbon, and ashen.
 54 • ROB HOOS

BUILDING UP PRESSURE IN THE COFFEE SEED

DURING ROASTING
Finally we come to a more abstract, but very important
facet of coffee roasting (one which is somewhat new to me
and I think many in the industry). This is the concept of being
intentional as to how we build up pressure in the coffee seed
while roasting. An offhand comment by Illy and Viani in
Espresso Coffee: the Science of Quality got me thinking about
the importance of building up pressure in coffee: “… a build-up
of pressure within the bean is important for the generation of
sufficient aroma.”13 I also saw a note in Coffee Flavor Chemistry
saying; “Kaufman (1951) observed that pressure formed in the
beans during roasting is necessary to the proper development
of coffee flavor.”14 I had previously been considering it because
of my understanding of the tipping defect. When we are
roasting coffee, the heat is not instantaneously being applied
evenly to the surface of the coffee seed; rather, it is being
applied in a gradient (starting from the outside and working
into the middle of the coffee seed).
When we are roasting and heating the coffee, we are also
attempting to drive off free moisture by turning it into steam
and forcing it out of the seed. This is due to the fact that drying
the coffee is necessary for desirable chemical reactions
(such as the Maillard reaction) to occur. As we drive off that
moisture, and as the heat infiltrates the bean, it forms a wall
of pressure forced from the outside moving in. If the seed isn’t
dense enough the handle the pressure being placed upon it, the
steam begins to vent out of the softest part of the bean, the tip

13
Illy and Viani Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality Second Edition, 184

14
Flament, Coffee Flavor Chemistry, 37
 55 • ROB HOOS

where the embryo would have germinated had the coffee seed
been planted. As the steam exits rapidly, it causes charring
around that soft spot--the defect we know as tipping (avoid it).

Illy and Viani describe this process as follows: “The

temperature of the bean surface increases – with heat
conduction into the porous material – due to the temperature
gradient. When the local temperature reaches the evaporation
temperature of the bean moisture, a front of evaporation starts
moving toward the centre of the bean. During the first part
of the roasting process the walls of the whole bean are still
relatively firm. Thus the vapor that has been generated cannot
permeate and the pressure buildup makes the bean volume
expand. Mechanical and thermal stresses moving toward the
centre of the bean are created, which makes the beans crack
[not necessarily referring to first crack] or even burst if the
superposed stresses overcome the tensile strength of the
bean.”15

In addition to causing a potential defect or problem, this

buildup of pressure completely changes how a coffee roasts.
But how can something like pressure change how coffee roasts
and tastes? The answer is fairly simple but difficult to fully
grasp. Pressure changes the rate of chemical reaction, and the
effectiveness of certain chemical reactions that occur during
coffee roasting. The interesting thing about this is that you
begin to create this pressure wall at the moment you begin to
drive off steam, the moment when no chemical reactions are
taking place: namely, the moment you charge the drum. Even
though the “drying” time doesn’t matter directly for the flavor
development in coffee (as there are no real chemical reactions
during that time other than the potential for defect), you are
not only establishing your momentum for the rest of the roast,

15
Illy and Viani Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality Second Edition, 180
 56 • ROB HOOS

but also for the potential reaction rate and potential byproducts
of the roast itself.

Essentially, increasing the pressure on a chemical reaction

involving gasses will increase the rate of reaction. This is
because you are forcing the compounds into closer proximity
and will cause the chemical reactions to occur much more
rapidly. In addition, an increase in pressure will help bring the
coffee to higher overall temperatures internally, as pressure
tends to increase temperature. This will also cause an increase
in the rate of many chemical reactions. For our purposes, we
are especially concerned with the reactions (and reaction
rate) of the volatile aromatic compounds being modulated,
specifically increasing reaction rate through shorter overall
roast times, producing desirable results by compressing
the aforementioned roast segments. Though it may seem
odd, the amount of pressure built up can be significant! “The
high temperature (usually 170-230 C for 10-15 min) and the
elevated pressure inside the bean (up to 25 atm [ 25 bar for
former baristas or 367 psi]) trigger a vast number of chemical
reactions…”16

One notable exception is the Maillard reaction, specifically

with regard to the formation of melanoidins, whose importance
we covered earlier. Research independent of coffee has
demonstrated that an increase of pressure will actually hinder
the chemical reactions involved in the Maillard reaction,
stating, “In conclusion it appears that the volatile products
of the Maillard reaction are generally suppressed by the
application of high pressure…”17 and specifically will hinder
the development of melanoidins. “Retardation of the rate of
decomposition of the ARP (Amadori rearrangement products)
in forming melanoidins was further confirmed in the present
work…”18 which increase the perception of complexity and
body. Thus, you will tend to have lower complexity and lower
experience of body in fast roasts, which have increased
 57 • ROB HOOS

internal bean pressure. This is in contrast to medium or slower

batches (that are still within a reasonable time frame) which
will have a heavier body and a greater amount of complexity.

The dichotomy of how chemical reactions function under

pressure could mean that there is an acceptable way to scale
the time we permit certain chemical reactions to occur to
arrive at a similar sort of flavor in the coffee. That being said,
the scaling will never be perfect, as parts of the Maillard
reaction will actually occur more slowly during faster roasts.
It is essentially a tradeoff. The faster you roast, the less body
and complexity you will have; but you can still roast quite
rapidly and not have vegetal and “underdeveloped” (i.e. grassy,
vegetal, super bitter) coffee. This lends credence to certain
perspectives that roasts can be broken down into percentages
or ratios in order to achieve similar qualitative results. While
this theory may function to a degree, it would be better to
maintain the same buildup of pressure by maintaining a
similar overall roast time in order to preserve consistency
from roast to roast.

Notes on pressure buildup in the coffee seed during roasting:

• The buildup of pressure is essential for the proper

formation of volatile aromatic compounds, and the function
of many chemical reactions during coffee roasting.

16
Illy and Viani Espresso Coffee: The Science of Quality Second Edition, 198

17
Mark Bristo and Neil S. Isaacs, “The Effect of High Pressure on the
Formation of Volatile Products in a Model Maillard Reaction,” Journal
of the Chemical Society, Perkin Transactions 2, (1999): 2218, accessed
November 6, 2014, doi : 10.1039/A901186B

18
Bristo and Isaacs, “The Effect of High Pressure on the Formation of
Volatile Products in a Model Maillard Reaction,” 2217
doi: 10.1039/A901186B
 58 • ROB HOOS

• Coffee beans have been shown to reach up to 25 atm (25

bar) pressure, according to Illy.

• The pressure buildup comes from the speed at which the

coffee is being roasted within the system. As heat is being
applied to the coffee, water begins to come off the coffee
in the form of steam. This buildup of steam, along with the
traveling wall of heat, create a pressure wall within the
roasting bean.

• The amount of pressure changes the rate of chemical

reaction (specifically for the Maillard reaction). This results
in some of the same reactions occurring at a much more
rapid rate. It also inhibits certain reactions from occurring
(specifically mentioned are generation of melanoidins).

• This means that the amount of time needed for certain

chemical reactions during coffee roasting could be
shortened relative to the speed at which the coffee was
roasted(lending some credence to the idea of applying
overarching percentage breakdowns of the coffee roast).

• Reactions reducing vegetal aspects of coffee or negative

organic acids could be accelerated (allowing for “well-
developed” coffee), while others resulting in body and
complexity could be hindered.

• Therefore, if done knowingly, it is possible to achieve well-

developed coffee at a much faster roast, though you will
necessarily be sacrificing certain aspects of coffee flavor
development.

• In a number of respected sources, such as Illy, I have seen

the idea presented that the pressure wall building up in the
bean causes the chemical reactions to operate differently,
and higher pressure is preferred for flavor development
(obviously without creating defect).
 59 • ROB HOOS

A SUMMARY OF FLAVOR MODIFICATION

In summary, I want to leave you with a list covering
specifics important to this approach to controlling flavor
development during roasting, so you can make adequate
efforts to shift your roast profile in a direction to your liking.

• “Drying Phase”
* After the charge of beans into the pre-heated drum until
the beginning of color change to yellow
* Responsible for causing some roast defects (scorching,
tipping, etc.)
* Sets up the roast’s momentum for the remainder of the
time
* Contains no true chemical reactions
* Begins to establish pressure wall as it heats the bean
and boils off steam

• “MAI” Phase
* Short for Maillard reaction phase (though it is not
an accurate measurement of the entire length of the
Maillard reaction)
* Begins at the beginning of color change to yellow and
the adoption of a hay-like aroma
* Ends at the beginning of the notation of development
time (at the beginning of first crack)
* Incredibly chemically complex series of chemical
reactions
* Responsible for development of melanoidins, among
other aromatic and volatile aromatic compounds
* Strecker degradation of amino acids
* Less time in this phase results in lower body and
reduced complexity (less complex and lighter flavors)
 60 • ROB HOOS

* More time in this phase results in heavier body and

increased complexity (more complex and heavier
flavor)

• “Development” Time
* Begins at the beginning of the batch going into first
crack (the batch, not outlier beans)
* Ends at the end of the roast
* Very complex series of events
++ Maillard reaction is continuing and now has new
reactants, thanks to other reactions
++ Organic acid degradation: CGAs, citric and malic acid
++ Organic acid formation: Acetic (from sucrose), quinic
(from CGAs), formic, and others.
++ Caramelization of sucrose
++ Pyrolysis
* Focus was primarily on organic acids and Maillard-
reaction products
* Organic Acids
++ Try to strike a balance between the loss of
chlorogenic Acids to the point of losing bitterness
and vegetal acidic flavors, and losing the beneficial
citric and malic acids.
++ Tends to move from metallic and vegetal bitter acidic
compounds to sour and more pleasing compounds,
to sweet and more pleasing, to sweet and more dull,
to dull, to low acid.
* Maillard reaction
++ Specifically focus on development of floral and
fragrant tones during this phase, along with some
browning tones caused by the Maillard reaction
++ Complexity of floral tones increase with lengthened
 61 • ROB HOOS

development time
++ Presence of browning tones not formed through
caramelization increases with a longer development
time
• Sugar Caramelization and Pyrolysis
* Focusing primarily on sucrose caramelization and
thermal breakdown
* Related primarily to the terminal temperature of the
batch of coffee (not specifically the time).
* As more sucrose caramelizes (higher end temperature),
the lower the sweetness and the more bitterness and
complexity.
* The less sugar caramelizes, the more sweetness and
less bitterness is revealed, but the coffee will have less
complexity as well.
* If you roast with too low of a temperature, you run the
risk of not sending unwanted compounds through
pyrolysis and could end up with vegetal attributes and
some bitterness in your coffee.
* If you reach too high of an end temperature, you may
have more pyrolytic tones in the coffee than intended,
and you run the risk of tasting carbon or ash.

• Pressure
* By establishing pressure in the bean through
controlling the overall speed of the roast and thus the
overall roast time, you are able to scale the length of
the reactions you will need in order to achieve certain
flavors.
* Faster roast = higher pressure, more compressed
times needed for “MAI” and “development,” However,
the Maillard reaction will not be as effective, so you
will miss out on some compounds contributing to
 62 • ROB HOOS

body and overall complexity. You run the risk of a one-

dimensional coffee.
* Slower roast = lower pressure, so you will need longer
times for some chemical reactions to take place
and potentially should scale the MAI time and the
development time accordingly. The Maillard reaction
will function well and melanoidins will be present to
contribute to complexity and body.

At the end of the day, you pay your money and you make
your choice. I don’t want to tell you the “best way to roast
coffee” because there is no such thing. These are meant to
be guidelines to help you get your coffee how you want it to
taste. I hope it was a helpful journey for you, and I hope my
experiences and words can help lead you to a better cup of
coffee in your future.
 63 • ROB HOOS

AN ENDING OF SORTS
Through the intentional use of these guideposts and
general trends, roasters can make rather informed decisions
as to where to start roasting a coffee based on cupping the pre-
shipment and arrival samples, and then make small, educated
tweaks to different parts of the roast curve as discussed above
to land where they are hoping to land with their coffee’s flavor
profile. As a friend of mine has always said, “there are no silver
bullets,” but at least we are able to develop vague guidelines.

I have been using this approach for over three years for
all my product development, sample roasting and production
roasting. I have yet to run into a circumstance where it has
not been true. There have been small shifts I have had to make
along the way when confronted with more detailed evidence,
or interesting sides to coffee roasting I hadn’t initially
experimented with. But we are always learning and always in
process.

Although I am continuing to monitor a number of different

aspects of roasting in addition to the process described above,
this handbook details what I have found to be pertinent to help
an experienced roaster understand flavor development in
coffee.
 64 • ROB HOOS

APPENDIX A: THINKING ABOUT FLAVOR

When it comes to understanding flavor, and how I
perceive and describe flavors, I think it is worth detailing my
paradigm here as well. I do not think in terms of raw chemical
compounds causing me to taste certain things; rather each
taste reveals a complex mess of experiences that remind me of
things that I have tasted before. In the handbook, you may read
that the taste/flavor shifted from lemon to lime to me. What this
means is that I had a greater bittering experience than I did
when I experienced lemon, because I find limes to be slightly
more bittering. Similarly, I would say citrus rind is more
bittering than the flesh, so I could describe the difference as
lemon to lemon rind. Another example: If I taste peaches, and
then something with greater complexity and a syrupy body, I
would likely call it peach pie or cobbler. This is because these
flavors have a syrupy mouth-feel, often have molasses (more
complex and slightly more bitter than sugar), etc.

What I am getting at is, when you find yourself applying

the style of roasting I discuss in this handbook, it is more
beneficial to think about how you experience taste and how
these guidelines will modulate that experience, than to look at
only the specific chemical reactions being discussed. Once you
come to grips with how you experience taste, you can willfully
change the details surrounding the coffee’s flavor profile into
what you want or need.
 CREDITS
• Professional editing: Kelly Stewart

• Book layout and design: Mark Carter

• Some interior photos by:

* Lucas Chemotti
* Connie Blumhardt
“True research and observations finally give
roasters a strong foundation upon which to
build their craft.” –Andrew Russo
“A succinct yet thorough explanation of key
roasting theories...a must read!” –Adam Shaw
“Rob’s meticulous nature bears fruit: a direct
approach to understand and manipulate your
roast.” –William Schaefer
“This book has caused me to approach the initial
stages of roasting with the same focus and
intention as the development stage. The coffee
is tasting better and more consistent because of
the process Rob lays out.” –Marcus Young
“Shining greater light on the arcane craft of
excellent coffee roasting, this book is a must
read for any serious student of the craft.” –Tom Chips