Roaster Course

Lesson 1 • Green Coffee Processing Methods

Explains washed, natural, and honey processing and their effect on moisture and sugar content. Processing method directly influences roast profile decisions.

Lesson 2 • Sensory Foundations for Roasters

Introduces taste, aroma, and mouthfeel evaluation as core roaster tools. Calibrates sensory vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Coffee Plant and Seed Basics

Covers botanical origins of coffee and how growing conditions influence green bean composition. Connects plant biology to roasting behaviour.

Lesson 1 • Sourcing, Contracts, and Quality Specs

Covers green coffee purchasing channels, contract terms, and writing quality specifications. Ensures roasters can communicate needs clearly to importers and exporters.

Lesson 2 • Origin Profiles and Flavour Expectations

Maps major growing regions to characteristic flavour profiles and processing norms. Origin knowledge informs roast approach before beans arrive.

Lesson 3 • Green Coffee Storage and Shelf Life

Details optimal storage conditions to preserve green bean quality over time. Poor storage degrades flavour potential before roasting begins.

Lesson 4 • Cupping for Green Coffee Selection

Applies standardised cupping protocol to evaluate raw green samples. Cupping scores guide sourcing decisions and establish quality benchmarks.

Lesson 1 • Equipment Safety and Startup Procedures

Establishes pre-roast safety checks, startup sequences, and emergency shutdown steps. Safe operation protects personnel, equipment, and facility from fire and gas hazards.

Lesson 2 • Drum Roaster Components and Function

Identifies every major component of a drum roaster and explains its mechanical role. Component knowledge is prerequisite for safe operation and troubleshooting.

Lesson 3 • Roaster Controls and Adjustments

Teaches gas pressure, airflow, and drum speed controls and their real-time effects. Precise control manipulation is the foundation of intentional roast profiling.

Lesson 4 • Fluid-Bed and Alternative Roaster Types

Compares fluid-bed, centrifugal, and hybrid roaster designs to the drum standard. Broadens equipment literacy for roasters working in diverse production environments.

Lesson 1 • Roast Degree and Colour Measurement

Introduces light, medium, and dark roast classifications and objective colour measurement tools. Consistent roast degree is essential for repeatable flavour and customer expectations.

Lesson 2 • Stages of the Roast Curve

Traces the roast from charge through drying, Maillard, first crack, and development. Each stage has distinct sensory and chemical markers roasters must recognise.

Lesson 3 • Maillard Reaction and Caramelisation

Explains the chemistry of browning reactions that create coffee's core flavours and aromas. Understanding these reactions allows roasters to amplify or suppress specific flavour compounds.

Lesson 4 • First and Second Crack Dynamics

Details the physical and chemical events at first and second crack and their auditory cues. Crack timing is a primary decision point for roast degree and flavour direction.

Lesson 1 • Profiling Software and Data Logging

Introduces roast logging software for real-time data capture and post-roast analysis. Digital logging enables reproducibility and systematic profile refinement.

Lesson 2 • Setting Roast Profile Parameters

Defines charge temperature, total roast time, and development time ratio as core profile variables. Setting these parameters intentionally links process inputs to flavor outputs.

Lesson 3 • Iterative Profile Refinement

Applies a structured test-roast and cupping cycle to improve profiles systematically. Iteration closes the loop between roasting decisions and sensory outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Reading and Interpreting Roast Curves

Teaches how to read bean temperature, rate of rise, and environmental temperature curves. Curve interpretation is the primary feedback tool for in-roast decision-making.

Lesson 1 • Roaster Maintenance and Cleaning

Details daily, weekly, and deep-clean maintenance tasks that sustain roaster performance. Neglected maintenance causes flavor contamination and equipment failure.

Lesson 2 • Replication and Profile Matching

Teaches techniques for matching a reference roast profile across different days and operators. Replication is the operational definition of production quality control.

Lesson 3 • Environmental Variables and Compensation

Identifies how ambient temperature, humidity, and gas pressure fluctuations affect roast curves. Roasters learn compensation techniques to maintain profile consistency year-round.

Lesson 4 • Post-Roast Quality Control Checks

Establishes colour measurement, weight loss verification, and sensory spot-checks as QC tools. Post-roast QC catches deviations before product reaches customers.

Lesson 1 • Packaging Materials and Sealing

Compares packaging materials, barrier properties, and sealing methods for roasted coffee. Packaging choice directly determines shelf life and brand presentation.

Lesson 2 • Blend Development and Cupping

Applies systematic ratio testing and cupping to develop and validate blend recipes. Structured blend trials produce repeatable, documented formulas.

Lesson 3 • Principles of Coffee Blending

Explains pre-roast and post-roast blending strategies and their trade-offs for flavor and cost. Blending decisions balance sensory goals with supply chain and margin constraints.

Lesson 4 • Shelf Life and Freshness Management

Defines freshness windows for whole bean and ground coffee and factors that accelerate staling. Freshness management protects brand reputation and reduces waste.

Lesson 1 • Waste Management and Sustainability

Identifies chaff, packaging, and energy waste streams and strategies to reduce environmental impact. Sustainable operations lower costs and align with buyer and consumer expectations.

Lesson 2 • Food Safety Principles for Roasteries

Applies hazard analysis and critical control point thinking to roastery production. Food safety compliance protects consumers and is required for commercial operation.

Lesson 3 • Record Keeping and Traceability

Establishes batch records, lot traceability, and documentation systems for regulatory compliance. Traceability enables rapid recall response and quality audits.

Lesson 4 • Ventilation, Emissions, and Fire Safety

Addresses exhaust ventilation, afterburner use, and fire suppression requirements for roasteries. Proper ventilation protects workers and meets environmental emission standards.