| The beans. Warm and seemingly glowing in the palm | | | | make the theory of putting beans in green and pulling |
| of your hand. Ahhh...freshly roasted you say outloud. | | | | them out roasted easy. However most of the really |
| The product of an artist. You settle down into your tall | | | | decent quality roasters around the world still manually |
| stool and ask the barista to grind the freshly roasted | | | | roast coffee- probably always will.So, lets say you |
| coffee...cupping time...the romance of it all sweeps over | | | | have ticked off all of the required attributes listed |
| you.OK. So most of the above is the image that a | | | | above- what is the next step?Learning to roast is |
| newby or wanna-be roaster has of the industry. The | | | | perhaps one of the last challenges for a new comer. |
| lure for the guy sitting in his office and dreaming of | | | | Firstly resources on the internet are scarce, secondly |
| another life- one he can do something he loves- | | | | books on the subject are rare. Finally- and most |
| coffee, or more specifically crafting green beans into | | | | importantly- learning by doing, and by the guidance of a |
| roasted specialty coffee.The reality checks for | | | | skilled roaster, is paramount to learning the skills of |
| someone looking at entering the coffee roasting | | | | roasting. Most master roasters will tell you that roasting |
| business are many. From the outside it does indeed | | | | is an art that is never fully mastered- you are always |
| look glamourous. In truth- reality carries a big stick and | | | | learning something new everyday. Whether it be a |
| bites.For an insight into coffee roasting one should look | | | | new green you are roasting, or unexpected results |
| at historical texts about coffee. In the late 1800's and | | | | with beans you have been roasting for years.Finding |
| early 1900's the big roasters of the world were based | | | | someone to teach roasting will perhaps always be the |
| in the USA. Their factories were designed to pound | | | | greatest hurdle to overcome. There are some roasting |
| out tonnes of coffee. It was hard, hot and sometimes | | | | schools around the place, but to learn successfully you |
| dangerous work. Roasting machines were heated by | | | | need to spend perhaps a minimum of one year under |
| coals and fires- making the work place unbearably hot. | | | | an accomplished roasters guidance. Many postings on |
| There were often injuries from serious burns and also | | | | websites such as are from new entrants wanting to |
| from smoke inhalation. All-in-all the roasters, the men | | | | learn the trade- most complain that no-one will teach |
| who pysically roasted the coffee, had a hard life.Fast | | | | them. This has to be understood- a master roaster |
| forward to the pioneer days of Specialty Coffee in the | | | | teaching the art and tricks of roasting is giving up not |
| USA. Suddenly big roasting machines were replaced | | | | only his/her hard earned knowledge, but also potentially |
| by small drum roasters. Gs heating was the order of | | | | helping develop a future competitor.If a new roaster is |
| the day. The roaster was not ofter bulk, but quality. | | | | lucky enough to be taken under the wing of an |
| The subtle change was that the days of quantity over | | | | established roaster, he/she will begin at the bottom. |
| quality were over. The typical roaster(y) of today may | | | | This means all the hard grunt work of lugging 60kg |
| have as little s 4 employees and even the bigger | | | | sacks, roaster maintainence, sorting (if it is done) and |
| specialty roasters in the USA do good volume on 10-12 | | | | then watching, noting and learning tempertaure ramping |
| employees. Its this new breed that beckons more to | | | | etc. The first 3-6 months could be monotonous, but are |
| join the roasting crusade.So how does one become a | | | | very important in learning the trade in the long-run.Here |
| roaster? Presumably the first criteria to be meet is the | | | | in Indonesia most roasters are still traditional or semi |
| would-be roaster must love coffee. That being a | | | | traditional. This means the machinery and the |
| shoe-in, what are the other very important traits a new | | | | methodology applied to the science of coffee are not |
| roaster must have?I would list, in no particular order, the | | | | those found in the USA. Roasting is hot. It is hard. It is |
| following- be physically strong, be patient, be a good | | | | strenuous... you do not see any fat roasters in this part |
| learner and willing to ask questions, be able to work | | | | of the world!Anyway for those who dream of |
| long hours, be prepared to work in a hot and loud work | | | | roasting, do a reality check first. If it all adds up then try |
| environment, be analytical and precise in work | | | | and follow your dreams. Coffee is a fantastic field to |
| practices, be able to work long hours (x2)! and be | | | | be in.Alun Evans is a New Zealander who has been |
| prepared for many, many hours of study and | | | | living and working in Indonesia since 1998. His passions |
| repetition.Some of the above can be bypassed- but | | | | are Indonesian Coffee nd helping to develop the small |
| by doing this it is to the detriment of the roasters | | | | hold growers- from the kampung of Java to the |
| development and also the end product. Many new | | | | villages of Flores and Sumatra. |
| drum roasters have computer control systems which | | | | |