When we make a run for our morning lattes, chances are most of us don't stop to think about where that coffee comes from or how it's prepared (beyond deciding between cream or sugar). For Dave and Susan Ward of Buddy Brew Coffee, however, the journey the coffee bean takes before it winds up in your hands matters. It's their livelihood.
Buddy Brew roasts all of its coffee in-house, and it prides itself on offering the freshest coffee around (and it's no joke--the coffee is AMAZING). But just how does the roasting process work?
According to Dave Ward, the entire process takes anywhere from 16 to 17 minutes, and it requires constant monitoring of the beans throughout. During this time (and depending on the type of roast), they go through four distinct phases:
- they turn yellow in color
- they turn cinnamon in color
- they go through the "first crack" (which sounds like a pop)
- they go through the "second crack" (they "pop" for a longer period of time)
While they are roasting, the temperature, time, and incremental heat curves are also being monitored so that Ward knows exactly where he is at in the roast. After the beans are done roasting, they are released into a metal drum with a rotating bar which "agitates" them. Agitating the beans allow them to cool three times faster. From there, they are bagged and ready to be sold and enjoyed.
The type of roast depends on factors such as temperature and how long the beans are allowed to crack. Certain roasts, such as the Cinnamon Roast, require the beans be removed before the "first crack" with a temperature of less than 400 degrees Fahrenheit; others, such as the Full City Roast, don't require the beans be removed until after the "second crack" with a temp of 435-445 degrees Fahrenheit. (For a full roasting guide, click here.) Buddy Brew buys its beans from the top 2% of those available on the market, and a third of those beans are fair trade and organic.
That simple cup of joe isn't so simple any more, is it?
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