Roasting Coffee Beans

Watch out home hobbyists and hardcore DIYers, I'm catching up and I'm doing it without the aid of the internets. Roast your own coffee beans? Dude I have; with the right equipment making French roast is pretty darn easy.



I set up outside because the process is a little smoky. I got my Kmart hot plate, my Whirley Pop stovetop popcorn popper (every well equipped kitchen should have one of these), and some green coffee beans.



Next, I called my sister (Jeanlouise:Jolie).

Jolie: What up Dude?

MAC: Nuthin what are you doing?

Jolie: Got some cultures from Ricki Carroll and some raw goat milk from a lady in Ashville and I'm making cheese.

MAC: Cool.

Jolie: Yeah. Mom made some quark and she has been putting it on everything: Herring, potatoes, enchilatas...

MAC: Far out. Tell her to bring some for Oktoberfest.

Jolie: Right on.

MAC: So I got these coffee beans I wanna roast...

Jolie: Yeah yeah, I rinse them first then I put them in the stovetop popper wet. I roast the beans over medium high heat, constantly turning the crank so that they cook evenly.



Jolie (CONT): At first you'll have a lot of water vapor, then they'll start smoking. If they smoke a whole lot and the smoke is yellowish, back off the heat. Just keep cranking. When they are about the color you want spread them out on a baking sheet to cool.

Thanks Jolie.



I measured out twelve ounces on beans and roasted them (constantly cranking) for about forty-five minutes.

My friend Earl, who first roasted beans around the time the internet was invented, suggested I let the coffee rest overnight before grinding, so I did that.



I'm not necessarily a connoisseur of coffee, but I know a good cup from bad, I got great coffee from my home roast. You can too, I have only done it once, but I will be doing it again, soon.

Cheers.