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