Roast

From green to bag: levels, cracks, development, profile, charge, Agtron, freshness and named defects (scorching, tipping, baking, quakers, facing).

40 terms

A–Z index

A

Agtron Differs from commercial names (“medium”)—optical reading. Higher number = lighter. Colour, not quality alone.

B

Baked roast Roast defect from too-slow or prolonged development heat; flat, papery or bready cup.

Baking Not always a visual burn—colour can look fine while the cup is flat/papery. Differs from scorch/tip and grassy underdevelopment.

C

Caramelisation Overlaps Maillard but differs—no amino acids needed. Strongest in medium–long development.

Charge temperature Differs from bean temp (which drops after charge). High charge speeds drying; too high risks tipping/scorching.

City roast City (and City+) describes development after crack, not colour alone. Differs from Full City by less caramel and more residual acidity.

D

Dark roast Dark prioritises roast flavours over terroir—very dark colour, possible surface oil, drop near/after second crack.

Degassing Beans “exhale” after drop. Differs from rest (when you drink) though linked—too gassy espresso can be unstable.

Development time Differs from qualitative “development”: it’s a number. Same colour, different DT → different cups (baked vs crisp).

Drop temperature Drop ends the profile. Differs from Agtron (optical) though they correlate—same drop ≠ same cup across machines.

Drying phase Differs from farm parchment drying—this is thermal in the roaster. Bad drying sets up baking or tipping later.

E

Espresso roast Need not be dark—specialty has light espressos. Differs from filter via development design and often more caramel or longer rest.

F

Facing Looks like one side much darker/oilier. Differs from tipping (ends) and broader surface scorching.

Filter roast Differs from espresso roast by less aggressive caramel and often shorter/cooler development—not always simply “lighter”.

First crack First crack is not “done”—a physical milestone. Differs from second crack (oils, carbon, harsher snaps).

Freezing coffee Differs from dumping an open kilo in the freezer—moisture cycling is the enemy. Specialty freezes for stock, not as a daily fridge.

Freshness Not “roasted today = best”—needs degassing and rest. Whole bean weeks ≠ ground hours.

Full City roast Full City (and +) sits at the edge before true dark/oil. More Maillard/caramel than City, less bright acidity.

G

Ground coffee Grinding multiplies exposed area—oxidation and volatile loss. Differs from whole bean mainly in aromatic shelf life.

L

Light roast Light roast stops near or soon after first crack. It preserves organic acids and origin/process notes with less caramelised sugar and less “roast” body.

M

Maillard reaction Not pure caramelisation (sugars only)—Maillard needs amino acids. Drives much “roasted coffee” aroma and sweetness.

Medium roast Medium aims for sweetness and body without fully masking terroir. It sits between light acidity and dark bitterness, usually dropping after first crack ends and before second.

O

Omniroast Differs from generic “medium”: a conscious solubility/sweetness choice for two uses. Both methods still need dial-in.

One-way valve Differs from a fully sealed pack—fresh roast needs to vent. Not eternal anti-age magic.

P

Post-roast rest Not months of ageing—a short window. Differs from degassing (physics) as a service/cupping decision.

Q

Quakers Quakers aren’t a typical curve error—they show up when roasted. Differs from scorch (local dark) by staying light/beige.

R

Rate of rise RoR links applied energy to bean response. Differs from absolute temperature—same drop, different thermal stories, different cups.

Roast batch size Not just “fill the drum”—different weight = different curve even with the same gas plan. Differs from charge temperature.

Roast cooling Without fast quench coffee “keeps roasting” and can turn bitter/smoky. Differs from post-roast rest (days later).

Roast curve The curve is the record; the profile is the intent. Without a curve, “same roast” is memory.

Roast date Differs from best-before: marks when aromatic life began. Specialty signal of traceability.

Roast defect Differs from green defects—born in the roaster. Often uneven colour or cup faults. Named defects have their own glossary entries.

Roast development Not just “more time = darker”—the window where Maillard/caramel finish balancing acidity. Differs from drying and pre-crack ramp.

Roast profile Profile ≠ final colour alone: charge, RoR, development, drop and cool. Differs from the curve (one batch’s record).

S

Sample roast Differs from production roasting: SCA/lot comparison, not café espresso. Light–light-medium, consistent across samples.

Scorching Scorching leaves dark/oily surface patches while the core may stay underdone. Differs from tipping (ends) and baking (flat profile).

Second crack Differs from first by sound, pyrolysis chemistry and darker/oily result. Border toward French/Italian styles.

Storing coffee Differs from “any pretty jar”—light, heat, moisture and air kill coffee. Whole bean + dosing helps.

T

Tipping Tips darken or char before the rest. Differs from scorching (face) and facing (flat side on drum).

W

Whole bean Differs from ground by less oxygen-exposed surface. Specialty default recommendation.

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