Help with profile for Bazil Natural

Roasting on the Bullet
1

Hi — I’d like to ask for your help evaluating a roast profile for Brazil Santos Cerrado SC17/18 Natural on my Aillio R2.

According to the distributor’s sensory notes, it should show chocolate, hazelnuts, and citrus. I understand this coffee is often used as a base in espresso blends rather than as a single origin. Still, after roasting it both for filter and for espresso, my cupping results are mostly sweetness 3/10 with a light nutty aftertaste, but the acidity is very low — around 2–3/10. Even when I pull espresso shots from both a darker roast and a lighter roast, the acidity stays very low. Overall, I’d describe the cup as quite flat, although it does have noticeable body (more gritty than oily).

For my profiles, I assumed that for filter I want a slightly more aggressive start, DT 1:20–1:30, and an end temperature (ET) of 209–210°C.
For espresso, I aimed a bit slower, with DT 1:40–2:00 and ET up to 214°C.
For this coffee, first crack (FC) happens at around 203°C.

I’m also wondering why my B-RoR increases before FC. Is that related to the beans releasing energy as they approach first crack? Is there a way to prevent or correct it?

I know it’s hard to give advice without tasting the coffee and only based on my description, but is there anything I can try differently — longer/shorter total time, a different end temperature, different power delivery, or different fan settings?

2

Based on what you are saying, and what I am reading, It looks like you want more sweetness and a bit more perceived acidity without harshness?

To that end, I would try to shorten things up a bit. Aim for FC around 7:00–7:30 instead of 8:00, with total roast time around 9:00–9:30. Preheat similarly. I might also start P7, and then drop to P6 at some point, which makes it look like I will hit the FC target at the time you want. I like to ramp the fan a bit before First crack to help move out some of that hot air the beans are now expelling as they get to FC, don’t over do it though, as you’ll crash your momentum. Go into FC with the goal of hitting your desired end temp in about 1:30 to 1:45 minutes (for filter). The shorter hotter Development should help you get some of those citris cocoa notes you want… at least in theory :).

Also, I am by no means an expert roaster. Those are the changes I would attempt if I had those observations about one of my own roasts and the roast profile you show here. (I didn’t look at the last 2). I could be completely screwing up! haha. You ask if there is anything different you can try. Well, the beauty of it is you can try all of those things! Change one thing at a time until you know what that one thing affects. Take lots of notes!

That being said, I feel like roasting is a bit like flying a helicopter… changing the input on one control affects how you manage the others… It’s a dance, for sure!

1 Like