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get serious. A 1-5 kg roasting machine can cost between 6 to 7 If a big machine is to be installed in a densely populated
figures depending on the quality. Larger machine will cost more area, it could cause nuisance to the neightbours. Make sure you
and you will need some reserve fund to pay for the extra work clearly understand environmental laws and community regula-
required for larger machine. tions. Roasters should be at a distance from residential area or in
To prepare the installation space, you will need to con- a place with excellent air flow and the law permits. If community
sider everything from electrical system, gas pipe, smoke vent, regulations allow for a roaster, consider a roasting machine that
and after burner, to safety design, functionality, green bean is not too big as big machines could potentially cause community
storage, and roasted bean storage. Roasting machine should be problems in the future. Once you have the location and machine
installed in a clean, well-ventilated space. In order to work com- model, apply for a roaster permit with local authority if required.
fortably and safely, the space should not be too hot, electrical and
gas systems must have safety equipment, gas tank should not be Cupping Skill
near heat or flammable objects, and lighting should be adequate. Cupping is an essential skill for selecting your green
here are a few things to consider when choosing a beans and keeping track of your coffee flavours in the cupping
roasting machine design to match your roast style, concept, and form. It’s easy to find a cupping course in coffee institutes and
budget. academies, as well as Specialty Coffee Association of America
(SCAA) or Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE).
- Classis Drum – You can choose between a single drum or a However, it’s possible to train by yourself as there are useful
double drum roasting machine. Single drum machine tends information and tools available. Go to SCAA website (www.scaa.
to run into problems like scorching, tipping, and facing, while org) and look for Coffee Protocals topics, learn about Coffee
double drum machine eases you from these problems but it Flavor Wheel (www.scaa.org/?page=resources&d=scaa-flavor-
could raise a problem on heat exchange. wheel), get yourself a Le Nez du Café or a Scentone, and practice
- Indirect Heated Drum – Unlike classic drum, indirect heat on what is available for you.
drum is designed to prevent direct fire on the drum.
- Fluid Bed – Fluid bed roasting machines are usually designed Green Beans
with an integrated cooling bed. In doing so, the roasting cham- Sourcing green beans is an important duty every roaster
ber surface will not get too hot and prevent the beans from should fully understand. It’s not just about finding good and
burning. However, it also reduces the aroma of the coffee. clean beans, moisture content has to be measured and annual
- Recirculation – The design recirculates hot air back into the volume of beans required needs to be calculated. Furthermore,
roasting chamber. It’s getting more popular because it reduces storage method is also very important. You may need to find the
problems mentioned above, but it has a risk of provoking burnt best material for storing green coffee such as Grainpro bags and
smell in the coffee. a cool and dry storage space in order to preserve the quality of
In addition to size, it’s important to consider the ex- the beans.
penses on an after burner and a smoke vent in order to control The cost of processing green beans into roasted beans
the smoke and smell effectively (the chimney should be higher depends on how difficult the process is. Processing mass com-
than your building). Since everything will add up to the cost of modity grade coffee would be cheaper than processing specialty
running a business, choose the size that adequately satisfies your coffee. Roasters should manage their green beans stock carefully
café’s needs. to reduce any storage risks.

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