Joshua has been the Head Roaster at Peach Coffee Roasters since March 2019 and handles all production roasting for their wholesale and retail customers.
1. How did you get your start in specialty coffee?
I got my start with specialty coffee actually going to Guatemala on a trip and experiencing the whole process first hand. Everything from the trees to the drying process to the roaster to my cup of espresso. From that point on I was blown away and I have been hooked on the process of making coffee and how it brings people together.
2. How long have you been roasting?
I’ve been doing production roasting for almost a year now but I’ve been roasting for around three years.
3. What do you look for when choosing green coffee?
First and foremost, I look for consistency. How consistent a green sample is tells a lot about how it may taste. Secondly, when I choose coffees, taste is my next biggest priority. Consistency contributes to this by showing whether or not every cup is going to be similar or repeatable, both in the roasting process and brewing. In taste I look for complexity in flavor and taste. At Peach we try and find the best coffees that we can from a specific source and highlight that.
4. Do you find that quality of the green bean is more important than the roast?
Roasting can do one of many things, It can improve coffee flavor but it also can hide defects in the coffee by roasting darker. I think no matter how well you roast, the green is going to be the catalyst for how good the cup of coffee is going to be.
5. Could you run us through what an average roast looks like?
An average roast goes through three different stages: drying, Maillard, and development. Drying happens while the coffee is still green, using the heat from the roaster to bake out the water and dry the coffee. The Maillard reaction is when the coffee begins to yellow and the beans are around 300 degrees. This is when we start caramelizing the sugars that are in the bean and begin taking out the excess of acids that is in the green bean and balancing it with the caramelization process. The last stage is the development, this is also typically known as first crack, where the bean pops from the expanse of energy and heat that it is carrying. This part helps us determine the color and roast level to try and get a nice balanced cup of coffee.
6. What process do you go through when roasting a new coffee for the first time?
For me I typically sample roast it using a consistent process that I do for every coffee. This sample roast helps us to see if there are any defects in the cup, as well as see the age of the bean and see how this coffee might roast in a bigger batch as well as what we could possibly use it for. When I do a production sized batch I first try and use the knowledge I already have about the coffee to estimate what adjustments I might need to make and what time and heat levels I might like for this bean.
7. What do you look for in the coffee after the roast?
After the roast I typically look for smell, color, and of course taste. I usually let it sit for about eight hours at least before I cup it for the first time. Waiting helps to see how the coffee was roasted and see if there are any improvements I can make to make it better.
8. How can one improve their palate for tasting coffee?
Practice, practice, practice. I truly believe that everyone can taste the delicate nuances of coffee, but taking the time to do so just takes time and experience. I really enjoy cupping with a flavor wheel beside me to help put words to what I’m experiencing, as well as trying coffees with different foods that might remind me of the coffee.
9. What tips would you give to someone just starting to roast?
If you’re just starting to roast, the best advice I can give is to fail well. Learn from the things that you change and adjust in the roast to know how that might affect the taste of the coffee. Learning from those experiences are the best and quickest ways to learn how to roast and understand what you envision for the coffee. You have to learn what bad roasts and bad coffee taste like before you can move forward to better cups.
If you are interested in trying some of Joshua’s coffee, it can be purchased through peachcoffeeroasters.com.
Kelsey Makes Coffee 