Keeping it Light - the benefits of roasting specialty coffee lighter
TLDR: The darker that coffee is roasted the more of the natural, nuanced flavours are roasted out of it. At Acreage Coffee we try to roast on the lighter side of things to make sure that you can taste the flavours naturally present in the coffee from terroir and processing. If you’re keen to try the difference grab some of our coffee here.
The phrase "speciality coffee" refers to high-quality, artisanal coffee that is distinguished by its distinctive flavour profile and origin characteristics. At Acreage Coffee, we are dedicated to providing you with the highest-quality speciality coffee with a down to earth approach. Our motto captures our conviction that we always strive to bring simple, yet exceptional coffee to our customers. By roasting our beans a little lighter than some of the bigger players in the industry, we are enhancing the natural flavour that comes from terroir and processing of the bean. Read on below to find out why lighter roasting is becoming more popular and have a chat to your local barista about how dark or light their coffee is roasted!
We know, roasting is a critical step in the coffee-making process because it determines the coffee's final flavour profile. Coffee roasting is the process of heating coffee beans (often to around 200ºC!) to release the flavours and aromas that have been locked inside. How light or dark the beans are roasted has a significant impact on the final taste and aroma of the coffee. There is a common misconception that the darker the roast the ‘stronger’ the coffee. This is sort of true - often you will see a strength rating or scale on the side of some larger brand coffee in supermarkets. We could get really technical here, suffice to say, if you’re after more caffeine content, it’s actually better to have lighter roasted coffee. If you’re after a bigger, bolder, heavy bodied cup, then a dark roast is what you’re looking for. Subscribe to our newsletter for an upcoming article with more in depth detail about roasting itself.
So why the increase in popularity of roasting lighter?
For starters, there is a growing appreciation for coffee's natural flavours. Lighter roasting allows you to experience the distinct characteristics of various coffee origins in the cup. Darker roasts convert more of the sugars and acids in the bean into various volatile compounds, therefore they often ‘burn off’ in the roaster, escape during storage or leech out during the brewing process. Lighter roasts maintain more of the natural flavours present in the bean allowing coffee connoisseurs to experience the true flavour of each region. At Acreage we believe this is a more authentic way of enjoying coffee. A dedicated farmer in Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, Guatemala or wherever the bean comes from has cared for and loved that bean from when it was still ripening on the tree. We want to pay homage to the hard work these farmers do to produce awesome quality coffee and avoid roasting-out all of those wonderful characteristics.
In addition ‘dropping’ the beans a little earlier from the roaster enhances the sweetness, acidity and overall brighter flavours in the bean. We challenge you to drink our blends and single origins without sugar - you might be surprised at how sweet your cup of coffee is naturally. Roasting lighter enhances sweetness because of two reasons. Firstly, less of the natural sugars present in the bean are roasted out. Secondly, we aim to stop the roast straight after the maillard (amino acids and proteins converting into sugar) reaction has finished. If you continue roasting, these sugars will burn and become bitter - think of overdone toffee or caramel.
What’s this weird stuff in my coffee?
Something you might notice when you get a bag of coffee from acreage is a bit more chaff or ‘silver skin’ still on the beans. This coating remains on the bean because we roast to a lighter degree. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt you and definitely doesn’t impact on the flavour of the coffee at all. It’s a mark of where you’re came from and the careful, delicate way we treat the bean throughout the process of getting it to you!
We at Acreage Coffee believe that lighter roasting is a more authentic way to enjoy speciality coffee. We enhance the natural flavours that come from the terroir and processing of the bean by roasting our beans a little lighter than some of the industry's larger players. We want to honour the hard work that coffee farmers put into producing high-quality coffee while avoiding roasting out all of the wonderful characteristics that distinguish each coffee.
So, if you're searching for a coffee that's full of natural flavour and free of the bitterness that can often accompany deeper roasting, Acreage Coffee is the way to go. We’re dedicated to supplying you with the highest-quality speciality coffee with down to earth service and atttitude. We’re always happy to talk about our roasting methodology, or anything else for that matter. Try a bag today to experience the difference for yourself. Head over to our store and try our no sugar challenge. Post the results on socials tagging acreagecoffee and using the hashtag #nosugar.