Torrefacto Roasting again

[kingseven]

So, if I remember correctly, this is the process of adding sugar to the roast improve rubbish coffees.

However - what would happen if you added it to good coffee. Sugar would surely only add to the sucrose already present in coffee. Would this lead to more maillard reactions, more visible oils and at the end of it the ability to pull a sweeter shot. Would the sucrose react into polysaccharides thus increasing stability of the crema?

I just don't know. So I thought I'd ask.

[Steve]

I think the whole sugar thing was when they added leather and old bike parts to make the beans go further

Wonder if it would work though

[mattmills]

I think that this is a very valid question. The only comment i would make would be that: the point of adding the suger would be to boost lower grades and quality coffee, that lake the acidity. With current market conditions it is easier to use better quality and different origins to give you this effect and use the natural effects of these coffees.
If you were to encourage these reactions within coffees that already have higher acidity you would run the risk creating too much sweetness damaging the balence. For example if you were to do this with a coffee from Costa Rica ie Tarrazu then the sweetness especially with espresso extraction would be too much, however, this may work if you wanted to use a lower quality ie Low Grown Atlantic to boost the sweetness.....

Worth baring in mind if the market swings.

[kingseven]

Polysaccharides formed in the maillard have a lower percieved sweetness though, so perhaps you could put enough sugar in to make a difference to the crema, adding a touch (just a touch) of extra sweetness (what a lovely ristretto you could make in my head) but not knocking the balance off.

Be interesting to try if you guys can roast really small batches.

[mattmills]

Very fair point, that really could be worth trying. The only thing from our point of view is that you need special roasters for this, and the investment needed would be quite a lot.

[kingseven]

Ah. Is there no way around it then? Do you deal with anyone who has contacts with a place with a suitable machine? Cosic sent me a paper on changes in percieved bitterness with torrefacto roasting. If my work pc has its harddrive recovered I can send it on.

[mattmills]

That would be great if you could.

I may be able to speak with some people i know out in Spain, as this is te place where this form of roasting is most common. If this would be possible then we would be able to get some samples over.

Even then, the only problem is that a lot of the European market is heavily brand led, meaning that only a few blends would be availiable for tasting and analyising... but still worth a crack.

I will let you know if i manage to get anywhere.

[kingseven]

How does the addition of sugar work? Would spraying the beans in a light sugar solution just before roasting work?

I really should sort myself out and come up to visit you guys....

[mattmills]

Yes, as far as i know (and please take with a pinch of salt) a fine mist of sugar is applied to the green beans before roasting. When roasting this a much darker appearence is given.

In the Spanish blends only a % of this type of beans are used. My understanding is for it to bolster the poor coffee. However, now, as you have been saying a positive has been found through the reaction that takes place for espresso extraction.

For a normal roaster this type of roasting could be experimented with..... at the risk of the machine!! as you can imagine roasting coffee with sugar on it would cause havok with the machinery.

All very interesting though, as said i will try and find out a little more, or when im next out there i wil pop in and see a couple of roasters.

By the way you are more then welcome to come along any time, just throw a couple of dates at me and we can sort some thing out.

(Phil, that goes for the rest of the group as well... ie the espresso cupping)

[kingseven]

Just as an interesting note - I mixed espresso with a lot of cocktail gomme (sugar syrup) and took to it with an Aero Latte (as you do).

The resulting crema/foam stayed about 3/4 of an inch thick for at least half an hour so an increase in polysaccharides probably will do wonders for the crema.

[kingseven]

Thought I'd upload a paper I was sent on this.

Fascinating stuff....

EDIT

Ah. The zip is a little too big.

Any ideas? Its 336Kb....

[phil]

Email it to me and I'll put it in the downloads section of the site Jim.

Interesting stuff.