Roasting Strategies with BT/IT Profiles: What You Need to Know

Earlier this year, we announced a new way to control your ROEST: the Bean/Inlet Temperature (BT/IT) profile. If you’ve been wondering how to get the most out of this new feature, then help is at hand!

We are releasing three brand-new resources today to help you get started with the new profile type. Over on our YouTube channel you’ll find an in-depth video all about BT/IT profiles from coffee-roasting expert Christopher Feran. On our support portal, we’ve published a step-by-step guide to designing and troubleshooting your profile. And finally, in this post, we’ll share some tips on optimising your profile, explain why BT/IT profiles are so powerful — and set you up with some sample profiles to start your journey.

BT/IT profiles are only available on machines equipped with an inlet temperature sensor — but if you haven’t upgraded your machine yet, you can use BT/Power profiles in a very similar way.

Expert insights on BT/IT profiles

To kickstart your journey with creating your own BT/IT profiles, we asked some of our early adopters to share what they’ve learned over the last few months of roasting with the new profile type.

Christopher Feran is a roasting consultant and green coffee buyer, based in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is busy establishing a new roastery called Aviary. He was one of the first to embrace the new profile type, and the BT/IT profiles that he has created have rapidly spread throughout the ROEST community.

In his video, Christopher explains why he prefers roasting with BT/IT profiles, and shares his tips to help new users get the most out of these profiles.

The BT/IT profile enables your ROEST to automatically adjust the heat input based not on the roast time, but instead based on how far the beans have progressed in their roast.

This is similar to how an expert roaster traditionally controls the profile — by watching the bean temperature closely, and turning down the heat as the beans get closer and closer to the target temperature.

“This is how I actually approach roasting in a production environment,” Christopher says. “As a production roaster, we approach our adjustments to the roast based on what the bean is actually experiencing — in other words, we’re not trying to achieve a certain bean temperature, we’re making decisions based on the bean temperature.”

For this reason, the BT/IT profile is hands-down the most consistent way to roast your coffee. Even if the beans behave differently, your roast curve can adapt to them to give you the perfect result every time. “This is the type of profile that I use all the time,” Christopher adds.

Tips for designing your profile

Controlling your profile by temperature, instead of time, calls for a new approach when designing your profile. It can be hard to know where to start — we are so used to seeing profiles controlled by time, that designing a profile based on BT might feel like trying to think in four dimensions! But with the right strategy, creating a BT/IT profile doesn’t have to be difficult.

The easiest way to get started with BT/IT profiles, Christopher suggests, is to base your profile on an existing roast curve. Either choose a previous roast that you were happy with, or roast a batch in manual mode. Once you have established the basic shape of the roast curve you want to follow, you can use that data to build your profile. You can find a step-by-step guide on how to follow this approach in our guide to using BT/IT profiles on our support pages.

Christopher Feran’s ROEST in action. The BT/IT profile allows the ROEST to adapt automatically to the beans it roasts.

“Find a result that was successful for you,” Christopher says. “Observe the values for power or inlet at a given bean temperature, plot those against each other and build a profile that way.” 

Meanwhile up in Montreal, Thibaut Paggen, the Managing Director of Apex Coffee Imports, has been using a similar strategy. “We roasted samples using a power profile and switching to manual mode. We started translating some of the best roast logs into a series of BT/IT profiles, and have been improving those since,” he says.

Apex Coffee’s BT/IT profile gradually reduces the heat input as the coffee approaches first crack — no matter how fast the coffee gets there.

Once you have a baseline profile in place, it becomes much easier to understand how the profile controls the roast. “The most challenging part was to change our traditional roaster’s mindset about how to approach a roasting curve,” Thibaut explains. “Building profiles with temperature on both axes requires a little bit of brain gymnastics. But once you understand the relationship between both axes, it becomes almost self-evident and easy to manipulate.”

Using BT/IT for consistent roasting

As a green coffee importer, Thibaut’s team has to roast dozens of different coffee samples every day. BT/IT profiles are adaptable, which makes them the best way to approach a new coffee, he finds — but even so, one size does not fit all. “We have a series of 4–5 core BT/IT profiles crafted around density, moisture, water activity, and screen size measurements,” he says.

Christopher follows a similar approach, using different profiles depending on the processing method and moisture content of the bean. “Different coffees need different applications of heat, particularly before yellowing, at the start of the roast, when you’re working to drive that inner development,” he says. “Higher water activity coffees, and naturally processed coffees, will require higher energy at the start of the roast.”

If you don’t want to set up multiple profiles, another option is to use the same profile for all coffees, but to adjust the charge temperature depending on the coffee, Christopher suggests. This is an easy way to apply a little extra heat at the beginning of the roast for coffees that need it, such as those with a high moisture content.

Roasting with a BT/IT profile, of course, relies on having an accurate bean temperature reading. The bean temperature probe works best when it is fully covered with beans — which happens at batch sizes of 125 grams or more. With batches smaller than this, the bean temperature reading starts to be influenced by the surrounding air, Christopher points out. “It can be done at 100g, but you should know that you’re getting a lot more air in that thermocouple reading.”

Try BT/IT profiles for yourself

If you’re looking for a detailed guide on using BT/IT profiles, then head over to the user’s guide on our support pages. There, you’ll find guidance on when to use BT/IT profiles, and when another type of profile is a better option. We also give you some troubleshooting tips for developing your own profile.

Christopher designed his profile with specific settings in mind. In particular, he adjusts the fan settings to control the drum pressure in his Roest.

If you just want to jump in and get started, however, then Christopher Feran has kindly agreed to share his standard BT/IT profile (named CF base profile) to get you started —you can find it on our Profile Library. If you use this profile, be aware that it is designed for Christopher’s specific machine, which has a few very specific settings, so you will need to make some adjustments to make it suit your own needs. “It’ll take some experimentation for you to figure out what works best for you,” he says.

Christopher’s roasting log of the shared profile to help you understand how the profile behaves on his ROEST.

“I do recommend you play with these profiles, you’ll find they’re extremely consistent,” Christopher adds. “It really is setting you up for much more success in evaluating your samples.”

Fermenty Experimenty: Processing, Cupping and Roasting New Fermentation Styles

Are you a “funky coffee lover”? We are! And thanks to the Nordic Approach team, we all can enjoy these tutti fruity cups. How are the special processed coffees sourced and how to roast these - read more about it from Misako:

Written by Misako Imada from Nordic Approach

I remember looking at the Nordic Approach offer list before I joined the company. It was almost exclusively clean, clear, fruit-driven washed processed coffees. Now in 2021, looking at that same list, you will see loads of naturals and special preparation coffees from a variety of countries and producers.

“Fermenty Experimenty!”

As you might have seen, we recently created the video series called Fermenty Experimenty. These videos explore all the new (and sometimes not so new) styles of processing that create coffees we consider to be on the funky side, like anaerobic and extended fermentation. 

This project started from a simple question: “What is Skin Contact processing? And what impact does it have on the cup?” My colleagues at the lab all had a different take on it, and so did our followers on our social media. It was interesting to me, and somehow a relief, that so many other people had similar questions. 

I started by asking one of our buyers, Jamie, who is currently in charge of buying the origins where these “funky” processes have taken hold, like Uganda, Indonesia, and El Salvador. He is the so-called “Mr. Fermenty Experimenty” at Nordic Approach: a funkster, a funk-lover, and very knowledgeable about fermentation. He also has first hand experience with many of the processing experiments our partners are working on at origin.  As the conversation went deeper, we developed a plan for some educational videos that would be as funky as our special prep coffees. 

Awesome team of the Fermenty Experimenty project. Misako, Jamie and Miren.

If it’s funky, they will come

The first few episodes were like a beacon to all funky coffee lovers, and sample requests started rolling into the lab. We started to see more and more requests for  “only funky processes”, and “any funky-flavoured coffee.”  Wow! We seem to have found our tribe. Roasters are clearly looking for new flavours, new styles, and new stories to tell their customers. Producers are also taking notice of this trend in the market, and investing in different fermentation processes to add value to their coffee. 

Funk = Risk

We don’t have a crystal ball, but we did see this trend coming. Several years ago our buyers (self-avowed clean coffee purists at the time) recognized the potential of special preps for creating unique flavour profiles which in turn could improve farmer incomes. Our approach however, was very cautious. Special processing methods can be very risky for the producer. This includes natural processed coffees in origins that normally produce washed. If something goes wrong, it’s the producer who could lose a significant chunk of their yearly income. 

For this reason, we are careful in choosing partners for any kind of processing experiment. We want to ensure they have both the infrastructure, and the mindset for rigorous scientific research which involves careful attention to detail and stringent data collection. We always pre-contract these coffees and in many cases we pre-finance them too. The emergence of more natural coffees from smallholders in Latin America, where coffees are traditionally washed, is the result of years of experimentation which has led to more stable and replicable methods. Nothing is ever certain when it comes to processing coffee, but we won’t ask a smallholder to take this risk unless we are close to 100% sure they will succeed. 

What is the impact on the cup?

Each processing method has its own flavour attributes which, combined with the terroir, variety, temperature, and half a dozen other factors, creates a unique cup each time. Take the Anaerobic Natural from Brazil produced by Rosimeire on her farm, Sitio Vargem Grande, as an example. It is very boozy and banana-y with a beautiful lactic acidity and sweetness to balance the funk. The Indonesian lactic anaerobic from Frinsa from the 2020 harvest was completely process driven, presenting a “crazy funky” intense lactic acidity which was on the vinegary side, but great.  If you want to know more details of each process and the attributes they can create, check out the Fermenty Experimenty series.

“ROEST the essential element in the LAB. No ROEST, No LAB!”

- Espen, QC Lab Manager at Nordic Approach

How we roast special preps

This is the profile we developed for all the funky processing methods including natural, honey, anaerobic, skin contact, lactic fermentation, and extended fermentation. From here out we will just refer to them as naturals. 

We usually have over 400 different coffees in stock, and we roast over 7000 samples on our ROEST in a year. While roasting these volumes, we developed this profile which is flexible enough to cover a variety of origins and processing styles, without too many changes to power or airflow during the roasting. We roast quite light (Scandinavian roast), but we can showcase the full potential of the coffee’s acidity, sweetness, and mouthfeel with this profile.

Caption of the Fermenty experimenty profile from ROEST Webportal for profiling.

From our experience of roasting so many of these styles of coffee, we realized that naturals tend to easily burn on the surface, but with very little flavour development. Most of our failed experiences were because the drying phase went too quick. In this profile we are aiming for a slower drying phase and a longer development time to caramelize the sugars properly to enhance the sweetness and retain the beautiful fermentation attributes, without getting darker.

Here you can see after 6:00, the graph is slowly going down. This is to develop the inside of beans more with a longer development time using airflow, instead of applying more heat, so that we can avoid burning the beans and enhance the aromas and sweetness. We take the beans out when they are stretched/expanded into a good shape. 

Our average roasting duration for naturals is around 7:30. The first crack starts around 6:30 (depending on the origin), and the average development time is 50-60 seconds for any origin.

Lab at Nordic Approach is equipped with three ROEST roasters to roast 300 batches of 100g green bean samples per week.

Currently many of our East African lots are flowing into the warehouse, and this profile works very well for these high density coffees. If you are roasting lower density coffee, like Brazil or Honduras, we would recommend adjusting this profile to a slightly higher power during the drying stage. 

As we mentioned, this is a very general optimized profile developed by a coffee importer, not an ultimate profile for production roasting. Use this profile as your reference to kick-start your new roasting journey with ROEST. Then play around and make it your own!

Sample roasting at Nordic Approach

Constant improvement and innovation have always been our core values. For the past year and a half ROEST has been tested by our pilot client Nordic Approach. The daily routine of more than 200 roasts from different coffees with various specifications is the perfect environment for testing. Their valued feedback have helped us unlock the potential from the sample roaster to benefitted by users across the coffee industry.

“We can never stop the sample roaster during the day. We needed a better product we can rely on.”

— Kaya Carretta, Nordic Approach

How great it would if your sample roaster could do what you want it to do? The team working in the lab of Nordic Approach got the chance to shape the sample roaster to their needs. We discussed with the lab manager, Kaya, the process how ROEST has became their main sample roaster for everyday use.

Key Values of the Sample Roaster

The Quality Lab at Nordic Approach (NA) became a great starting point for challenging our sample roaster in many ways. The main bridge between NA’s suppliers and clients is based on the quality of roasted coffee samples transferred to the cup. It has a huge impact on final presentation of the core of their business. In order for the sample roaster to deliver quality it had to provide consistency and stability.

We asked Kaya for the key values she, as a QC Lab manager, expected from the sample roaster for the desired results:

Stability and Consistency

“Old machines are nice to look at and they have their own signature flavour that you can taste in the cup but it has not greater purpose when it comes to consistency. Coffees we cup are fresh so we don’t have the luxury to wait for cup to open up. The purpose of sample roasting is to check the quality and deliver it. Sample by sample.” ROEST is not the vintage machine one can get attached to but in the efficient work environment what matters is the result in the cup. The consistency of the outcome is above all expectations.

Easy to use

“A lot of our employees working in the lab come for an internship for some time. It is very important that we can introduce someone new to the machine fast and it will start bringing stable results no matter who’s operating it.” The lab keeps roasters busy all day and time efficiency is important not only from the machine but the overall workflow such as introducing new user to the roaster.

“What if the roaster would be able to listen to the coffee? To recognize the first crack.”

At ROEST we have a innovative approach towards technology. Based on the feedback from the users we have upgraded the sample roaster with Bean Temperature, Rate of Rise, motor speed control, Exhaust Temperature and other features. When we were discussing and challenging the key values of the sample roaster, in order to get the most out of it, the idea of First Crack Detection occurred: “What if the roaster would be able to listen to the coffee? To recognize the first crack.”

Voice of the coffee

No human thinks the same or acts the same in the same situation. You will always get different results from the same recipe. This is what The First Crack Detection could solve. To unleash the full potential, we had to remove the human inconsistency.

Nordic Approach is one of our pilot clients for testing out this new feature. We aim to launch this technology during the first half of 2020.* All our latest roasters (version P11 and newer) are compatible, and installing the hardware can be done by anyone in a few minutes. Tools will be included.

*Update: We are ready for pre-orders!

Profile created and used by NA

Every ROEST has this profile in the default library.