Many changes occur during bean development and many mistakes too. Bean development is the crucial time where the flavor and aromas are created during roasting.

This article will look at what bean development is, how to tackle mistakes made during development, and how using development time data can improve or affect roasting skills.

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What Is Bean Development And What Changes Occur?

Paul Golding, Head Roaster at Paradox Roasters in Australia, emphasizing that bean development is continuous, tells me, “Technically, the bean is developing from the moment it enters the drum to the moment it is ground and immersed in water for brewing.”

In terms of the roast process, the beans go through a number of stages that contribute to the development. First, beans lose their moisture through drying which is followed by the Maillard Reaction, a reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars occurs. Depending on Maillard Reaction, a reaction called Strecker Degradation takes place which involves the creation of aldehydes and ketones through amino acids reacting with carbonyl-grouped molecules, which is critical to flavour and aroma. The breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars then helps fuel the caramelization stage.

Each chemical change and how it’s managed will contribute to the flavor profile. How and for how long the beans are in going through particular reactions will affect the flavor, and it should, therefore, be considered as integral to the development of a bean.

Paul continues, “For roasters, however, the word development refers to the progression of the bean’s roast state during the phase of roasting which is most dynamic to our senses.”

While development refers to the structural and chemical changes that happen during, and even after the roast, the development stage is used to refer to the end of the roast where sensorial changes are further developed.

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The Development Stage 

Roasters mark the start of the development stage at the moment of the first crack. From here, the rate at which you’re roasting and how far into development will determine the profile of your coffee.

Earlier chemical reactions provide the base for the development stage. Olli Klitsch, founder of Flying Roasters in Berlin tells me, “Development determines the flavors we want to highlight, but it is important to note that all stages of the roast are important to achieve that.”

Olli refers to the Maillard reaction, described simply as the reduction of sugars (fructose, sucrose, glucose) and amino acids, which is responsible for a lot of aromas in roasted coffee. Olli tells me, “after first crack, the chemical reactions (caramelization and Maillard Reaction) manifest the aromas we develop in the earlier roasting process.” 

The stages prior to first crack are, therefore, critical to bean development and the final outcome for the bean.

Olli also warns of how quickly reactions take place after first crack: “The beans get dry and the chemical reactions happen very quickly, so we stay focused on the development of the batch.”

How long you develop the beans for after the first crack will determine a lot about the overall flavor of the coffee. In the book, Home Coffee Roasting, Kenneth Davis explains that dropping a coffee around the first crack will result in a cup that is “acidy and sweet but also tealike.”

Continuing past this point, more sweetness can be developed through further caramelization of sugars. The longer the development, the more the sugars in the coffee will darken, causing a stronger flavor of burnt-sugar bitterness.

Coffee can develop a myriad of profiles depending on how it’s roasted. Understanding the specific faults that can occur while roasting will help avoid certain undesirable effects on flavor.

Issues in The Development Stage

Underdevelopment

Underdevelopment generally occurs when a bean has not been roasted enough, or not roasted thoroughly. Michael Macaskill, owner at Terbodore Coffee in South Africa explains that “underdevelopment could lead to it tasting grassy.”

The grassy and hay-like flavors of underdeveloped coffee can occur for a number of reasons. Paul explains how there are two scenarios that result in underdeveloped coffee.

First, Paul tells me, “coffee has been released from the drum before the desirable attributes have properly developed. Visually the coffee will be lighter colored than it should be, denser, and higher in moisture.”

Second, underdevelopment can occur when “coffee is not roasted evenly through the bean.  Visually it looks correct, but upon cupping reveals some of the undesirable attributes” Paul says.

Increasing the development time can help prevent an underdeveloped batch. Assuring a steady application of heat to the bean is also crucial to ensure that coffee roasts evenly.

Overdevelopment

Overdevelopment can also produce undesirable tastes in coffee. Paul tells me, “Overdeveloped coffee can include loss of acidity and delicate florals, too much caramelization, also the onset of roasty flavors like charcoal, toast, and bitter chocolate.”

However, Michael emphasizes that, “there is a small margin between a dark roast and overdevelopment.” Everybody has a different palate, and a dark roast for one person may be overdeveloped for someone else.

Matt Perger, World Brewers Champion 2012, says, “Development isn’t a scale like color, it’s a yes/no thing.” Instead, coffee is underdeveloped until the bean’s sugars and acids are developed, and after that, it is all down to personal preference.

Knowing the profile you want to achieve is all you need. If the profile is dark and has bitter notes, this isn’t a problem if this is the desired outcome.

Baking 

Baked coffee can also come into the question of underdevelopment or overdevelopment. Coffee can taste dull, even bready or oaty if a roast has been baked.

Paul tells me, “Baking occurs when insufficient heat is applied at some or all points during the roast, so the coffee proceeds too slowly.”

This, therefore, can take place prior to the first crack and the development phase. It refers to an earlier development in the bean, which highlights the fact that developing flavor in coffee is present throughout the entire roasting process.

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Development Time Ratio: Using Development Stage as a Tool

Roasters with software can judge the roast degree in terms of development time and development time ratio. 

Development time ratio is calculated after the point of first crack, expressed as a percentage of the total roast time. Development time ratio helps roasters understand roast time in relation to their own roaster. Each roaster has different batch sizes, mechanisms, and temperature conditions which will result in different temperatures and readings. Development time ratios allow roasts to be compared more accurately and use at least one indicator for a more general consensus. This is helpful for those who have roasted coffee to their liking and wish to imitate it.

For example, Paul explains that someone using software could “take a filter roast out of the drum 40 seconds after the beginning of first crack, which would equate to 6% development on a total roast time of 10 minutes and 30 seconds. If the result was pleasing, you could then look to repeat that with the same coffee reliably by always releasing the coffee 40 seconds after first crack, or at 6%.”

This precise information can be very useful; however, Paul highlights, “It’s a worry when you hear people saying that 5% development is perfect, or 15% for espresso. That may be the case sometimes but we shouldn’t get locked into absolutes with coffee.” There should be a level of caution when focussing too much on numbers.

Similarly, Olli also reminds us that roasters should look for a more holistic approach. He explains, “Development time ratio is practical to work with, though you can still have underdeveloped coffee. It is important to also keep in mind the charge temperature, when the turning point is, the color, and end temperature among other things.”

In his blog, Scott Rao mentions that most of the extraordinary coffees he’s tasted have had a 20–25% development time ratio. However, Rao continues to advise roasters to understand the entirety of a roast, rather than only focusing on development time ratio: “DTR is not a guarantee of development; it’s simply one of many indicators of how a roast progressed. It’s a handy rule of thumb and one that can be broken successfully, but like more rules, one probably shouldn’t break it before mastering it.”

Using data should be used to assist but not relied on. Remember to consider your roast profile and use your senses to help guide you. Learn what the sound of first crack sounds like, and from there, what each stage of development sounds like, too. This will also provide a form of guidance during roasting, relying on you, the roaster and your knowledge of the coffee and the machine. 

If you have access to this data, use it wisely. Remember to consider the whole roast and what has occurred during that time. Bean development is continuous throughout, and this will affect the final development time and ratio.

An understanding of development and the development stage is essential to the basics of roasting: what happens in development, what to avoid, and how to use data to expand your knowledge.

If you improve your roasting skills, it’s all a matter of practice. As Michael tells me, “There’s no substitute for experience… It’s a combination of coffee, machine, and roaster working together. And when these three components are in sync, you get what you’re looking for.” 

Enjoyed this? Check out Common Mistakes That Roasters Make & How to Avoid Them

Feature photo: Roasted coffee being dropped from a coffee roaster. Feature photo credit: Nathaniel Soque 

Photo credit: Éamonn McCoy, Barista Hustle, Nathaniel Soque, Nicole Motteux, Fernando Pocasangre.

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