Storing roasted coffee safely and effectively, as well as moving it around a roastery efficiently, are essential to the success of any roasting business. In line with this, roasters need to follow a set of best practices to protect the integrity of their coffee.

To find out more, I spoke with Roberto Pedini, Expert Process Manager at IMF Roasters. Read on for more of his insight into how roasters can best store and transport roasted coffee.

You may also like our article on how specialty roasters manage their green coffee supplies.

Why do roasters need to preserve roasted coffee quality and freshness?

Before coffee is roasted, maintaining the freshness and quality of green coffee is paramount. Inevitably, if roasters store green coffee in optimal conditions, they can preserve its innate characteristics. This means that once it’s roasted, customers can experience the full spectrum of a coffee’s flavours.

Generally speaking, green coffee stays fresh for between six months and one year after harvest. 

Roasted coffee, however, is much less stable – and will lose its freshness in a matter of weeks.

This is because when high temperatures are applied to green coffee, many chemical reactions take place. These reactions then create irreversible changes within the cell structure of the coffee beans – and thereby help to develop its flavours and aromas.

During the roasting process, a number of gases – including carbon dioxide (CO2) – form inside coffee beans. Although some CO2 and water vapour is released during roasting, the majority of it remains trapped inside the beans. This is because they are porous and will easily absorb gases.

Degassing & freshness

Over the course of the following few weeks, CO2 will gradually be released from the coffee beans during storage – this is referred to as maturation and “degassing”. When roasted coffee is ground, however, it will release around 60% to 70% of its CO2 – indicating an almost immediate loss of freshness. 

In turn, research has concluded that the amount of CO2 contained in coffee is a “physical” marker of freshness. Essentially, this means if there is no CO2 present in coffee, it cannot be considered fresh.

Moreover, CO2 acts as a barrier to the oxidation of roasted coffee. This process causes coffee to become stale, which further leads to degradation of flavour.

“It’s necessary to store roasted coffee properly to preserve aromas and flavours, and protect the coffee from oxidation,” Roberto tells me.

There is, however, such a thing as coffee being “too” fresh. If you grind and brew coffee which contains too much CO2 (or too soon after roasting), the higher volume of gases will impede extraction. This means it’s easy to underextract your coffee, which leads to astringent and sour flavours.

As such, many coffee professionals recommend grinding and brewing coffee a few days after roasting. The specific time period, however, is very much dependent on a number of factors, such as:

• Variety (or even species)
• Processing method
• Bean density
• Roast profile

Food safety regulations

For roasters around the world, food safety rules and regulations can vary. But no matter their geographical location, all roasters need to make sure their roasted (and green) coffee remains free of contaminants.

Although the roasting process is considered a “kill step” (the point where dangerous pathogens and microorganisms are removed from a product), it’s still possible for roasted coffee to become contaminated.

Without adequate storage conditions and facilities, pests and insects can feed on or nest in roasted coffee beans. Similarly, in warm and humid conditions, fungi and mould may grow in roasted coffee.

So, how do roasters store and transport roasted coffee?

When choosing a storage solution for roasted coffee, many roasters opt for silos. These are specifically designed to protect roasted coffee beans from oxygen, humidity, and other environmental factors.

“IMF’s silos are available in different sizes, shapes, and designs,” Roberto says. “They can also be safely installed outdoors if there is not enough space within a roastery.”

As well as storing coffee in optimal conditions, roasters also need to ensure they store and move roasted coffee beans around their facilities adequately and safely.

To streamline the process of moving green coffee to the machine, many roasters use pneumatic conveyors, conveyor belts, or trolleys. This allows them to move large batches of green coffee quickly, while also reducing the risk of injury from lifting heavy loads.

“It’s very important to protect coffee while moving on a pneumatic conveyor or conveyor belt to avoid breaking any beans, as well as minimising any degradation in quality,” Roberto says. “IMF’s solutions rely on certain technologies and designs to handle coffee safely.

“Moving roasted coffee beans has to be a gentle and slow process – it’s important to control the speed and pressure,” he adds. “Pneumatic conveyors are the most flexible and sanitary solutions, while mechanical conveyors are more suitable for shorter distances.”

Post-roasting storage

Similarly to how they transport green coffee, many roasters use pneumatic conveyors, conveyor belts, or trolleys to move roasted coffee beans from the machine to storage solutions. Designing an efficient and ergonomic roasting space can also help to streamline this process.

It’s essential that roasted coffee is placed in containers which protect it from oxygen, humidity, and other environmental factors. For this reason, many roasters choose to invest in silos to store roasted coffee. 

However, it’s also paramount that roasted coffee storage systems allow the beans to mature and degas at a steady rate. For instance, Roberto explains that IMF’s roasted coffee silos include built-in degassing valves, so that CO2 can be released.

What equipment do roasters need?

No matter which storage and transportation solutions roasters choose to use, they need to invest in high-quality equipment.

“Roasters need professional, high-quality equipment which is specifically designed to carefully handle roasted coffee for both storage and transportation,” Roberto explains.

Silos are some of the most effective ways to preserve the freshness and quality of roasted coffee, while also eliminating the risk of contaminants. 

“IMF’s silos are made of steel,” Roberto tells me. “They also include shock absorbers, which minimise the likelihood of damaging or breaking beans during loading.” 

This is especially important as broken or damaged beans will lead to a decline in coffee quality – and thereby the consumer’s experience, too.

Arguably however, the most important piece of equipment for any roastery is the roaster itself. Without a high-performing professional machine, roasters will never be able to achieve consistent and high-quality roast profiles.

Roberto explains that some roasters, such as IMF’s, utilise heat retention and recirculation technology. These systems can not only improve consistency of roast profiles, but also reduce energy consumption – and therefore costs.

What are the benefits of managing roasted coffee supplies effectively?

Firstly, any roaster is obliged to follow food safety regulations. Therefore, they always need to make sure their coffee is free from contaminants and debris.

However, alongside this, maintaining coffee quality and freshness is key. Many specialty roasters pay high prices for green coffee, so they need to ensure the end consumer will experience the full range of the coffee’s flavours and aromas. In turn, coffee companies can build more trust and brand loyalty.

Another important consideration is minimising waste and streamlining operations. Roastery employees can often spend a lot of time transporting coffee around warehouses, so investing in conveyor systems could lighten their workloads. 

As a result, roasteries can focus on other areas of their business, as well as potentially increase profit margins.

Similarly, systems like silos, dosers, and packaging lines can help to reduce waste – which can also decrease costs – and free up space in a roastery.

“IMF also provides conveyor systems which move roasted coffee from silos to packaging lines,” Roberto says.

They might not seem like a priority, but storage and transport are incredibly important factors to consider if roasters want to consistently sell high-quality roasted coffee. Given that roasted coffee is an unstable product, it’s all too easy for it to lose its freshness and integrity.

To reduce this risk as much as possible, roasters need to invest in the right storage and transportation equipment, and design their roastery around these solutions.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how coffee roasters can design an appealing and efficient roasting space.

Photo credits: IMF Roasters

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During this period, we have seen the uptake of automated systems and technologies grow across every level of the coffee supply chain – from production to roasting to brewing. And while the skills and expertise of industry professionals are still an essential part of specialty coffee, it’s safe to say that relying on technology only serves to support the work they do.

A large driver for automation in the coffee industry is the aim to improve both productivity and consistency. To learn more, I spoke to three coffee professionals from across the sector. Read on to find out what they had to say.

You may also like our article exploring automation in coffee roasting.

How do roasters and coffee shops rely on automation? 

Of all the actors across the supply chain, roasters and coffee shops tend to use automation and technology the most. There are a number of reasons for this.

For many years, coffee professionals would roast by eye, relying on audible and visual cues to develop their roast profiles. Essentially, this meant roasters were often glued to their machines – constantly watching and listening as they roasted coffee.

However, more recently, automation has become more prevalent in coffee roasting. While the knowledge of roasters is still essential for roasting specialty coffee, more and more of them are using automated technology in tandem with their skills.

Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino is an Associate Professor of the Department of Food Science & Technology at Oregon State University. She explains how using technology to create pre-set roasting parameters has become especially apparent over the past few years.

“Roasters like Stronghold have dual heat sources, which provide multiple ways to roast coffee,” she says. “You can easily set parameters for the preferred roast profile, so it greatly reduces any potential for human error. 

“However, you have to set the specifications correctly, so there is still the need for an experienced roaster,” she adds. “But once you have a roasting curve, the machine can consistently roast coffee to a specific profile.”

In turn, roasters have been able to free up more of their time to focus on other areas of their business, and thereby improve productivity. Some of these areas include:

• Interacting with customers
• Managing wholesale clients
• Developing new blends or products
• Experimenting with roast profiles

Improving consistency

Guillame Langloy is the CEO at Loutsa Torréfacteur in Lyon, France. He explains how the push for more consistency has been one of the biggest drivers for more automation in coffee roasting.

“We launched Loutsa around four years ago, and we roast at all of our ten locations,” he says. “To roast consistently at all ten sites, we had to try using many different machines.”

Elizabeth agrees, saying: “Automation has the potential to improve consistency in coffee. 

“For instance, when roasting coffee for research, we use the Stronghold S7 because it produces the most consistent roast profiles between batches,” she adds. “This is especially important for research because most of the variables need to remain the same.”

Coffee shops

For coffee shops there are a range of tools which baristas and business owners can use to improve efficiency. Some of these include:

• Contactless payment systems
• App or online ordering
• Automated brewers, tampers, and milk foaming solutions

As well as these systems, another important change over the last few years has been a push for more automation in the espresso machine.

“There have been many improvements behind the bar, including the ability to have more control over extraction variables,” Guillame explains. “These include pressure profiling, flow rate, and brew temperature.” 

Ultimately, more control over extraction variables allows baristas to get the best results from a coffee – and thereby enhances the consumer experience.

“When working with specialty coffee, compromising on quality is not something you are prepared to do,” Guillame says. “So, if a certain technology improves quality, while also delivering on efficiency, then it will be widely accepted by coffee professionals.”

What about automation in other areas of the coffee supply chain?

As well as roasting and brewing, we have seen a rise in automation at nearly every step of the coffee supply chain. In essence, automation has helped to bridge gaps wherever there is demand for improving consistency and efficiency – and this includes in coffee production.

Wilford Lamastus is a producer at Lamastus Family Estates, a world-renowned coffee farm in Panama. He tells me more about some of the technologies that he uses, which includes Stronghold roasters.

“We use colour sorters and similar technologies that have been around for many years,” he says. Colour (or optical) sorters are used to identify any defective green coffee beans so they can be removed, thereby retaining quality.

“Mechanical and gravimetric sorters can also be used to pick out any defective or broken beans,” Wilford adds. “When roasting, we use electric sample roasters to assess coffee quality and consistency.”

Sample roasting is when coffee professionals roast a small batch of coffee to understand more about its characteristics, as well as if there are any defects present. Moreover, it can be a useful tool for coffee producers to learn more about applying farming best practices, and thereby improve quality and consistency.

Wilford also mentions that Stronghold’s automated roasting technology can help both producers and roasters to maintain coffee quality with a number of batch sizes.

In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence has become particularly prominent. For example, AI software can be used to create a sensory digital fingerprint of a particular coffee – effectively allowing producers to know what a coffee will taste like before cupping it.

What does the future hold for automation in coffee?

More automation on the farm, in the coffee shop, and at the roastery means that consistency in the specialty coffee industry is improving.

However, Guillame emphasises that alongside the general move towards automation, training is also paramount to maintaining coffee quality. 

“The only way to ensure we deliver on coffee quality is through training and a very strict quality control process,” he tells me. Ultimately, this ensures that coffee quality is upheld throughout the supply chain – meaning the end consumer can enjoy a coffee’s full potential.

“All steps of the value chain have the potential to affect coffee flavour,” Elizabeth says. “They are all interrelated – it’s rare that one step in particular produces a specific flavour, but more so the combination of multiple steps.

“However, if a coffee isn’t roasted properly then you lose a lot of its inherent qualities and characteristics,” she adds.

This highlights the importance of using a high-quality roaster which produces consistent results – a trend which is sure to continue growing.

“Software and technology in roasters like the Stronghold S7 roaster produce some of the most consistent and repeatable results when using the same batch of coffee,” Elizabeth says.

Benefits of automation

For roasters, relying more on automated technologies means more room to experiment with smaller batch sizes. In turn, roasters can diversify their offerings and potentially sell a wider range of products.

Moreover, with less manual labour needed to roast coffee, there is a reduced margin of error – which means consistency is likely to keep improving. Similarly, the risk of contamination also decreases, helping roasters comply with health and safety regulations. 

At any level of the supply chain, if a task is too repetitive, it can be automated – and most likely will be in time. By doing so, we decrease labour costs, giving coffee professionals more time to focus on other areas of their businesses.

In theory, this will provide producers, roasters, and baristas with the ability to keep driving innovation and push the specialty coffee industry forward even more.

There’s no telling where automation will take the specialty coffee industry next. However, for the time being, roasters, baristas, and coffee farmers alike are sure to keep embracing automation.

It’s clear that automation has a part to play in the future of coffee. And one thing is for sure – without it, specialty coffee would not look the same, and likely wouldn’t have the capacity to be as innovative and forward-thinking as it is today.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why some coffee roasters are switching to electric machines.

Photo credits: Stronghold

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Sourcing and buying green coffee is certainly a big part of this, but efficient inventory management is also paramount. When stored and used improperly, green coffee will quickly lose its freshness, and thereby its quality as well.

However, with many medium or larger-sized roasters often having anywhere up to a year’s supply of green coffee, how can they manage their inventories as effectively as possible?

To find out, I spoke with Giorgio Mosca, the Export Manager at IMF Roasters. Read on for more of his insight.

You may also like our article on how coffee roasters can design an appealing and efficient roasting space.

Why is preserving coffee freshness and quality so important?

Many coffee professionals often talk about coffee freshness in terms of roasted coffee – and rightly so.

The roasting process (essentially applying high temperatures to green coffee) causes a great number of chemical reactions. These reactions then create irreversible changes within the cell structure of the coffee beans – helping to develop flavours and aromas.

Roasting also enables us to grind and brew coffee as the beans become more brittle. However, at the same time, roasting makes coffee a much less stable product. Green coffee can stay fresh for between six months and one year after harvest. Roasted coffee, however, only remains fresh for a matter of weeks.

Once roasted, coffee is more susceptible to a number of environmental factors, such as heat, light, moisture, and oxygen. Ultimately, when exposed to these variables for a significant amount of time, coffee loses its distinctive flavours and aromas more quickly. Eventually, it will taste stale and flat.

Green coffee freshness

However, despite having a longer shelf life, we also need to remember that green coffee can lose its freshness, too. Prolonged exposure to oxygen, water, and extreme temperatures will have adverse effects on green coffee quality and freshness. 

“During roasting, the moisture content of green coffee beans will influence the chemical reactions, and therefore the formation of flavour,” Giorgio tells me.

According to the International Coffee Organisation, the ideal moisture content for green coffee is between 8% and 12.5%. In turn, if the moisture content was to fall outside of this range, roasters wouldn’t be able to get the best out of their coffee.

Moreover, green coffee freshness can depend on a number of other factors. Some of these include:

• Origin country
• Harvest date
• Variety
• Processing method
• Bean density

In line with this, roasters need to ensure they store their green coffee in dry, cool conditions to best preserve freshness and quality.

Avoiding and mitigating contamination

Not only is preserving green coffee freshness vital for roasters, but maintaining the integrity of green coffee is equally important.

“It’s essential to prevent green coffee from becoming contaminated in the same way as any food product,” Giorgio says. “You need to store green coffee away from excessive humidity and extreme temperatures to avoid the formation of fungi or moulds, as well as to not attract any insects or pests.”

According to European Union regulations, the roasting process is considered a “kill step”. This is a term used in the food safety industry to describe the point where dangerous pathogens and microorganisms are removed from the product. However, it is still possible for green coffee to become contaminated in other ways, which can have a negative impact on quality. What’s more, it could have harmful effects on consumers.

Food safety regulations vary from country to country, so it’s important for roasters to check which ones apply to them. Water activity in green coffee should remain between 0.5% and 0.7% aw (a measurement of vapour pressure between the food product and the vapour pressure of distilled water) in line with food safety protocols.

It should be noted that many food safety laws and requirements fall within the responsibility of green coffee importers and exporters. However, roasters also have a duty to make sure their green coffee is free from contaminants before it arrives at their roastery using a set of quality control checks. Moreover, roasters are also responsible for food safety while the green coffee is in storage, and beyond.

What equipment do roasters need to preserve green coffee freshness & quality?

First and foremost, upon arriving at the roastery, specialty coffee roasters have to ensure their green coffee is fresh and of a certain quality. Checking for any primary and secondary defects is also important, which can include:

• Broken beans
• Black beans
• Signs of pest infestations
• Presence of mould
• Physical contaminants, such as stones or small sticks

“For roasters, it’s crucial that green coffee meets their desired quality standards, especially to maintain consistency throughout the roasting process and in the final product,” Giorgio explains.

Secondly, roasters need to make sure they store their green coffee in optimal environmental conditions. 

For example, to maintain a green coffee moisture level of 8% to 12.5%, a roastery’s storage space should have between 60% and 65% humidity level, with a temperature range of 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F). In order to do this, roasters can invest in a well-designed ventilation system.

In terms of storage equipment, green coffee silos are a popular solution for many roasters. These are specially-designed storage containers which are available in different shapes and sizes. Some silos are polygonal-shaped, while others are circular.

“IMF’s silos help to preserve freshness and quality by preventing green coffee from coming into contact with moisture and oxygen,” Giorgio says. “This way, roasters can protect green coffee from excessive humidity to maintain its inherent organoleptic qualities.”

He also adds that alongside storage solutions, IMF also provides equipment for roasters to precisely measure a number of environmental factors, such as humidity and exposure to light.

How do specialty roasters manage their stock?

As well as investing in the right equipment, roasters also need to use proper techniques for green coffee inventory management.

Most roasters use a “first in, first out” (FIFO) system for storing and roasting green coffee. This involves roasting coffee in line with when it first arrived at the roastery, while also ensuring all orders stay on track and are fulfilled.

For instance, if a roaster receives a new batch of Colombian coffee from an exporter or importer, they first need to roast any Colombian beans which predate this new batch. As a result, roasters will minimise waste and make sure that the older batch of coffee doesn’t stale and taste flat.

Storing green coffee in silos can assist with the FIFO method, as they are typically designed to dispense coffee beans to be transported to the roaster.

However, prior to roasting, green coffee must be cleaned and sorted. These processes help to remove any defected beans or contaminants.

“IMF’s cleaning and sorting machines remove contaminants based on size or weight, such as twigs, stones, dust, and materials from green coffee packaging,” Giorgio explains. “We also provide optical sorting machines which use infrared refraction and multispectral cameras to recognise any foreign objects based on colour and shape which aren’t visible to the naked eye.”

Ultimately, cleaning and sorting systems ensure that green coffee – and thereby roasted coffee – are consistently free from contaminants and impurities.

What are the benefits of managing green coffee supplies effectively?

Firstly, it’s important to point out that roasters are obliged to follow food safety regulations, and should therefore always make sure their coffee is free from contaminants and debris.

However, alongside this, many specialty roasters pay high prices for green coffee, so they need to maintain and preserve the quality of their products as much as possible. That way, the end consumer will experience the full range of the coffee’s flavours and aromas – building trust and brand loyalty.

A large part of this lies with consistency. Let’s say a customer orders a bag of Kenyan coffee, and then orders the same coffee again three months later. The customer naturally expects the coffee to taste similar, so proper storage and inventory management is essential to this.

Moreover, if a roaster fails to store green coffee correctly, it can undo the hard work of producers and exporters who have helped to maintain coffee quality throughout the supply chain. Similarly, the coffee will lose its unique characteristics, and may even drop a few points on the Specialty Coffee Association’s 100-point quality scale.

Reducing waste and labour

Finally, proper green coffee inventory management helps roasters to minimise waste, and thereby costs – improving the efficiency of their business.

“IMF offers customisable solutions which help roasters manage their green coffee effectively,” Giorgio says. “We design storage and dosing systems which optimise both space and workflow.

“Our automated systems also help to minimise labour, while the centralised filtration system ensures a cleaner and safer workplace,” he adds.

For any roaster to be successful, proper green coffee inventory management systems are crucial. Without these methods in place, green coffee can quickly become old, stale, or even contaminated.

To ensure that they are always selling high-quality coffee, roasters need to invest in the right storage equipment and implement a set of reliable and consistent stock management techniques. 

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how heat retention & recirculation can help specialty coffee roasters to improve efficiency.

Photo credits: IMF Roasters

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When it comes to machines, this is especially true – particularly those which include heat retention and recirculation technology. Not only can these systems help to reduce energy consumption, and thereby decrease costs, they can also help to cut emissions.

Moreover, given that demand for sustainable coffee is only growing, it’s vital that roasters pay closer attention to their environmental impact.

To learn more about how heat retention and recirculation in coffee roasting work, as well as the benefits of these systems, I spoke to Alessandro Garbin, the CEO of IMF Roasters. Read on for more of his insight.

You may also like our article on how you can reduce emissions during coffee roasting.

What are heat recirculation and retention in coffee roasting?

Before we discuss how heat recirculation and retention work, we first need to look at the types of heat transfer in coffee roasting.

There are two types of heat transfer when roasting coffee:

• Conductive heat transfer: this is when heat transfers between two objects that are in direct contact. For example, when a coffee bean touches the surface of the roaster drum or another bean.
• Convective heat transfer: this happens when heat transfers through liquid or gas. This type of heat transfer can be natural or intentional.
  • Natural: hot air will rise to the top of the roaster drum
  • Intentional: using a fan or pump to force cool air into the roaster drum

Radiation heat transfer is also used in coffee roasting. This is when heat is released as a result of the vibrational and rotational movements of molecules and atoms. This means it’s almost impossible for roasters to control this type of heat transfer.

Conductive heat transfer also isn’t as prominent in coffee roasting as convective heat transfer. As such, it’s key for roasters to efficiently control it.

As well as utilising some kind of heat source (usually either gas or electric), most roasters have an in-built fan or pump. When in operation, both of these systems work to continuously intake air and heat it to roast coffee. A roaster’s ventilation system will then remove the smoke and waste gases from the machine.

Heat recirculation systems

Alessandro explains what heat recirculation is in the context of coffee roasting.

“Machines reuse air which has already been used to roast coffee,” he says. “After the air is cleaned using high temperatures, it can be used again inside the drum or roasting chamber.”

A roaster’s heat source and ventilation system are constantly working in unison. This means that air is continuously heated and reheated throughout the roasting process.

However, for roasters which come with recirculation systems, they can reuse hot air. To achieve this, the recirculator removes waste products – such as exhaust gases, chaff, and smoke – before returning the hot air to the drum or roasting chamber.

Some roasters also come equipped with more than one heat recirculation system, which can provide a number of benefits.

IMF’s Vortex system works by mixing ambient air with hot recirculated air before it enters the drum or roasting chamber. 

“The temperature of the air which needs to be recycled and reused from the drum or roasting chamber can often become too high,” Alessandro says. “The Vortex system then mixes this hot air with fresh, cooler air so that it reaches the optimal temperature for the required roast profile.”

Meanwhile, the Equaliser system maintains the same volume of hot air both inside the drum and surrounding its surface. This helps to distribute heat more evenly.

“IMF’s Equaliser system ensures a more uniform heat transfer to every coffee bean so that roasters can achieve a more even and homogenous roast profile,” Alessandro explains.

Why is heat circulation so important for roasters?

To maximise profitability, there are many factors that roasters need to consider. Among these are cost management and retaining customers by ensuring your roasted coffee is consistently high in quality.

Heat circulation systems can allow roasters to effectively manage both of these factors.

Many older machines tend to include an afterburner, which purifies air by heating it up to very high temperatures. However, while afterburners do help to reduce emissions, they also require gas to run.

For many roasters, increasing gas usage to reduce emissions is not always cost-effective. However, heat recirculation systems don’t rely on gas – meaning roasters can lower both their environmental impact and energy costs.

“Heat recirculation technology can help to make sure that emissions from roasting fall within the limits imposed by current regulations, [although this depends on where you are located],” Alessandro says. “You also don’t need to integrate any additional abatement systems, such as thermal systems or catalytic converters.”

It’s an understatement to say that demand for more sustainable coffee is increasing – especially among younger generations. This statement rings true across the entire supply chain, including with roasting.

“IMF roasters include a double-function heating chamber which recycles used hot air and heats it to very high temperatures,” Alessandro explains. “This way, when some of the air is emitted into the atmosphere, it’s already clean, while the rest can be reused during the roasting process.

“Moreover, this means the volume of air emitted from IMF’s roasters is lower – [maximising heat recirculation and reducing gas consumption up to 47%],” he adds.

How does heat retention affect day-to-day operations?

First and foremost, as conduction and convection are the two main types of heat transfer, recirculation systems help to make sure that heat distributes more evenly in the drum or roasting chamber. 

If heat is distributed unevenly, this can lead to a number of issues for roasters. One of the biggest concerns would be uneven roast profiles. This is when some beans are underdeveloped and others are burned or scorched. Not only does this create an inconsistent product, it will also significantly impact the flavour and quality of coffee.

“Not all heat recirculation systems guarantee a constant air temperature during roasting,” Alessandro says. “High-quality roasters like IMF ensure a consistent temperature by incorporating fresh air into the drum or chamber, which allows for greater thermal stability.”

Improving consistency

Furthermore, as machines become progressively hotter throughout the day, some roasters find it difficult to maintain consistency between batches. With better heat retention systems, temperature variance between roasts will decrease, which inevitably improves roast profile consistency.

Alongside maintaining coffee quality, heat recirculation systems can help to reduce costs in the long term. When lower volumes of air are reheated, roasters are able to reduce their energy usage, thereby reducing energy costs and lowering their carbon footprint at the same time.

Finally, Alessandro offers advice on how to make sure heat recirculation and retention systems keep running efficiently in your roaster.

“As with any roaster, it is recommended to regularly clean and maintain your machine so that it lasts for a longer time,” he concludes.

For any roaster looking to become more energy-efficient, it’s clear that investing in a high-quality roaster is key. However, managing costs and keeping emissions down will become easier if roasters keep an eye on heat retention and recirculation technology.

In doing so, roasters will be able to manage their energy consumption much more effectively. In turn, they are likely to experience a decrease in their costs, as well as their environmental impact – both of which are more important than ever before.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how coffee roasters can design an appealing and efficient roasting space.

Photo credits: IMF Roasters, Better Days Coffee Company

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But alongside this, roasters also need to make sure all their coffee stays fresh – no matter how many they are selling at any given time. To do this, they need to carefully manage and rotate their stock of green coffee.

Although stock rotation can be challenging, there are several ways in which roasters can do this effectively, sustainably, and profitably. To find out more, I spoke to Richard Sandlin, Director of Business Development at Royal Coffee. Read on for more of his insight.

You may also like our article on whether you can freeze green coffee.

Why do specialty coffee roasters need to rotate their beans?

In simple terms, green coffee rotation is done in two ways:

• When roasters sell previous harvests of a particular coffee to customers and then purchase a new harvest of the same coffee.
• When roasters sell a previous harvest of a particular coffee to customers and then buy a new harvest which currently isn’t on their menu.

“It’s mainly about ‘first in, first out’,” Richard says. This is when coffees which were bought first need to be sold first to make sure that stock stays as fresh as possible, but it is often more complicated than this.

“Buying green coffee isn’t as simple as buying 60kg bags or lots,” he explains. “Coffee is a seasonal product – it’s harvested at different times around the world, it ships at different times, and arrives at different times. 

“Because of coffee’s inherent seasonality, I always encourage roasters to equally consider three key pillars: price, availability, and quality,” Richard adds. “When one of these three pillars moves in a more drastic direction, sourcing the right coffee for your needs can be more difficult, so rotating your coffee and thinking more strategically can be the perfect solution.”

Preserving freshness

In order for customers to experience the full spectrum of the flavours in coffee, it must be fresh, so it’s important to rotate them. This is because as coffee ages, it oxidises and becomes stale, thereby losing its flavours and aromas.

Roasted coffee is much more susceptible to staling than green coffee as the roasting process causes a number of irreversible changes in the beans’ cell structure. However, green coffee can still age and lose its freshness, so roasters need to also take this into consideration.

Generally speaking, green coffee stays fresh for six to 12 months, so roasters should purchase coffee with this in mind.

“In a perfect world, a roaster’s coffee will arrive in an importer’s warehouse about one to three months before they need it,” Richard says. “Moreover, roasters ideally contract or buy enough green coffee to last them between three and six months.

“Rotating your green coffee efficiently ensures that you always have access to the freshest coffee, without buying 12 months of coffee upfront,” he adds.

Inventory management

Whatever size a roaster may be, stock management is an essential part of operating a business as effectively as possible.

Ultimately, roasters need to understand how much storage space is available before purchasing larger volumes of coffee. Furthermore, roasters must also be aware of which green coffee needs to be roasted first so that they can sell it sooner rather than later.

Richard, meanwhile, tells me that managing stock is also about much more than storage space.

“You need to know how to look for core coffees that are dependable,” he says. “For example, you can buy coffees from Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, and Colombia almost year-round to create a consistent profile for your blends.

“It’s best to focus on flavour first and origin second,” he adds. “This allows roasters more room to manage not only their inventory, but also their cash flow.

“For this particular reason, Royal Coffee launched the Royal Gem collection – 50lb (around 22.6kg) boxes of green coffee curated by our expert traders,” he continues. “Our goal with this collection is to help streamline green coffee buying and logistics to make it easier for roasters to scale their businesses by offering reliable, affordable, and delicious coffees.”   

Variety

Maintaining coffee freshness and selling a variety of different lots at the same time can often be something of a balancing act. Today’s specialty coffee drinkers expect a range of origins, varieties, processing methods, and roast profiles.

While blends are an essential part of many roasters’ offerings, single origins are also popular.

“Single origins can allow roasters to be more flexible,” Richard says. “Your single origin range can be as broad as you want it to be.”

As part of this, some roasters choose to sell much smaller quantities of coffee – including micro and nano lots. These lots can often be unique selling points for roasters as they tend to have much more distinct and complex sensory profiles.

“Royal Coffee’s Crown Jewels are process and variety-specific, micro-milled lots which are chosen specifically to sell as top-shelf offerings,” Richard says. “Each Crown Jewel lot comes with a five-part analysis which explains the producer’s story, specifications about the coffee, and a range of optimal roast profiles and brew methods, as well as cupping notes from our team.”

Micro and nano lots are available in much smaller quantities than most coffees. In turn, roasters can sell them more quickly, which not only creates a more exclusive and limited-edition product, but means that roasters can manage their stock and rotate coffee more efficiently.

How should roasters rotate their specialty coffee?

When it comes to roastery management and green coffee rotation, there can be many challenges and risks. However, there are also several ways which roasters can overcome any potential issues.

Buy smaller volumes of coffee

Although larger roasters will still need to purchase significant volumes of coffee to keep up with demand, smaller lots can help them to stay flexible. This is because they will sell – and in turn can be rotated – more quickly.

“Roasters should develop their own monthly usage calculator to understand more about their menu slots,” Richard explains. “For example, at any one time, a roaster could have three single origins, two blends, a decaf option, and then a ‘roaster’s choice’ coffee.

“Once you have more of a grasp of how much of these coffees you need every month, you can then calculate the number of full-size bags that you have to buy for any given period, as well as any 22lb (around 10kg) Crown Jewel boxes or 50lb Royal Gem boxes,” he adds.

Balance costs

For any coffee business, knowing how to manage costs is vitally important. However, roasters also need to sell coffees which will be popular with a broad range of consumers, which also means offering a broad spectrum of quality.

“For most roasters, it’s far easier to build a business on buying US $3 to $6/lb coffees than US $8 to $12/lb coffees,” Richard tells me. “If you compare quality and cost, roasters typically sell much more mid-tier priced coffee than more expensive coffee.

“However, there are also times when roasters need to buy more top-quality coffee, like Geshas or experimental processed coffees, but this is typically the exception rather than the norm,” he adds.

Packaging

When it comes to green coffee rotation, Richard explains that another important factor which can often be missed is packaging. 

With the increasing need to stand out from competitors, packaging design has become more of a focus for roasters and consumers. However, roasters still need to be mindful of how much packaging they are ordering for particular coffees.

“The more flexibility you have with your packaging, the better your ability will be to rotate your coffee,” he says. “In turn, you can then sell the freshest possible coffees.”

Purchasing packaging with lower minimum order quantities and shorter lead times can help roasters to keep on top of their stock. Moreover, doing so can also make sure roasters are managing their costs more effectively.

What are the benefits of rotating coffee?

It’s clear that when roasters rotate their coffee on a regular basis, there are a number of advantages.

Menu curation

As part of remaining competitive, every roaster needs to develop their own unique menu, while also making sure they can balance costs and remain profitable.

Moreover, a roaster’s offerings need to cater to a wide range of consumers. These include preferences for more traditional flavour profiles to people who are interested in more complex-tasting coffees.

“Many roasters look to the higher-end coffees, such as Royal Coffee’s Crown Jewels, as marketing opportunities to push the boundaries of quality,” Richard tells me. “This can pay dividends because even though these coffees are less profitable per pound, they still gauge a lot of interest from customers and wholesalers.

“Conversely, however, the more flexibility you have with your menu, the easier it will be to move coffees which perhaps aren’t as fresh,” he adds. “Even if you predominantly focus on single origins, having one or two core blends is critical to selling older coffees.

“What might taste a little older to one roaster might be in the sweet spot for another, so there isn’t one general rule of thumb to follow,” Richard continues. “Understanding your quality control process is the best place to start – the more you know your coffee, the easier it will be to catch when it is starting to taste less fresh.”

Creating more consistency for customers

For some roasters, rotating coffees can pose some risk – especially when it comes to maintaining consistent sensory profiles. This can be particularly apparent with blends, which customers often rely on for more dependable flavours.

“Coffee rotation is about thinking more strategically, diversifying your needs, and finding coffees that can wear multiple hats on your menu,” Richard explains.

“For example, honey processed Honduran coffees aren’t available all year round,” he adds. “However, honey processed coffees – or coffees which have similar flavour profiles – from other Central American countries are.

“Basing some portion of your business around blends, in tandem with single origins, means you can have something for everyone,” Richard continues.

To run a successful and sustainable roastery, stock management is clearly an important factor. However, it’s also clear that rotating coffees in a regular, structured manner is a key part of this.

“There’s no need to reinvent your entire menu every month, but rotating new items in and out every few months keeps your offerings fresh and allows you to change with the seasons,” Richard concludes. “Source and contract coffee with the seasons, which guarantees freshness while keeping a healthier cash flow.”

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how much green coffee you should order for your roastery.

Photo credits: Royal Coffee

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