Optimizing roasting profiles with Giesen Profiler

Welcome to this newest episode of Behind the Roast. Willem discusses how to optimize roasting profiles with Giesen Profiler. Last month Willem talked about the Holy Grail of Consistency. Missed that one? Click here. Enjoy the seventh episode of ‘Behind the Roast’ with Willem Boot!

The days when coffee roasting machines only had one analog thermometer are long gone. Giesen roasting machines are equipped with various instruments and digital tools to consistently facilitate the best possible roasting experience from batch to batch. Giesen Coffee Roasters started developing its proprietary software shortly after the introduction of the very first Giesen roasting machines. During the past years, Giesen made remarkable improvements to its roasting software, called Giesen Profiler. It is a wonderful software tool providing the roasting professional with the best possible user interface to control all relevant roasting parameters from one single portable computer or tablet.

Instruments and Digital Tools

Let’s review the instruments and digital tools that can be controlled and set via the Giesen Profiler:

• Bean temperature probe: This provides a continual measurement of the surface temperature of the beans being roasted. It also provides a good indication of the internal development of the coffee beans and of the chemistry changes that unfold during the roasting process.

• Air temperature thermocouple: This measures the temperature of the pre-heated air passing through the roasting machine. It sets the heat level to which the coffee beans are exposed and can also be indicative of the convection heat to which the coffee beans are exposed.

• Digital Rate of Rise (ROR) indicator: This is an expression of the rate at which the bean temperature is increasing over time, calculated per 30 seconds. It can be compared to the speedometer of a car. A higher ROR is indicative of a profile that evolves faster. If the ROR is getting too low, it points to the risk of the roasting process potentially stalling and baking.

• Digital air pressure (Pa) indicator: This displays the pressure inside the roasting chamber. Giesen is the only coffee roasting machine brand with the ability to develop profiles using air pressure, expressed in units of Pascal (Pa). A higher number of Pa indicates more airflow passing through the roaster and through the mass of coffee being roasted. A higher Pa setting facilitates more convection heat during the roasting process, while a lower Pa allows for more conductive heat.

• Rotation speed of the roasting drum, expressed in Hz: Giesen users should set the rotation speed of the drum between 45 to 60 Hz. The higher this setting, the faster the drum rotates the beans and this will typically result in a higher ROR and also in more heat transfer facilitated through convection heat.

Unique Features of Giesen Profiler

Some features of Giesen’s software are truly unique. Specifically, I’d like to mention the ability to adapt profiles using so called “triggers”. A trigger allows the operator to tell the roasting machine what changes the profile should make if certain conditions exist. For example, a trigger could be included in the roasting profile to automatically reduce the flame level of the burner if the ROR exceeds a certain critical limit. Additionally, the roasting machine can also be programmed to increase the Pa or air pressure setting once the bean temperature exceeds a certain level. Triggers offer unparalleled options for roaster operators to implement a superior level of intelligence in the design of roasting profiles. 

Conclusion

With all these sophisticated controls, it is key to understand how these roasting parameters influence the resulting flavors in the cup. For this reason, it is recommended to keep good records of your flavor profiles in order to obtain consistency and repeatability in the roasting process.

Summary

Below you can download a summary of the important aspects of roasting with profiling software.

Willem Boot

Willem Boot is Brand Ambassador of Giesen Coffee Roasters and founder of Boot Coffee Campus, a leading coffee training institute for the coffee industry. Check the program of specialized courses at www.bootcoffee.com.