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A roaster in Asheville told me to stop chasing first crack and I have not looked back
I was at a small roasting class in Asheville last spring, and the guy running it said something that went against everything I had read online. He said first crack is not the finish line, it is just a signpost, and pulling beans 30 seconds after it starts made my batches taste flat. So I started stretching out the time after first crack to about 1 minute 45 seconds on my popcorn popper setup, and the difference in sweetness was huge. Now I am wondering if I am the only one who thinks the "just past first crack" advice is overblown. What signs do you all actually watch for to know when to drop?
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kim_patel8925d ago
What signs am I watching? Honestly, smell and sound beat any timer for me. Right after first crack my beans smell grassy and a little sour, and that turns into a warm bready smell as they coast along. If I drop at 30 seconds past, I get that flat, tangy cup you're talking about every single time on my popper. Stretching it to a minute and a half gets me way more caramel and body, no doubt. The tricky part is staying just shy of second crack, because once those snaps start rolling it goes from sweet to ash fast.
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