KNOW YOUR BEANS

Like with coffee, the first thing you need to do is examine your raw material. You need to
know both its physical and sensory profile to understand how best to roast it.

As Arcelia tells me, “You have to start knowing what kind of beans you are using, where do
they come from, what is the humidity of the beans, how big are the beans… and from there,
you can start narrowing things down.”

 Bean Size
Cacao beans, much like coffee, come in different sizes. However, you’ll want to only roast
batches with beans of the same size so you can ensure a uniform heat transfer through the
bean structure.

When Cesar roasts cacao, he begins by sorting the beans by size. He emphasises that this size
changes everything. “If you have a small bean, the heat transfer is different, and it is more
complicated when you are roasting bigger beans, as you have to manage different
temperatures during the process.”

You might also like: How to Evaluate Cacao & Chocolate Quality

 Ecuadorian cacao beans ready for analysis and roasting. Credit: Arcelia Gallardo

 Moisture & Density

Much like in coffee, moisture and density will affect the heat transfer.

Learn more! Read Roaster Basics: How to Roast Hard & Soft Coffee Beans

Cesar tells me that he wants to see a moisture content of 6.5–7% – something that he
measures with a moisture meter. With drier beans, there’s a risk of them breaking during
roasting. But at higher moisture levels, making sure the water evaporates sufficiently, without
roasting the beans for too long, can be complicated.
Karla McNeil-Rueda, Founder of Cru Chocolate in Honduras, adds that cacao beans are
typically less dense than coffee beans due to their high fat content. She recommends doubling
the machine’s normal load. For example, if you have a Behmor 1600 Plus, which can roast
one pound of coffee, you would use two pounds of cacao beans. In her case, she uses the
Royal Coffee Roaster #5, which has a 25-pound capacity, and roasts 50 pounds of cacao at a
time.

 Flavour
Before deciding on your profile, you need to understand your beans’ sensory qualities. Cesar
normally tries the beans raw, which allows him to recognise which flavours he can enhance
through different roast styles. This requires a lot of tasting and training to achieve.

On the other hand, Arcelia tells me that she does three different sample roasts: one light, one
medium, and one dark. From there, she can decide which is best for the beans. However, for
those who purchase micro batches, it may be hard to justify this method.

Three different cacao beans, one roast. Credit: Raros Fazedores de Chocolate

2. CREATE YOUR ROAST PROFILE
Now that you’ve analysed your beans, it’s time to decide how much heat to use.

 Charge Temperature
The charge temperature is the initial temperature you use at the start of your roast. (Find out
more about charge temperature in coffee here.)

Do your beans have more delicate flavours? Cesar would aim for a lower charge temperature
to enhance these. Or are they more about the body and the caramel notes? He’d start higher.

Remember, however, that the fine cacao industry is still creating its roasting standards –
meaning it’s an exciting time for experimentation. You can see this in the differences between
Cesar’s and Arcelia’s roast styles.

Cesar opts for 80–90ºC (176–194ºF) while Arcelia goes closer to 120ºC (248ºF). She tells me
that the higher temperature ensures the moisture within the beans will be released within the
first ten minutes of the roast. Remember, the charge temperature refers to the air within the
roasters; the beans themselves need time to heat up.

“From minute zero to the tenth minute, the temperature [within the beans] needs to hit
100ºC…” Arcelia says, “It will take ten minutes to evaporate the water because water
evaporates at 100ºC.”
 Roasted cacao beans from La Masica, Honduras. Credit: Cru Chocolate

 Manipulating Roast Temperature & Time

Cesar tells me that, if he wanted a delicate roast to enhance fruity and floral notes, he’d take
the heat up to 110–116ºC (230–241ºF) and aim for a roast time of 15 to 20 minutes. However,
if he wanted to coax greater body and more caramel notes out of the beans, he’d take the heat
as high as 130–135ºC (266–275ºF) for 20–22 minutes.

However, this will also vary depending on the beans’ physical attributes. Let’s say that
they’re delicate but large: Cesar might extend the roast time to 25 or 30 minutes and keep the
temperature lower, at around 100–105ºC (212–221ºF).

As for Arcelia, for a medium roast, she would aim for 110ºC (230ºF) from the tenth to the
twentieth minute. Then, for the next ten minutes, she would bring it up to 120ºC (248ºF).

Cesar emphasises that these are average figures but that every bean needs its own roast profile
so that you can get the best possible flavours and aromas in the chocolate. Arcelia adds,
“There isn’t really one recipe, so this is one of the challenges as chocolate makers… you
really do have to spend a lot of time figuring out how you are able to roast your beans your
way.”

And both Cesar and Arcelia remind me of the importance of checking the temperature of the
beans, not just the roaster, especially if you’re using a kitchen oven.
 Measuring the temperature of lightly roasted cacao beans from São Paulo State, Brazil.
Credit: Raros Fazedores de Chocolate

TRACK & COMPLETE YOUR ROAST

Even though you might have a roast time and temperature in mind, it’s important to pay
attention to how the beans are developing. Always put the beans first, not the roast profile.

 Colour & Aroma

Unlike with coffee beans, my interviewees explain that cacao beans don’t really change
colour when exposed to heat. However, the aroma will develop. Karla tells me that, to begin
with, you will smell acetic and vinegar notes; these will eventually develop into more pleasant
ones.

Don’t just rely on what you can smell outside your roaster, though. Karla samples one bean
every minute, tasting it and analysing the aroma. This helps her keep track of roast
development.
 Karla McNeil-Rueda of Cru Chocolate monitors the roast by trying one bean every minute.
Credit: Cru Chocolate

 Crack
What’s more, you should listen out for an audible crack. Much like in coffee, this sound is the
sign that your cacao roast is nearly ready. However, Arcelia cautions that it isn’t reliable if
you’re roasting beans of different sizes. Some will crack sooner than others.

Cesar adds that if, after roasting, it’s easy to winnow the beans, then you know you’ve done it
well.
 A mix of Forastero and Criollo Honduran cacao beans. Credit: Cru Chocolate

Fine cacao roasting is an evolving industry, but this is part of its beauty. With little
information available, home and professional roasters alike must experiment in search of the
best profile for their beans. It’s the start of a journey of discovery – one that may be difficult
but also immensely rewarding.

Pay attention to the beans you’re roasting. Take notes on their initial characteristics, your
evolving roast temperature and time, and the results. Deliberately play with your technique.
This is the way to cacao roasting mastery.

And, most importantly of all, enjoy it. Savour the fact that you’re hand-crafting your very
own fine chocolate bar