Coffee Roast Analyzer Questions

[mfortin]

Oups, sorry, the above machine is sold by javalytic in USA for 2x the price I estimated. So your idea is wonderfull.
Regards

 

[chast]

I have been using the Javalytics analyzer for 4 years now! Beats Agtron hands down. Madison instrument does have a hand held color meter that is fairly new. Not sure of the price. Saw it at the Boston SCAA show this past April.

 

[mfortin]

The Javalytics hand held is exactly the same as the Roami.

 

[Fresh Roaster]

Hi All,

I'm an optical scientist, and also have a love for coffee, so I've been kicking around the idea of developing a coffee analyzer. I'd be curious what others think might be important to measure for roasters in particular. My target device would probably be in the ~$1000 range, so not super expensive but also not something a hobbyist would likely purchase- I would expect medium sized and up roasters might find it valuable. Given the price range there's going to be some trade off in what can be done without making an expensive or difficult to use analyzer. I envision a handheld device that you could put up against some ground roasted (or green) coffee beans. Here's some ideas I have so far:
1. Roast color- visible color indication
2. Infrared roast color- similar to Agtron
3. Oil content- not sure if this is important?
4. maybe some volatile gases in the freshly ground sample? Sub 1 mg/L (1ppm) values are likely not possible but maybe.

Would any of this be of potential use to test either the coffee quality or roast quality? Are there other parameters that might be of importance? Any advice on potential parameters to measure as well as whether the price range makes sense are appreciated.

Thanks everyone![/QUOTE

Have you checked out ColorTrack?

 

[JumpinJakJava]

Fresh Roaster, you may see the varied feedback. That said, and another $.02 ! We live in a very technological age, ever changing. As a scientist, you know this better
than me. But I still concur that any tools that may be of use in any field add value to many folks. Are they necessary? Maybe not! But maybe so! Sounds like I am waffling.
Not at all. I have books in my personal library for 30 years, that I have not read. But they are there if I need them. Tools in my toolbox, some not used in 30 years, but they are there if I need them. So on and so forth. As a small batch roaster, a handheld device or tool to use while checking roast color upon pulling the trier out of the roaster would be helpful. Especially roasting Monsooned Malabar, decaf coffees. I have a hard time detecting cracks in certain coffees.(I use time, temp and sensory), like most of my fellow roasters. Could I promise you a lucrative market for such a device? I cannot. If this device could measure moisture too(green bean, could this be possible?), it would be more helpful and cost effective for little guys like myself. I am glad to have scientists aboard this forum. Great Thread! Keep it going.

 

[thecoffeecontessa]

Many great products come on the market as a solution to an individual's problem. Even though there are more expensive and better known devices on the market, you could compete if you keep a couple things in mind: Things that look different ARE different, it is better to be first than to be better (or less expensive). If you are going to go on price point alone, offer 3 versions of the same product and expect the middle product to get the most action.

 

[nnolan]

I am new to the business and would be very interested in a product like what you are proposing. good luck!!

 

[CoffeeLovers]

If you want to explore something as coffee analyzer, you will spend money, time, and effort. To test coffee quality or roast quality lies on the taste judgment. It is measured by meeting an established set of standards through sensorial analysis. That is why a panel of sensory test will evaluate the samples through cupping or tasting.

If the standard is set in an analyzer, the quality of the coffee can now be determined through the consistent range that has been established. You can use probably some chemicals to determine its quality such as color determinants. Good quality should be within the range of color.

 

[Breifne]

I found this old thread while doing a search for options on roast color analyzers. Does anyone have an update on this? Is it possible to get a reasonably decent roast color analyzer for less than $5k-6k?

 

[Hankua]

Here's one from Europe; more of a prosumer version.
Tonino

Mill City Roasters has them. Steve or Dave can probably fill you in on the details.
https://millcityroasters.com/shop/roaster-accessories/tonino-roast-color-meter/

 

[Breifne]

Thanks, Hankua.

 

[peterjschmidt]

I might be dense, but I don't grasp the usefulness of a color analyzer. Please help me understand.

 

[expat]

PJS, we are on the same page brother.

Here's a real life example. How would an optical analyzer have helped me pre or post roast or even in the future . . . . .

Two lots of Sidamo. Visually they look similar but they they don't smell similar.

Roast them the same way and they look similar but they don't smell similar and they sure don't taste similar. One is so floral and fruity tasting it is right over the top while the other is absolutely flat and kind of bitter to boot.

How will a color analyzer help me?

 

[Breifne]

Yes, good points. Some really good roasters maintain that a color analyzer can be quite a useful tool, though. Good for cupping, anyhow.

 

[Hankua]

I could see where the color analyzer would be useful for production roasting, once the profile for an individual coffee was figured out. Another metric to help with consistency along with a roasting software program. My local roaster's new machine started with Roastlog then switched after 6 months to the more expensive Cropster. Cropster is amazing in the different ways to view and manage individual roast logs after they're complete.

The big knock on the Tonino is it doesn't do whole bean color, only on a fine grind. It does bridge to Artisan I believe.