CityView Magazine

56 | July/August 2016 Tony travels to Charleston once a month to get his imported coffee beans. The beans themselves come from a variety of countries: Brazil, Kenya, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Indonesia. Webb Carpet the finest in all floor coverings Company enjoy 36 months of 0% interest financing on ALL Shaw Floors products until July 30th! 2825 Raeford Road (910) 485-5865 435 Westwood Shopping Center (910) 488-5685 buttons. As Tony slides a small door open, we can watch the beans being heated. e roaster is all about the coffee beans absorbing the heat, and soon they change from green to yellow. Tony uses a small device to probe the coffee beans and check on them. Finally, he uses a lever to release the beans into a circular tray at the bottom of the machine. is cooling bin, made of stainless steel, is where the coffee beans rest. Again, more loud cracking. is means the coffee beans are drying and moisture is evapo- rating, which increases the size of the beans. A dra inducer and nearby fan cool the hot beans off. "Each bean is distinctive," Tony says, and he will sample them as they roast. An entire batch can be roasted in thirty minutes, but Tony stays busy roasting coffee several hours per day. Oentimes, he will go between the roastery and the cafe, checking temperature, sound and color, determining when the beans are ready in addi- tion to taking care of customers. Aer the second crack is heard, the person roasting the coffee should stop roasting immediately. Otherwise, a large amount of sucrose will remain in the coffee bean and the coffee won't have very much flavor. When the machine reaches its optimal tem- perature, the beans are almost ready to be ground and brewed to be made into a drink. Once the beans are ready, Tony puts the finished product in a bag with an airtight valve. is keeps the beans fresh for up to four weeks. Coffee roasting is especially popular now. Locally roasted coffee can allow for coffee to be fresher than the coffee you can buy at a grocery store or get from a restaurant aer dinner. Tony says that some customers find that drinking freshly roasted cof- fee actually helps them sleep better at night. Light, medium and dark roasted are common descriptions used in the industry. Light and medium roasted coffee usually tastes dry with noticeable levels of acidity. Lighter roasted coffee usually has a taste similar to the original flavor of coffee. Darker roasted coffee is shiny and bittersweet in taste. You may be wondering how roasting coffee can affect caf- feine. e longer coffee beans are roasted, the more caffeine will decrease. And depending on the brewing method used at home, caffeine can vary.

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