tags: [] - coffee/roasting - coffee/roasting/profile aliases: - Crash and flick RoR - RoR crash and flick - Flick roast profile

Crash and Flick¶

Tags: #coffee/roasting #coffee/roasting/profile Aliases: Crash and flick RoR, RoR crash and flick, Flick roast profile Related: Roasting MOC | Rate of Rise | Roast Profile | Development Phase | Declining Rate Profiles | First Crack Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Crash and flick is a roast profile pattern in which the Rate of Rise (RoR) drops sharply (crashes) — typically as the roast approaches first crack — and then rises again (flicks) as the roaster adds gas to compensate for the stall. The term describes a failure pattern in roast management rather than an intentional design choice; it is one of the most common RoR profile defects diagnosed in specialty roasting education and is associated with baked, flat, or inconsistent cup outcomes. In the declining RoR framework, any upward movement of the RoR curve after a decline is considered a flaw; a crash-and-flick represents the most pronounced version of this violation.

How Crash and Flick Occurs¶

A crash and flick typically follows this sequence:

The roaster reduces gas too aggressively — often in an attempt to achieve a smooth declining RoR, or in response to a RoR that was running higher than intended
The RoR drops sharply (crashes) — often approaching or reaching zero, particularly in the approach to first crack or in the development phase
The roaster recognises the stall and adds gas to recover momentum
The RoR rises (flicks) — creating an upward kink in the RoR curve that breaks the declining pattern

The underlying cause is reactive roasting: managing gas input by responding to the RoR curve after changes have already occurred, rather than anticipating the thermal trajectory of the roast and making adjustments proactively.

Why Crash and Flick Is a Problem¶

The crash-and-flick pattern is associated with roast quality problems for several reasons:

The crash itself can stall development: If the RoR drops to near-zero in the development phase, the bean temperature is no longer rising meaningfully; caramelisation and flavour development effectively stall, contributing to baked or flat cup characteristics
The flick disrupts even development: Adding gas to produce the flick creates an accelerating temperature environment in the development phase — the opposite of the controlled, declining RoR that the specialty methodology aims for
Cup inconsistency: The exact depth of the crash and height of the flick varies batch-to-batch based on the roaster's reaction time; this produces cup inconsistency even with nominally identical drop temperatures and DTRs

Preventing Crash and Flick¶

Proactive gas reduction: Reduce gas gradually and earlier in the roast, before the RoR begins to drop, rather than responding reactively to a falling curve
Pre-first crack gas reduction: The most common crash-and-flick site is the approach to first crack, where the exothermic energy of the crack can cause a spike if gas has not been pre-emptively reduced, followed by a crash if gas is then reduced too sharply in response. Anticipating first crack timing and beginning gas reduction 30–60 seconds before first crack is the standard preventive approach
Profile logging and review: Identifying crash-and-flick patterns in the logged RoR curve allows the roaster to diagnose the cause (excessive gas reduction at a specific point) and correct the next batch

Intentional "Flick" at First Crack¶

A minority of specialty roasters intentionally allow or engineer a small RoR uptick at the start of first crack — reasoning that the energy released by the exothermic crack itself is the mechanism of the "flick," and that a brief controlled rise at crack onset is compatible with good cup quality. This is distinct from the reactive crash-and-flick defect pattern; the debate about the acceptability of a controlled first-crack flick is ongoing in the specialty community.

Key Facts¶

Crash and flick: RoR drops sharply (crash) then rises (flick) after reactive gas addition to compensate
A failure pattern in roast management, not an intentional design choice
Most common site: approach to first crack (gas over-reduced, then increased when crack stalls)
Cup impact: baked or flat from the crash; inconsistent development from the flick
Prevention: proactive gas reduction before RoR drops; anticipate first crack timing
Distinguished from intentional small first-crack flick, which some specialty roasters consider acceptable

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-27	Note created

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