tags: [] - coffee/roasting - coffee/education aliases: - Roast timeline - Coffee roasting timeline - Roast stages timeline

One-Page Roast Timeline¶

Tags: #coffee/roasting #coffee/education Aliases: Roast timeline, Coffee roasting timeline, Roast stages timeline Related: Roasting MOC | Roast Profile | First & Second Crack | Roast Development Ratio | Heat Transfer in Coffee Roasting Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

This article presents a condensed, single-reference timeline of the key stages and events during a standard specialty coffee drum roast — from bean loading (charge) through to drop (end of roast). It serves as a quick-reference companion to the more detailed articles on roasting science and profile management.

The Roast Timeline¶

Time (approx.)	Temperature (bean probe)	Stage	Observable changes
0:00	Charge temp (180–220°C drum)	Charge	Green beans loaded; drum pre-heated; beans begin absorbing heat
0:00–2:00	Dropping (80–120°C bean)	Turning point	Bean temperature drops after loading as cool beans absorb heat; turns around at lowest point
2:00–5:00	100–150°C	Drying phase	Moisture evaporating; beans turn yellow; grassy aroma
5:00–8:00	150–175°C	Maillard phase begins	Colour shifts yellow → tan; toasty, bread-like aromas; Maillard reactions begin
8:00–10:00	175–195°C	Maillard development	Colour deepens; caramel and sweetness aromas develop; RoR managed actively
~10:00–11:00	196–205°C	First crack	Audible popping; CO₂ and steam rupture cell walls; light roast achieved; development phase begins
First crack + 1–2 min	200–215°C	Development phase	Post-crack development; DTR counts from here; flavour complexity develops
Drop point	205–230°C (varies by roast level)	Drop	Beans released from drum; cooling begins immediately
Post-drop	Rapid cool to <40°C	Cooling	Cooling tray or fluid-bed cooling; target <40°C within 5 minutes

Key Reference Points¶

Event	Typical bean temperature	Notes
Turning point	80–120°C	Lowest point of bean temperature curve
Yellow point	~150–160°C	Colour shift; Maillard begins
First crack start	~196–205°C	Audible; varies with bean density and roaster type
Second crack start	~218–224°C	Marks dark roast onset; oils migrate to surface
Light roast drop	~205–210°C	Immediately post-first-crack to early development
Medium roast drop	~210–218°C	1–3 minutes post-first-crack
Dark roast drop	~218–230°C	Approaching or past second crack

[!NOTE] All temperatures are indicative only. Actual temperatures vary significantly with roaster type (drum vs. fluid-bed), probe placement, and bean density. The key reference is the relationship between events rather than absolute numbers.

Development Time Ratio¶

DTR = Development time (first crack to drop) ÷ Total roast time × 100

Target range: 20–25% for most specialty applications
Espresso roasts: Typically higher DTR (22–28%)
Filter roasts: Typically lower DTR (18–22%)

See Roast Development Ratio.

Key Facts¶

A typical specialty drum roast takes 10–14 minutes from charge to drop; fast roasters may complete in 7–9 minutes
First crack at approximately 196–205°C marks the light roast threshold; second crack at ~218–224°C marks dark roast onset
The development phase begins at first crack; DTR is calculated from first crack to drop
Cooling must be rapid — below 40°C within 5 minutes is the standard target to avoid extended effective development post-drop
Bean probe temperatures are reference points only; actual values vary by roaster type, probe placement, and batch size

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-29	Note created

This article is part of All-About-Coffee.com - The comprehensive coffee knowledgebase.