tags: [] - coffee/roasting - coffee/roasting/production aliases: - Roast profile documentation - Documenting roast profiles

Profile Documentation¶

Tags: #coffee/roasting #coffee/roasting/production Aliases: Roast profile documentation, Documenting roast profiles Related: Roasting MOC | Roast Logging | Profile Replication | Artisan Software | Cropster Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Profile documentation is the practice of systematically recording the parameters, data, and outcomes of each coffee roast in a format that can be referenced, compared, and reproduced in future sessions. It is the foundation of consistent production roasting: without documentation, each batch is effectively an independent event with no connection to past performance or future improvement. Thorough profile documentation enables a roastery to replicate successful roasts, diagnose failures, track changes over time, and train new roasters to a defined standard.

What to Document¶

A complete roast profile record should capture:

Green coffee information: - Green coffee ID (lot number, purchase reference) - Origin, farm/washing station, variety, processing method, crop year - Moisture content (if measured) - Screen size - Weight in (green coffee charged)

Roast machine parameters: - Roaster machine (make, model, drum size) - Batch number for the session - Charge temperature (preheat target) - Drum speed setting - Initial damper position and any changes through the roast

Roast curve data (logged automatically by software if used): - Bean temperature (BT) curve — full time-temperature trace - Environmental temperature (ET) curve - Rate of Rise (RoR) curve - Burner adjustments (percentage, timing) - Damper adjustments (position, timing)

Key event milestones: - Turning point: time and temperature - Colour change / Maillard onset: time and temperature - First crack start: time and temperature - First crack end: time and temperature - Drop: time and temperature - Total roast time - Development Time Ratio (DTR)

Output data: - Weight out (roasted coffee cooled) - Yield / weight loss percentage - Colour measurement (Agtron score if measured)

Cupping result (linked): - Reference to corresponding cupping record - Pass / fail / notes - Any specific flavour observations

Environmental conditions: - Ambient temperature - Ambient humidity - Batch number in the session (earlier batches may roast differently as the drum reaches thermal equilibrium)

Documentation Tools¶

Paper logs: Simple and reliable; a pre-printed form with fields for the above parameters. Suitable for small operations; requires manual data entry and is harder to search or compare across batches.

Spreadsheet: More searchable and analytically flexible than paper; allows graphing of trends. Requires discipline to complete after each batch.

Profile software (Artisan, Cropster): Automatically logs all sensor data (BT, ET, RoR, burner input) to a digital record linked to the batch. Enables easy overlay, comparison, and export. The gold standard for production roastery documentation.

Cropster: Adds inventory management, purchase records, and cup score linking to roast profile records — the most comprehensive integrated documentation system.

Why Documentation Matters¶

Replication: A documented profile can be reproduced on the same roaster by the same or different operator. Without documentation, "feel-based" roasting cannot be shared or taught.

Diagnosis: When a batch fails cupping, profile documentation provides the data to diagnose why — was DTR too low? Did the charge temperature differ? Did first crack start earlier than usual?

Continuous improvement: Trends across documented batches reveal system drift, seasonal variation, and the effect of profile changes on cup quality.

Training: New roasters can learn from documented profiles rather than undocumented oral tradition; they have a reference against which to assess their own execution.

Key Facts¶

Profile documentation captures green coffee information, machine parameters, roast curve data, event milestones, output data, and cupping results per batch
Digital profile software (Artisan, Cropster) automates sensor data logging; paper or spreadsheet logs require manual entry
Without documentation, replication depends on operator memory and feel — not transferable or scalable
Linking cupping results to profile data builds a diagnostic reference that improves both batch quality and training
Environmental conditions (ambient temperature, humidity, batch number in session) should be recorded as contextual variables

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-27	Note created

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