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I finally figured out why my dark roasts tasted like burnt tires
Heard a guy at the local shop in Denver last week say "you're roasting past second crack thinking it adds flavor but really you're just making charcoal." Hit me hard because I've been doing that for like 6 months straight. Pulled a batch right at the start of second crack instead of letting it go further and man the difference is night and day. Still getting some bitterness but way more drinkable. Anyone else roast too dark for way too long before someone called them out?
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mark_cooper9d agoMost Upvoted
14 seconds past second crack is where the real flavor hides.
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karen_hart9d ago
14 seconds past second crack? That's burnt tire territory for sure. 14 seconds is a lifetime in coffee roasting, that's basically turning beans into charcoal briquettes. I did that for a solid year thinking I was making "bold" coffee when really I was just making ashtray water. Pulled a batch at first crack and some right at second crack and the difference is almost embarrassing. You're basically drinking the same thing I was making and thinking it was "complex.
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