Brazil · Minas Gerais · Natural · 900-1200m ASL · NY 2/3 MTGB GC · John Burton
Decaf Brazil DEC02 Roast Log: Lessons From a Home Roaster
Goal: chocolate nutty
Aroma of chocolate, roasted nuts and dried fruits. Flavours of malted chocolate milk and nut brittle. Long Chocolate aftertaste. Low acidity and medium round body.
What the roasts taught
- First logged cup (R-030, F-NAT 0-1200 @ 3.0) was decent but needed more chocolate and less acidity.
- Stepping level up into the 3.3–3.6 band on the same F-NAT 0-1200 family is where the chocolate-nutty goal landed.
- Settled recipe: F-NAT 0-1200 at level 3.4 / 120g — repeated on R-089, R-100, R-102 with only light tweaks.
- Stopped writing cup notes once it was consistently good; later batches are confirmation roasts, not failures.
Roast goal
Develop through first crack to fully develop the inherent sugars and chocolate/nut notes without tipping into roast-driven ash. Aim for a smooth, sweet cup with malted chocolate and nut brittle prominently featured. The medium roast level will balance body development with sweetness while avoiding grassy underdevelopment or flat over-roasting.