Small Batch Roasting Guide Using Ikawa Pro V3

At NOC we do small batch roasting of sample coffee almost everyday using the IkawaPro V3. Here is our guide to ensure your sample roast is successful.

A cup of coffee is like the derivative of a function that is made up of many variables. From the origin topography to the water quality used in the end pour and everything in between, you can end up with a completely different cup of coffee with just a small change in a single variable.

To ensure we serve consistently great tasting coffee all year round, we obsess on sourcing the best beans we can find from around the world each season, and roasting them with the best possible roasting profile.

To help us decide on which seasonal crop to buy, or which roasting profile we will be using for a coffee, sample roasting is something we do often at our Roastery in Sai Ying Pun.

What is sample roasting?

Sample roasting is roasting a small sample of green coffee. We do it because:

1. It helps us evaluate the quality of a coffee, with minimum wastage and maximum accuracy

Before we can commit to buying a green coffee bean in bulk and include it as part of our offering, it is essential that we know whether its flavours and quality are up to par – we need to avoid roasting 50kg of coffee and then realising it doesn’t taste the greatest. That is why we need to sample roast and cup small amounts of selected seasonal crops from our trusted suppliers. The process allows us to gain more understanding on the different options, which allows us to make efficient buying decisions.

2. It helps us select the ideal roast profile

Once we decide to purchase a coffee, our roasters work together to come up with the ideal roast profile to highlight its distinct flavours. Sample roasting allows us to explore and experiment different roast profiles by roasting, cupping, then comparing mini batches of coffee.

What is an IKAWA roaster?

Based in London, IKAWA For Professionals is a startup founded by Andrew Stordy and Rombout Freiling in 2010. The pair’s idea was to create a portable coffee roaster that is repeatable and consistent, so that coffee sample evaluation can be made fair, easy and accessible for anyone, anywhere.

We chose the IKAWAPro V3 roaster for its precision, reliability and simplicity. The roaster is controlled via the IKAWA Pro app, which allows easier but greater control over the roasting process. Similar to Cropster, the program we use for our Giesen roasting machines, the IKAWA Pro app allows us to save roasting profiles, which helps us review, compare and replicate different profiles. What’s even better is that the app connects the global coffee community by allowing roasters to share their roasting profiles, which we think is a great plus.

How we sample roast

Step 1

We start by connecting the Pro V3 to the Ikawa Pro app on our smart device. Before we begin, we adjust the exhaust, inlet and airflow settings of the roaster and set the roasting curve.

Step 2

We measure 20g of green beans and pour it into the Pro V3 machine from the opening on top.

Step 3

We press go and let the roaster do its magic, as we monitor the roasting curve.

Step 4

Once the roasting process is complete, we release the chaff into a glass container and dispose of it. We then release the roasted beans into the second glass container.

Step 5

We repeat the same process on the same coffee using different roast profiles. Once we are finished roasting 3-4 different batches, we hold a mini cupping session to review and compare the coffees and/or the roast profiles.

Depending on the roast profile, the processing, the season and the crop itself, each and every coffee has its unique tasting notes. Rather than roasting every coffee extra dark to achieve a consistently smoky flavour and heavy body, it is our aim to highlight the beauty of each coffee for you to taste and appreciate. For more information about our house blends and single origin offerings, speak with our baristas or simply message us on Instagram.

To see which single origin and house blends we have right now, visit our online shop.

Click here for more information about Sam Chan, HK Barista Champion 2011, NOC Co-Founder and Head of the Roastery.