Diedrich IR5 Analysis by Doris Garrido
Tangy clear honey and dried cranberry hit at the same time, followed by a pleasant cola mouthfeel and some comforting cinnamon, cream, and butter. It has a perfumed aroma and is a magically sweet, calm cup of coffee. I was thinking about all the times I have cupped this coffee, but I decided to brew the roast I did for this analysis so I can see exactly what I have done.
First of all, these are beautiful Peaberry beans. Because of that, I waited until the turning point to start my gas adjustments; I wanted to allow the coffee to absorb the heat slowly and avoid hurting the outside skin. I love to do a fast-drying phase when the coffee allows it, but for this one I waited, and it paid off well. I kept the rest of the roast really simple, using the airflow just to observe how the coffee developed.
I warmed up the drum and got it stable at 432°F before starting the roast. With these just slightly dense Peaberrys, I watched as the sensor started to sync with the temperature of the beans. As soon as it did, I started the gas—100% once I was at 190°F. Then I waited to reach 300°F and dropped to 30%. Just like that, energy was built. From there, I just watched the rate of change; seeing how it was struggling to drop, I started full airflow once the temperature reached 325.5°F. First crack was reached with a rate of change of 16°F, with the bean probe reading 383°F. With the remaining energy, I let it develop for one minute and 34 seconds.
I have been sipping the sweetness of this coffee while writing this, and even though I’m enjoying my cup, perhaps this coffee could use just a bit less heat. Instead of full gas, maybe 80% would mellow out the finish. The touch of florals and the complex sweet flavors are my favorites, but a little less power might refine that cola note at the end.
