Roasting Indonesia’s coffees
In general, Indonesian coffees are renowned for their strong body, relatively low acidity and complex flavor. Over-roasting these beans does them a dis-service, because the “roast character” begins to overwhelm the “origin character”.
In particular, coffees from Sumatra, Sulawesi, Flores and Papua should be roasted on the lighter side, to retain the flavors that make them so distinctive. These flavors are primarily due to the “Giling Basah” (wet hulling) processing technique used by farmers in these origins.
Most professionals recommend roasts between Agtron # 55 or City and Agtron # 50 or Full City for these coffees. A City roast (first photo) is defined as the moment when the “first crack” is completed, while a Full City roast (second photo) is the point just prior to the beginning of the “second crack”.
The following table shows the estimated roasting times and temperatures for Sumatra, Sulawesi, Flores and Papua coffees. These times shown are a guide only and will vary with individual roasters:
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Roast level
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Probe temperature
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Estimated roasting time
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Agtron # 55
City roast
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218º C to 221º C
(425º F to 430º F)
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10 minutes 40 seconds
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Agtron # 50
Full City roast
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227º C to 229º C
(440º F to 445º F)
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11 minutes 30 seconds
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Coffees from Bali and Java, which have higher levels of acidity because they tend to be fully washed, can maintain their character with darker roasting. For coffees from Bali and Java, roasts from Agtron # 50 (Full city +) to Vienna (#45) are recommended. Full City + occurs just after the coffee enters the “second crack”. These roast levels are shown in photos 3 and 4.
The following table shows the estimated roasting times and temperatures for coffee from Bali and Java:
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Roast level
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Probe temperature
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Estimated roasting time
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Agtron # 50
Full city +
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229º C to 231º C
(445º F to 448º F)
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11 minutes 50 seconds
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Agtron # 45 Vienna
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231º C to 241º C
(448º F to 465º F)
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12 minutes 15 seconds
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Here are the recommendations of some roasters for Indonesia’s coffees:
“Great Indonesians will be wonderful roasted just to the verge of 2nd crack but NOT into it at all.”
“I think most people roast all the good flavors out of Mandheling. I prefer City+ to FC. That preserves the earthy goodness. I agree with FC to FC+ for Flores.”
“Definitely keep it on the lighter side to preserve some of those nuances!! However, Indonesian coffees are definitely known to produce some excellent dark roasts!”
If you have opinions on how to roast Indonesia’s coffees, please e-mail us at info@sca-indo.org. Thanks to Sweet Maria’s for the technical details and photos of roast levels. For more information, visit: www.sweetmarias.com/roasting-VisualGuideV2.html
Roasters in the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia
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Company and contact
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Location
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Products and services
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Jakarta
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Kopiku Indonesia
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Jakarta
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Sari Opal Nutrition
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Jakarta
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Jakarta
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Anomali Coffee
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Jakarta, Bali
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Bali
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Butterfly Globe Brand coffee and tea
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Retailing specialty coffee in Indonesia
Indonesians consume 170,000 tons of coffee per year, which works out to about 700 grams per capita. This is up from 1998, when consumption was 500 grams per capita and continued increases are forecasted. Coffee consumption in Indonesia is higher than the Asian average of 200 grams per capita, but lower than the North American average of 4.1 kg per capita.
Most of the coffee consumed in Indonesia is Robusta, however, Arabica consumption is also rising. Here are some statistics on coffee consumption in Indonesia:
- 22% of coffee is consumed outside of the home
- Indonesian coffee drinkers consume an average of 8.2 cups per week
- Indonesian coffee drinkers purchase an average of 1.8 cups per week
Retailers in the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia
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Company and contact
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Location
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Products and services
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Jakarta
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Kopiku Indonesia
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Jakarta
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Jakarta
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Sari Coffee Indonesia
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Jakarta
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Bali
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| Anomali Coffee | Jakarta, Bali | |
| Maharaja | Jakarta |
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