coffee-roasting

Claude.ai Artisan Log Analysis

I uploaded a couple .alog files to claude.ai chat (Sonnet 4 model) with the prompt:

” Analyze this attached Artisan Roasting Scope .alog file. Provide analysis of the roast plan used, and provide guidance for improvements for these same green coffee beans and same batch size using the same 500 gram electric drum roaster. The temperatures listed are in C not F. “

The results are suprisingly helpful and seem accurate. The recommended ROR curves vary some across logs, but still useful. It also reads context history, so it can compare multiple logs in a single chat session and look for trends for several consecutive roasts. It gets confused thinking the temperature is F instead of C which I used. So I specify that in the prompt.

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Useful observations:

• Extremely Long Roast - (Major Problem). 12+ minutes is excessively long for a 194g batch
• Extended Drying Phase - 294 seconds (nearly 5 minutes) for drying is too long
• Slow Maillard Development - 166 seconds for Maillard phase is adequate but combined with the long drying creates cumulative over-exposure to heat.

These recommendations are also captured in a google doc. Summary of recommendations are:

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Upload and prompt of Burundi “B4” log file roast_25-09-06_1638.alog

Critical Issues:

1. Extremely Long Roast (Major Problem)

12+ minutes is excessively long for a 194g batch. This causes:

• Over-baked flavors
• Loss of origin character
• Woody/cardboard notes
• Poor cup quality despite good development ratio

1. Extended Drying Phase

294 seconds (nearly 5 minutes) for drying is too long:

• Should target 3:30-4:00 for this batch size
• Causes loss of acidity and brightness

1. Slow Maillard Development

166 seconds for Maillard phase is adequate but combined with the long drying creates cumulative over-exposure to heat.

Specific Recommendations:

1. Target Timeline (Critical Change):

• Total time: 8:30-9:30 (not 12+ minutes)
• Drying End: 3:30-4:00 (not 5:00)
• First Crack: 6:00-6:30 (not 7:40)
• Drop: 8:30-9:00 (not 12:08)

1. Adjusted ROR Strategy:

Your “12/6/3” target needs modification:

• Early phase: 12-15°C/min (more aggressive start)
• Maillard: 8-10°C/min (slightly higher than 6)
• Development: 4-6°C/min (higher than 3)

1. Heat Management:

• Charge: Higher initial heat to prevent the long drying
• First 3 minutes: Maintain aggressive heat
• Approaching FC: More gradual heat reduction
• Development: Controlled but not overly gentle

1. Batch Size Consideration:

194g is quite large - consider:

• Reducing to 150-170g for better heat transfer
• Or increasing initial heat significantly for this batch size

Expected Improvements:

With shorter timing you should achieve:

• Brighter acidity from shorter drying phase
• Cleaner cup without over-baked flavors
• Better origin character preservation
• More efficient roasting (cost/time benefits)

Key Takeaway:

This roast shows you can achieve good heat control and development ratios, but the excessive duration is masking the coffee’s potential. The goal is to maintain your improved consistency while dramatically shortening the timeline. Think “intense but controlled” rather than “long and gentle.”

Your ROR management skills have clearly improved from the Guatemala roasts - now apply that same control to a much faster timeline.

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