Roast profiling
The time-temperature curve rather than a single figure. Two roasts reaching the same temperature can produce very different chocolate.
A roast profile is the whole trajectory: how fast the beans come up to temperature, how long they hold, and how quickly they cool. Two roasts finishing at the same temperature can differ substantially in outcome depending on how they got there.
A slow approach to a moderate temperature develops Maillard character while allowing volatile acids to escape. A fast approach to a higher temperature develops surface character while leaving the interior less developed. Makers working with a distinctive origin generally build a profile per lot, which is one of the things bean-to-bar production actually means in practice.
What it does
Controls the time-temperature trajectory of the roast, determining how far Maillard development proceeds and how much residual acidity is driven off.
Why it matters
It is where a maker decides how much of the origin to keep, and it is the decision that most distinguishes one maker's version of a bean from another's.
- Typical duration
- 0.25–1.5 hours
- Typical temperature
- 110–140°C
- Why the range is wide
- Time and temperature trade against each other, and the same endpoint reached differently gives different results. A single quoted temperature describes very little.
What it does to the flavour
Determines the balance between developed Maillard character and surviving origin-derived acidity and fruit.
When it goes wrong
A profile chosen once and applied to every lot, which suits industrial consistency and wastes a distinctive bean.
Related
Covered in
- Why origins taste differentThe second, and the one the maker controls entirely.
- Roasting explainedHow the curve is designed rather than just the temperature chosen.
Sources
- ChocolateHQ editorial synthesis — ChocolateHQ(citation identity confirmed; passage not re-read)
- The Science of Chocolate — Royal Society of Chemistry(citation identity confirmed; passage not re-read)