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Question: Can you brew raw/green coffee beans?

(Posted by: QQ on 2009-12-27 06:36:17)

I heard that coffee is normally a sweet drink when its lightly roasted. The reason it is so bitter is because we roast it heavily over here. I'm just curious, is it possible to brew through raw green coffee beans? I'd like to try a sweet coffee drink! If not, whats the minimum I'd have to roast it for it to be okay for consumption?

Posted by: B. Garni on 2009-12-27, 10:16:19

You can expect a green coffee bean to be extraordinarily hard. You can grind roasted beans in your teeth and eat them--you will break a tooth trying to chew a green one. I tried chewing on a green bean once and I never got any flavor out of it, it just tasted like wax. Now to roasting: a light brown roast or the "first crack " (380 - 400 degrees F) is typically considered as light a roast as would be consumed, however, it may still taste a little "vegetably " (I know it's not a word) and, perhaps, grainy and sour. I think you would be best served to go to about "light medium roast " (400 - 415 degrees) which is slightly darker than the "first crack. " However, this roast is said to bring out the characteristics of the beans and not of the roast (and yes, I agree, the dark roasts are bitter). This is the lightest roasts that most roasters take their beans. A side benefit to a light roast: more caffeine! The darker the roast the less caffeine.