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How to use a roast log
to improve your coffee
and streamline your business

ON THE SURFACE, it appears to be such an easy question: “Why is it important to keep a roast log?”
     Yet a closer look reveals that it is, in fact, a complex question with a multitude of answers. In short, the roast log is one of the best business tools a roasting operation can use. In addition to using the logs simply to record roasting data, operators can go beyond the obvious and put roast logs to use in other facets of the business, such as inventory control and management, quality control, new product development and profitability, as well as tracking productivity and labor efficiencies. Roast logs are also useful, and often required, for organic certification.

     Many coffee roasters currently use a roast log in their roasting operations to record an array of data in a variety of methods. Some roasters log with handwritten notes on yellow tablets or preprinted forms, while some use “elephant-like” memory skills to record the data mentally. Yet another group uses real-time data loggers to plot a graph, while more complex profile systems record real-time data plus other predetermined roast parameters. The challenge is to take the information gleaned from the data and extrapolate the results into usable information. Once the information is put to work, the value of data collection in a roast log multiplies dramatically.
     The specific data collected on a roast log varies by roasting operation and its perceived needs (see sidebar graphic below). Using a log, roasters can record the actual roast profile data, tracking the time and temperature path of the roast from start to finish. The inclusion of cupping notes provides a complete evaluation of the success of each specific roast. When this varied information is recorded regularly, it provides insight to the overall process and can be used as a reference guide for future roast successes.
     Producing accurate and detailed roast logs requires a commitment of time and energy, so it is important for businesses to use the logs for maximum return of time and energy. Recording the data and then simply filing it away is a small portion of the overall process. Regular analysis of the completed logs is an invaluable tool for operation management. Operators can review and unlock seemingly limitless information for a coffee roasting business. This practice encourages roasters to take the note-taking process beyond “I log because someone told me to” and start using roast logs as a professional business tool.

Inventory Control and Management

Typically, roast logs contain basic information like roast date, coffee type and green weight. This information can be manipulated to create efficient inventory management tools, track trends, and forecast future raw material needs. Using the green weight numbers and coffee names recorded in the roast log, it is easy to create weekly green coffee usage reports. These reports give roasters an accurate view of the volume of each specific bean being roasted and a clearer idea of how the next period might trend, preventing overages or shortages of green. Usage reports work in tandem with physical inventories to eliminate errors and oversights.
     Adding the coffee’s lot number to the roast log simplifies the traceability of each coffee and eases the task of creating a legitimate paper trail. Should a situation arise in which roasted coffee product has to be recalled or traced through the distribution system, roasters can retrieve the data easily by turning to their files of completed roast logs. Tracking the coffee by name and lot number also serves as a basis for report preparation for certified coffees such as organic coffee. Logs put the vital information at the preparer’s fingertips, allowing your business to efficiently summarize a coffee’s roasting date, total pounds, and identifying marks. Many busy roasters put off report filing until the deadline looms near, making the process more stressful than it needs to be. If the roast logs are completed and filed in a timely manner, the raw data has been collected already, and all that remains is pulling it together. Culling data from a roast log is much simpler than digging through stacks of empty coffee bags to estimate the total amount roasted.

Quality Control

Achieving and maintaining a high level of consistency in roasted product without keeping good records is not easy. The roast log provides assurance of consistency from roast to roast, and it offers a basis for comparison and troubleshooting should a quality issue arise. The quality control portion of the roast log employs a range of data; some roasters keep the records very simple and others more complex.
Some variables to consider:

• Preheat temperature
• Point of equilibrium
• Progression of time and temperature
• Airflow in roasting chamber
• Energy output/heat application
• First crack time
• Roast finish time and temperature

This information creates a specific profile for each roast that can then be reviewed in conjunction with the cupping notes to further ensure the quality of the finished roasted product. The data used to create the profile varies by roaster operation, but a roast profile is still defined as the path the roast follows from start to finish.
     If you are facing a quality concern, the roast log can reveal the probable answer. For example, was the roast too fast or too slow? Was there too much green coffee for the size of roaster? Did the roast stall or run? Was the point of equilibrium too high? Any of these incidents can contribute to a negative result in the cup, but they can be quickly identified and corrected by cupping the coffee and then comparing completed roast logs of the same coffee. Weather conditions can also affect the roast process; extreme air pressure changes, wind, or temperature can be noted on the roast log as a reference for comparison.
     Consistency issues are multiplied in roasting operations with more than one roaster operator. The opportunity for error is greater each time a different operator clocks in for a shift. Roast logs will assure that the process remains the same for each roast and each roaster. When paired with cupping notes, the roast log can pinpoint a problem—be it machine or operator trouble.
     Of course, logs are not meant only for larger operations. Single-operator roasteries can also benefit from the data compiled in the logs. Many smaller roasters operate their entire business single-handedly, carrying out each and every production job while keeping huge amounts of vital information in their heads and failing to document their tasks. What if the roaster was unable to work due to an unforeseen emergency? Most small businesses would screech to a halt without the roaster. Completed roasting logs act as a guide for another employee to step in and work through the roast process in the absence of the primary roaster. At the minimum, roasters should consider logging roast details that include the profile information necessary to produce a consistent roasted product.
     The logs provide a point of reference for comparative review and assure consistency and quality in each roast. When used effectively, these tracking devices become professional tools for roasters seeking the highest levels of quality and consistency.

New Product Development

Roasters often comment on a roast that was amazing, but they cannot recall the specific path to perfection. Here, your roast logs can be invaluable tools for new product development. Whether your business is thinking about adding a new coffee to your lineup or you need to create a specific coffee for a customer, roast logs are vital to creating and replicating the preferred roast results. Recording the results of roasting to variable degrees of roast and later performing a comparative cupping is a productive use of roast logs. When developing a profile for a new coffee, expect that it will take multiple variable roasts to achieve the most favorable results for a specific coffee. Record the tweaking of a profile on the log so that once the perfect roast is achieved, it can be repeated.
     But what if a coffee isn’t performing as well as expected? Maybe the chocolate finish isn’t there, or the promised fruit notes are overpowered by the acidity. Cupping your coffees regularly and tracking the results can enhance your understanding of how the coffees can perform. A review of roast logs can reveal opportunities to improve the overall cup quality. Which cup was sweeter, brighter, harsher or smoother? A trained eye can compare cupping results to roast logs and pinpoint where the roast can be improved or corrected. Once the new product is perfected, it can be duplicated easily. Roast logs can expedite positive results and greatly reduce frustration for the roaster operator.

Profitability

Roast logs can also lead to profitability for a coffee roasting operation. Most logs contain information regarding green weight in, roasted weight out, total number of batches and the resulting roasted product at the end of the business day. Roastery owners can analyze the logged numbers quickly and glean valuable information about the bottom line of the roasting operation.
     A primary calculation derived from the roast log is “percent of shrink,” or the amount of weight loss occurring in the roast process. This number should be considered in the cost factoring of the roasted product. Calculating the percentage of shrink is an ongoing process in profit management. The shrink ratio can vary as much as 10 percentage points depending on the coffee and the degree of roast—a considerable amount of weight loss and cost when pricing out a pound of roasted coffee. For example, 20 pounds of green that results in 16 pounds of roasted coffee works out to a ratio of 0.8 shrink, or a 20-percent loss in weight. Roasters can rely on this information when calculating how many pounds of green to roast to reach a specific weight of roasted coffee.
     Another revealing calculation is roast production capacity. Is the roastery performing at maximum capacity, or is there room for growth? Roasters need to be aware of the total number of pounds that can be roasted per shift per day to evaluate growth potential. Roast logs provide insight into the actual number of roasts completed per hour, production hours per shift, and total number of pounds produced per shift. These evaluations create a benchmark for efficiency in growth and total output for the roasting operation. Roasters can review the numbers to decide whether to take on additional work as well as determine if there is capacity at the current level to handle additional production demands.

Productivity/Labor Efficiencies

Reviewing daily roast logs can clue management into the productivity of each roaster operator on the team. This is most effective if the roast log indicates the operator’s name and the actual time that each roast starts. The time-of-day data reveals the operator’s efficiencies as well as opportunities to adhere to production schedules. If there is a large time span between roasts, what is occupying the operator’s time: weighing out the next batch, waiting for the roaster to cool or heat, or texting friends?
     Requiring roasting employees to keep accurate roast logs helps to identify any labor concerns within the production facility. Why does one employee struggle to get the required batches completed while another seems to breeze through the workday? The logs will help your business recognize problems in employee efficiencies and identify specific steps to alleviate future problems.

Employee Training

Roast logs also provide an outstanding training tool for new and current employees, because they inspire a high level of performance and consistency from the start. Recording the data encourages accountability and responsibility while introducing the employee to the roast process. The trainee learns by participating, and entering data in a roast log exposes employees to commonly used coffee terminology and definitions. At the same time, employers benefit from a consistent training format for single or multiple new hires.
     By keeping a roast log, operators gain a better understanding of roasting dynamics. They come to learn how a roaster works while documenting the process—and, ultimately, recording the overall flavor profile of each specific coffee. Logs provide a snapshot of the parameters of the roast and external forces that can affect the results. Roaster operators can gain an appreciation of the relationship between such variables as the preheat temperature and the size of the load, air temperature versus bean temperature, environmental effects on roasting and cooling time, differences in various coffees, seasonal changes in roasting, and basic principles of heat transfer. These dynamics are reinforced at the cupping table when roasts are reviewed for consistency.

Maintenance Schedules

Using a roast log to implement roaster maintenance schedules is simple: just add a batch number for each roast. Maintenance activities can be noted and tracked on the log, proving beneficial for action items that need to be completed after a certain number of roasts.
     Daily routine activities like cleaning the chaff collector or wiping out the cooling tray can be noted as completed at the end of the shift. Logging these activities creates a daily cleaning and maintenance report and provides information for repairs that might be required.
     Operators can answer questions regarding time of use with accuracy, supported by the paper trail in the roast log. Other subtle physical changes can serve as an alert to a possible maintenance concern. Good time and temperature records for each roast serve as indicators of changes in the roast profile that could be caused by a maintenance issue. A proactive maintenance program will help reduce downtime and expenses caused by unforeseen problems or roaster emergencies. Regularly scheduled exhaust cleaning on drum roasters is much more manageable than a roastery full of smoke.

Safety Log

Keeping a roast log requires focus and diligence on the part of the operator, forcing roasters to tune in to the process in front of them. When compiling a steady stream of data, there isn’t time to talk on the phone, check e-mail or send text messages. Many roaster fire stories sound like this: “Everything was just fine. Then, when I got off the phone and turned around, flames were shooting from the roaster and smoke was rolling out.”
     Many safety problems occur because of lack of attention on the part of the operator. Keeping hands-on increases the focus and awareness of all aspects of the roast and greatly reduces the chance of problems. An employee-training program and a sound maintenance schedule work together to make the roastery a safe work environment. The roast log increases awareness of potential problems, possibly eliminating them before they have a chance to develop. Many roasters practice safety shutdowns so their employees can be as prepared as possible if an emergency happens. Preparedness exercises like these should also be documented on the roast log.

Continuing Professional Development

Roast logs provide an infinite amount of information for roaster operators. Beyond the basic mechanics of the roast, those wanting to glean more knowledge and understanding of what goes on inside the roaster can use the logs to start answering their questions. Roasters can attain a clearer understanding of the entire roast process and the cause and effect of changing the variables of that process. Numerous external influences affect the roast process, but with a solid understanding of the procedure, roasters can learn to predict and react to avoid problems well in advance.
     Roasting is an ongoing educational journey, and roast logs are valuable tools to better understanding. By recording as much data as possible, roasters can study and extract information, increasing their knowledge while creating a consistently improved cup of coffee. The return on the investment for the owner, roaster and industry as a whole could be extremely rewarding indeed.

KATHI ZOLLMAN, assistant director of specialty green coffee sales at Coffee Holding Company, is a frequent presenter at a variety of roaster education venues. She has shared coffee roasting skills at Roasters Guild events, the annual SCAA Conference, Coffee Fest and multiple regional roaster gatherings. Providing quality training and skill-building at a local level has been a focus for several years as Kathi has been involved in the grassroots regional movement. Specializing in blending, sensory skill-building, and profile roasting and manipulation, she continues to be a student of all things coffee..