I'm writing a book on coffee roasting.

[Mark Kelly]

When I started roasting six or so years ago I was dismayed at the lack of any reliable handbook* that could help me understand what is actually happening during a roast.

Colour me arrogant but I've decided to try to fill the gap. I've been posting some short guides to various topics (eg shooting down the concept of "heat momentum") on Coffee Snobs, my idea is to gather them all into a coherent whole that explains what we know (and more importantly, acknowledges what we don't) on the subject.

Since I know nothing about publishing, I don't know what I'm going to do with it once it is finished: maybe an e-Book to save on the cost of publishing a physical book, though I like the idea of something you could have on the shelf next to the roaster and refer to as needed.

Anyone who has any ideas on how I might make this work, please chime in.

Tentative title: The Coffee Roaster's Vade Mecum. I have a copy of this somewhere in my electronics library, but on the other hand if I were to try to sell it something referencing my background as a winemaker might help given the ridiculous regard in which that trade is held in English speaking countries.






* Yes I've read both Hoos and Rao. No, neither come close, though Rao is at least interested in expanding the conversation.

[WFSTEKL]

I would start here first.

Oops, I just read the last sentence of your post.

Carry on.

[j44ke]

Timothy Hill at Counter Culture has published a book on Ethiopian coffee he wrote with Getu Bekele that is pretty technical. I don't know if it is self-published. I had a coffee but showed it to a friend who is coffee obsessed and he bought it from me. It isn't really easy reading. Pretty esoteric info. But no one else has compiled what's in it so the book is mostly sold out. Counter Culture might be a good resource.

https://ecre.coffee/products/a-refer...nd-getu-bekele

[Chik]

Mark, I'll send you an email. If you don't hear from me by Monday, ping me an email to remind me.

[Too Tall]

Consider substack? Get paid with subscription to your knowledge rather than chase book sales.

[Mark Kelly]

Consider substack? Get paid with subscription to your knowledge rather than chase book sales.

I hadn't considered that, simply because I had no idea it existed. On the face of it, looks good.

[Mark Kelly]

Timothy Hill at Counter Culture has published a book on Ethiopian coffee he wrote with Getu Bekele that is pretty technical. I don't know if it is self-published. I had a coffee but showed it to a friend who is coffee obsessed and he bought it from me. It isn't really easy reading. Pretty esoteric info. But no one else has compiled what's in it so the book is mostly sold out. Counter Culture might be a good resource.

https://ecre.coffee/products/a-refer...nd-getu-bekele

I'll have to chase that down. Of my last 300 odd roasts, I'd guess 280 of them were Ethiopian coffees, mostly described by the vendors as "heirloom" varieties.