Coffee roasting using a fluidized bed

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The application of the fluidized bed process to the design of coffee roasters began in the late 20th century. The fluidized bed process represents an elegantly simple and controllable way to apply heat to coffee beans during the roasting process. It accomplishes the roasting heat transfer to the coffee beans by levitating them on a cushion of heated air directed vertically from under the coffee bean mass.

Both rotating fluidized bed and spouting fluidized bed techniques are used for roasting coffee. A spouting fluidized bed is generally used for smaller coffee roasting applications, 10Kgs and below while the Rotating Fluidized Bed is more heavily represented in larger coffee roasting applications up to 5,000 kg per hour. The application of heat to the coffee beans occurs concurrently with the stirring of the coffee bean mass by the vertically directed fluidizing airflow.

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[edit] The inventor

Michael Sivetz was first assigned US Patent 3,964,175 in June 22, 1976 for a Coffee roasting system utilizing the fluidized bed process. Michael Sivetz began his professional career as a Chemical Engineer applying his skills to the engineering and construction of coffee roasting and processing plants. He has authored many books about all things coffee. Many of his books are considered to be comprehensive in scope and of great authority by his industry peers.

[edit] Abstract of Patent 3,964,175 for a Fluidized Bed Coffee roasting system

A coffee bean roasting system is disclosed wherein coffee beans in a box-like chamber are levitated as a dense, uniformly recirculating mass by an upwardly directed airstream. The air is heated to a temperature not in excess of 530 °F, and the heat is transferred to the beans primarily by convection and secondarily by conduction from bean to bean. Heat transfer continues until after a thermally induced pyrolitic reaction has occurred within the bean mass and the desired roast has resulted whereupon the roasted beans are cooled. The system may employ batch type or continuous roast apparatus.

[edit] Neuhaus Neotec

Over the years other organizations have implemented coffee roasting systems using this process. The largest coffee processing equipment company to use this technology is Neuhaus Neotec of Hamburg, Germany.

Systems by Neuhaus Neotec have been installed around the world. Some installations are capable of processing as much as 5,000 kg of green coffee per hour.

The efficiency of this system is enhanced by the use of two fluidizing chambers, #1 above for roasting the coffee beans and chamber #2 for cooling the coffee beans. This allows separate simultaneous roasting and cooling operations.

This system is controlled by a computer that is capable of managing the roasting process concurrent with controlling transport of green coffee, roasted coffee and adjusting their respective inventories.

[edit] The Coffee Roaster Pty. Limited

A boutique coffee roaster in Sydney Australia has implemented a smaller relatively sophisticated system. The Chinook Air Flow Coffee Roaster developed by The Coffee Roaster Pty. Limited is a 25 kilogram capacity roaster with adjustable batch times of 6 to 15 minutes yielding an hourly throughput from 100 Kgs to 250 Kgs.

All processes are controlled by computer as per the roasting profile selected from the computer database. This allows the Roasting manager to reproduce the desired taste profile with accuracy

The precipitous fall of the inlet air temperature signals the beginning of the initial cooling process. Finally, at a coffee bean temperature of 180°C the coffee beans are discharged into the cooling tray and will cool to ambient temperature in three minutes while the next batch is roasting.

[edit] External links

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