Rhythm of the bean

 Roasting coffee makes me feel accomplished. Not only do I save a lot of money roasting my own, but I also get to control my roast, as well as experience incredibly fresh beans. The process fulfills all sensations and it is a great way to spend half an hour outside..

Start with dry green beans. I order mine from Sweet Maria. This batch is Ethiopian Yerga Jeffe. I chose the wok method, although I have used a cast iron skillet with great results. I was roasting with a hot air popcorn popper, but it stopped working and they are too expensive on ebay right now. I like the wok :)

 Over medium flame, stirring constantly, or with a lid on shake the pan. After about 5 minutes the beans will begin to change color. There is quite a bit of smoke involved, so this is all best done outdoors, or with very good ventilation inside.

 Almost to the first crack. You can see they are nearing the shade of my moccasins. They are beginning to lose their chaff, and the smell is nutty. Home roasting generally doesn't produce even colored beans, but they are delicious anyway!

A couple minutes into first crack and tossed to the collander to cool. Looks like I have some delicious coffee to look forward to in the morning.

For more information on roasting your own coffee at home, I have found these sites helpful:
Sweet Maria
Cafe Grendel
Coffee Geek Forum