what is hand-roasted coffee?

The best coffee is prepared with intention.

This is something I learned while working as a barista at a chaotic coffee shop in southern California. The coffee that tasted the best, whether it was an espresso, a latte, a cold brew, cappuccino, or flat white, was when we slowed down.

Coffee beans grow all over the world in what is known as the coffee belt. It lies between the Tropic of Cancer and The Tropic of Capricorn, across numerous countries and elevations. Coffee connoisseurs around the world argue over where the best coffee is grown, because of air quality, weather, soil, elevation, vegetation— but for me, great coffee comes from the heart.

A coffee’s flavor is effected by all points above, but it is the roasting of the bean that brings that flavor to your pallet.

As coffee companies grow, they roast more beans. And the easiest way to grow is to roast more beans per batch— in bulk.

But at Fithian Folk, I like to do things a little differently.

When I decided to roast coffee, I knew I had to find a roaster that would focus my values of connection, slow living, and intention behind each micro-batch. It was only after I came across this hand-cranked one-pound roaster that I understood what I wanted to do.

Hand-roasting coffee is the ultimate application of slow-living. The beans are not slow-roasted (actually on the contrary) but I am a part of the process of roasting in ways that modern roasters do not practice.

The roaster is hand-cranked over an open flame for the appropriate amount of time. But the speed at which I turn the drum affects the flavor. The time at which the beans are roasting, affects the finish. And the heat at which the beans are roasted changes everything.

I have created a ritual out of roasting. After I swing open the barn doors, I prepare the roaster, the beans, and all the accessories. I use an analogue mail scale to dial in each batch before dropping these beans in the drum.

When roasting coffee, there are two moments of critical understanding, and these are what is known as the “cracks.”

Everybody says it sounds like popping popcorn, which is true. But when I am roasting, I feel it in my bones.

This is because I have learned to be so in tune with the beans that this moment has become predictable. I always have a timer going, for insurance, but this no longer feels necessary. I have developed a relationship with the coffee beans I never thought possible.

Coffee is about connection. Before roasting, I always felt connected to each cup I enjoyed. But now, that idea has new meaning. I am connected to you through these beans, and you are connected to me. We are connected together through coffee.

And I am honored to share that connection with you.

meet brian

An alchemist, writer, and tattooist, Brian moved to rural Illinois in 2024 in search of a slower life. After spending ten years working in the Los Angeles film industry, and a year soul searching in the Mojave desert, he and his wife Sunny started Fithian Folk to recalibrate with nature and inspire others to do the same.