The Engineering of Flavor: Understanding Heat, Energy & the Universe Inside Your Roast

October 18, 2026
Room 203A
Roasting & Green Coffee

Behind every great roast is a world of chemical engineering - energy transfer, heat flow, entropy, molecular shifts, and the controlled chaos that transforms a coffee seed into a sensory experience.

In this seminar, we’ll demystify the thermodynamics of roasting in a clear, approachable way. We’ll explore how energy moves through the bean, how heat transforms sugars and acids, and how time, temperature, and rate of rise shape flavor development. From there, we’ll zoom out to examine how systems thinking, quantum mechanics, and even cosmology offer new ways to understand transformation, complexity, and the interconnectedness of coffee from origin to cup. This session presents science as accessible, inspiring, and immediately applicable to your roasting practice.

This is a free session included with your general admission.

Speakers
Shanita Nicholas
Shanita Nicholas, Founder and CEO - Quantum Seeds

Free with Gold Pass?

YES

Fee

FREE

Levels

Suitable for All Experience Levels

Who is this session for?

Suitable for all experience levels, especially roasters and coffee professionals. Ideal for those looking to deepen their understanding of heat, energy, and flavor development, and apply science to improve roasting and consistency.