Green Coffee Buying Club
Coffee Discussion boards => Hardware & Equipment => Topic started by: Silentdoom on January 01, 2018, 09:46:52 AM
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I was using ziplock bags before. I started using coffee bags I got from SM and never used. I was dumping one out and could see holes in the bottom. Obviously, threw that bag away and will only use the rest to give friends their coffee ie one use.
So now I’m back to figuring out my next step bc I was being lazy about it.
Should I get airscapes or any other suggestions. I was worried the plastic with ziplocks would either ruin my coffee or add bad chemicals to it. Might be overthinking that too much. I definitely liked not worry about previous coffee smells going into the next batch like when I was reusing coffee bags.
And Happy New Year everyone.
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I primarily store coffee in some valve bags I grabbed on amazon. Sometimes I'll use those little vacuum-seal canisters, though after a few batches the container picks up a noticeable "generic stale coffee" smell that I can't imagine is doing any favors to the beans inside..
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Mason jars with the lids on loosely for me. CO2 escapes, but air doesn't get in. Dishwasher clean up when/if there is oil build up.
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I use quart-size freezer ziplocks. If the main enemy of coffee freshness is oxygen, then I want a container that will let most of the air to be pushed out. The reason I don't use the vacuum canisters is I don't want another appliance in my kitchen, and I'd need 15 of the canisters (I don't roast for myself, but always do extra of customers' roasts for QC; and my have several sample roasts at any given time).
So I have a collection of the ziplocks labeled according to the coffee origin, with multiples of many origins. These have been in use for many years. Some purist roasting friends like to tease me about the age of the bags. I have never noticed any off-flavors of the bag affecting the flavor of the coffee; in my mind flavors and gasses are escaping the bean making it difficult to take on off-flavors.
Part of my equation is that beans rarely go beyond FC+ so that are no oils on the beans to get on the bags.
Valved foil pouches can be washed out if you want.
All of this over-thinking can be dismissed by simply drinking our coffee in a reasonable amount of time.
:-)
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Today’s roasting day since it’s the only day off work, so I usually roast 2 batches through the Hottop. I barely give the coffee a rest :P
I’m going to do three today bc I have a new espresso machine coming next week and people seem to like to rest beans for espresso for longer. Meaning, I’m thinking about storage more now.
I saw a lot of people using mason jars so maybe I’ll go that route. Just seems like I would have too much headspace that I couldn’t push out. I’ll probably throw them into ziplocks today bc I have them on hand, but I wanted to see if anyone acts like they’re the devil.
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And I like the thinking that gases are being released not taken in so much. I don’t go past fc much either so surface oil aren’t much of a problem like you said
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You can get oils before hitting second crack. But on that, ziplock bags work fine. So do mason jars, or those twist on lid tupperware plastic containers etc. Id not worry about the chemicals in the plastic getting into your beans too much. If it bothers you so much, then wrap them in aluminum foil, then you can get Alzheimers and not remember what you were worried about :) problem solved!
I typically use plastic bags, cheap and can shove into a corner or wherever if space gets tight, unlike a jar where it's form solid shape.
Aaron
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Tight space when it comes to coffee beans? Say it is not so .... unless you are talking about green bean stash control where my coffee drawer soon became a coffee bean closet once I found GCBC. ::)
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Also Silentdoom, the excessive head room in mason jars hasn't been an issue as the beans seem to off gas CO2 for a week or two by which time the beans are gone. I guess if you are like Aaron who seemingly keeps beans on his counter for months, the results might be different. ;)
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Lol I had the feeling that co2 would help protect against it. Make sense, since it’s heavier, right?
Done for today. Now time to brew a yirgacheffe to warm up from the 6° weather.
(http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q404/Silentdoom6/B4132C4C-6AF6-4A51-8300-4C15A8386071_zpszyi61hnr.jpeg)
Those improper fractions might hurt some of you and I’m thinking I’m going to see some oils on that one marked espro :D
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6 degrees? Brrrr. Celsius I hope! ;D
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I try not to keep coffee for months. Sometimes I will when I am sampling, keep it for weeks and weeks, yes we generally don't want to do this, but I can guarantee you that more people here actually do that than care to admit it. I also like to be able to tell folks, yes, this bean WILL maintain a decent flavor after 4 weeks, because sometimes I know it does happen.
As far as space, yep, when the drawer gets full, all those spaces between the jars, if they were bags, you could squeeze another origin or two in there :)
Aaron
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+1 on the mason jars, lid loose to allow CO2 to offgas.
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I use mason jar's with a modified lid with one way valve. Simply drill a hole in the lid big enough for a one way valve and glue it in.. they work great.
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Why does the CO2 have to be let out?
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I was taught that the build up of CO2 pressure in a solid container slows the release of subsequent C02 thus altering the off gassing process. Whether this alters taste or just slows the maturation process is beyond my knowledge. I just let the gas escape through a loose lid and not worry about it.
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Why does the CO2 have to be let out?
I think so you can smell it. Actually I think it's more of a situation for store bags and shipping. I think in an airtight bag they kinda poof up then occupy more space or if shipping it could explode at high altitudes. I use craft non airtight bags and it's never a situation, but I don't believe the whole c02 makes the coffee taste bad stuff
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the CO2 does not have to necessarily be let out, but more like, so no pressure builds up. If you are storing in mason jars, pressurizing them can cause the to crack / break. I don't think you'd ever get enough to pop a plastic bag, I have yet to see it from off gassing. The CO2 actually I think would slow down the aging process a bit because the oxygen is not on the beans oxidizing them. Same reason we pack them in vac bags etc, to keep the oxygen off them.
If you are shipping, leave a pinhole in the plastic bag, because a bag filling up like a pillow, first time the postal monkeys drop the box or slap something heavy on top of it, that bag is going to pop and you have beans busted all over in the box now, if they rip the box, now you lose your product.
Aaron
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I agree with Aaron that the CO2 actually protects the beans from oxidation and Joe's puffy bag scenario makes a lot of sense. As a side note, I froze some fresh roasted beans just before leaving for Christmas. I pulled them out two days ago, and they are off gassing like I roasted them yesterday. I expected some off gassing, but this is a lot! :o
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Purple mason jars with lids loose for first 24 hrs or so then on tight ...I have never been able to tell any difference between having a valve or not. Could be because the delicious coffee I get from the GCBC distros doesn't last long enough LOL!
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Purple mason jars with lids loose for first 24 hrs or so then on tight ...I have never been able to tell any difference between having a valve or not. Could be because the delicious coffee I get from the GCBC distros doesn't last long enough LOL!
How true, although I'm sure purple jars impart a blueberry or blackberry flavor... ;D