Storing roasted beans in coffe shop

[eldub]

Just curious to know how you folks keep roasted beans in your coffee shops between the time they are roasted and ground. If we decide to offer coffee by the cup in our roasting shop, we would have have a number of single origin beans we'd like to have ready for anyone bellying up to the coffee bar for a cup of their favorite pour-over. But I'm having a tough time getting my mind around the idea of keeping beans fresh as well as having them ready to rumble. My guess is that volume sold ultimately comes into play, but I'm new at this end of the bidness.

I've seen glass jars used for a nice presentation but wonder if that causes them to degrade faster than other means of storage.

Any ideas/suggestions?

scott

 

[dstrand]

I would suggest that you invest in a heat-sealer, and pop your beans into a foil valve-bag as soon as possible. Really, that's the best way to keep them fresh.

We used to use glass jars in our shop in L.A. An earthquake showed us the error of our ways. Besides, really, it's the aroma that draws customers. Also, if the beans are already bagged (and kept by the register) then you have a better chance that people will by them on an impulse. If you're concerned about freshness, then stamp the roast date on them, and decide how long you'll allow them to stay on the shelf. Once they approach that date, cut them open and brew the coffee in your shop, or sell them at a discount (like day-old bread), or donate them to your church or local shelter.

As time goes by, you'll be able to gauge how much you need to roast.

Regards,

Dave S.

 

[eldub]

Dave: I've been thinking about donating beans to nursing homes. Shelters also would be a good idea, imo.

The problem I have with foil valve-bags is they don't really seem very eco-friendly. We want to use Kraft paper bags. The ones with pla lining are biodegradable. I think they do make these bags in sealable models, but they don't have as good of freshness protection as the foil, I'm guessing.

Thanks for the input.

scott