Do beans need to DEGAS??

[jdandtracy]

I have heard that freshly roasted beans should be stored in a breathable bag, or in an open container to allow them to degas and fully develop flavor for 48 hours. I've also heard that they should be frozen until use.

Which do you recommend, and if you allow them to degas, how do you store them??

Thanks,
JD Anderson

 

[Alun_evans]

Coffee does need to degas after roasting. Most small-medium sized specialty roasters pack directly into bags with a external or internal one-way valve. If there is no packing like this avaibale, the only other way is to let the beans sit in food safe containers for about 24 hours. The second way is surely a no-no for anyone serious about coffee- however I do know that in Indonesia perhaps 70% of roasted coffee is indeed dealt with in this manner- mainly cheaper robusta and some exchange grade arabica.

Regarding freezing- I was taught that this is strictly a no. You could perhaps compare freshly roasted beans to a premium olive oil. If olive oil is stored in a refrigerator or frozen, the oil is damaged and will never be the same even if fully thawed out. I think buy less, buy more often and then freezing will not be necesary

 

[scottlindner]

What do you feel is the best approach for a home roaster to degas a fresh roast? What about storage after it has degassed?

I'm a newbie to home roasting and don't see myself running out to buy a bunch of bags with special valves in them. I've been using a Pyrex food container and setting the lid on top without sealing it. I don't know if it's a problem that there is more air inside than necessary.

 

[Jacobean]

There really is no way around incurring some kind of expense. I personally re-use my gold foil bags w/ one way valve just to stretch my dollar. It works well until 1) they develop holes from opening/reopening or 2) are coated with bean oil from darker roasts.

I toss the one's with holes, ignore or try to rinse/wash the oily ones (nothing worse than imparting stale oil on your newly roasted batch!).

 

[scottlindner]

There really is no way around incurring some kind of expense. I personally re-use my gold foil bags w/ one way valve just to stretch my dollar. It works well until 1) they develop holes from opening/reopening or 2) are coated with bean oil from darker roasts.

I toss the one's with holes, ignore or try to rinse/wash the oily ones (nothing worse than imparting stale oil on your newly roasted batch!).

I didn't think I was making expense the issue. Are special bags with one way valves the only approach for degassing? What other reasonable methods exist? I don't even understand the requirements to properly degass freshly roasted coffee.

 

[Jacobean]

This is more of a freshness-viewpoint than a degassing thing...

My understanding is based simply upon experience. Even WITH the valve bags my freshly roasted coffee only stays fresh and good tasting no longer than 6 or so days. At that point I might as well be drinking Folgers.

Occassionally I have failed to properly close my valve bag and presto - within a day or two I've got - you guessed it - Folgers!

What the release of "gasses" have to do with anything - someone else will have to explain that. You might find the answer buried somewhere on the sweetmarias.com site. I just trust that it's a good thing that helps develop the flavor profile. Hey, they're going to excape one way or the other!

 

[Davec]

Valve bags

Just a little tip for a cheap but extremely effective heat sealer for those valve bags. It's what I use when I seal mine.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/coffeetime/_sgt/m2m1_1.htm

You probably can't get the brand in the US, but just look out for ceramic plates and 200c temp.

 

[scottlindner]

Re: Valve bags

Just a little tip for a cheap but extremely effective heat sealer for those valve bags. It's what I use when I seal mine.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/coffeetime/_sgt/m2m1_1.htm

You probably can't get the brand in the US, but just look out for ceramic plates and 200c temp.

Heh... my wife has one of those. I think she might get a pinch upset if I use it for sealing bags.

 

[Coffee Guy]

Yes, degassing is necessary after roasting. Especially if you are roasting blended coffees. This allows the beans to cool down in addition to letting them settle. I don't know anything about home roasting, since I roast commercially. But I generally let our coffee degass for about 3 hours before I bag it. Keep in mind the beans have cooled down quite a bit within that 3 hour period and their is still some gas left, but that is the purpose for the one way valve. This allows you to squeeze any access gas from the bags. I degass for 3 hours mainly because it provides my customers with that freshly packed taste.

 

[topher]

why do you wait to bag it when bags have a valve?

 

[Coffee Guy]

Mainly because the beans are still warm. Sometimes if you bag while they are still warm they will sometimes burst open if you have a bad valve. I have learned this from experience in shipping to out of state customers.

 

[Davec]

Degassing

Coffee releases carbon dioxide Gas for up to 5 days after roasting. It's a good thing to pack the coffee in anything with a 1 way valve if possible, allowing the CO2 gas to displace the Oxygen and thus helping act as a natural preservative.

As an Idea, take an ordinary plastic resealable food container, drill a hole in the lid about 5mm or so. Cut the valve from one of your cheap used coffee bean oneway valve bags. Fix it to the lid over the hole (use a glue ti create a bond and make it airtight). You now have a cheap and washable (be careful with the lid!, just wipe it you don't want water on the valve) resuable 1 way valve container.

DaveC

 

[topher]

Hey coffee guy...how long are you cooling your coffee in the cooling bin? Our coffee is cooled before it leaves the cooling bin...just wondering.

 

[ElPugDiablo]

coffee guy, you have use an ir-12 or 24? I have an ir-12, my routine after dumping is 2 minutes in cooling bin with agitator on, then I turn agitator off, and spread them out for another 2 minutes. All with air flow to the bin. After 4 minutes they are about room temperature (70 degrees?), and I bag them immediately. Most of my roasts are in the 10 to 15 pounds per batch range.

 

[topher]

ElPugDiablo why do you turn the agitator off? I run mine the whole time is is cooling. The beans are not broken apart either...I have seen that at other roasterys..when they cool the coffee the beans get butchered. It was caused by dents or indentions in the cooling bin..