Derryl
New member
How can you tell if green coffee beans are fresh or have been stored in a warehouse for a year or more?
Fresh Green Beans
- Thread starter Derryl
- Start date
CafeBlue
New member
Generally:
>the color fades - the green dulls to yellow/beige
>the residual moisture evaporates
>the cup quality dissipates
>the green may absorb taints - such as baggy
Sample some old coffee and compare it to current crop (of the same source, same preparation).
>the color fades - the green dulls to yellow/beige
>the residual moisture evaporates
>the cup quality dissipates
>the green may absorb taints - such as baggy
Sample some old coffee and compare it to current crop (of the same source, same preparation).
ElPugDiablo
New member
Trust but verify. You should always request green samples for approval. And most of the reputable bean suppliers, when asked, will let you know if beans you are interested are current or past crop. But you need to cup them and decide if you like the coffee. Freshness by itself does not indicate quality; one of the espresso used in this year's US Barista Championship is a single estate past crop El Salvadorian.
coffeenote
New member
Both good answers
Also you can check on the harvest season for each country, for example most Central American coffee earliest harvest might be Oct/Nov but better coffees from higher altitude may not be harvested until the new year. By the time it gets to you, could be say March or April or a few months later.
You can be sure if you have a high altitude central coffee in say December it is almost certainly from the previous year. This is not to say it isn't good, and much depends on storage conditions, but the coffee may have had more snap 6 months earlier.
Also you can check on the harvest season for each country, for example most Central American coffee earliest harvest might be Oct/Nov but better coffees from higher altitude may not be harvested until the new year. By the time it gets to you, could be say March or April or a few months later.
You can be sure if you have a high altitude central coffee in say December it is almost certainly from the previous year. This is not to say it isn't good, and much depends on storage conditions, but the coffee may have had more snap 6 months earlier.
