Grounds go bitter the day after opening

[ktest]

Hey all, I hope someone can help me with my coffee problem. Every time I buy new coffee, it's gone stale (lost it's nice scent) by the next day and developed a slightly bitter scent that indicates a bitter cup. I usually buy ground original Dunkin' in a valve bag but have tried other brands with the same result. I usually keep my scoop (plastic) in the bag but have tried not leaving it in the bag at all. I've tried both the fridge and the cabinet, in a larger zip bag or just sealed tightly in its own. The cabinet is rarely in direct sunlight (2 hours a day or so), isn't over the stove / fridge / anything that produces heat, and also houses things like noodles and peanut butter. What could the problem possibly be?
Thanks in advance. I'm tired of bitter coffee.

 

[janry]

It is probably stale when you buy it and all you are experiencing is the aroma trapped in the sealed bag the first day. Try some locally roasted coffee roasted within the last few days. For instance, this morning I bought some coffee roasted on Thursday. Get a quality grinder and grind the beans just before brewing. Beans lose so much flavor within minutes of grinding.

 

[ktest]

Janry,
I should have mentioned I buy from different locations (one of which is an actual Dunkin' donuts), and that one of the "other brands" I've used is fresh roasted from the local farmer's market -- in that instance, the beans themselves went bitter, though it took almost a week.

 

[peterjschmidt]

Janry,
I should have mentioned I buy from different locations (one of which is an actual Dunkin' donuts), and that one of the "other brands" I've used is fresh roasted from the local farmer's market -- in that instance, the beans themselves went bitter, though it took almost a week.

You just answered your own question; If DD goes stale in a day, it is as janry said, already stale when you bought it and what you perceived as freshness was simply the stored up aroma in a sealed bag, whereas the fresher coffee from the farmers' market took a week.

It can almost be guaranteed that the DD coffee was over a week old when you got it.

The fact that you are buying ground coffee seals the deal; you are not going to be enjoying fresh coffee. Have you considered investing in a grinder? The fact that you did some research online to find this forum tells me that you care about what is in your cup; get a grinder, you'll be glad you did. Exposure to oxygen is the main culprit when it comes to stale coffee, and grinding beans multiplies that exposure hundreds of times over.

 

[janry]

Is the coffee you are buying from the farmer's market also ground? There is a "general" rule I've heard around coffee circles called the rule of 15's. Basically it says green beans (unroasted) are good for 15 months; roasted beans are good for 15 days; and ground beans are good for 15 minutes.

There are exceptions and some think they can make roasted beans last longer but I can tell a big difference in my roasted beans the first time I brew with them and when I finish a bag, generally over a week later. They aren't stale a week later but I can definitely tell a difference.

I also agree so much with what Peter said about the grinder. I had a grinder that cost about $50 and then I stepped up to a much better grinder that sells new for about $200. Such a difference in those two grinders! I really couldn't believe it but I heard coffee knowledgeable peoples say so often that the grinder is the most important piece of equipment you can buy. I learned my lesson and can't wait to even step up to an even better one.

And the smell of freshly ground and freshly roasted beans has to be what it smells like in heaven.

 

[John P]

People who sell you ground coffee don't care about you, nor do they care about the coffee. And why would you buy something from somebody who doesn't care?

Invest in a proper burr grinder, and buy whole bean only. Grind just prior to brewing.

Like any hobby or endeavor, if you don't have the proper tools, the results will be disappointing.

 

[BlueMoods]

If possible, learn to roast your own. If you can't do that, at least get a grinder and buy whole bean coffee form a source you investigate to be sure you get it the day of roasting or at most the day after. Keep roasted beans in a cool, dry place (not the freezer or refrigerator (though some do advocate the freezer) I keep mine in one of those flip top old fashioned Mason jars, still in the bad and with a silica packet in the jar, outside the bag. (I live in a humid area) It's fine there for 10-14 days. I would never have more than 2 weeks worth roasted at once.

DD coffee (or any mass produced brand) is roasted on mass, ground at the factory, packaged and placed in a wharehouse until a semi can come get several pallets of the stuff, then, taken to a distribution center, often 1000 miles or more from the factory. There it waits for another truck to take it to the store, then sits in the back room until it's placed on the shelf and, there for another few days to a week before you buy it. It's only fresh when you open it because the scent was trapped when it was packaged. Place some in a open container, go check it in 30 minutes. That should be enough to cure you of pre ground coffee.