emergency roast bean storage

by **postsoup** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:15 pm

My usual procedure is to roast beans every other day, but I travel pretty often and like to take beans with me. My travel kit consists of my favoured roasted beans, an Alessi Electric 9090 Espresso and a mini grinder. Before I go I have a foodsaver vacuum packer which I use to package mini 50g bags of roasted beans - but how long do they really retain their best in such vacuumed bags? I have a longer than usual trip on the horizon and wondered what the general thoughts were.
cheers
Joe

by **jumper** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:25 pm

a week and then its over for me they still taste better than you get most places but i wouldn't drink week old coffee at home

by **Guest** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:54 pm

Yes...I guess it's a case of them being better at least than the local offerings...
I was really hoping the vacuum packing would keep them good for an extended time...like...2 weeks :-)

...I haven't tried them for this long before. I guess the plastic bags the machine vacuums them in isn't ideal for the beans welfare either?

by **Beanie** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:01 am

I would say it depends on which beans and how dark they've been roasted. Some of my coffees "peak" between days 7-10. Could be coinkidink but my darker don't seems to last as long as my lighter roasted beans.

Where are you off to? Maybe someone here knows where you can find a good/great cup while you're there?

by **ivdp** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:36 pm

Anonymous wrote:Yes...I guess it's a case of them being better at least than the local offerings...
I was really hoping the vacuum packing would keep them good for an extended time...like...2 weeks ...I haven't tried them for this long before. I guess the plastic bags the machine vacuums them in isn't ideal for the beans welfare either?

To suck out aromatics from coffee beans (or wine) the best method is using vacumation . . .

Ivo

by **Raf** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:59 pm

ivdp wrote:To suck out aromatics from coffee beans (or wine) the best method is using vacumation . . .

Beats drinking vinegar.

by **Gouezeri** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:11 pm

and oxidisation?

by **Guest** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:11 pm

so... the vacuum machine gets a thumbs down ? any alternatives?

by **Gouezeri** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 2:49 pm

joe,
the simplest most effective solution is to roast fresh and then bag the beans in some one way valve bags as quickly as possible and remove as much of the air as you can. Re-seal the bags after each use and again try and remove as much air as possible. In all likelihood, for a few weeks, this will still result in your beans being fresher than any you are likely to be able to buy. If you need some bags, try either hasbean or anothercoffee in the UK. The important thing is to reduce air contact as much as possible.
Most people here probably use their beans within 10 days or so of them being roasted, but we're talking about ideal situations here. I suppose the other thing you could try is to roast on site using one of the more "hands on" approaches documented on TMC (ovens and frying pans spring to mind). If we're talking about longer periods of time, then I would probably just order them pre-roasted via the net from somewhere like hasbean. To be frank you're unlikely to get better quality than that anyway, even if you roast them yourself, though of course it is not as much fun! ;-)

D

by **Guest** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:34 pm

thanks for that...i'll check out those bags. Long periods of travelling always brings up it's problems for me on the coffee front...I have had to abstain completely on some trips due to the lack of a decent coffee source, or the time to find one - but the headaches do become a bit of a problem. I probably drink far too much coffee! I hadn't thought about roasting 'on-site', it's certainly a thought if I get desperate.
How often do you roast Dom? At home ge get through an iroast hopper every...well...day and a half really!!! and keep the beans is an vacuumed container.

by **Gouezeri** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:44 pm

Yesterday being a bit of an exception (4 roasts back to back... could have sworn the I-R manual said not to do that ;-)

), I tend to roast only once to twice a week (so about 300g every 10 days)... mainly because it is only me drinking it (there's a thread on this in the clubroom) and then I'm only drinking espresso and the odd cappu. I keep roasted beans in the valve bags I recommended.
If you can't get the one way valve bags (good after roasting), head down your supermarket and get some ziploc sandwich bags, which are also handy and cheaper.
D

by **Guest** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:48 pm

Oh yes, I know those ziplocs...do beans mind plastic on the whole...does it alter the flavour etc?

by **Gouezeri** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:53 pm

I would have thought you're ok if it is food grade. But maybe the pros can speak up...
D

by **Jo2** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:40 pm

I guess it's a case of them being better at least than the local offerings...

Depends where that is i guess...
But if your alternative is the supermarket... Yes... Sure beats that...

by **Guest** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:23 pm

Munich and Aberdeen....not easy to find my knid of coffee....

emergency roast bean storage

emergency roast bean storage

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