Author Topic: Storing Coffee  (Read 1228 times)

Ben

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Storing Coffee
« on: November 13, 2018, 01:39:04 PM »
How do you coffee aficionados store your coffee*?

I've been hooked on the Black Rifle, but don't like to pay full price, so I usually order from them (whole beans) when they have a 20% off sale, but then I end up with like three months worth of coffee. I've read the pluses and minuses on freezing and have, for myself, come to the conclusion that it's fine to freeze whole bean unopened airtight bags. Once you take them out of the freezer though, they stay out and get used up. Or if you have a Costco sized bag, the "experts" say it's fine to open it and distribute the beans into smaller vacuum sealed bags and immediately stick those in the freezer. Freezing ground coffee, and freezing and refreezing beans seems to be what to avoid.

Once my beans are out, they go into one of those coffee storage cans that I got from Black Rifle that has the plunger lid to remove air. It usually takes me 7-10 days to go through a 12oz bag that's been dumped in the can.

I also, once a week or so, make cowboy coffee just for fun. Since it involves boiling the coffee, I usually just use Folgers or whatever and don't worry about storage other than room temp, opaque, and airtight.

Just curious if anyone else "overbuys" and how you store your stuff.


*Not counting Millcreek, who roasts his own and would scoff at coffee storers.  =D
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charby

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2018, 03:54:01 PM »
I keep mine in a nalgene bottle on top of the fridge.
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MillCreek

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2018, 04:01:48 PM »
Actually, since I roast every two weeks, I do store my coffee.  I put it into a quart-size wire clamp jar and store it in the garage freezer at zero degrees.  I pull a jar out every morning, measure the whole beans into the grinder and then seal and return the jar to the freezer.  It is out of the freezer for maybe two minutes.  The beans are still cold when the hot water hit them to start the brewing process.

Storing the whole beans in the airtight frozen dark keeps them fresh up until the time they are used up.  I agree with storing whole beans in the freezer, preferably in an airtight container.  Years ago, when I was feeling like using my chemistry degree methodology, I did some experiments looking at storage at room temp, fridge and freezer; ground vs. whole bean; stored under vacuum or under atmosphere; and airtight vs. non-airtight storage.  I got the best taste results with whole bean storage at zero degrees in an airtight container.  The coffee staled most rapidly when ground and stored at room temperature in a non-airtight container.

For long-term storage, I store whole beans under vacuum at zero degrees in an airtight valve seal bag.  It was not worth the trouble and I detected no taste difference to pull vacuum again once I had opened up the vacuum bag.  Freshly-roasted beans do outgas for the first few days after roasting, so you want to make sure they are in a strong airtight container or have an exhaust valve.  My clamp jars 'pop' the first few times they are opened after being filled with freshly-roasted beans.
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Quote from: Angel Eyes on August 09, 2018, 01:56:15 AM
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dogmush

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2018, 04:04:55 PM »
First off:

Black Rifle Coffee Club  My three bag/month habit is $11.66/bag delivered.  Not sure what that works out to as a discount vs. ~$14/bag with their standard shipping, but it's cheaper.

For storage, I just use a sealed plastic container.  If it starts to go stale, drink more coffee.  Honestly, 7 days in that airtight can you have from BRCC is fine.  I wouldn't bother getting any fancier.

Do the coffee club though.  It's awesome.

Ben

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2018, 04:39:44 PM »
It is out of the freezer for maybe two minutes.  The beans are still cold when the hot water hit them to start the brewing process.

Yeah, I should have been clearer and said freeze, thaw, refreeze is bad, not short stints out of the freezer to get the goods. I knew you would have done a thorough analysis on the subject. :)

Dogmush - yeah, the club is the plan. I'm waiting till after I move since I have an overabundance right now, plus I've already got too many address changes to make.  :laugh:  Though I'm mad at them right now. I just tried Combat Fuel for the first time on my last order, and it became my favorite coffee. Of course now it's not in the store anymore. Grrr.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2018, 05:00:11 PM »
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Ben

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2018, 05:02:21 PM »
[img width=700]https://img0.etsystatic.com/036/0/8606369/il_570xN.636645862_t7cd.jpg

Philistine.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2018, 05:04:22 PM »
Philistine.

I think right now there's some store-brand grounds in there.  :-*

I don't have the tea canister, but that is the exact coffee canister that's in our kitchen right now. Wifey saw it somewhere, and our kitchen is pink, white, and green, so...
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French G.

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2018, 05:56:40 PM »
How long does a can of sealed ground coffee make it? I am going to keep to myself at the end of the world, until I run out of coffee. Then all bets are off.
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dogmush

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2018, 06:14:51 PM »
How long does a can of sealed ground coffee make it? I am going to keep to myself at the end of the world, until I run out of coffee. Then all bets are off.

Choke yourself.

Ben

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2018, 06:22:47 PM »
How long does a can of sealed ground coffee make it? I am going to keep to myself at the end of the world, until I run out of coffee. Then all bets are off.

Sounds like if you switch to instant, you can stay alive for up to 20 years without refrigeration.  =D

http://www.eatbydate.com/drinks/coffee-tea-shelf-life/coffee-shelf-life-expiration-date/

Optimal taste and "drinkable" are two different criteria. Do they still make coffee in tin cans that you need a can opener for? When I was a kid, I remember my mom always buying the Yuban that way. I suspect the sealed metal can (vs a metal can with a foil top glued on) would provide the greatest longevity of any packaging method, given you didn't have a freezer available. Or else get a greenhouse and grow your beans.  =D
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charby

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2018, 06:54:53 PM »
We are probably one or two plant diseases away from coffee becoming an endangered species. I wonder what folks would do if all of a sudden the world's coffee supply disappeared?

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Perd Hapley

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2018, 08:39:40 PM »
We are probably one or two plant diseases away from coffee becoming an endangered species. I wonder what folks would do if all of a sudden the world's coffee supply disappeared?


The Purge would be held every morning, from 6 am to noon. Thankfully, everyone's pretty groggy until about 10:30.
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French G.

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2018, 09:57:07 PM »
Choke yourself.

Eh, gotta rough it somewhere. Decently brewed and fresh it is fine. I remember coffee issue on the carrier we used to get twenty pound sealed metal tins of coffee, probably left over from Korea. So, a big step up from that. Last boat ride I made coffee in 100 cup water jacketed perc pots, also delicious if you knew what you were doing. I like high end coffee, just unwilling to budget for it.
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Nick1911

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2018, 11:01:32 PM »
I stock up on my prefered Folgers Breakfast Blend 25.4 oz cans when they go on sale for $6.99.  I usually buy three, which lasts me three months.  Usually long enough for me to catch the next sale.

I store the unopened cans in the pantry.  For that matter, I store the open one there too.  YMMV

brimic

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #15 on: November 14, 2018, 09:16:27 AM »
We are probably one or two plant diseases away from coffee becoming an endangered species. I wonder what folks would do if all of a sudden the world's coffee supply disappeared?



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charby

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2018, 09:33:29 AM »
I stock up on my prefered Folgers Breakfast Blend 25.4 oz cans when they go on sale for $6.99.  I usually buy three, which lasts me three months.  Usually long enough for me to catch the next sale.

I store the unopened cans in the pantry.  For that matter, I store the open one there too.  YMMV

and so does most of America, IIRC.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #17 on: November 14, 2018, 10:06:36 AM »
I stock up on my prefered Folgers Breakfast Blend 25.4 oz cans when they go on sale for $6.99.  I usually buy three, which lasts me three months.  Usually long enough for me to catch the next sale.

I store the unopened cans in the pantry.  For that matter, I store the open one there too.  YMMV

I do pretty much the same thing, except it's Aldi brand coffee (the dark-colored can, not the slightly cheaper white can) for $5, and I store it on top of the refrigerator.  Every once in a while (like for Christmas) Daughter's boyfriend sends us a package of ultra-fancy custom-roast coffee beans, and I enjoy them, but they are not *that* much better than Aldi or Folger's.
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Sindawe

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2018, 10:46:44 AM »
As soon as purchased and it's time of a new batch, the vacuum sealed back is opened, whole roasted beans dumped into a plastic contained with a seal and into the freezer it goes.   Comes out once a day (maybe twice) to pull the 1/4 cup of beans to be grounds and brewed.

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MillCreek

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #19 on: November 14, 2018, 10:50:21 AM »
https://www.lehmans.com/product/green-coffee-beans

You can buy vacuum-sealed cans of green coffee beans; packed with an oxygen absorber and dessicant.  Valuable trade goods for the zombie apocalypse.

And I echo the comments above: if coffee somehow disappeared, the voice in my head telling me 'the time of cleansing is at hand' would get louder.
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Quote from: Angel Eyes on August 09, 2018, 01:56:15 AM
You are one lousy risk manager.

Nick1911

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #20 on: November 16, 2018, 08:48:26 AM »
We are probably one or two plant diseases away from coffee becoming an endangered species. I wonder what folks would do if all of a sudden the world's coffee supply disappeared?

Special lady friend tried making up chicory coffee last year.  Chicory grows wild all over Kansas.  It's not coffee, but it wasn't terrible either.  I don't think it's caffeinated, though.

Ben

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #21 on: November 16, 2018, 08:57:31 AM »
Special lady friend tried making up chicory coffee last year.  Chicory grows wild all over Kansas.  It's not coffee, but it wasn't terrible either.  I don't think it's caffeinated, though.

I tried chicory a year or two ago on a lark. It's really not bad. You can also, as they did in WW2, mix it with coffee.
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K Frame

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #22 on: November 16, 2018, 09:08:26 AM »
"You can also, as they did in WW2, mix it with coffee."

Americans have been mixing chicory with coffee for hundreds of years.

Chock Full O' Nuts and Cafe du Monde are two brands of chicory coffee that are commonly available.

As coffee ran out in the South during the Civil War chicory almost completely replaced it.
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Ron

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #23 on: November 16, 2018, 10:52:02 AM »
Dunkin Donuts whole bean for me. I grind right before I brew.

Currently I’m down to two cups a day from six cups a day.

My posts become less dogmatic and harsh as I become less caffeinated heh heh.

Ive been buying it one pound at a time and storing it in a wire clamp jar on the counter.

Thanks to Millcreeks debunking of the “don’t freeze coffee” bad advice I’ve received, I’ll now do the buy two pounds special they run and store the second pound in the freezer.
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MillCreek

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Re: Storing Coffee
« Reply #24 on: February 13, 2019, 12:10:24 PM »
Behind a paywall, but you can see how others are experimenting with freezing whole beans in airtight storage:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coldest-brew-of-allcoffee-aficionados-freeze-beans-to-58-below-zero-11549985795?mod=itp_wsj&ru=yahoo
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Quote from: Angel Eyes on August 09, 2018, 01:56:15 AM
You are one lousy risk manager.