i did this the other day just for the hell of it to see if it was possible.

this is not something i do all the time but it seems like maybe it could be worth it to someone who doesnt use beans as fast as i do.

but any way here are the pics.

i hope you guys get a good laugh at this.. i did.



you will need jar of coffee, ziplock bag, straw (not pictured)



close ziplock around bag and stuff into the jar. blow air into the bag and pull straw out while closing the ziplock to capture the pressure.



close lid of the jar. the air is displaced by the air in the bag. less oxygen? less oxidation? beans last longer?

enjoy.

jon

ps. i have not done this again since the initial time for the pics.

I haven't tried this, but you could spritz a little of it into the mason jar and then pour your beans into the jar.

Regards
Timo

Seems very similar to this device here:

http://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-Co...rter/dp/B00005AS52

We've never tried them, but the reduction of oxygen is very helpful in preventing the degradation of fats found in the bean. Of course, the coffee will still continue to lose flavor as carbon dioxide escapes, but it will go rancid much more slowly.

I haven't done any experiments, but ...

When using a vacuum approach, I wonder if one would have to take care not to be so aggressive with the suction that the crema-producing CO2 in the bean would be drawn out of the beans? I don't know how much suction force would be required to do that to the beans.

The heavier-than-air inert gas approach simply displaces oxygen in the container, so that the beans are not bathed in oxygen. It would leave any gases inside the bean intact. But you have to fill the container first with the inert gas, and then dump the beans into the container. Otherwise pockets of air could remain.

Regards
Timo

There is a fairly reliable book on such technical espresso matters, entitled Espresso: The Science of Quality. They have a section on packaging, and discuss vacuuming, which is a fairly standard process in the coffee industry, in depth. Vacuuming does not actually suck out CO2 from the bean or harm flavor in any other way. If you vacuum a bean early enough after roast, you will find that the CO2 that is naturally released over time by the bean will actually fill the vacuum, creating an inert gas barrier, as you've described. That being said, a much better (but much more complicated) approach to preserving a bean would be to first vacuum, and then flush the beans with a gas such as nitrogen or CO2, which is also common in the industry. The difference is significant - with a normal vacuum, you can keep the bean from spoiling for about a month or two, but with a nitrogen seal, some tests have shown preservation of the bean for years.

The book above also claims that you can even beat these two processes by doing a pressurized nitrogen flush, where you maintain the beans at a high pressure. The increased pressure supposedly helps slow down the release of CO2, which creates a loss of flavor, while the nitrogen prevents the rancidification of the oils in the bean. The biggest problem with this sort of approach is that you need specialized canisters, like the one Illy uses. That means that this process is probably out of the reach of most micro-roasters.

sohoespresso wrote:There is a fairly reliable book on such technical espresso matters, entitled Espresso: The Science of Quality.

The book above also claims that you can even beat these two processes by doing a pressurized nitrogen flush, where you maintain the beans at a high pressure. The increased pressure supposedly helps slow down the release of CO2, which creates a loss of flavor, while the nitrogen prevents the rancidification of the oils in the bean. The biggest problem with this sort of approach is that you need specialized canisters, like the one Illy uses. That means that this process is probably out of the reach of most micro-roasters.

I only skimmed the sections on bean preservation when I had the Illy book out on interlibrary loan a few months ago. I found the sections on preinfusion and on the time-dependent geometry of the puck most interesting. Really liked the part where the hydrostatic effects of preinfusion were compared to the method the ancient Romans used to quarry stone.

I wonder if the nitrogen-co2-argon dispenser could be used instead of the vacuum? You open the bag, fill it with the inert gas, fill it with beans, and then seal it.

Regards
Timo

Just flushing, without a vacuum, definitely works. There are some coffee preservation systems that rely on placing a small nitrogen disk that releases a burst of nitrogen upon sealing the bag. This pushes all the oxygen out of the one way valve and keeps the bag filled with nitrogen. I don't recall, off the top of my head, whether there is a significant difference between vacuuming and then flushing with a gas, or just flushing, though I imagine it's always safer to vacuum first and make sure that all oxygen has been properly removed.

"With push-button ease, Bean Vac™ canister automatically vacuum seals more than a pound of coffee (whole beans or ground) -- locking in freshness better than any other storage method. Simply lock the silicone-gasket lid and Bean Vac's built-in vacuum pump creates a secure seal in seconds. Ideal for other foods such as cookies, nuts, spices, tea and chocolates. Stands 8" tall. Runs on 4 AA batteries (order separately). 90-day warranty."

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en...product/sku__ED150

sohoespresso wrote:Just flushing, without a vacuum, definitely works. There are some coffee preservation systems that rely on placing a small nitrogen disk that releases a burst of nitrogen upon sealing the bag. This pushes all the oxygen out of the one way valve and keeps the bag filled with nitrogen. I don't recall, off the top of my head, whether there is a significant difference between vacuuming and then flushing with a gas, or just flushing, though I imagine it's always safer to vacuum first and make sure that all oxygen has been properly removed.

I am going to look into a simplified version of this technique for home use. I like to have more than one bean going concurrently and keeping them fresh is a challenge. And now that I have some wooden hand-grinders in addition to my main grinder, I will become an even more avid bean-polygamist. It will be possible to dedicate a grinder to a bean. Must find an easy and cost-effective solution.

An opportunity for some Soho swag? The Soho Tinted Glass Jar. The Soho Nitrogen Canister. I want a Soho Espresso cup. I like the Danesi and Illy shapes a lot One could earn points towards a cup with each order. Like the old S&H green stamps, only without having to lick the stamps and paste them into a book. They could be brown stamps. The My Account page could actually show a graphical likeness of one's page filling with stamps, based on order history.

Regards
Timo

timo888 wrote:I am going to look into a simplified version of this technique for home use. I like to have more than one bean going concurrently and keeping them fresh is a challenge. And now that I have some wooden hand-grinders in addition to my main grinder, I will become an even more avid bean-polygamist. It will be possible to dedicate a grinder to a bean. Must find an easy and cost-effective solution.

Regards
Timo

Tim, I am going to post this again, this is what I do and if you get the containers the right size, it's cheap and very very effective.

Home made 1 way valve jars