Roasting finished... then rest coffee for how long?

#1: Post by **soundklinik** » June 18th, 2013, 4:03 am

I was wondering what is the best thing to do with beans after roast, after they cool off...Some people let them air out 1-2 days? Some don't?
What is the best for optimal flavor?
How long do you air them out?
TIA

#2: Post by **another_jim** » June 18th, 2013, 4:06 am

It varies by bean and person. Taste them every 24 hours and see when you like them best. After roasting a variety of coffees, you'll have an idea how long to rest each

#3: Post by **sversimo** » June 18th, 2013, 7:25 am

I always taste them the same day as well. Some of the roasts have tasted great right after roasting, but only okay the following days..

Its no secret that oxygen and coffee aint best of friends, so minimizing the exposure sounds to me like a good idea.

Here a link you can check out, http://timwendelboe.no/coffee/previous- ... -espresso/

June 18th, 2013, 7:33 am

Thanks for replies, maybe I should rephrase it: What is the minimum time for the beans to sit in the open, degas or stabilize after roast? In normal environment...
Thanks

#5: Post by **sversimo** » June 18th, 2013, 7:44 am

Therefore we recommend storing / degassing espresso for minimum 7 to 9 days after the date of roast , sealed in the original bag at room temperature, before you use it. Make sure you store it in a dark place at around 14°C - 20°C, away from any heat, moisture or light

#6: Post by **tamarian** » June 18th, 2013, 8:11 am

soundklinik wrote:Thanks for replies, maybe I should rephrase it: What is the minimum time for the beans to sit in the open, degas or stabilize after roast? In normal environment...
Thanks

Degassing slows down after 5-8 hours. I usually store them in a sealed glass jar or valved bags 8 hours post roast.

Interesting experiments here, plus graphs: http://coffeetroupe.com/coffeetroupe/

#7: Post by **BTD1986** » June 18th, 2013, 9:44 am

I put my beans in an airscape immediately after roasting(http://www.amazon.com/Planetary-Design- ... s=airscape) for 2 days to completely degas, then transfer them to 4 oz. mason jars. Even though the airscape is meant to store your beans in, I find that they still go stale faster than when stored in mason jars.

June 18th, 2013, 11:17 am

Great info, many thanks to you all.

#9: Post by **VeniaCoffee** » June 18th, 2013, 12:26 pm

soundklinik wrote:I was wondering what is the best thing to do with beans after roast, after they cool off...Some people let them air out 1-2 days? Some don't?
What is the best for optimal flavor?
How long do you air them out?

As with all things culinary it seems, any black and white rules are in reality different shades of grey. Coffee roasting is no different. That said, there are some more-or-less generally agreed upon protocols when it comes to using coffee off roast.

For most non-espresso preparations a recommended rest of about a day is standard. Even though the roasting process is finished, there are still some chemical changes going on during that time. SCAA cupping protocol requires a minimum of 8 hour rest after roasting before evaluation of a coffee. In my experience, most coffees get better with a few more days rest before preparation.

For espresso, one to two days rest will generally result in an explosive, bubbly, uneven extraction because of the large amount of CO2 inside the beans that have yet to degas naturally. Longer rests of up to a week can be helpful and beneficial to flavor and a balanced extraction.

For storing beans when resting, we strongly recommend an airtight container for reasons already mentioned, O2. We pack in a high-barrier bag with degassing valve to keep beans and oxygen as separate as possible. After opening, the bag can be folded down to remove air and then secured with a tin-tie.