Ever since I took up espresso as a home hobby/passion I have mostly roasted my own beans and when I purchase from specialty shops time delivery so that I generally just use up what I purchase.

I just returned from a weeks vacation in Bermuda (no need to pity me ) and I prepared by roasting some SO beans (Brazil Moreninha Formosa, Ethiopia Idido Misty Valley and Sumatra Takeengon Classic) aging for three days before freezing in taped one way valve bags. I was prepared to compare SO with different blends of each when I got home.

Well for some reason this morning I could not dial in a shot without using settings I had never needed (finer grind) previously. I would get horrible pulls at my usual range with fast flow and very early blonding.

Either its the freezing, the very hot humid weather here in NY for the first time this year or I've forgot everything I've learned in the last year over the course of my one week away

Any thoughts?

Are the beans coming straight out of the freezer and into the grinder?

No!

I took them out the night before (when I got home), waited until they got to equilibrium with room temperature and carefully wiped away any moisture on the one way bag. I pulled the shots the next morning.

I haven't noticed any issues with unusual grind changes with my vac bagged roasted beans that have been in the freezer up to 6-8 weeks.

Thanks John

I pulled some really nice shots this morning but the settings remain finer then I'm used to even with decafe.

These are the first really hot and humid days I've had making my own espresso. Could the heat and humidity affect grind that much from beans in a valve bag?

Perhaps this is a trivial question I ask and I apologize but I am curious about storage and factors that affect pulling shots.

I'm in northeastern CT. & its been almost as hot(94°f) & humid as NYC the last few days. Outside of a minor tweak coarser for a different blend (frozen since 6/30) I'm using today I haven't experienced any changes. Of course I'm pulling shots in the morning before it gets brutal & switching to Iced Coffee by noon. Kitchen is currently around 80°f & no a/c.

GC7 wrote:No!

I took them out the night before (when I got home), waited until they got to equilibrium with room temperature and carefully wiped away any moisture on the one way bag. I pulled the shots the next morning.

I actually pull them straight out of the freezer and grind. Works fine for me.

Heat and humidity will most definitely effect grind. You are also roasting your own coffee, it could be that the roast was slightly off for previous batches. I have been freezing coffee in an air tight container for a year now with no ill effects. You are taping over the one way valve before you freeze them correct? If not the roast can get funky.

Yes Dave - I did tape over the valve opening before freezing.

I'll just attribute this for now to an odd home roast perhaps or the very high humidity or the fact that I was just diving inside the Bermuda triangle.

Personally I find this time of year a bit of a challenge. Not sure whether it's the increased humidity or the higher temps but I do find it more difficult to get a good grind and I almost invariability have to grind finer. Maybe that nice looking Robur in the window would help

Cheers

Ian