Freezing Seriously Affects Profile! [Mystery Solved!]
- coffee.me
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 16 years ago
This simply sucks:
My perfect* profile for a (never frozen) bean gives me $hitty** results when applied to the same bean after it had been frozen (for 3 weeks) then thawed. What the @%#$!!!???
Any help, ideas or even sympathetic thoughts?
For extra points: point to how the original profile needs to be changed!
The defects are: 1. no, and I mean NO, dry aroma 2. Sour espresso even when brewed at 206F!
PS: Can't think of anything wrong:
- I've always frozen greens successfully, it's a profile thing, I know it.
- Greens vacuum bagged (in FoodSaver thick bags).
- Beans thawed normally: one-two days pre-roast I get the pre-portioned bag out of the freezer and put it in a dark cool place.
* it's so perfect, done so many batches with it, really amazing results.
** now for 3 batches, they remind me of my 1st week roasting coffee!
My perfect* profile for a (never frozen) bean gives me $hitty** results when applied to the same bean after it had been frozen (for 3 weeks) then thawed. What the @%#$!!!???
Any help, ideas or even sympathetic thoughts?
For extra points: point to how the original profile needs to be changed!
The defects are: 1. no, and I mean NO, dry aroma 2. Sour espresso even when brewed at 206F!
PS: Can't think of anything wrong:
- I've always frozen greens successfully, it's a profile thing, I know it.
- Greens vacuum bagged (in FoodSaver thick bags).
- Beans thawed normally: one-two days pre-roast I get the pre-portioned bag out of the freezer and put it in a dark cool place.
* it's so perfect, done so many batches with it, really amazing results.
** now for 3 batches, they remind me of my 1st week roasting coffee!
"Beans before machines" --coffee.me ;-)
- another_jim
- Team HB
- Posts: 13943
- Joined: 19 years ago
Sorry to hear it; hope it never happens to me.
My first thought is that the beans somehow dried out, maybe from a pin prick leak in the packaging. In that case you'll need to roast faster and with less heat, i.e smaller lots. But this has never happened to me; so it would just be a shot in the dark.
My first thought is that the beans somehow dried out, maybe from a pin prick leak in the packaging. In that case you'll need to roast faster and with less heat, i.e smaller lots. But this has never happened to me; so it would just be a shot in the dark.
Jim Schulman
- coffee.me (original poster)
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 16 years ago
Jim, while your thought makes sense, to my buds, the roast tastes kinda underdeveloped -- if I knew what I'm talking about. As I said above: no aroma + sour. I thought a +1 minute to BT 300F would be in order. Whatcha think?
... but if when it does...another_jim wrote:Sorry to hear it; hope it never happens to me.
"Beans before machines" --coffee.me ;-)
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- Posts: 4
- Joined: 13 years ago
Just a thought. Could it be that the beans were still a bit cold inside? Maybe try longer thawing.
- coffee.me (original poster)
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 16 years ago
Welcome to H-B, Jack. You mean longer than 2 days @ 75F room temp? Hmmm, maybe I'll stick a TC wire inside a thawing bag.
"Beans before machines" --coffee.me ;-)
- tekomino
- Posts: 1105
- Joined: 14 years ago
It's not unusual at all to have those freezer vacuum pack bags pierce. Happened to couple of times so I stopped using them.
Sorry no recommendations on profile.
Sorry no recommendations on profile.
- yakster
- Supporter ♡
- Posts: 7340
- Joined: 15 years ago
I don't have any solutions, but I do have sympathy for your situation.
I am wondering if you noticed any drastic changes during the roast such as time to first, amount of activity at first, etc. that could point to a possible solution, or at least point to the cause. Since you stated that this has been a problem over three batches, I assume that it doesn't get any better with rest.
Out of curiosity, what is the origin and processing of the coffee your having problems with?
I am wondering if you noticed any drastic changes during the roast such as time to first, amount of activity at first, etc. that could point to a possible solution, or at least point to the cause. Since you stated that this has been a problem over three batches, I assume that it doesn't get any better with rest.
Out of curiosity, what is the origin and processing of the coffee your having problems with?
-Chris
LMWDP # 272
LMWDP # 272
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- Posts: 4
- Joined: 13 years ago
Thanks for the welcome. I see that you have success with freezing other beans. Maybe that package did dry out as Jim said. I am also curious to know the bean source.coffee.me wrote:Welcome to H-B, Jack. You mean longer than 2 days @ 75F room temp? Hmmm, maybe I'll stick a TC wire inside a thawing bag.
- coffee.me (original poster)
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 16 years ago
Now I remember they never did, all three held vacuum.tekomino wrote:It's not unusual at all to have those freezer vacuum pack bags pierce
Great question! Yeah, 1st was very muted compared to never-frozen batches! Extra rest doesn't do a thing to those bad roasts except make the bad worse.yakster wrote:I am wondering if you noticed any drastic changes during the roast such as time to first, amount of activity at first, etc. that could point to a possible solution, or at least point to the cause.
It was an explosive, but really tiny, PB Yemen (DP, for sure). I got so much of it and froze most to enjoy it for as long as possible...it was that good.yakster wrote:Out of curiosity, what is the origin and processing of the coffee your having problems with?
"Beans before machines" --coffee.me ;-)
- another_jim
- Team HB
- Posts: 13943
- Joined: 19 years ago
If the vacuum held and the roast was undeveloped, the frozen beans may be a red herring. Check the roaster: sensors, airflow, and heat. Sounds like you may not actually be using your "perfect profile (tm)."coffee.me wrote:Jim, while your thought makes sense, to my buds, the roast tastes kinda underdeveloped -- if I knew what I'm talking about.
Jim Schulman