I ordered some Klatch.

What procedure are you using to freeze and thaw beans?

Do you freeze immediately or wait until the off gassing period is over?

J

I typically freeze the beans when they are about 5 days post roast. That way when I pull them from the freezer, they are at least close to being ready to brew.

For freezing, if they are in an airtight bag with a one way valve, I put a piece of masking tape over the valve and freeze them directly in the bag. The tape over the valve ensures that the valve doesn't get frozen in the open position, not sure what the chances of that are but it's an easy preventative step.

I pull about 4 shots every morning, two for my wife and two for me. So when I'm down to not having enough beans for the next morning, I pull the next bag from the freezer and let it come to room temp in the bag. Once at room temp, normally the next morning, I pour the coffee into two 8oz mason jars. I normally leave both jars at room temp as I use them up over the course of about 4 to 5 days.

As a side note, I have and do sometimes open the bag just pulled from the freezer. I've never found that they get much condensation on them but I still try to practice letting them come to room temp first.

I freeze immediately when I receive the shipment. I divide into mason jars and vacuum the jars and place in a household freezer. I let the jar set in room temp for 24 hours before grinding. In my experience, coffee is never as good as never-frozen beans. Also, I find that pre-frozen beans age quickly and I have to grind a bit finer every day just to keep the same flow.

Just a few of the many threads on the subject found by using the H-B search function

Coffee: To Freeze or Not to Freeze
Coffee Freezing Best Practices
Freezing fresh roasted coffee in mason jars?
Conditions for extending the life of roasted coffee beans
NYTimes.com: You Want Tastier Coffee? Freeze Beans, Then Grind
How to defrost frozen coffee beans
Frozen coffee beans: Grind from freezer or room temperature
Determining when to vacuum pack/freeze coffee beans
Mason jars versus zip lock bags for storage of roasted coffee

Welcome to HB.
I usually buy in 5lbs. I go through about 1/2 lb every 4 days. I try to freeze in 4 day batches. I find this keeps the coffee in the 'peak' zone and it makes for little to no grind adjustments as I use it.

If it is a coffee I know, and I know I like it at days 8 - 14, I will freeze at day 7. I freeze in 1/2 pound foodsaver style vac bags. I let it thaw in the bag overnight and then open and start pulling it.
If I don't know the coffee, I might freeze it when I get it or I might let it rest then freeze it. Either way I take into account how much time it needs in order to 'peak' and account for it either before it goes into the freeze or after I pull it from the freeze. I hope that made sense.

I DO NOT have the same experience as Blacktip. I pull 95% medium roasts and maybe they are less sensitive. Maybe I am less sensitive. But I detect no differences between frozen or never-frozen coffee in coffee taste or behavior in the machine/grinder.

This topic has been discussed a lot here. You can learn a lot about it by doing a quick search of the forums. Different methods, opinions, experiences and maybe even some objective tests are stored there for posterity. Have a great time with your coffee!

Moxiechef wrote:I typically freeze the beans when they are about 5 days post roast. That way when I pull them from the freezer, they are at least close to being ready to brew.

For freezing, if they are in an airtight bag with a one way valve, I put a piece of masking tape over the valve and freeze them directly in the bag. The tape over the valve ensures that the valve doesn't get frozen in the open position, not sure what the chances of that are but it's an easy preventative step.

This is exactly what I do.

I notice you all let it come up to room temp. I've been getting my beans and putting them in lw bean cellars, freezing, and just pull one out from the freezer each morning to brew. Is this less than ideal? Would it be better to freeze in 2-4 day increments in Mason jars or vacuum sealed bags then take them out when needed?

Thanks

SpecC,
Grinding still-frozen coffee changes the particle size and shape. There has been some discussion around here that this is a good thing. I think that a commercial roaster has been playing with this, George Howell. You might be able to find a discussion about grinding frozen coffee if you use the search function on here. I think you may find that you are on the cutting edge!

I grind frozen coffee right out of the freezer for pour over every now and then. Tastes the same as the same coffee that's not frozen. Now, I'm not tasting them side by side, but the difference is minimal. Not sure about espresso.

jeremyseattle wrote:I ordered some Klatch.

What procedure are you using to freeze and thaw beans?

Do you freeze immediately or wait until the off gassing period is over?

J

One thing that I have learned the hard way is, that if possible, freeze the coffee when you decide its good while using it. Trying to time how long a specific coffee needs to rest is actually very hard as they are all very different. I know there are others that may disagree, but I don't see any kind of accelerated decline in my coffee after I thaw them. SO for me, I actually end up freezing my coffees often 7-10 days post roast depending on intended brew method. Then I freeze about 3-4 days worth in mason jars vac sealed. Bags never worked for me as they always cracked somehow.