Have you ever noticed a coffee bag or package where it almost seems like it’s about to pop? Well, that is the cause of coffee degassing. It’s a good sign that the coffee is fresh. Unless the coffee packaging has a valve in it then you won’t see it balloon. More to this below.
What is Coffee Degassing and Degassing time?
When roasting coffee, gases, mostly CO2, are trapped inside the coffee bean. Degassing coffee beans time varies depending on the roast type. Darker roasts degas faster than lighter roasts. Within 24 – 48 hours after coffee roasting, a bulk of CO2 comes out. In other words, coffee degassing is the release of gas inside the roasted coffee bean.
The Importance of Coffee Degassing?
When brewing coffee that is freshly roasted, the escaping gases can disrupt the contact of water to the coffee grounds. This results in an uneven extraction of flavor and aroma. With this in mind, it’s always a good idea to wait and rest your freshly roasted coffee beans before brewing.
How Soon Can You Brew Coffee After Roasting?
You now know that brewing roasted coffee beans that are too fresh can negatively affect the flavor and aroma. So how much time is needed before brewing? It varies. The roast profile, brewing method, and even the bean process can affect the resting period.
Roast Profile
- Lighter Roasts – Lighter roasts degas at a significantly lower rate because the beans are more intact.
- Darker Roasts – Darker roasts usually degas faster than lighter roasts. The longer the roast, the faster it degas.
Brewing Method
The longer the contact of water to the coffee grounds the shorter the resting period.
- Espresso Machine – 7 to 14 days off roast
- Pour Over / Filter – 2 to 7 days off roast
- Aeropress – 2 to 7 days off roast
- French Press – 2 days off roast
How to Rest Coffee After Roasting?
Resting is necessary after roasting indeed. However, you need to keep in mind the enemy of roasted coffee.
You should avoid:
- High moisture environment
- Oxygen – Reducing oxygen content to 0.5% in a coffee container can increase shelf life.
- Temperature – According to a study by SCA, a mere 10°C increase in temperature will double the degassing rate.
- Time
How to Store Coffee After Roasting?
Now that you have this information, here are tips on how to store your freshly roasted coffee beans.
1. Use a coffee packaging with a one-way valve. A one-way valve allows the CO2 to exit the container while restricting oxygen to come in. This also prevents the coffee package to balloon.
2. Store your coffee beans in a dry place.
3. Get coffee that you can only consume in a month to avoid storing it in a long time.
4. Avoid getting pre grounds. Pre grounds degas faster than whole beans.
Information sourced from:
https://scanews.coffee/2018/04/18/preserving-freshness-race-time-25-magazine-issue-4/
https://thebarn.de/pages/after-we-roast
https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2019/01/degassing-why-does-coffee-degas-what-does-it-mean-for-brewers-roasters/
https://blog.bluebottlecoffee.com/posts/what-is-espresso-degassing
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