JohnLyn Senior Member Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Posts: 234 Location: Golden, BC, Canada Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale Mini Vivaldy Grinder: Vario Drip: Bonavita Roaster: Toastess popper
Posted Tue Jul 3, 2012, 9:08am Subject: Freezer help
All right. I must be doing something wrong and need help. I get mail order coffee from Phil and Sebastien's roaster in Calgary. I recently received two bags of a coffee from Costa Rica. I received them on day 5 post roast and they come in vacuum bags. my system is that I put the vacuum bag into a plastic airtight-ish container and put that into the freezer. it usually works out.
This time I kept one bag out the other went into the freezer. the first bag was the best coffee that I had ever had. phenomenal, great balance and beautiful flavours.
but here's the problem. I took the second bag out. it had been in there 9days, and it has been just terrible. worst coffee I have ever had and no matter how I play with the grind and dose it is just not working out.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,805 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Tue Jul 3, 2012, 9:41am Subject: Re: Freezer help
people say the valves on the vacuum bags the roasters use work variably, and that there's a big risk of them allowing air to back flow into the bag. I used to put my bags from the roasters directly into the freezer and never had any difficulty. You've even taken it a step further with the plastic container, so I personally would suspect the coffee and not your freezer. My new method is to buy 5 lb bags and break them down into mason jars, then freeze those. It's probably a better method than relying on the bags' valve.
germantownrob Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2007 Posts: 2,043 Location: Philadelphia Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Duetto 3, A Dead Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Preciso w/Esatto,... Drip: Brazen Roaster: Diedrich IR-1, HT B
Posted Tue Jul 3, 2012, 5:35pm Subject: Re: Freezer help
A piece of scotch tape over the valve is one way to stop any travel of moisture or freezer flavors. What a shame, I bet you where really looking forward to that second bag. I have been freezing for a few years and once in a while something happens and the beans have degraded a bit but I have never had good beans go awful from freezing (freezing proper). I use mason jars but have used freezer bags, and vacuum bags, mason jars work best for me for ease of filling and ease of selection when searching in the deep freezer.
JohnLyn Senior Member Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Posts: 234 Location: Golden, BC, Canada Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale Mini Vivaldy Grinder: Vario Drip: Bonavita Roaster: Toastess popper
Posted Thu Jul 5, 2012, 9:18pm Subject: Re: Freezer help
I would definitely prefer mason jars. However, the bags I receive come in 12 oz vacuum bags and I can't bring myself to open the bag in order to transfer it to a mason Jar. it seems to make sense to me to keep it in the bag and then in a container. But I am looking for comment on that.
And I really was looking forward to that second bag.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,805 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Fri Jul 6, 2012, 8:48am Subject: Re: Freezer help
Perhaps you'd be better off putting your commercial bags into ziploc freezer bags, than into "air tight" containers. Unless your "air tight" containers are vacuum-able, it'll allow you to considerably reduce the chance to stale your coffee from outside air going backwards through the valve. Of course, as Rob pointed out, you could simply tape over the valve. I don't really see the advantage of dropping the bag into a container that isn't a vacuum environment.
CMIN Senior Member Joined: 14 Jun 2012 Posts: 566 Location: South FL Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Crossland CC1 Grinder: Baratza Preciso
Posted Fri Jul 6, 2012, 10:50am Subject: Re: Freezer help
emradguy Said:
people say the valves on the vacuum bags the roasters use work variably, and that there's a big risk of them allowing air to back flow into the bag. I used to put my bags from the roasters directly into the freezer and never had any difficulty. You've even taken it a step further with the plastic container, so I personally would suspect the coffee and not your freezer. My new method is to buy 5 lb bags and break them down into mason jars, then freeze those. It's probably a better method than relying on the bags' valve.
emradguy Senior Member Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 1,805 Location: Houston Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Izzo Alex Duetto II Grinder: MacapM4T, Macap M4, OE Lido,... Drip: Espro press; Aeropress Roaster: internet
Posted Fri Jul 6, 2012, 12:06pm Subject: Re: Freezer help
yes, those are them. I bought most of mine directly from Ball, by the case. I also bought some from my local Target store, and I would be surprised if you can't find them at WalMart, BB&B, Linens n Things, etc.
I predominantly use 16 oz jars, but we go through one in a little less than a week (typically 2-3 doubles a day). I use 8 oz jars for decaf, which we use less frequently (about 1/3 - 1/2 our regular use).
JohnLyn Senior Member Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Posts: 234 Location: Golden, BC, Canada Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale Mini Vivaldy Grinder: Vario Drip: Bonavita Roaster: Toastess popper
Posted Fri Jul 6, 2012, 12:41pm Subject: Re: Freezer help
That's what i have use in the past when receiving non vacuum bags of coffe and it has worked well. Do you think I would be better off to open the vacuums bag (this where I worry about loosing freshness), and transferring into a jar?
That last bag as well may just have been a bum bag. I just took out a Phil and Sebastian's panama that had been in the freezer two weeks and it is amazing!!!
IMAWriter Senior Member Joined: 4 Jul 2002 Posts: 5,480 Location: Brentwood, TN Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Nothing at the moment Grinder: Vario-W,Preciso-Esatto/KyM... Vac Pot: Adcraft SS, Yama 8 cup Drip: Brazen.Chemex, Hario, Clever... Roaster: Behmor 1600, CO/UFO combo
Posted Fri Jul 6, 2012, 3:33pm Subject: Re: Freezer help
emradguy Said:
people say the valves on the vacuum bags the roasters use work variably, and that there's a big risk of them allowing air to back flow into the bag. I used to put my bags from the roasters directly into the freezer and never had any difficulty. You've even taken it a step further with the plastic container, so I personally would suspect the coffee and not your freezer. My new method is to buy 5 lb bags and break them down into mason jars, then freeze those. It's probably a better method than relying on the bags' valve.
JDHarding Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 1,099 Location: WA, USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Ascaso Steel Pro PID Grinder: Nuova Simonelli MDX,... Vac Pot: None Drip: Hario v60 Roaster: Behmor, Fresh Roast
Posted Fri Jul 6, 2012, 5:15pm Subject: Re: Freezer help
I just put my beans into ziplock freezer bags. I've had bags of coffee in there for 3 to 6 months now that taste as good as fresh. I used to use mason jars, but it takes too long for the jar to get back to room temp. Easier just to take a full ziplock bag out of the freezer, dump beans into mason jar, and start using right away.
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