Recently, a friend asked Front Street: "Why do you need to seal the air valve after grinding coffee beans into powder? Wouldn't that prevent the carbon dioxide inside the package from escaping?"
The significance of the exhaust valve on coffee packaging
Front Street seals and packages the coffee beans immediately after roasting and cooling to minimize the loss of flavor. However, freshly roasted coffee beans produce a large amount of carbon dioxide internally, and this carbon dioxide begins to release continuously after roasting is complete. If there is no place for this carbon dioxide to escape, the internal pressure can easily become too high and burst the packaging.
This air valve is actually a one-way exhaust valve device that releases carbon dioxide while blocking external gases from entering through the valve, slowing down the oxidation rate of the coffee beans. Since this device can release carbon dioxide, coffee flavor can naturally escape through this exhaust valve as well.
Why seal the exhaust valve after grinding into coffee powder?
Because we need to preserve the coffee flavor~ When coffee is still a whole bean, the release rate of carbon dioxide/flavor is very slow, but once ground, they immediately let loose, and the release rate is incredibly fast! So after grinding coffee powder, it needs to be immediately sealed and packaged, and the valve that allows flavor to escape must be sealed.
Does freshly roasted coffee need to be rested after grinding into powder?
No need!!!
The purpose of resting the beans is to let the coffee beans release some of the carbon dioxide inside. First, it takes away the harshness of freshly roasted coffee beans, making the coffee flavor more rounded and full; second, it reduces the impact of carbon dioxide on coffee extraction during subsequent brewing. If it has already been ground into coffee powder, there is no need to rest it anymore, because during transportation, the pressure generated by carbon dioxide inside the packaging can also make the coffee flavor more rounded. So when you receive the coffee powder, you can immediately brew a cup and drink it~
Shelf life and optimal flavor period of freshly roasted coffee after grinding
Theoretically, the shelf life of freshly roasted coffee beans is one year, but since the aroma gradually dissipates with gas release, the optimal flavor period is usually within 40 to 50 days. After coffee beans are ground into powder, the aroma weakens faster, and the dissipation of flavor accelerates. Based on Front Street's experience, the optimal flavor period for freshly roasted coffee after grinding into powder is within 20 days.
How to store freshly roasted coffee after grinding into powder?
/Store in a cool, ventilated, and dry place
Whether coffee beans or coffee powder, avoid placing them in direct sunlight, because high temperatures accelerate the release rate of coffee flavor, which greatly reduces the optimal flavor period of the coffee. At the same time, we need to pay attention to whether the storage location is humid. A humid environment can easily breed bacteria, which not only gives the coffee a musty taste but also affects human health.
/Store completely sealed
Coffee beans can be stored sealed in their original packaging, but coffee powder should be stored in a completely sealed container as much as possible. First, coffee powder oxidizes much faster than coffee beans; second, if stored in the original packaging and not sealed properly even a little, the flavor will desperately escape. So storing it in a completely sealed container is more reliable.
Final small reminder
Although freshly ground coffee powder is convenient to use, Front Street still recommends grinding coffee beans at the time of brewing~ It is also recommended to buy the next bag only after finishing the current one, because the freshness of coffee beans/coffee powder is really important!!
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
