# Gene Cafe and roasting question



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Hi, firstly, if you pre heat your Gene, how do you quickly reduce the heat down to 100 so you can put the beans in......I am presuming you just kill it?

Next, I want to open my Daterras this morning as I am short of beans. I have an old coffee sack, a proper one. Presumably they will be fine in there?

And lastly, I have forgotten to procure and one way valve bags. SO, until I can get some, presumably just keep them in a container and vent them once a day, which leads straight into one way valve bags. Do they actually do anything? I have had coffee arrive with the bag really inflated like a balloon, and no matter how hard you press, the valve does not seem to work. At what point should it? Because I thought the point was to stop the beans from sitting in amongst all the stuff given off


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

I did not have any bags when i first started roasting, so i used some plastic containers, didn't really notice much difference s only used for a week or so.

Bags, i use them now, and usually every day open them and force any gas/air out and reseal, your right though the valves seem to offer little escape.


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## johnealey (May 19, 2014)

I was lucky in that before I bought some (20) of the black re sealer bags from BB, had managed to amass a number of has bean bags which kept me going for a while. I do give the black resealers a squeeze if they are looking fit to burst but can usually tell the valve working as a vent when open coffee cupboard and get a "chocolatey waft".

As to storage of the daterra, i took my cue from the fact they come in an airtight sealed bag, so figured the usual rules about breathing were a bit of a moot point. A not so quick trip to Ikea found some glass Kilner style tall jars that pupport to be 2L and turned out to hold about 1.5Kgs of greens comfortably. These jars are about £3 each so not super expensive till you work out you need at least 7 plus a smaller one (1.8L) about £2 something and a smaller 1L for about £1.50. They do also do some small jars of the same type that whilst not venters will take the results of a 250g roast, which are then simple to just gently lift to vent whilst still gassing, cost 80p each and do make for an attractive "gift" when filled with your own roasted beans (returnable / recyclable).

Realise the above may horrify some, but as said took the cue from the Pentapack the Daterra Full bloom came in.

Currently cutting out old valves from a few bags to try a Glass version of what I think seen on the previous forum with a plastic food storage unit. I did see a very interesting flat container at Ikea which is designed for putting foods in the microwave (white plastic clear lid red rubber seal) and comes with a little manual flap, what was more interesting was the rubber seal around the lid was airtight and there were numerous circular shapes moulded in the lid to match the flap which are about the same circular size as a bag vent when removed, hmmmmm.

As to your question on the temperature of the Gene, have always gone from cold and if roasting more than 1 in a day (worst was 5) leave it about 45 minutes between to cool down a bit. Could see the logic of pre heating in the winter but as roasting in the kitchen under the cooker hood, ambient temps pretty stable.

John


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Wouldn't use a coffee sack - guess you mean the burlap ones? I'd nick a few of Mrs DFK's pillow cases - no worries about the possibility of taint.

If a bag inflates like a balloon and can't deflate, the one way valve isn't working. You should be able to squeeze a bag and hear gas hissing from the valve.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

Pillow cases all the way for greens - not glamorous but very functional.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

ronsil said:


> Pillow cases all the way for greens - not glamorous but very functional.


Plus one for that but Mrs Systemic does complain they interfere with her beauty sleep


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

But if coffee worldwide, is shipped and stored in burlap sacks, why are pillow cases better?

And cannot anyone suggest a way of oolong when you pre heat, other than switching it off, otherwise it seems to negate the whole point. And, do one way valve bags really work and at what point or pressure do they allow the gases to pass out?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Burlap is used as source material for coffee bean bags because it is cheap, strong and often locally available. Downside is the well known risk of it tainting the coffee especially if it gets wet. Once we coffee obsessives have bought our coffee we want to nurture and protect it. Cotton pillow cases are ideal allowing the beans to breath and not transferring any taint.

Biggest enemy of coffee next to moisture is air - the unstable compounds in the roasted bean are highly sensitive and will oxidise very quickly if allowed to. Once roasted, the bean is protected in its own CO2 which it gradually emits during degassing and vents through the one way valve. The valve prevents harmful air/oxygen getting into the bag and oxidising the beans.

What is, 'a way of oolong when you pre heat, other than switching it off, otherwise it seems to negate the whole point'.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

everyone knows ooling is cooling.......!!


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

dfk41 said:


> everyone knows ooling is cooling.......!!


Ah, we do now


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

without sounding sarcastic, is there a maximum per pillow case?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Nope - I like to be able to twist and tie the pillowcase so I fill about half way. At a rough guess that's about four - six kilos worth. Asda do some decent cheap pillowcases for a £1 each.


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

I put the pillowcases into stackable plastic containers without lids & they live in my cool office cupboard until I weigh out the circa 250 grams ready to drop into the roaster.

The containers are easy to label up with the variety origin & name

Do not use lids or you will stop the beans breathing within the pillowcases (poor things)


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