# Patience



## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

About a month ago I decided to buy some of Has Bean's slightly more pricey beans. But I didn't have a chance to use them as quickly as I usually would. After 22 days (past roast) the Indian Balmaadi went in the hopper. Amazing! Ugly pour, amazing taste. Yesterday, a few weeks later, still good and only slightly reduced. Both much better than 5-10 days.

A while back Vince Fedele (the VST guy) told me 14 days (if memory serves) is a min to get a proper extraction.

Just a thought.


----------



## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Dave at Extract also suggested 2 weeks was the best resting time for beans (for espresso use).

Currently having issues getting a good extraction from beans roasted 5 days ago.

Much wisdom here I think.

What about for brewed coffee? As fresh as possible?


----------



## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

My own, generally darker, roasted beans for espresso (incl blends) are always better after 7 days. Generally for the Aeropress 3/4 days is good.

I have found I can usually judge the roast after 2/3 days for espresso having got used to the 'bicarb' taste of too fresh beans


----------



## MikeHag (Mar 13, 2011)

Sticking with espresso, I also still find some beans becoming unusable after 10 days due to becoming oily from the roast level - often Brazils. I'm tending to see lighter roasts/high grown beans needing a longer rest and low altitude/darker roasts having an earlier window. But other factors will be involved, I'm sure.

Brewed... I don't have the same problems hitting a target extraction, but again I think some beans benefit (flavourwise) from more resting than my impatience usually allows.


----------



## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

Fresh beans give a cardboard flavour brewed







. One of the goals of resting coffee is to take the edge of acidity a bit if it needs it, but of course for brewed this is less important. The flavours change and open up with time, it's just a question of where you want it.

I certainly don't understand why people start whining when their micro-roastery order doesn't arrive the very next day.


----------



## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

I was only thinking about this yesterday.

In the past I have put this 'cardboardy' flavour in brewed down to aeropress/v60 papers or perhaps a characteristic of a lightish roast but am realising now this isnt always the case.

SM Wote was roasted 23/07 = It tasted the best it ever has yesterday 14 days after roast, normally I would have written off beans for use as brewed at around this stage! I might keep 20g to one side to brew again in 2 weeks to see what its like.

For espresso I try to allow at least 5-7 days rest with the aim of using them prior to the 14 day mark, again probably without justification. Ive resisted buying kilo bags for fear of them going stale prior to consumption.

The smell of beans in the bag and also post grinding is noticably less pungent after 10 days (I dont think anyone can argue with this) but it doesnt seem to translate into less flavour or aroma once water is added.

I wonder how much of the degredation is impacted by 1)roast & 2)varietal/origin?


----------



## Spazbarista (Dec 6, 2011)

It's an infinite, and fractal, question to try and answer, especially if you try and focus in on the different flavours within a given coffee and see how different ones weaken and strengthen over time.

Bit like letting cheese ripen.


----------



## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

...more complexity still when you bring blends into the picture


----------



## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

Interesting, I have been thinking about this recently too. I have been playing around with different basket sizes again and am starting to wonder whether this plays a part in ideal resting times. I have always found that as beans age, a higher dose is required to stop the espresso tasting bland with the caramels overpowering the other flavours but for some reason have never extended this model to degassing on really fresh beans.

Recently, I started using some Square Mile Red Brick a few days out of roast in a 18g VST basket. It tasted harsh and really "in your face". Dropping back down to the 15g basket with appropriately lower dose corrected the taste producing more sweetness. However, 10 days past roast and a return to the 18g results in a fantastic espresso with similar sweetness to what I had found when I dropped back to the 15g.

I had a few bags of the Balmaadi natural (I think it is out of stock now) a while back and they were stunning as espresso and brewed. Christmas pudding in a cup!


----------



## dobber (Jun 22, 2012)

hey there interesting post, i have recently found a local roaster hes at a farmers market next weekend, now with the rest period how do you store the beans as they come wrapped or left open? completely new to this hence a maybe daft question.


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

I find that many of the Has Bean blends still taste great after 21 days.

In fact some have been better in the 4th week before dropping off a cliff in taste.


----------



## RoloD (Oct 13, 2010)

Yes, in the enthusiasm for fresh beans this crucial fact often gets overlooked - beans have to be rested.

Londinium label their packs not only when the date the beans were roasted but when the they should be opened. For some, like Sumatra Lingtong, the recommended rest is 14 days - to quote from their site: 'at 7 days post roast this coffee makes a grim, edgy, fragmented espresso that will have you directing it towards the bin'. (I tried it, and it's true! But a great coffee a week later). Londinium can make these bold statements because their coffee is aimed specifically at espresso drinkers - it might not be the same for those who are brewing with different methods or prefer milk-based drinks.


----------



## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

Enjoying James Gourmet Formula 6 at a month past roast more than before...can't rule out my own impact on the earlier shots though! ;-)


----------



## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

OK back to the SM Wote roasted 23/07.

Sampled yesterday at work, aeropress 14g (ish) into a 250ml (ish) beverage. Coarse grind 4 mins and a 30 second plunge.

Aroma was generic coffee, flavour was generic coffee...delicate fruit-tea elements are all but gone. Perfectly drinkable tho , sweetness and fruit-like-acidity still present, head and shoulders above anything available from the onsite Costa


----------

