# Resting coffee



## Craft House Coffee (Jan 13, 2017)

Happy Sunday to the good people of the Coffee forum!

I wrote a small blog about resting coffee with the intent to help out wholesale partners as well as anyone who might be interested. I thought I would see what people of the forum make of this as it seems this is a subject people are passionate about.

blog post here:

https://www.crafthousecoffee.co.uk/blogs/our-stories/resting-coffee


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## Aan (Feb 15, 2018)

Thanks for the link to your blog.

Bought some Cuban beans from the excellent Tamp Culture in Reading. Never tried Cuban before. Fresh roasted: almost no taste from my Elektra Microcasa a leva, but as time ticks by more flavours are emerging. Fascinating.


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## ShortShots (Oct 2, 2013)

Well said


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

Great article - more learning to be found in there than the usual 'don't touch it for 6 days'


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## Beanedict (Aug 14, 2017)

Thanks for the explanation and breakdown. It may explain why my friend did not appreciate the coffee I got for her, as it was only 2 days old - she used it in a bean to cup espresso machine.


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## IggyK (May 13, 2017)

Aan said:


> Thanks for the link to your blog.
> 
> Bought some Cuban beans from the excellent Tamp Culture in Reading. Never tried Cuban before. Fresh roasted: almost no taste from my Elektra Microcasa a leva, but as time ticks by more flavours are emerging. Fascinating.


I bought the Sumatran ones, Cuban is next on the list. To be honest I was a bit apprehensive as the flavours were spice, tobacco and fresh fig, surprisingly quite nice. Less so with filter coffee?


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## Sheena_Lance (Jan 24, 2018)

I never tried cuban coffee but would love to do so in the neeear future...


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## johnnyka7 (Mar 5, 2018)

Do you have any specific cuban coffee (or supplier) in mind?

That's something I would like to try as well.


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

A couple of stupid questions on resting beans here, so apologies in advance.

1) If you freeze beans, presumably the resting period is not counted whilst they are frozen i.e. it pauses during the freeze time and re-starts when you defrost the beans?

2) If you are planning to freeze, should you do this after the resting period, or as soon as you get the beans and then allow the rest period after you defrost them?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

dutchy101 said:


> A couple of stupid questions on resting beans here, so apologies in advance.
> 
> 1) If you freeze beans, presumably the resting period is not counted whilst they are frozen i.e. it pauses during the freeze time and re-starts when you defrost the beans?
> 
> 2) If you are planning to freeze, should you do this after the resting period, or as soon as you get the beans and then allow the rest period after you defrost them?


 If it is encouraging, there is never a stupid question on the forum. In a very different context (work) someone once told me off in a gentle way, for using the phrase 'stupid question'. They told me that I 'should have the courage of my not yet knowing.' I found it useful guidance then and still. But your questions. You will find the answers on this thread but the headline is, rest then freeze, if you can, which is what I have always done.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Remember freezing doesn't stop things entirely and when defrosted age more rapidly.


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## TomHughes (Dec 16, 2019)

Rob1 said:


> Remember freezing doesn't stop things entirely and when defrosted age more rapidly.


 Isn't it like -30 to stop it entirely?


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

No idea to be honest. Wouldn't surprise me if there had been tests on coffee brought down to temps that conventional freezers couldn't achieve. I think there were some experiments with grinding frozen beans that caught on with beans ground at really low temps but don't know about ageing.


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## TomHughes (Dec 16, 2019)

Rob1 said:


> No idea to be honest. Wouldn't surprise me if there had been tests on coffee brought down to temps that conventional freezers couldn't achieve. I think there were some experiments with grinding frozen beans that caught on with beans ground at really low temps but don't know about ageing.


 Yes I think I saw a study on it, I think it was at least -30, and I think domestic freezers are -15

Come to think of it it was a talk about freshness from SCCA.

This was the pod and slides there.

Interesting stuff about freshness.

https://scanews.coffee/podcast/53/a-scientific-approach-to-coffee-freshness-chahan-yeretzian-expo-lectures-2018/

I've certainly changed my thinking on resting very recently, with the race to consume a coffee potentially a relic from times of dark oily roasts where rancidity of the oils was an over-riding factor in consuming coffee super fresh.

Some of the very best coffees I've had recently have been 3-4 week old lighter roasts that were pretty rubbish for the first 2 weeks but matured nicely.


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## Wisey (May 17, 2020)

@Craft House Coffee

hi, just looking at buying my first beans.

so, leave them for 12 days or so, then then they'll only last for 30 days or so, so really got 2 weeks to drink them?


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## tonnesofquestions (Feb 21, 2020)

Wisey said:


> @Craft House Coffee
> 
> hi, just looking at buying my first beans.
> 
> so, leave them for 12 days or so, then then they'll only last for 30 days or so, so really got 2 weeks to drink them?


 Give them a whirl 3-5 days after roasting, then decide if they need a couple more days to rest. By Day 7 you should be able to start enjoying, for the next few weeks you might get different flavours turning up.

Depending on the bean, 6 weeks after roasting they are still drinkable


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## TomHughes (Dec 16, 2019)

Wisey said:


> @Craft House Coffee
> 
> hi, just looking at buying my first beans.
> 
> so, leave them for 12 days or so, then then they'll only last for 30 days or so, so really got 2 weeks to drink them?


 Have you bought a machine?


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## Wisey (May 17, 2020)

@TomHughes

hopefully today


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## Wisey (May 17, 2020)

@tonnesofquestions

thanks mate


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## dutchy101 (Jun 12, 2020)

Thanks for the info folks!


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## Wisey (May 17, 2020)

So getting my machine today & received my first beans today

they were roasted on the 23rd, so can I start giving them a try tomorrow/Wednesday?

at the moment I'm without a proper storage container, what's the best thing to do? Do I leave them in the bag they same in/not open them, will the degassing occur seeping our the bag or does it need opening?

in a couple of days start freezing in small batches or store in small tubs where there'll be the least amount of free space in them (meaning less oxygen in there?)


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## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

Wisey said:


> So getting my machine today & received my first beans today


 The saga is over?! Congrats Wisey, what did you go for in the end?


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## Wisey (May 17, 2020)

@CocoLoco

😂🤭

I've reserved it & picking it up in an hour so as Stiffler says 'You don't score, til you score'....

sage DTP & eureka mignon specialita grinder


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## 24774 (Mar 8, 2020)

@Wisey Good choice, that's a nice set up to learn about coffee and you'll get some nice drinks out of it.



Wisey said:


> they were roasted on the 23rd, so can I start giving them a try tomorrow/Wednesday?


 I'd leave them at least a week. 14 days is usual for me, others say 10, some say 7. Square Mile told me to leave their Red Brick beans 3 weeks. I'd say experiment, see what you like.

Leave them in the bag for now, don't open them. Get an Airscape, keep them in there once opened.


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## Adam.f (Apr 9, 2020)

I generally go 10-14 days after roasting. I leave mine in the bag in a cool dry place (kitchen cabinet) the coffee bags will have a valve to let the gas out, once you want to freeze them, put in the seal tub/tubes and place in the freezer, if you don't have tub/tubes you can place them in the freezer in the bag they came in and place some tape over the valve, once you have opened the bag from the freezer I don't return them to the freezer, this is why I use tubes and single dose my coffee beans. if you don't want to freeze then as CocoLoco said Airscape.


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## Wisey (May 17, 2020)

@Adam.f

@CocoLoco

yeah everywhere seems to say different!

I'm ready to order an airscape, just waiting for it to come back in stock, been checking everyday for about 3 weeks!


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## Blue_Cafe (Jun 22, 2020)

Interesting thread.

Flies in the face of the crowd who are anal about roast dates vs delivery. YMMV as always seems to be the key.


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## Rapid (Jun 12, 2020)

Wisey said:


> @Adam.f
> 
> @CocoLoco
> 
> ...


 I imagine this is because different beans have a tendency to behave slightly different in terms of best maturity/releasing flavours etc.


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## thawhat (Jul 29, 2020)

Thanks for the info people. Normally leave mine 5-7 days resting time when I get fresh beans but on my most recent purchase noticed that I was getting large bubbles. Will try 10-14 next!


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