# Green bean storage



## MikeHag

Now that I'm getting into home roasting I'd like to take advantage of buying in larger quantities to get a lower price (if this is a readily available option in the UK). But that raises the question of storage. There seem to be different views regarding the lifespan of green beans and how best to store them to ensure the best possible roasted coffee. Some folks seem to leave the greens in sacks, whereas some say airtight containers are needed. Some say current year is best due to freshness, others say beans mature and improve with age (up to a limit... 3 years I believe?).

In time I see myself having a bit of a roasting shed with a stock storage area and just wonder what other people who have already gone down this route do regarding storage of larger quantities that may be kept in stock for over a year.

And for beans that are used within a year, is method of storage less important?


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## lookseehear

I think this page should answer quite a few of your questions regarding storage. There was another sweet marias page I saw a week or so ago on usage times that mentioned the coffee deteriorating after 6 months. I'll try and find it for you.

Edit: found it!


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## CoffeeMagic

Really depends on how quick you intend to shift them. What kind of stock level are you looking to keep?


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## MikeHag

Thanks Luke. That input on shelflife really helps with gauging how much I'd buy. Wouldn't want to hold anything longer than 12-18 months provided the storage could prevent degradation of quality, and stock levels would reflect that.

Maybe I'll start off the way I've read some guys do it... decanting to smallish tuppaware boxes.


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## ChrisP

I bought 20kg a while back and used it over about a year. I left it in the plastic bags it came in in the garage and didn't notice any ill effects from storage.


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## MikeHag

Good to know. Cheers


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## Fran

I was listening to a Coffee Geek podcast a couple of months ago, where Mark Prince was describing his experience freezing greens after vacuum sealing them. He said that after a year, there was virtually no degradation in quality.


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