[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Coffee_Storage-1.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n
We know you care about coffee (that\u2019s why we love working with you!) and we know that you take great care and consider every detail when it comes to sourcing, sampling, profiling, blending, packaging, even brewing and serving. Green-coffee storage is another key area of concern, especially for smaller roasters with limited space and resources, and we know you care about that, too.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering what the ideal conditions are for storing your green, we\u2019ve got a short answer and a long answer for you. The short answer, according to Cafe Imports\u2019 sensory analysis director Ian Fretheim, is: \u201cCool and dry. That\u2019s really it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, there\u2019s never\u00a0just<\/i>\u00a0a short answer. Read on to find out about some specific conditions and containers that might help you preserve the quality and longevity of your favorite lots.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Cool & Dry” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Cool<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n How cool is cool? In Ian\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>long-term study of water activity<\/span>\u00a0and research into the impact that light, moisture, and temperature have on Aw stability, he discovered that while there\u2019s no universal ideal temperature, \u201cCave temperature is ideal for some and not for others, but it\u2019s the closest fit for most.\u201d (You can read that water-activity study more in-depth on the\u00a0<\/span>Sensory Analysis<\/span>\u00a0page of our website.)<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Washed_Process_Burundi.jpg” max_width=”90%” align=”center” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Cool & Dry” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n At our warehouse, \u201ccave temperature\u201d hovers between 60\u201370\u00b0F. It\u2019s also important that the environment doesn\u2019t experience wide swings, such as extremely hot days and cold overnights, or that your coffee is stored in a direct-sun spot. That being said, says Ian, \u201ceveryone\u2019s always going to be limited by what they have available. I\u2019ve certainly walked into caf\u00e9s where the green coffee bag was leaning up against the roaster. I\u00a0would\u00a0<\/i>probably shy away from doing that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dry<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Coffee constantly changes and adapts in pursuit of environmental equilibrium: If it has a higher moisture content than the air around it, for example, it will begin to microscopically secrete moisture out into the environment. The inverse is also true: Dryer coffee in wetter environments will absorb some of that excess moisture.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The complicated thing is that coffees from different parts of the world, of different ages, with different processes, of different varieties\u2013basically every variable in the book\u2014will also differ slightly in moisture content and water activity, which will respond accordingly in search of that equilibrium. So\u2026 what to do?<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cOk, you\u2019re not going to build a special environmental room for every coffee, so the minimum is based around what seems to be the best\u00a0overall<\/i>\u00a0condition,\u201d Ian says. \u201cThat minimum seems to be relatively dry. Around 50\u201360% humidity seems pretty right on for us in Minnesota: That humidity is lower than the humid parts of the year and higher than the really dry parts of the year, relative to outside temperature.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Practically speaking, maybe that means keeping your coffee away from doors and windows, steam radiators, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, and anything else that might mess with the moisture in the environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Coffee_Bags.png” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Cool & Dry” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n \u201cClosing bags is a big one, too, because it blocks moisture\u201d Ian continues. \u201cIf you\u2019re in the South and you\u2019re in a humid environment, you can use GrainPro and keep them closed. For most coffee, being in GrainPro is better than not being in GrainPro, but then utilizing that barrier rather than just having it open and sit there. That closed GrainPro bag is a much smaller, easily regulated environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re using plastic pails or tubs like the classic Uline 5-gallon jobs, Ian says, \u201cThat\u2019s probably convenient but not great,\u201d depending on whether the lids make a genuine air-tight seal or not. \u201cIf your lid isn\u2019t cutting off the connection with the environment, then you\u2019re back in the same boat,\u201d he continues. Short-term storage in the tubs is probably fine for prepping and loading, but for anything else you\u2019re likely better off sticking with the closed-tight GrainPro bag.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Now what?” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Now what?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019ve got a small roastery with limited storage and you\u2019re looking around thinking, \u201cIt sure gets hot when I\u2019m roasting,\u201d or, \u201cI can\u2019t afford to climate-control my storage but where I live it\u2019s 85% humidity three months a year.\u201d Don\u2019t despair because the conditions aren\u2019t absolutely perfect. After all,\u00a0nothing<\/i>\u00a0in coffee is absolutely perfect.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Now what?” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can do 68\u00b0F and 50% humidity that\u2019s wonderful\u2014but if you can\u2019t, then you can\u2019t,\u201d Ian says, reassuringly. \u201cIf you have the option of being in one part of the space at 84\u00b0F and another part of the space at 78\u00b0F, then pick the space that\u2019s 78\u00b0F. If you have two spots to use and one is less sunny, I would pick the one that\u2019s less sunny. I would take those combinations of temperature, humidity, and sun, and look for the most moderate combination that you can.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You can also lean on your importer: Adding a few months of carry to a contract rather than taking delivery of all of your bags at once will preserve them in a climate-controlled space for longer, and can extend the shelf life in addition to saving space around the roastery. (Carry charges are typically between $0.03\u2013$0.05\/lb per month.)<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Roasted_Coffee_Bag.png” align=”center” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Now what?” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n