How long does green coffee keep for? How to preserve green coffee beans?

– PROTECT THE ORIGIN –

Green coffee beans are fresh coffee that has not been roasted and ground, so they are easily oxidized, reducing flavor quality over time. If not preserved well, the finished cup of coffee will have the smell of wood, paper, straw, … affecting the user’s experience. Even these coffee beans may be degraded, damaged, causing damage to the manufacturer and adversely affecting the health of users. So how long does green coffee keep for? How to properly store green coffee beans? Let’s find out with 43 Factory Coffee Roaster now!

Factors affecting the quality of green coffee beans

Like any other agricultural or food product, green coffee beans also have a shelf life and are affected by environmental factors. In which factors that strongly affect the quality of coffee beans can be mentioned such as temperature, humidity, oxygen, light, …

Temperature

The quality of green coffee beans can be changed in environments with high temperatures or sudden temperature changes. High temperature causes substances in coffee to react and oxidize faster, causing a burning smell and a harsh taste. When the temperature changes too quickly, it will lead to the water content in the seeds that will or slightly quickly shrink, cracking, reducing the inherent size and weight. This is also the reason why coffee loses its characteristic aroma. Therefore, roasters must always keep these green beans in a cool and stable environment. They are best stored between 18°C and 22°C and away from heat sources to prevent the coffee’s flavor from deteriorating over time.

Humidity

In addition to temperature, green coffee beans can absorb or lose water easily by moisture. High humidity can cause green coffee to mold or grow fungi, giving coffee an unpleasant odor and sour taste. Low humidity can cause green coffee to dry out and lose oil, reducing its sweetness and richness. Therefore, green coffee should be stored at a humidity level of 10% to 12% to maintain the best quality.

Oxygen

Oxygen is one of the factors affecting the freshness of green coffee. When exposed to air for a long time, the substances in green coffee will be oxidized, losing color, flavor and nutrients. Oxidation can also make green coffee rancid (sour), less aromatic and taste like paper, wood. Therefore, green coffee should be stored in air-tight containers that contain deoxidizers or have an air outlet valve to minimize the time they are exposed to oxygen.

Light

Green coffee can also be affected by sunlight or artificially. When green coffee beans are exposed to strong light, they are damaged by the “optical decomposition” process. The light rays will cause the organic particles in the coffee beans to be gradually broken down, causing the green coffee to evaporate the oil, reducing the taste and aroma. This process is similar to oxidation, they all cause decomposition, causing the nutritional value of green coffee to decrease drastically. Therefore, to keep coffee beans fresh longer, avoid them being exposed to direct sunlight.

Time

Time is not the main cause of coffee loss, but it is a measure of how the four factors mentioned above have affected coffee. If not stored or poor storage conditions, oxidation, moisture and temperature, light from the environment will easily come in contact to change the inorganic and organic substances in coffee beans. Over time, coffee will lose its water, color, delicate aroma, and variety. Therefore, it is necessary to store coffee carefully to keep the best quality.

How long does green coffee really stay fresh?

According to a common standard of most specialty coffee roasters, green coffee is considered fresh when it is in the period from 6 to 12 months when it has just been processed or packaged. After passing the 12-month mark and there are coffee beans from the new crop that have been harvested and sent to roasters, the coffee during this period will be called a “past crop” – a term Common term for coffee crops with dry, defective, undesirable flavors. Because when the coffee is not fresh enough, the delicious flavors will be lost, causing a loss in value and user experience.

Ahmed Mahyoub – Managing Director at Mocha Mill in Yemen also agrees with roasters around the world about the time frame to keep the freshness of coffee is one year from the time it is processed and shipped. However, during that time, coffee must be stored in sealed packaging, isolated from the elements of temperature, humidity, oxygen, etc. He also added that the freshness time frame of each species will not be the same as each cultivar will have a different durability. Some coffee varieties are more susceptible to spoilage and loss of value in a shorter period of time than others. Therefore, freshness will also vary depending on the specific coffee and storage conditions.

How to properly preserve green coffee beans

Each type of coffee will have a different freshness period due to their genetics, so this is very difficult to change. Therefore, in order for green coffee to keep its freshness and good quality, it is possible to use packaging with high waterproofing ability or store it in an environment with certain temperature and humidity conditions.

Store green coffee beans in an ideal environment

Regarding the coffee storage environment, the International Coffee Organization (ICO) recommends that it be strictly controlled for moisture and water activity (symbol aw – is the amount of free water present in the product or material). Once processed and ready to ship, the moisture content of green coffee should be maintained between 8% and 12.5% to ensure that the coffee is not moldy or too dry. Water activity in this medium should be kept between 0.5% and 0.7% aw to be consistent with food safety procedures. If the water activity is too high, microorganisms in the coffee will grow rapidly, which can cause sour odors or damage to the beans.

The control of moisture and water activity of green coffee not only helps to preserve coffee better, but also contributes to improving the taste and quality of coffee when roasting and preparing. However, in order to keep the coffee moisture below 12%, the storage environment must always ensure the humidity is around 60% -65% and the temperature is about 20°C (+/- 5°C). This is very difficult because when transporting coffee, it has to go through many different checkpoints, vehicles, and environmental conditions.

Use quality packaging to preserve green coffee beans

Using packaging that is as waterproof and water-resistant as possible is the most feasible method, because no one can guarantee that coffee is always in the ideal environment, away from sunlight, air, etc. … To make the best use of this method, producers and traders are combining coffee packaging through multiple layers of packaging. They use plastic packaging, multi-layer plastic, vacuum inside and cover with burlap to help prevent and limit the impact of external factors better.

In addition, many suppliers have used innovative packaging specifically for green coffee. They have special materials and a more protective layer design that helps the coffee keep its freshness and aroma for longer than a year. At the same time, they can be reused and easily decomposed to protect the environment.

43 How does the factory preserve green coffee beans?

With a mission to bring people true value from the original coffee taste, while protecting the sustainability of the environment and society, 43 Factory Coffee Roaster always chooses suppliers using GrainPro bags. to preserve green coffee beans. This type of packaging is made from PE and low-permeability materials, so it has excellent durability and resistance to air and water vapor to help protect coffee beans longer. GrainPro is also designed to hold and maintain vacuum pressure in the bag to help coffee retain its flavor, color, and avoid mold for a long time. Moreover, the GrainPro bag is recyclable, so it is very environmentally friendly.

As can be seen, normally the time to keep the freshness of coffee is about 12 months. But this time can vary depending on many factors such as cultivar and storage. The best method to preserve coffee is to use materials with high permeability, air resistance, and avoid heat and direct sunlight from the outside. That way, the new coffee when brewed retains the rich, unique and original flavors from the growing area. If you are looking for quality specialty coffee, come to 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to experience it.

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