I thought James's coffee predictions for 2008 were very well done. Of course I'm not in James's league, but I do have a coffee prediction to make for oh, about the year 2011.
I find it surprising that many specialty roasters are ultra particular in the way they select coffees, and they're extremely meticulous in the way they roast. But after that...they throw the finest coffees in the world into a valve bag, send them out the door, and simply hope for the best. Sometimes the coffee tastes best on the fourth day, sometimes on the fourteenth. Sometimes, never.
My somewhat pretentious prediction is that cutting-edge roasters, (especially those who run their own local cafes) will soon begin to do better. Starting around 2011, freshly-roasted beans will be transferred into reusable canisters within seconds of leaving the cooling tray. The canisters will be hooked up to a gas-flush system that will promptly remove oxygen and replace it with nitrogen or CO2. The canisters will have one-way valves that may or may not be set up to maintain the contents at slightly elevated pressures (like Illy's 0.5 bar).
Canisters will be stored in inventory areas that are temperature controlled. Considering the high capital costs of setting up a roastery or cafe, having a properly controlled storage area (perhaps the size of a walk-in closet) is a relatively small additional expense.
Cuppers and baristas will be exacting in the way they specify how long and at what pressure their coffees are aged. Each origin and each blend may have its own specification. Some may age for 4-5 days, some for 12-15. Cuppers will argue about this passionately. :-)
At the store level, staff obsessed with serving the best possible coffee will be able to rely on consistent, delicious and optimized flavor profiles. Discerning customers will rave about the beverages. It will all be good. :-)
BTW, if this happens sooner, like in 2009 or 2010, I won't be miffed!
(Perhaps someone can clue me in, I believe 49th Parallel is pursuing at least some of these strategies already. Is there anyone else?)
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We've started delivering coffee in reusable valved containers to wholesale customers but we don't yet know how to gas flush them. We are working on making things better, but it is baby steps for our new company.
ReplyDeleteGO STEPHEN!
Woo!
As I was reading your containers popped into my head Jim.
ReplyDeleteI think reusability has got to be the way forward, it means you can spend a bit more time getting the packaging right in the first place, because you know it's going to serve you well.
vermont artisan coffee roaster by Mane Alves is doing something close to that.
ReplyDeleteAll Nite Roasters has started sending their espresso out in reusable containers. They weren't valved or flushed, but they were reusable.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that a lot of people are moving in this direction. Being so perishable, specialty coffee requires specialty packaging!
ReplyDeleteA while back, Mane Alves was telling me that canning is only effective if you can the coffee within 15 minutes of coming out of the roaster. There were a number of scientific details related along with this (of which I can no longer remember), but the bottom line was that after fifteen minutes, the dramatic benefit of canning (long term storage) was nullified.
ReplyDeleteMuch later, I was having a conversation with a rep from Pacific Bag about their cans and was told that their cans were not airtight because of the seam. I asked why they put the gas valve on the can and the reply was because the customers wanted it - obviously with no real benefit since gas escaped from the can because of the seam.
Jay, I don't understand. According to Wikipedia, the airtight seam for metal cans was invented in 1900. Isn't Pacific taking the retro thing a little too far?
ReplyDeleteWe recently received can samples from Pacific Bags. The fact that they have the one way valve is sweet, but I didnt like the sealing on the top. Not airtight and also tough to open for the customers without spilling beans. Bottom line.... still looking for something better.
ReplyDeleteDe La Paz Coffee
http://www.freshcup.com/back-issues/2004/2004_aug/aug04_roasters.htm
ReplyDeleteThat said, I will go out on a limb and say that I don't think this is much of an issue for specialty roasters. Who of us really needs to preserve the coffee for more than two weeks?
Also note that the shelf life changed when the cans changed over to the mylar pull-top. This development (safety first, cuz ppl got scared of the sharp edges) essentially made the can into a heat-sealed bag. The old school rigid can with key-pull was much more effective for preserving fresh roasts.
Trish, thanks for the link to a great article.
ReplyDelete(1) Did you taste for yourself the six month old canned coffee that tasted the same as fresh? That's hard to believe, especially since six month older green is going to roast and taste differently from the original green.
(2) In theory, specialty roasters don't need more than two week shelf life, but in practice, a lot of specialty is older when it sells....
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