I wanted to share a new way (for me) of freezing beans for single dosing.
Up until now I would use 50ml containers, organize them using 3d printed stands, fill them with 20grams or coffee beans +-1 g and off to the freezer. When i wanted to use them I immediately use one from the freezer to the grinder.
This worked well for my for my 20g and 58mm portafilter.
Recently I started using 49mm portafilter. I prefer for less caffeine and more shots. 14.5g has enough depth for most shots and I can up dose easily with 15g or 16g.
The problem now is that when I freeze my beans at 15g there is a lot of air in the container. I want my beans to last for months if not years – esp some expensive quality coffee.
The air in the container would oxidize the beans-that is true with 20g as well but the increased empty space made me think.
I searched online but really there was nothing to remove the air from containers. One way valves dont have pumps for air. The only true solution is vacuum bags.
I avoided vacuum bags until now for the waste and would not think to freeze each shot in a separate bag and then throw it away – but vacuum sealed bags was the only solution I could find that would truly work.
Then it hit me – I could use vacuum sealed bags – create departments for 15g doses and reuse them with minimum waste each time!
So this is what I was doing today.
Step 1: Made 4 departments from a single bag. each department is internationally tall. Check photos on the fold technique to make the departments.
Step 2: Cut and fill with beans.
Step 3: Vacuum and seal.
Step 4: Freeze beans for years.
When you want to use them
Step 1: remove from freezer
Step 2(Important): cut with a knife just below the seal.
Step3: use the beans
Step 4: Reuse the container!!!
That’s the key. Depending on how tall you make the bags, you can reuse each one multiple times with minimal waste.
There is still waste but it’s in orders of magnitude lower than use the bag and toss it.
That said I will only use that for my very expensive – rare coffees that I enjoy. The rest will still end up on the tubes at 15 or 20 grams.
Photos attached.
by weakwire
27 Comments
Yall are wild man….
Meanwhile I’m out here buying 1kg bags of roasted coffee and filling up my hopper to the max
I can tell y’all are engineers
Sorry, but the amount of plastic foil usage is insane! Hope it keeps it fresh enough….
Fuck the environment am I right!?!
Ludicrous
This is for single dosing your amazing geishas that you want to taste every Monday for a year or so.
Each bag is reusable!
I buy beans in advance and throw the entire bag in the freezer right away. Every morning I pull the bag out, dose 18g, then toss the bag back in the freezer. Been doing this for years and the beans stay fresh, no issues.
So. Much. Plastic!
Why, why, why.
Yum, microplastics and polyethylene off gassing. Nothing gets me going in the morning like VOCs.
Lot of work ha!
The make a vacuum sealer that works with glass container jars and they make small glass containers….
Have you looked into reusable silicone sous vide bags?
r/shitfromabutt
Why?
This is a significant amount of unnecessary plastic. I am sorry, but I cannot justify this. Even if you reuse these items a few times, it will gradually end up in the waste bin. 😔
I think we’ve lost the plot
This should be on circle jerk
Unnecessary plastic waste
Post shift without my glasses i thought that thos was a stool sample
The frozen dookie method
Alright, that’s it. We’ve jumped the shark.
That is such a waste of plastics.
Here’s a fun experiment: put 15g in a 50mL test tube (ie. with the extra air) and leave it in the freezer along with these for a couple of months. Pull a shot and see if you can tell the difference.
This belongs on /r/espressocirclejerk
So much waste
Just get mason jars and the little accessory for your vac sealer that vacs and seals mason jars. The only slightly annoying part is that sealing the jar every morning is louder than my grinder, but I don’t feel guilty about all that waste.
Y’all have issues