So my dad had to get up earlier than usual this morning, and in a sleepy fog he forgot to put the carafe back under the basket of the Capresso MT500. So when I stumbled into the kitchen this morning to start my espresso, I found coffee on the floor, all over the counter - everywhere but in the carafe, which was still sitting in the sink with hot tap water in it. >_<
Problem is, a bag of coffee beans was sitting on the counter and the bottom of it got wet. It's a paper bag lined with plastic on the inside, but after we poured the beans into a bowl, I felt inside the bag and the bottom was a little wet. We spread the beans on a plate between paper towels to let them dry out. Will they be okay to grind tomorrow maybe?
No experience here on my part to guide you... but what would stop you from finding out? In cases like these I try it out and have something else on hand just in case. Besides, if the inside of the bag was wet but no free water was in the bag, then most of the beans have been subjected only to high humidity.
Which brings me to the scolding point of... you aren't keeping your beans in paper bags are you? I would think the oxygen exposure would be more detrimental to your beans here than dampness. The Coffee Snob Authority of America (I made that up you know) recommends airtight or one-way valve containers for storing coffee beans after roasting.
I understand maybe they were fresh-roasted, or maybe you use them all quickly, or maybe you don't care. If none of those apply, however, why not change your storage container? That would also prevent this type of accident.
My main concern was messing up the grinder, since I've heard water + grinder parts = bad bad bad news. There was no free water in the bag, but apparently some did get through the plastic liner.
So far, I've been keeping my beans in the bag the roaster puts them in. This usually gets me almost through the batch before they're too stale for espresso, at which point I pass them off to my dad for drip. (For some reason he doesn't pounce on them immediately, preferring to use them only occasionally or to spike Mom's Folgers with. I just don't get it...)
Most of my coffee comes from a cafe that uses Mylar-lined paper bags with one-way valves and ziploc tops, but this was a special case. Anyway, now that they've had two fantastic guest espressos recently, finding a better way to store them has suddenly moved up on the priority list. Haven't had time to really look into the options yet, but of course I'm open to suggestions. :)
Well I could see if water got in your beans then it would cause problems as the grinds wouldn't fly away properly but would stick. But as long as they're dry to the touch, they should be okay.
Honestly I don't think there is a problem with fresh-roasted beans in a bag for a few days while you use them up, but for more than three or four days I'd use an airtight solution. You can easily use ziploc bags, just push the air out by rolling them up from the bottom, and be sure they're sealed and not leaky. A hard container such as a glass jar with a rubber seal and a clamping lid is a good choice, or foil bags or tins with one-way air valves work too. Bags work well since you get more air out, but they're more fragile and can get hard-to-detect leaks.
I've found that a lot of "airtight" containers aren't really airtight, as the seal gives one way or another with enough pressure differential. Since fresh-roasted coffee exudes CO2 this is not that big a deal, but it annoys me that a simple 0.2psi difference leaks away; that means normal changes in weather air pressure also leak in or out.
As for the 'rents not really appreciating fine beans, there's no winning there. People like what they like... and don't want to change once they've found their druthers. If you offer and they enjoy, then good. If they ask for more, then better. But maybe they're wondering why you go through all that trouble when all it takes is a week-old can of Folgers and some warm water...
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