When buying coffee, you can often see that some bags have small holes, and under them, a certain solid round small object is detected by touch. But often most of us do not pay any attention to this detail and in vain. What is it and what function does it perform?
Why Do Coffee Bags Have Holes? The key is to know that roasted coffee releases significant amounts of carbon dioxide, as the beans retain some of the gas after roasting and release it slowly. In fact, the calculations ensure that they can continue to emit C02 for almost two weeks.
If not for these valves, the carbon dioxide would have nowhere to go once released, the bags Starts to swell up.
This is why oxygen, humidity, and other elements in the environment can damage coffee beans. To keep it fresh, with its aroma, its flavor, and all the qualities that make you like it, it is necessary to isolate it from these threats.
The hole allows gas to be released and prevents oxygen and moisture from entering for up to 4 months, keeping the coffee as fresh as possible to make the best cup of coffee.
Do Coffee Bags Actually Explode?
Coffee suppliers obviously added a vent to their coffee bags for a reason. Even if it isn’t the type of explosion you’re picturing, coffee bags can erupt if not degassed.
When fresh coffee is packaged, CO2 is released, which causes the packaging to expand. One of the most common causes of a bag popping is one of the corners bursting open due to pressure. The freshly roasted coffee beans can emit so much gas that the bags explode.
These valves are a necessary part of the coffee bean packaging system allowing suppliers to send their coffee all over the country, even the world.
How Does the Vent Work?
Current technology offers us coffee packed in bags with one-way valves that preserve, above all, freshly roasted and packed beans so that they can finish “breathing” their gases.
These valves allow the gases inside the bag to escape and prevent oxygen from entering and starting oxidation of the coffee. Although in certain that such packages with their valves lengthen the life of the coffee; bear in mind that once the bag is opened, oxygen and light come into contact with the grain, and the process of volatilization of components and loss of some attributes is accelerated.
Let’s go back to the packaging issue with the recommendation that you will read frequently in this blog: buy coffee beans, hopefully with some traceability data (harvest dates, roasting), and, once opened, consume it in the shortest time.
What happens to our used coffees?
What about used coffee? bags that have been open for more than a month? Coffee should be a very special purchase item, as should its quality because, for low-quality beans, all of these tips are not worth the time and effort.
So, even if the bag has its one-way degassing valve, keep in mind that once the bag is opened, the valve loses its usefulness. Ah! The “valve” is not for smelling the fragrance of grain; so I didn’t squeeze the packaging. These tips are reinforced if the grain you have purchased is already ground.
In this space, I propose the purchase of unground coffee beans to preserve the attributes of the coffee, in addition to the fact that the beans are ground before preparing a cup. It is known that not everyone has access to a coffee grinder, but today the market offers us several possibilities; In any case, to play and experiment we can make use of homemade tools such as the corn mill or the picatodo that the blender brings
I do not recommend the blender with the tall cup, as the grain would permanently skip and never let itself be split by the blades. So, the recommendation is the low cup or the picatodo.
Note that by using this homemade method, you will get an even fine grind and you would not get a medium or coarse grind evenly.
Related Questions
How Do You Open A Coffee Bag with a Vent?
To open a coffee bag, use a pair of scissors to cut it right across the top, just above the resealable flaps. It’s never a good idea to tear open a coffee bag because you won’t be able to close it again.
A large hole in your coffee bag allows air to mix with the beans, dulling their flavor and aroma. Instead of storing your coffee in a bag, I recommend investing in a canister.
Do Coffee Canisters Have a Vent?
Every good coffee container has a built-in CO2 vent. A tight valve pushing gas out of the canister while keeping air out is usually built into the lid.
A coffee canister is an excellent way to extend the life of your coffee beans. Some ceramic or glass coffee containers will not have a vent because they are primarily decorative.
How to Keep Coffee Fresh After You Open the Bag?
After opening a coffee bag, transfer all of the beans to an airtight container. Leaving the coffee in a bag exposes it to air, causing the beans to lose flavor.
Keep the coffee container at room temperature, preferably in your pantry.