What is a "fresh" coffee?
Many factors can impact your final cup, including the origin of the coffee, the density of the bean, its variety, its quality, its roast, the type of brewing, etc.
Fresh coffee is whole bean coffee that is roasted within two weeks of the roasting date. It generally reaches its optimal flavor potential 48 hours after roasting, and up to one month after roasting.
While freshness is a good indicator of your cup's potential profile, there are many other factors to consider to achieve the perfect taste experience and optimize your cup, from coffee processing to roasting, and then to brewing parameters.
Here are some general guidelines to help you understand how your coffee will behave as it ages.
How does freshness affect the different characteristics of your coffee?
First, CO2 is increased in the bean during the roasting process by breaking down sugars and amino acids, including the citric acids we taste in our cup. In the coffee brewing process, CO2 acts as a barrier to extraction, and too much can result in a disappointing cup. Your coffee should rest for at least 48 hours after roasting, which ensures it has time to degas and allows for optimal extraction.
Furthermore, your coffee should ideally bloom when brewed using the pour-over method or have a clearly visible crema when extracted as an espresso. If this isn't the case, you can expect a rather ordinary cup of coffee, due to the coffee not being fresh. Bloom is a degassing stage during which CO2 evaporates from the ground beans. Crema, for its part, is composed of coffee oils and CO2, which creates its distinctive color.
As your coffee degasses and the CO2 barrier breaks down or diminishes, the amount of acids you can extract from your coffee will increase. Generally, this amount of acid will peak about two weeks after the roasting date. From that point on, oxidation and decomposition will begin to reduce the amount of simple and complex acids present in the bean, and therefore the desired acidity in your cup.
Once your coffee has degassed during brewing, you can extract the more complex compounds, such as sugars, into your cup. You'll notice a significant increase in the balance of flavors in your cup at least 48 hours after the roasting date. This balance will peak once the acidity begins to decrease. In other words, the optimal harmony between acidity and sugars will generally occur between 10 and 14 days after roasting.
Body, on the other hand, refers to the oils and insoluble matter that contribute to the texture of your cup of coffee. Think of words like full-bodied, intense, and long finish. Oils and insoluble matter are less affected by the CO2 barrier and will be more influenced by your roast level and brewing settings. Therefore, as your coffee ages, the amount of oils and insoluble matter remains relatively constant, which won't significantly impact the body of your cup.
Coffee is generally considered bitter, but there's a good and a bad kind of bitterness; it's all about balance. For example, there's a difference between bitterness from citrus notes and bitterness from carbonation—the burnt, cooked taste we try to avoid. Coffee that hasn't been properly degassed will lack sweetness and acidity but will have a more pronounced bitterness. Allowing your coffee to degas will increase the acidity and sweetness in your cup and help balance the bitterness. Conversely, coffee that's no longer fresh will be oxidized and will also have a more bitter, even harsh, profile.
The right time for brewing
Filter coffees can be prepared 48 hours after roasting, but they are best enjoyed between 6 and 14 days after roasting. Espresso, on the other hand, requires a longer resting period to achieve ideal results. As a quick brewing method, it is more susceptible to the degassing process. You will notice flavorful espresso brews between 10 and 14 days after roasting.
How do I store my coffee?
The oils in coffee beans oxidize fairly quickly and contribute to the rancid, bland, and bitter flavor that develops after the critical 14-day mark following roasting. However, this process can occur more rapidly or slowly depending on your coffee storage habits. Essentially, the less your coffee is exposed to oxygen, moisture, the environment, and light, the more slowly it will oxidize.
Several myths surround coffee storage; the key is to minimize oxidation, which means limiting your coffee's environmental exposure. Make sure to store your beans in an airtight container ( ideally, we recommend a vacuum-sealed container), in a cool, dark place, and keep them whole. The freshness and quality of your coffee deteriorate much more quickly once it's ground. The most subtle aromatic compounds in coffee are altered within minutes of grinding; therefore, only grind the amount needed for the number of cups you'll be brewing immediately.
