What Is Coffee Degassing? Why And How?

When you roast coffee, a lot of carbon dioxide and gases are produced inside the beans.

The problem is that these gases release small bubbles when you brew, which can affect your coffee. These bubbles break the contact between the coffee powder and the water, resulting in uneven extraction of flavours and aromas.

In other words, if you brew freshly roasted coffee, these vapours will have a negative impact on the flavour of your coffee.

For this reason, it is better to wait a few days after roasting before brewing your coffee. The period of time during which carbon dioxide and chemical changes are emitted is known as degassing.

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When the coffee is roasted between the first and second bursts, the beans undergo a degradation process. At around 220°C, the sugars are broken down into several different compounds, including carbon dioxide. The coffee beans begin to turn brown as they lose water and become smaller.

The degradation reaction is the most important chemical reaction at the end of the roasting process, as the degraded material is converted into sugar. In the process, gases are produced.

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But carbon dioxide in coffee beans is not a bad thing, and it plays an important role in the quality of the coffee. Carbon dioxide is an important indicator of coffee freshness, plays an important role in shelf life and packaging, influences the extraction process, affects the formation of espresso crema, and may also affect the organoleptic properties of the coffee.

When the beans are over-degassed, the flavour will be less distinctive. The secret is to take the right amount of time to the coffee degassing, rather than waiting until the beans have been left for too long and become old. The gas still being released is an indicator of the freshness of the beans, but when the coffee is too fresh, it can prevent the powder from being fully extracted.

If you use beans that have not been degassed long enough, it may take longer to extract espresso, as the gases can block the flow of water. These gases help to form the crema, as they create air bubbles during extraction, but the flavour is also less desirable as the gases can also interrupt the extraction process.

It is important to the coffee degassing, as this will brighten the flavour of the coffee.

For example, when roasting a Guatemala coffee with the Behmor 1600 Plus, after 72 hours, the coffee will have a rubbery flavour. Still, after 96 hours, the chocolate flavour becomes apparent, and the flavour framework of the coffee is more fully established.

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Deaeration disperses the carbon dioxide produced during the roasting process, but we don't want the gas to disappear completely. Rather the gas level is just right at the time we want to drink it.

The right amount of carbon dioxide will make the coffee taste less bland. However, how long the coffee should be left after roasting depends on a number of factors, usually from three days to two or three weeks after roasting.

There are always differences in the harvesting and washing of the coffee berries, in the drying process, and in the quality of the water, so I guess that's why the degassing time varies. Coffee beans also come in different sizes and therefore contain different amounts of water and gas.

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If the coffee beans are used in a hand-brewed or French press pot, they can be used up as soon as possible, a few days after roasting, as the coffee has a longer contact time with the water and therefore does not need much degassing.

On the other hand, when we are making espresso, the short brewing time (usually only 20 seconds or so) means that the air bubbles will affect the extraction to a greater extent.

Espresso is unique in that it requires a longer resting time. You don't see people taking freshly roasted coffee straight to espresso, the key is to let it rest and degas so that the coffee can develop its flavour when it is brewed.

In the case of extracting beans for espresso, we usually prefer to use the coffee five to seven days after roasting, so that it is easier to extract the coffee, and less time for hand-brewing.

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The three main methods of processing coffee: washing, solarisation and honey treatment, also affect the degassing of coffee.

Sun-dried beans are often still too fresh if they are brewed three to five days after roasting. Sun-dried beans need more time to evacuate.

Darker roasts accelerate the evacuation of the coffee beans because they are more degraded. The sugar is converted more and there are more small cracks causing more carbon dioxide to be released.

Lightly roasted coffee beans are closer to their unroasted state and this means that the lighter the roast, the more time it takes for the beans to degas.

If the beans are not roasted evenly, this may result in uneven development of the substance; the difference in degradation time will affect the degree of development of the beans, which in turn will affect the rate at which the cooked beans can degas.

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How do you ensure that the coffee you drink has finished degassing?

It is helpful to keep an accurate record of the date of roasting, especially if the volume of beans roasted is high.

The coffee is usually bagged 20 minutes to an hour after roasting, but only if the bean bag has a degassing valve. The degassing valve is to allow the beans to degas properly in transit and to prevent the bag from bursting if there is a bump.

Some roasters may not have the equipment to fill the beans with nitrogen, but there are no problems with large roasts or long transports.

If the coffee is roasted on the premise that it starts to lose its flavour within seven days of roasting, then you will lose something in the coffee by day eight. I roast as soon as I open the raw bean storage tank and leave it for four days. Just use the natural cycle so that the coffee doesn't roast too much at once so that you get the best condition coffee.

I also use large yoghurt pots to store the roasted beans as they are not sealed so that the beans can be degassed. They are also protected from the sun because the white plastic outside is impervious to light.

Many people also encourage the use of airtight jars to store roasted coffee beans to maintain coffee freshness. However, it is important to note that if you are roasting your own coffee at home, the container must allow the beans to degas carbon dioxide. You must consider the amount of beans roasted and whether you will be able to use them up in their fresh state.

The success of the degassing process can make or break a cup of coffee, but it's not complicated. Just be aware of the roasting date and allow the beans to emit the right amount of CO2.

It's important to remember when the beans were roasted, taking into account that storage space and brewing methods can also affect emissions. The time required for degassing varies from bean to bean, with some taking longer to degas. If the coffee doesn't taste as good as you expected, try leaving it for a few more days to degas, but be careful not to let it become expired.

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