Sorry to say this HeavyG (corrected from Andy G.), Although I do not profess to being a coffee expert I disagree that rancidity is involved in any major way in degrading the flavour of roasted coffee beans. I am willing to listen to other theories but not rancidity for these reasons:
1 Coffee beans contain only a small portion of oil/fat (less then seeds like sunflower seeds which takes many weeks to go rancid)
2 most of the fat in coffee is saturated fatty acids hence rancid resistant (Palmitic and Stearic acid) or monosaturated (oleic acid) also quite resistant
3 The process of roasting is very hot so if the oil should become rancid the roasting would do it (it doesn't)
4 Little or negligible scientific literature is written on the subject of roasted coffee rancidity (even on the web). Rancidity control is not of the radar screen in coffee research.
5 Coffee contains a lot of chlorogenic, acid a known antioxidant, that would slow if not prevent rancidity.
How unworkable would it be to brew coffee within 5 days of roasting? How convenient that an importer/roaster would say so?
I'm sticking to humidity and air as the worst culprit because coffee is like activated charcoal that adsorbs humidity and off-flavours. It may lose coffee flavours if not properly sealed (I agree). Freeze/refrigeration slows the process of coffee flavour evaporation for medium to long term storage.
Luc H.
__________________
I eat science everyday, do you?
Last edited by Luc_H; 11-19-2007 at 06:49 PM.
| 
