Is anyone vac-sealing their green out there?

[Zech]

I hear that such a process really locks in the just-off-the-tree freshness we've come to love. I'd be interested in applying this method if anyone can vouch for it.

[Ian McCarthy]

Do you mean after receiving coffee in burlap/jute? I know vac-sealing at origin has been making a huge difference in the quality of the green we have. I still have Honduran COE vac bags that I am opening up, (harvested say, Feb-Mar), and the scent that emits is still like getting punched in the face with a ripe green pepper.

I have got to imagine that vac sealing many months after harvest, after storage in permeable, fiber-based bags, is only going to make so much of a difference. You'll be sealing in that not-so-just-off-the-tree quality. I know a few roasters who store for short term usage and/or age long-term in sealed, less-breathable plastic containers. They say it prevents bagginess. But in my experience, it does not prevent staleness.

[Zech]

Ah. See, I really wasn't clear on that it was happening at origin. That's very interesting and cool. So, would you say that a roaster is most likely to get such a product closely connected to the C.O.E. coffees? What might be some other way of getting a fresh-picked vac-sealed product?

[Justin Johnson]

Lots of producers in El Sal are using grain pro. You should consult your broker about details.