At CoffeeBeanShop.co.uk we roast all of our coffees to order.
When coffee is just-roasted, it gives off tiny amounts of CO2 gas (this process is called ‘de-gassing’). The de-gassing process will diminish over time, and finishes about 3 weeks after the roast. Once the de-gassing is complete the organic structure of the bean begins to deteriorate, and the process of becoming stale begins.
If your postman is particularly keen, you may receive your coffee within 24 hours of the roast. Sometimes (particularly when preparing cafetiere coffee) you may find an excessive amount of brown froth (bloom) on top of the coffee. This is perfectly natural and won’t impair the flavour. If you are unhappy with it, just allow the beans to rest for a further 24 hours, after which the excessive bloom effect would have subsided.
Espresso machines are less affected, although baristas may notice a premature blonding during extraction, and lack of visible striping – especially if using a naked portafilter (special group basket that shows imperfections in espresso extraction).
Customers with ‘Bean to Cup’ (Super Automatic) domestic espresso machines are most likely unaffected by excessive bloom.