How to Drink "Expired" Guaye Coffee? What is the Flavor of Guaye Coffee and How Much Do Guaye Coffee Beans Cost

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What is "Expired" Coffee?

The "expired" coffee we're discussing here refers to coffee that has passed its "best flavor period."

What is Coffee's "Shelf Life"?

Coffee's "shelf life," also known as the flavor period, refers to the optimal flavor duration of coffee, not the food shelf life (usually manufacturers write a shelf life of one year). Coffee should be stored in the form of roasted coffee beans under light-proof and cool conditions in sealed containers. Without these prerequisites, even the most skilled masters cannot revive it!

So How Long is Coffee's Best Flavor Period?

We recommend: 15-30 days from when the coffee is roasted. Some coffees can be extended to about 45 days under appropriate storage conditions. Therefore, the "expiration" we mention generally uses 30 days as the benchmark. At this time, the coffee bean's degassing basically disappears, and medium-dark to dark roasted coffee beans will lightly "oil." However, if improper storage causes severe oiling in the coffee, or it only smells woody, this indicates that the coffee beans are no longer suitable for continued tasting. For health reasons, it's better to discard them~

Everyone must have had this experience: when coffee has been stored for too long, do you throw it away? Or continue using it, reluctantly drinking a cup of bland, tasteless coffee? Is expired coffee beyond saving? Below, the editor will share today's topic with you: how to make pour-over coffee with "expired" coffee.

So How Should You Handle Coffee That's Still Well-Preserved but No Longer Fresh?

First, we should understand that coffee's flavor expression reaches its peak on days 7-14 after roasting, then gradually fades with time, eventually leaving only woody flavors.

The first flavor compounds to dissipate are mainly floral and fruity aromas, volatile acids, spices, and herbal notes, while flavors like nuts, chocolate, and caramel are relatively less volatile. Moreover, ground coffee powder loses flavor faster than when stored as whole beans. This is also the fundamental reason why we hope coffee can be fresh, ground just before brewing.

So if you hope expired coffee can still have rich floral and fruity notes with bright, lively acidity, it's basically impossible. However, some basic taste experiences of coffee, like chocolate and nut flavors, will be more prominent at this time, and the mouthfeel will tend toward balance. Additionally, complex chemical changes in the coffee beans might develop some unexpected flavors, or flavors that weren't obvious before but are now prominent~ The important thing is that you need to know how to brew it.

Here Are Several Basic Methods the Editor Recommends:

1. Change extraction time;
2. Change water temperature;
3. Change grind size.

This is a dynamic balance state. For example, if you choose long time and coarse grinding, then the water temperature should be lowered; if you choose fine grinding, then the extraction time should be relatively shortened and the water temperature lowered. No matter how you adjust, what we want is a cup of delicious coffee. Try several times to find the most suitable method to save your coffee~

The method the editor particularly recommends is using coarser grinding, lowering water temperature, and extending extraction time to brew the coffee.

Example: Brewing 50-Day-Old "Horseman Coffee Beans"

Below is an example using [Horseman Coffee Beans] that have been stored for 50 days in a light-proof, moisture-proof, cool place. Using a cake cup dripper, water temperature 87-88°C (90-91°C when fresh), water-to-coffee ratio 1:15.

1. Coarse grinding: Since the volatile aromatic compounds in the coffee have basically disappeared, fine grinding during extraction will more easily bring out bitterness. Choosing a coarser grind size can effectively avoid over-extraction.
2. Shorten bloom time: The carbon dioxide inside the coffee has also been completely lost, so no "burger" will appear. Water easily penetrates every coffee particle, so there's no need for long bloom degassing. Otherwise, it will cause over-blooming and over-extraction.
3. Brew in 2-3 stages: The water flow height should not be too high to avoid excessive stirring. Gently pour in circles around the center the size of a small coin, using a simultaneous bloom-and-pour method to force out flavor compounds. You can see foam being slowly pressed out.

Stop pouring when the water level rises to equilibrium, wait for the water level to drop by about 1/3 before pouring again. At this time, you can expand the brewing range, but not to the filter paper. Lower the water flow height - be very gentle at this point. The entire extraction time should be slightly extended to bring out more sweetness.

The Horseman coffee made this way, although faded in floral and fruity aromas, brings out wine aromas, is smooth on entry, with rounded acidity and caramel sweetness, with a walnut aftertaste.

Conclusion

In the future, when you encounter "expired" coffee, you no longer need to worry~ However, it's still best to drink coffee while it's fresh!

Horseman Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Horseman coffee beans have full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, the cost-performance ratio is extremely high - a 227-gram package costs only 98 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan. Compared to café prices that often reach dozens of yuan per cup, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473