Airscape issues and single dosing

Up to now, I’ve been using a Mazzer Mini, so single dosing hasn’t been a practical option. However, now that my Lagom P-64 is on the way, I’ve been looking more single dose storage.

I was inspired by a comment from DavecUK, many moons ago on The Other Place, suggesting the use of a syringe. It allows you to eliminate any air, other than that between the beans. Also, as the beans degass, the plunger can move to accommodate the extra pressure. If that’s not sufficient, you can also buy one-way valves that screw onto the end relatively cheaply.

I paid £9.99 to 25×60ml syringes and £14.59 for 140 coloured screw-on caps. Having different coloured caps allows me to colour code different beans. It’s hardly a looker, but cheap and hopefully effective.

You want Luer Lock syringes, as these have a standard male thread. Syringes with a slip-on cap are less likely to cope with degassing.

The grey thing in the background is a 3D printed stand for filling.

It looks like it just eliminates all the head space and that seemed to be a good thing….which was my thinking at the time. I’ll be very interested to hear how it pans out.

DavecUK I think they are also called a coffeevac

https://www.tightvac.com/products/tv0-vitavac

When I spoke to the company guy, they are more intended for purchase in the 500s or thousands as a promotional thing…or that was their thinking at the time. In bulk, I think they were quite cheap to purchase.

Group buy, everyone? 😁

-Mac I bought one last week on the back of this thread. Not really impressed with it, made out of brittle plastic and the word vac is misleading, there is no vacuum, it is just an air seal, which a jam jar can achieve.

Air is the biggest enemy and then light. At least that what I’ve consistently read. I vacuum seal 18g doses. The plastic pouches are food safe and I take them to the local supermarket where there is a special recycling center for food plastics.

Initially I froze the pouches after freezing and calculated that they would easily stay in prime condition for five months.

But my batches rarely last more than 3 weeks and so I have stopped freezing them and simply rely on the vacuum seal and storage in a small carton. Works well.

My problem with airscape type systems is that every time it is opened to grab some beans, fresh air goes in. I’m quite sure its not a problem over a few days and I’m equally convinced, after much testing, that it is an issue over a few weeks.

Buy a vacuum sealer and put one or two days usage in. All I can say is that I am glad I do not have the taste buds that some of you do!

Alternatively would anyone be interested in a group buy on Weber Commercial bean cellars, which might be a valid alternative if the price is right (S&H and tax included of course)

Doram I use those Sainsburys ones for my Aeropress when travelling. They do indeed take about 15g, perfect for AP. I weigh them out on my black mirrors so they’re all equal, then it’s just tip into the Aergrind and off you go.

Home use, I put about 150g+ in the hopper and once a kilo bag is open I put the rest into an Airscape. It gets opened maybe 4-5x before they’re all done.

I’m sure it could be optimised if I had bought 2-3 smaller airscapes but they’re expensive. I would do if I hadn’t already bought the big one. I do have a smaller clear plastic knockoff Airscape type thing I found in TK Maxx that holds maybe 300g which doesn’t really give you the same feeling of quality and is not light proof, but maybe better than opening the big one as often. Not entirely sure I could taste the difference in a blind test though tbh.

That is very cool. About the only thing I can think of to improve it would be to cover the syringes so that light doesn’t affect the beans. Whether anyone would notice the difference in real life is debatable, it’s just a theoretical thing as I’ve read that both oxygen and light are bad.

That said, if you kept it in a cupboard rather than the worktop it would be just as good.

wormpurple Nice work, and I think a product that a company or enterprising individual could refine and bring to Market. I would expect this to work far better than those ridiculously priced bean cellars from Weber.

Can I ask a daftie? How do you fill the syringes? That is the bit that always puts me off this type of arrangement

I was just thinking, if you were making something like this for market, having it an opaque closed tube with the same diameter as a wine bottle, and use a vavuvin plug and pump to create slight negative pressure and extract as much air as possible, would that not be the ultimate?

I pack 18g doses in pouches using this weighing and packing machine. When I had bean cellars I simply used a wide spouted funnel and 18g of beans slipped into each tube. Worked a treat but decided the vacuum sealed pouches were better because they had virtually no air trapped in each pouch. (the plastic pouches are recycled at the local supermarket as opposed to in the curb side collection).

• HotMetal

I keep most of the filled syringes in the garage or in the freezer. These are just for the current day.
I am hoping to install a small drawer under the worktop specifically to keep them in, though.

With regard a Vacuvin style pump, I’m not convinced. As the beans de-gas, the pressure will reduce, potentially reducing the effectiveness of the seal (which relies on the vacuum). Also, cost. But any storage system that does not remove or displace air is certainly a compromise.

• DavecUK

Thanks. And credit to you for the inspiration.

• dfk41

I currently make a ‘finger funnel’ and pour the beans in from a small pot. It takes no time. I may make a custom funnel that sits on the top. You can see from my earlier picture that I also made a stand to hold a single syringe in place on the scales. It takes me 5 minutes to do a 250g bag’s worth.

As if by magic, I’ve also made a little funnel to make filling easier. It just sits on the top of the syringe.

I use 50 ml cosmetic jars. They can handle up to 20 grams of beans.

This is the link to polish site, but I am sure you can buy them everywhere.

https://allegro.pl/oferta/sloik-szklany-brazowy-ciemne-szklo-50ml-zakretka-9782908101

And just when I thought I finally solved my all my coffee storage pains, a better solution comes up. That’s a truly brilliant setup, wormpurple. You really should productize it. I’m sure many would stand in line to buy it.

I’m currently using single-dose glass vials and use them without thawing, but a single-dose solution that displaces air would save me a trip to the freezer every time I make coffee.