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Hiya folks,

So needing some feedback please. Green Beans - What does it look like when they go bad?

The batch of beans I purchased (I was ridiculous and did not buy from Sweet Maria's... ugg. Shoulda known better but... Live and learn right?) arrived and when I opened the bags.... Whew... the smell was a combination of
Dirt and musty/mold. Uncertain what to do next, I attempted a small roast. The end result: Swamp water... eww.

So... my knee jerk is that these are beans that are either old, humidity corrupted, or otherwise. At the end of the day, the learning curve is always necessary but disheartening.

So, obviously, I'm going to need to be choosier in who I order my beans from. But my question is this: Have any of you also had this frustrating experience and, in the roasting world is it more common than uncommon or is this just a minor setback to test my resolve for pursuing good coffee?

Cheers,
Lisa

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Lisa:

where did you buy the beans? how long did you roast them, did you rest them or were they bad from the beginning in your opinion?

green beans can smell like wet grass, nasty old socks and all matter of other stuff but if they had moldy, you got taken. I would send them an email and make them send you NEW beans or you will post their name here on your coffee home and they will never have any business from us.

order a sample pack from Sweet Maria if you are not sure what origin you prefer as you cannot go wrong to start there Lisa.

there are other excellent providers of coffee and we can guide you there as you move along with your Fresh Roast.

I am really sorry to hear about your first experience with greens as it gives the great, honest coffee suppliers out there a bad name as well.

tell us where you got um please.

PM me with your address and I will send you a pound of harrar horse you may enjoy. I love Africans.


ginny

don't dispair.

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I'm new to this, but I've received probably twenty 1-lb quantities of many different single origins and never had an experience like this. I have had a few duds, though, that I consumed even though I didn't enjoy them. Too bad you had this more extreme experience. Bummer!

I learned about Happy Mug from Ginny, and as you said, Sweet Maria's has a very good reputation, and I just bought some from them.

If one thinks about bean cost in terms of cents per cup (with a cup being about 15 gm), and if one then weighs the difference between, say, 13 cents per cup versus 25 cents a cup, considering one's time and roasting costs, not to mention the cost associated with receiving a pound that is undrinkable, to me, it makes sense to try to make sure the quality will be decent; worth a little more to avoid the risk.

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Ginny,

I got them from "Heirloom Coffee" In the past, when we have ordered from Sweet Maria's, the beans usually have little to no smell or smell kind of plasticky (is that even a word? ha ha) But when I opened those bags, the smell was very similar to a damp basement smell...I've always associated that aroma with mold. Sad Face.

I've emailed them and am awaiting a reply. I'm hoping they will be mortified and replace the unused beans for me.

I am Definitely going to order a sample pack from Sweet Maria's. The last batch we got from them in the office was amazing. I probably should not have strayed, but I was hoping to secure a secondary supplier.

Never fear... I am not disheartened in the slightest... a slight bit miffed but I remain staunch in my quest for the best cuppajoe! :)

I'll PM you shortly and Thanks!!!

Cheers,
Lisa

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Lisa:

I would be miffed as well and as I said there are some great green bean sellers out there; I have not heard of Heirloom Coffee but will look them up.

you will find multiple suppliers for your greens and for what you guys like so that is a non-issue actually.

got your addy, hopefully, will make it to PO in am.

thanks again for participating with the rest of us coffee feaks.

ginny

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I was wondering what the origin of the coffee was.

I checked out their site and the prices are very high ($9.75/pound) if this is the same place in Medford, MA.

http://www.heirlo...-rica.html

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yeah, I wondered the same...


-g

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The company apologized for the beans. They said, that a whole shipment went out without being heat sealed. They replaced the beans free of charge and they are just fine. :) I have determined, the air fresh is more of a learning curve that I wanted so it's been traded in on a Nesco CR-1010. Which I am already loving. First batch was tasty tasty. :) YAY!

Ginny! Your gracious samples arrived this morning and I'm roasting tonight. :) can't wait to try. I've got the website bookmarked already in anticipation of an order :)

Cheers All!

Lisa

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Lias:

glad you received the beans, decided to end you new, crop 2014, beans from a new vendor to HRO who was kind enough to send me some samples. thus far I love the beans I have roasted from this company nd would love it if you would review them as well.

clearly you made the right choice in talking to your previous bean seller. sounds like a responsible company.

also, I am curious to find out what you feel are the major differences between your roasters.


ginny