[Shop-talk] Removing moisture from coffee beans (yes, it is shop related.)

[Paul Parkanzky]

It depends on how dry you need them. I work in analytical labs and "loss on drying" is a common test. We often have to dry things at 105 C for six hours to get _all_ of the water off. And that is for fine powders. I could see it easily taking 8-12 hours to dry a single layer of coffee beans to constant weight.

But if you're going to that length to get them dry you need to be able to keep them dry. They'll start picking up moisture very quickly as they cool. You need to immediately move them from the oven to a dessicator if they need to get extremely dry and stay that way.

-Paul

> On Aug 21, 2018, at 2:29 PM, eric at megageek.com wrote:
> 
> Quick question, I turn pens in my shop (see, I told you it was shop related).  I recently started adding neat things to the pen blanks.  (i.e. cat 5 cables, cigar labels, bottle caps, and coffee beans.) 
> 
> It is the coffee beans that give me a question.  I have to stabilize the beans before I can cast them in the pen blanks.  This requires me to remove the moisture from the beans before vacuuming them to add the stabilizer.  (BTW, this is like a week long process.) 
> 
> The only mention on how to do this is a single video where another guy says to leave them in a toaster over, at 250F for about 24 hours. 
> 
> Now, I get why the temp should be over the boiling point of water, but I don't understand why it would need to be that long of a time.  Wouldn't the moisture boil off within an hour or two? (we are talking less than a cup of coffee beans.) 
> 
> Or is there something that I'm missing that would require it to be in the temp for a longer period of time. 
> 
> Can anyone in the know give me an idea how long is long enough?  I'm not comfortable leaving an oven on overnight and when I'm not home. 
> 
> 
> As a side note, if any of you have any need for a special pen, let me know.  I'll do them for free for anyone on the list (as long as it not too out of hand.) 
> 
> Use your imagination, but things like, wood taken off your car (or a piece of furniture) and can't be reused or a special tree in your (or SO's life.)   I only need a piece (or two) about 1"X1"x3".   
> 
> Here are some I already made to give you an idea... 
> 
> https://tinyurl.com/storypens 
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance!
> 
> Sent from my Commodore 64 on a 2400 Baud Modem.
> Tech Viper
> "Be as beneficent as the sun or the sea, but if your rights as a rational being are trenched on, die on the first inch of your territory." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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