Beans on a plane....

[Bubbacullen1]

Hi everyone, asking a question that may have been asked before  :  but, am heading west with Qantas on Monday and have 4 250g bags of 1 week roasted beans with valves and heat sealed to take with me (along with an Aeropress and Sunbeam EM0480 thanks to fellow snobber mtee).  Due to pressure, is it preferable I take these as carry on luggage or will they be ok in my suitcase?

Thanks!

[Javaphile]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Most planes pressurize their holds to the same pressure as is in the cabin. With that said the only way you can know for sure would be to call the airline and inquire about what the case is on your specific flight.


Java "Go west young man go west!" phile

[Thundergod]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Id play safe and take them as hand luggage.
Out of your sight you have no guarantee of their treatment.

Id also put tape over the valve.
I believe the cabin pressure is a little less than sea level so the beans will degas faster if you dont.

[fivegallon]

Re: Beans on a plane....

My last flights from Perth to KL, then KL to Bintulu i had unopened, sealed bags of beans that i just threw in my check-in baggage (along with Grindripper).
All beans arrived without any blowouts. Grindripper is now onto second pack of filters 

Edit: beans were purchased here on Beanbay. Standard Beanbay packaging. No tape over one-way valves.

[rmoulynox]

Re: Beans on a plane....

I believe the cabin pressure is a little less than sea level so the beans will degas faster if you dont.

Cabin pressure is around 3/4 that of sea level (around 75kPa instead of around 100kPa). I doubt tape on the outside would hold 25kPa of pressure. Tape on the inside might, as it would be pushing outwards on the valve, but I think that ship has sailed.

I believe this is a moot point, as roasted coffee is shipped around the country in planes every day in the undercarriage of planes as air freight.

[Bubbacullen1]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Excellent, thanks for your replies.  Maybe I can experiment, 2 in carry on and 2 in suitcase and see the difference, if any! Its only a 4 hour flight...thank goodness 

Cheers!

ps whatever state they arrive in, itll still be better than freeze dried Moccona 

[Dimal]

Re: Beans on a plane....

I believe this is a moot point, as roasted coffee is shipped around the country in planes every day in the undercarriage of planes as air freight.

Not only moot but misses the intent of 1-Way Valves in the first place - Its good that the valves allow gas to vent from inside the bag to outside but stop contaminating gasses heading back the other way.

That is their purpose after all :-?....

Mal.

[rmoulynox]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Not only moot but misses the intent of 1-Way Valves in the first place

While I disagree with the whole premise of bothering with taping the bag up (evident by my comment saying that bags ship around the country every day)...

I just want to say that while it misses the intent, if the bag completely exhausted all its gases in the low pressure, then went to an area of higher pressure, then the bag would implode!

In seriousness though, if the bag released all its gases, then suffered an increase of 25kPa pressure on the outside of the bag, could the one way valve handle 25kPa inwards? It probably can, but havent been able to find hard data to say just how much reverse pressure they can take.

[Dimal]

Re: Beans on a plane....

I dont think 25Kpa would be a big deal either Richard and I dare say they could take much more than this.

Have to say though, Ive never had an imploded bag-o-beans in all the years Ive been buying them ;D.... Plenty of them have flown too

Mal.

[rmoulynox]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Ive never had an imploded bag-o-beans in all the years Ive been buying them

Im trying to visualise what an imploded bag would look like. Maybe it would take down the plane, then no beans at all for you!

I dont think 25Kpa would be a big deal either Richard and I dare say they could take much more than this.

A vacuum cleaner is just over -20kPA normally, so one day when i get bored, I might see if I can break a one way valve with reverse suction.

Just for clarity, clearly, air freighting beans has no ill effects.

[Dimal]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Good grief, the things we discuss around here, eh.... ;D

Anyone would think that there are the odd pedant or two hiding in the ranks :

Mal.

[rmoulynox]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Anyone would think that there are the odd pedant or two hiding in the ranks

Where? Cast them out!
Oh crap, its me

[Wushoes]

Re: Beans on a plane....

Whenever travelling for competition with coffee I only tape the valves over last minute.

It doesnt matter whether its in the cabin or hold. Same thing.

[trentski]

Re: Beans on a plane....

I just want to say that while it misses the intent, if the bag completely exhausted all its gases in the low pressure, then went to an area of higher pressure, then the bag would implode!

Where would it implode to? pretty sure it would just look like a vacuum packed bag of beans 8-)

Then you could watch it swell up as the beans continued to degas

[fivegallon]

Re: Beans on a plane....

I just want to say that while it misses the intent, if the bag completely exhausted all its gases in the low pressure, then went to an area of higher pressure, then the bag would implode!

Where would it implode to? pretty sure it would just look like a vacuum packed bag of beans 8-)

Then you could watch it swell up as the beans continued to degas

Well my flights in the last 24hrs have proved somewhat different to my earlier posting.
After 5.5hrs Perth to KL the 1kg unopened Espresso WoW was looking like RichardMs suggestion above, a vacuum packed bag of beans ( a solid mass at that!).
Getting ready for my next flight 9hrs later and it was still a solid mass after the night in the hotel.
Another flight (2.5hrs) and a check on the beans after that flight and they were back to normal and the suitcase was sporting a sweet aroma.
Strange...