Rosin used in roasting?

[CindyP]

Hi local cofee experts,

Someone in my household has come down with a serious allergic condition.  After the patch tests at the dermatologist it has been narrowed down to one or two substances.  One is Rosin (colophony) that is used as a polishing agent for roasted coffee beans.  Well the only coffee beans in our house come from small local roasters in Brisbane (oh and the bag of Espresso Wow! we are just finising off).   Before calling all of the roasters up individually does any one here know if it is likely that Rosin is used in small roasting operations in Australia?

Thanks, Cindy P

[Randy_G.]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Until your post had never heard of that. A google turned up over 600 hits! If the coffee is the source, then I would suggest finding a dependable source of green coffee and getting a home roasting setup. I wonder if there is an easy test for that on the coffee beans. it would seem an odd thing to do to coffee and fairly well pointless IMO.

[Javaphile]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

If you havent looked at it already for other possible sources of contact heres what Wikipedia has to say about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosin


Java "Hhhhmmm....Data!" phile

[marcstolk]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Why on earth would you polish the beans? I find this bizarre!!!

[Dennis]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Why on earth would you polish the beans? I find this bizarre!!!

Oooh...shiny!

[yeeza]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Why on earth would you polish the beans? I find this bizarre!!!

To put them next to the waxed fruit in the supermarket?
So that they look like theyve just been roasted for longer?
Mr Sheen works too :-? :-? :-? :-? :-?

I dont get it either.... :-/

[CindyP]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Randy G, MarcS, YeeZa,  These are the responses I was hoping for - you hadnt  heard of it before this.  I think that if anyone is going to polish their roasted beans then it isnt going to be the specialty roasters around here.

Javaphile,  I didnt think to look at Wikipedia but got similar information from some other allergy sites.  Coffee is only one of the things we are looking at.  We would like to remove it from the list ASAP since I would hate to have to drink my coffee alone in the mornings - or else start on double shot drinks.

If anyone has heard of the use of rosin on roasted beans in Australia Id be interested in hearing from you.

Cindy P

[Bullitt]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Hi Cindy,

As Java-who has middle name for every occasion- phile pointed out, there are quite a few other more common uses for Rosin that are more likely to be the source.

I dont know where you got the info that it is used for polishing coffee beans, seems highly unlikely in this country,
positive that Andy wouldnt do it....

Good luck with your search for the real culprit.

Regards
Bullitt

[Javaphile]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Some companies do indeed polish their beans. There are bean polishers made to do that exact thing. Its pretty unlikely though that any small specialty roaster would be doing it though.


Java "With the ever changing middle name" phile

[Bullitt]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

Some companies do indeed polish their beans. There are bean polishers made to do that exact thing.


Java "With the ever changing middle name" phile

Polishing beans
Oh, OK, Is that what they do with them while they are waiting for them to go stale before they grind them and vac pac em????

"Its pretty unlikely though that any small specialty roaster would be doing it though...."
Agreed

[Dimal]

Re: Rosin used in roasting?

As it happens,

My youngest son and I both display a high sensitivity to resin/rosin (as smoke, dust or dissolved in a solvent) and in all the time Ive been a coffee fanatic aficionado, have never experienced a bad reaction to specialist roasted beans. Really does make you wonder which companies would be doing this? :-?

Mal.