Anybody use coffee chaff ?

4season · March 27, 2015

I have been picking up burlap bags and chaff from the local roasters. The burlap will be put over compost and/or shredded leaves in the pathways. Has anyone used the chaff and have any results good or bad ?

habitat_gardener · March 27, 2015

I've gotten coffee grounds from $tarbucks and other places. They need to be mixed with other things, because they'll form a water-repellent layer if they're placed more than about a quarter-inch thick. I've used them in compost bins, to build new beds, etc. They tend to grow mold if I leave them in the plastic bags too long before using them.

4season · March 27, 2015

I get grounds from $tarbucks too, but this is chaff, the light fluffy outer skin of the bean that comes off during roasting. Think of the dark brown skin on an apple seed but lighter and thinner and will blow about in very light breezes.

Worth1 · March 27, 2015

I bet someone has already sucked it up here.
Worth

saltmarsh · March 27, 2015

I also have bags of it 4season. A friend who runs a route for a roaster/grinder brings them to me. I hope someone else has used them. Don't know whether to incorporate them into soil, spread them on top like a mulch or compost them... Some of the bags (50 gallon) are six months old and still look and smell the same as the day they were dropped off. Claud

And yes this is the bean husks, not used coffee grounds.

gregory · March 28, 2015

It's organic why not. I roast my beans but I never collect a lot of the chafe.
Once it heats up it comes off very quickly.

shatbox · March 29, 2015

I've used chaff as both a mulch and in compost. As a mulch it was obviously super carbon rich and so it started sucking up all the nitrogen around the shallow plants but I was expecting that - turned into something similar to leaf mold. Also, when it got hot it flew everywhere. It was the best thing ever for my hot compost pile. With balanced moisture and greens compost it was easy, it sustained at least 120F for 6 days with daily turnings with no problems whatsoever. I think it was the perfect application for it since the chaff is so thin and light.

Tracydr · April 25, 2015

I wish I could find useful amounts of it. Seems like good stuff.
I do empty my dust buster out into the compost bucket after vacuuming my coffee roaster but that's such a minute amount.

March 27, 2015	#1
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	Anybody use coffee chaff ? I have been picking up burlap bags and chaff from the local roasters. The burlap will be put over compost and/or shredded leaves in the pathways. Has anyone used the chaff and have any results good or bad ?

March 27, 2015	#5
saltmarsh Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: 2 miles south of Yoknapatawpha Zone 7b Posts: 662	I also have bags of it 4season. A friend who runs a route for a roaster/grinder brings them to me. I hope someone else has used them. Don't know whether to incorporate them into soil, spread them on top like a mulch or compost them... Some of the bags (50 gallon) are six months old and still look and smell the same as the day they were dropped off. Claud And yes this is the bean husks, not used coffee grounds. Last edited by saltmarsh; March 27, 2015 at 11:56 PM.

March 28, 2015	#6
gregory Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mobile zone 8 Posts: 83	It's organic why not. I roast my beans but I never collect a lot of the chafe. Once it heats up it comes off very quickly. __________________ Zone 8 Mobile AL

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March 27, 2015	#2
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I've gotten coffee grounds from $tarbucks and other places. They need to be mixed with other things, because they'll form a water-repellent layer if they're placed more than about a quarter-inch thick. I've used them in compost bins, to build new beds, etc. They tend to grow mold if I leave them in the plastic bags too long before using them.

March 27, 2015	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I bet someone has already sucked it up here. Worth

March 29, 2015	#7
shatbox Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Los Angeles County, CA Posts: 258	I've used chaff as both a mulch and in compost. As a mulch it was obviously super carbon rich and so it started sucking up all the nitrogen around the shallow plants but I was expecting that - turned into something similar to leaf mold. Also, when it got hot it flew everywhere. It was the best thing ever for my hot compost pile. With balanced moisture and greens compost it was easy, it sustained at least 120F for 6 days with daily turnings with no problems whatsoever. I think it was the perfect application for it since the chaff is so thin and light.

April 25, 2015	#8
Tracydr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2011 Location: Laurinburg, North Carolina, zone 7 Posts: 3,207	I wish I could find useful amounts of it. Seems like good stuff. I do empty my dust buster out into the compost bucket after vacuuming my coffee roaster but that's such a minute amount.