Deconstructed coffee bean processing method🌠

Deconstructing coffee bean processing methods 🌠

When we buy coffee beans, we often see different processing methods on the packaging. For beginners, what do these processing methods mean? In the coffee industry, the different processing methods of coffee cherries will affect the flavor and quality of the coffee you finally taste in your cup!

🫘Natural Process

This is one of the most traditional and simple methods.
The entire coffee cherry is retained, and the entire skin and pulp are dried together before the skin is peeled off, so that the coffee beans retain the natural sweetness and flavor of the pulp, bringing a multi-layered rich feeling of natural fruity aroma and sweetness.

🫘Honey Process

This is a treatment method that has become very popular in recent years.
After scraping off the peel, some of the pulp will be retained and then dried, so that the coffee beans retain the sweetness of the pulp and the stickiness of pectin for the drying process. After reaching a certain moisture content, the shells are removed and stored. Each honey treatment will show different flavor characteristics, but they all taste more refreshing than sun-dried beans.

🫘Washed Process

After washing and fermentation, the pulp and pectin layer are removed by water or machine and then dried, so that the coffee beans emit a bright, soft and refreshing flavor, while also reducing the natural aroma of the coffee beans themselves, generally with a more prominent fruity acidity.

🫘Anaerobic fermentation
Anaerobic Fermentation

Refers to winemaking technology, which is an emerging processing method.
The whole coffee cherry is fermented in a sealed container for a long time, and then processed by sun drying, washing or honey. The coffee beans will have a winey flavor, and sometimes even show acidity and fruity aroma.

🫘The importance of coffee processing

The purpose of coffee processing is to extract coffee beans from coffee cherries, which includes removing the outer skin and pulp, as well as fermenting, washing, and drying the coffee beans. The processing process can remove unnecessary substances on the surface of coffee beans and affect the flavor and quality of the coffee.Different processing methods can bring out different flavor characteristics, which is an important step to ensure the optimization of coffee flavor.

🫘Alternative treatment method deconstruction

Coffee processing is changing with each passing day. Different estates are constantly changing their processing methods by controlling factors such as environment and temperature to bring consumers a richer experience.

For example, the rye processing method in Costa Rica and the charcoal roasting method in Ethiopia are two relatively unique and rare methods. The former processes coffee beans together with rye flour during the fermentation and drying process, bringing a special malt flavor and rich taste; the latter uses a closed charcoal roasting environment to allow the coffee beans to absorb the smoky aroma of hard charcoal such as oak, brewing a deep and rich flavor similar to smoked meat while retaining a certain sweetness.

What is your favorite coffee processing method? Share your experience! 👇✨