As we all know that the processing of coffee beans is fairly complicated, this one drink is one of the drinks that is loved by various groups. The existence of many cafes and coffee shops, for example, is proof that coffee has a great allure.
For those of you coffee lovers, you must know that each bean has its own uniqueness, right? This is certainly due to several factors, and one thing is certain, it all starts with the process of planting and processing coffee beans that are far from simple.
Curious about how it’s processed? Let’s take a look at the reviews below!
Types of coffee bean processing methods
Before they are ready to be enjoyed, coffee beans do go through quite a long process on their journey. The various processes that must be passed are harvesting, post-harvest processing, drying, sorting, and grading, distribution, before finally reaching the users, either cafes or consumers.
Each process will affect the flavor and aroma of the coffee. In addition, the processing of coffee beans while on the farm determines 60 percent of their quality, and the purpose of this post-harvest process is to separate the coffee beans from the flesh and dry the beans until they are safe for storage.
The processing methods or processes used to separate the seeds are quite varied. But before finding out more, you need to know that the structure of a coffee fruit or cherry basically consists of coffee beans and pericarp (outer flesh skin).
This pericarp is the outermost part of the skin. Usually, the removal in this processing starts from the pericarp to the parchment. The pericarp layer is the part that needs to be removed.
After the harvesting process, all the picked coffee cherries will be brought to the processing plant for separation of the skins and seeds. The seeds will be dried for safe storage before being sold to the market.
Coffee itself has a moisture level of about 60 percent, but it must be dried to 11-12 percent moisture to prevent rotting when it is sold. Well, for the processing of coffee beans itself there are 3 types, namely natural process, washed process, and hybrid process.
Natural/DryProcess
This is also known as dry process or natural coffee processing, and is arguably the oldest coffee bean processing technique in history. After harvesting, the coffee cherries are spread out on plastic mats, which are then dried in the sun.
It is not uncommon for some coffee producers to dry their beans on brick terraces, and while drying in the sun, the beans must be periodically turned over. This is done so that the coffee dries evenly and of course to avoid mold, usually this process takes 2 – 6 weeks.
The natural process will make the cherries naturally fermented as well. Then the outer skin will peel off on its own after going through the husking process.
Processing coffee with this natural process will produce fruit-style notes in coffee. With common hints like strawberry, blueberry, and tropical fruits. It even tends to have low acidity, as well as exotic flavors with more body.
Wash/WetProcess
The process of processing coffee in this way aims to remove all the meaty skin attached to the coffee beans before drying. That said, this process has the same goal as the natural process.
Indeed, all processing essentially aims to remove the coffee skin and fruit while drying the coffee beans.
Then enter the washing process and coffee that floats when soaked will be discarded, while those that sink are considered ripe until they are ready to be processed to the next stage.
After passing through the washing process, the next step is the pulping process to remove the skin and coffee flesh. Not stopping at the pulping process, coffee beans must also go through a fermentation or soaking process so that the mucus can disappear.
The clean and well-peeled coffee will be put in the sun to dry. Usually this processing method will produce a soft and light coffee body, clean character, tends to be fruity, light, and has high acidity.
The last process to go through is hulling, which is removing the horn skin from the dried coffee beans.
Also read: Here’s the Wet Method Coffee Processing: Wet Process You Need to Know
Hybridprocess/Semi-wash
This method is a combination of the washed process and the dry process. The hybrid process itself has three variations of techniques that are often used, namely:
Pulped natural process
In this process, the coffee fruit will be peeled with a depulper machine in separating the coffee beans from the skin. After that, it will be dried directly under the sun until the fruit flesh is peeled off.
Usually the remaining fruit pulp that is still attached during the drying process will bring out the sweetness sensation in the coffee beans.
Honey process
The processing principle of this one method is almost the same as the pulped natural process, however, the honey process usually leaves less mucilage, while natural honey usually does not remove mucilage, only skin, and meat. Using a depulper machine, the coffee fruit will be peeled to see how much pulp is left attached to the coffee beans before they are dried.
Well, in Spanish, the remaining skin of the meat is given the name or term miel which means honey.
Semi wash
Meaning “wet grind”, this is a coffee bean processing method often used in Indonesia, especially in Sulawesi and Sumatra.
The coffee fruit will also go through a process of peeling the skin and flesh to get the green bean before being dried in the sun until it is completely dry. After the peeling process, the coffee beans will go through the drying process twice and the picked fruit is then peeled with a depulper machine to separate the coffee beans from the skin.
Read also: Semi Wash, Indonesia’s Original Post-Harvest Coffee Bean Processing
After that, the coffee beans will be dried briefly until they have a humidity that ranges from 30 – 35 percent when the drying process takes place. The coffee beans also have to go through the hulling process again so that the horn skin is completely removed.
The semi wash process that follows is to leave the coffee at 11-12 percent moisture.
Coffee processed using this method will produce coffee with full body, diverse flavors, low acidity, and fairly intense sweetness.
How do manufacturers decide which method to use?
All coffee producers want to produce the most delicious and profitable coffee. However, environmental and weather factors will be taken into consideration.
Manufacturers will first look at how the rainfall has been before deciding what method to use. As is well known, heavy rain can make the natural process difficult, as the coffee fruit can start to split and lose its flavor.
Now, if there is less rainfall, this will be perfect for producers using honey process or natural process because there is no loss of sugar content. In essence, rainfall determines what method will be used for the coffee processing.
However, the use of the honey process method is more limited and the volume is less in the market because the chance of coffee spoiling is quite high.
From the review of coffee bean processing and bean separation methods above, which method can produce the taste of coffee beans according to your taste? We hope this information is useful.
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