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Achieving the perfect cup of coffee involves more than just harvesting high-quality coffee cherries and mastering roasting techniques. It involves processing, and the method in which your coffee is processed plays one the most significant roles in determining the flavor and quality of your coffee. More specifically, processing is the series of steps in which the coffee seed is separated from the pulp, mucilage, and parchment. However, this process is far from simple. In fact, improper coffee processing can result in defects that affect the overall taste of the bean.

The four primary coffee processing methods are: natural process (or dry process), washed process (or wet process), wet-hulled, and honey process. Each of these methods brings about distinct changes in the sweetness, body, and acidity of your coffee, contributing to the diverse range of flavors and characteristics found in your favorite brews.

Natural Process / Dry Process

Process:

  1. Coffee cherries are harvested.
  2. Spread over brick pavers, raised beds, or drying tables in the sun for about a month.
  3. Agitated/raked and rotated while they ferment in the sun.
  4. The seeds are de-pulped from the fruit and stored.

Flavor:

  • Generally have fruity and tropical notes with a honey-like sweetness, and heavy bodied with a wine-like acidity.

Usage:

  • Common in countries with drier climates, especially Ethiopia.

Washed Process / Wet Process

Process:

  1. Coffee cherries are harvested.
  2. Sorted via a float/density test.
  3. The seeds are de-pulped from the fruit.
  4. Fermented for anywhere between 1 to 6 days.
  5. Washed.
  6. Spread over brick pavers, raised beds, or tables in the sun for 2 to 3 months.

Flavor:

  • Generally have complex notes with a sugary and chocolatey sweetness, a bright and fruity acidity, crisp flavors, and clean finishes.

Usage:

  • Common in most of Africa, Central America, South America (excluding Brazil), and some regions within Asia.

Wet Hulled Process

Process:

  1. Coffee cherries are harvested.
  2. The seeds are de-pulped from the fruit, with some mucilage (a sugary and sticky outer layer of the seed) left to form a husk help retain moisture.
  3. The seeds are removed from their husks through a process called hulling.
  4. Dried in the sun.

Flavor:

  • Generally have more savory flavors with notes of chocolate and nuts as well as a heavier body.

Usage:

  • Common in countries with humid climates, especially Indonesia.

Honey Process

Process:

  1. Coffee cherries are harvested.
  2. The seeds are de-pulped from the fruit, with some mucilage left to help retain moisture.
  3. Spread over brick pavers or drying tables in the sun until completely dried, and the mucilage forms a husk.
  4. The seeds are hulled (removed from their husks) and stored.

Flavor:

  • Generally have more sweeter/syrupy notes, with fruity flavors, creamier textures, and bright acidity.

Usage:

  • Central America

Intro | Variety | Region | Soil | Altitude | Process | Certification | Roast | Grind | Storage | Water | Brew | Technique | Tasting