Coffee Cherry Processing
There are several main coffee cherry processing methods:
Natural Process: This traditional processing method places coffee cherries directly in the sun to dry, which usually takes 2-4 weeks. This method is mostly used in dry countries with sufficient sunshine. The processing steps include sorting, drying, shelling, and grading. The flavor is rich in fruity aroma, high in sweetness, and slightly higher in body than washed or honey processed beans, but the cleanliness and brightness are inferior to semi-washed and washed beans.
Washed Process: This method is suitable for areas with high humidity and rainy weather. The pectin layer is removed by washing and fermentation. The processing steps include sorting, peeling and pulping, fermentation, washing, and drying to remove the sheepskin layer and silver skin. Washed beans have bright acidity, refreshing taste, and a clean taste, and the body is slightly lower than natural beans.
Honey Process: This method is very popular in Central America, especially in Costa Rica. Honey processing is to remove the outer skin and pulp of the coffee fruit, retain different levels of pectin for sun drying. According to the amount of pectin retained, honey processing can be further divided into white honey, yellow honey, red honey and black honey. The acidity of honey-processed coffee beans is slightly higher than that of washed coffee, but lower than that of sun-dried and washed coffee, and the flavor has a fruity and sweet taste.
Anaerobic fermentation: This is an emerging processing method that originated from one of the processes of red wine making. The characteristic of this method is that it requires a fully enclosed opaque container that can be monitored, and the degree of fermentation is controlled by controlling the temperature and pH value, and finally dried after fermentation to a certain extent. The coffee beans treated by anaerobic fermentation have a unique flavor and can be precisely controlled according to needs.
These treatment methods will have an important impact on the final flavor of coffee beans, and different treatment methods will bring different flavor characteristics.