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Pros and Cons of Washed Processing Method Characteristics of Coffee Washed Processing Coffee Bean Washed Processing

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange for more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop WeChat Official Account cafe_style Generally what we call the washed method refers to the full washed method First remove the outer skin and pulp leaving the mucilage layer then put the coffee beans into fermentation tanks to dissolve the mucilage layer before drying and finally remove the outer skin The advantage is high quality green bean rate while the disadvantage is

What is the Washed Processing Method?

Generally, when we talk about the washed method, we refer to the full wash process.

First, the outer skin and pulp are removed, leaving the mucilage layer. The coffee beans are then placed in fermentation tanks to allow the mucilage layer to disappear before drying. Finally, the parchment is removed. The advantage is that the quality yield of green beans is higher, but the disadvantages are that washed beans tend to be more acidic, have less excellent aroma than natural processed beans, and lack the sweetness of natural processing.

The washed method uses water and fermentation to remove the skin, pulp, and mucilage. Farms using the washed method must build washing tanks and have access to a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the fermented beans are placed in the tanks and moved back and forth, using the friction between beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until they are smooth and clean.

After washing, the coffee beans are still enclosed in their parchment with a moisture content of 50%. They must be dried to reduce the moisture content to 12%, otherwise they will continue to ferment and become moldy and spoiled. The better processing method is sun-drying, although the procedure is complex and time-consuming, taking 1-3 weeks. However, the flavor is excellent and quite popular.

Processing Steps

Sorting floaters, removing skin and pulp (keeping the mucilage layer), fermentation, washing, drying, hulling, grading and sorting.

Green beans processed using the washed method have a moisture content of about 12%.

The washed method has higher costs. To obtain 200 grams of green beans using the washed method, 1 kilogram of coffee cherries must be washed and 10 liters of water consumed, making the processing cost expensive.

Take FrontStreet Coffee's Kenya Asali as an example. The K72 refined washed processing method brings bright fruit acidity to this coffee, along with rich berry aromas.