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How Are Raw Coffee Beans Processed? Coffee Bean Processing Methods and What Is Coffee Red Wine Processing?

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style) After coffee is planted and harvested the next step is processing. Previously most methods were still dominated by natural and washed processing then honey processing began to gain popularity and was divided according to the pulp retention ratio into: black honey red honey yellow honey white honey each with different flavor profiles.

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For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

Coffee Processing Methods

After coffee is planted and harvested, the next step is 'processing.' Previously, most methods were dominated by natural and washed processing. Then 'honey processing' became popular, which was further divided based on the retention ratio of pulp: black honey, red honey, yellow honey, and white honey, each with different flavor characteristics.

There are also 'wine-flavored natural processing' methods that extend fermentation time to approach natural flavors, and 'wine honey processing' that adds enzymes similar to those used in red wine fermentation to achieve honey processing flavors.

The 'anaerobic fermentation method' uses manually harvested 100% mature fruits, with an average fermentation time of about 24 hours! This processing method has four major elements:

1. Shade System

Shade can effectively block sunlight, allowing the pulp to generate more sugar, resulting in coffee with more sweetness and wonderful acidity.

2. Stainless Steel Containers

Coffee beans are placed in stainless steel containers for fermentation immediately after picking, abandoning traditional cement or other containers. These traditional containers would absorb coffee flavors while not retaining more coffee flavors in the pulp, whereas stainless steel containers make the coffee flavors cleaner.

3. Carbon Dioxide

The coffee beans in stainless steel containers are sealed and pressurized with carbon dioxide, ensuring no air remains in the container. This guarantees that all coffee flavors and aromas are retained in the coffee, making the original flavors more pronounced.

4. Controlled Temperature

These coffee beans are processed in temperature-controlled environments, allowing them to have consistent flavors. Traditional processing methods find it difficult to maintain consistent flavors with each batch of processed beans.

FrontStreet Coffee's Panama Hartmann is processed using this method. The red wine processing gives these beans a rich fermented wine aroma that is truly stunning!