How to Drink Brazilian Coffee? Brazil's Coffee Processing Methods. Why Brazil Doesn't Use Washed Processing

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Brazil's Coffee Harvesting and Processing

As the world's largest coffee producing country, Brazil's coffee harvesting and processing techniques lead the world. This is closely related to the mechanization level and intensive production of Brazil's coffee cultivation industry. Brazilian coffee harvesting differs from other countries in that it follows the principle of harvesting first, then selecting; most coffee uses mechanical harvesting, while a small portion uses the stripping method.

Coffee Processing Methods

In terms of raw bean processing technology, the most common coffee processing methods are: natural, pulped natural, washed, and semi-washed. Most Brazilian coffee adopts the natural drying method or semi-washed processing method, with the most commonly used being the natural drying method ("natural drying" refers to allowing coffee to fully absorb sunlight on the branches and be harvested only after complete maturity).

Brazil's Climate and Terroir

Brazil's terrain is flat and monotonous, lacking microclimates. Most regions are tropical, with the north having a tropical rainforest climate, the central region a tropical savanna climate, and some southern areas a subtropical monsoon humid climate. The average temperature ranges from 25-28°C, while the southern region has an annual average temperature of 16-19°C. With low rainfall and long sunshine hours, these climate characteristics make the natural drying processing method more prevalent in the region, represented by Brazil's two main producing areas: Paraná and São Paulo.

Coffee Cultivation and Processing Choices

Brazil's coffee cultivation is distributed from large-scale plantations on flat terrain at altitudes of 850-1200m to small-scale manually harvested plantations in mountainous areas. Farms choose between natural, pulped natural, or washed processing based on climate and humidity conditions to present the best regional flavor characteristics.

The basic reference is that high humidity is suitable for washed processing, while low humidity is suitable for natural or pulped natural processing. Because different processing methods can significantly affect whether the coffee cherries ferment excessively and become moldy during drying, relatively mold-inhibiting processing methods are chosen.

Although some coffee growers use the washed method, it has not been adopted as a mainstream processing method. The reason lies in Brazil's massive production volume - washed processing requires large amounts of water resources and involves wastewater treatment issues. Therefore, it later developed to be used primarily by very few farms for small-batch custom processing.

Furthermore, although Brazil is one of the countries with the most abundant freshwater resources globally, water resources are unevenly distributed, and many areas rely on rainfall for water. Especially in the eastern regions where coffee cultivation is concentrated, severe droughts often occur, and scarce water resources limit the choice of coffee processing methods.

Conclusion

In summary, each processing method is unique. By combining the characteristics of the local natural environment and selecting suitable processing methods, the unique flavors of local producing regions can be presented. It is also because of different processing methods that we can experience the distinctive characteristics expressed by different regions and producing areas - each one unique.

Case Study: FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Kew

Taking FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Kew as an example: brewed with 88°C water, coarse grind, 1:14 coffee-to-water ratio, using a KONO dripper, with a brewing time of one minute and fifty seconds.

Flavor profile: Chocolate, nuts, low acidity

Important Notice :

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