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The Art of Coffee Processing: Understanding Different Methods

Coffee is a daily pleasure that never gets boring! Beyond different origins, various processing methods create an incredible range of flavors. You've probably heard of natural, washed, and honey-processed coffee beans. But how do these processing methods affect the flavor? Whether you're a coffee enthusiast or looking to open your own coffee shop, here's an open sharing of professional coffee knowledge and business insights.

How Processing Methods Affect Coffee Flavor

Various green bean processing techniques significantly influence coffee's final flavor profile.

When we hear terms like natural, honey, or washed processing in coffee shops, these refer to different methods of processing green coffee beans.

When coffee is still growing on the tree with its skin and pulp intact, it's called a "coffee cherry." The coffee bean we use is actually the seed inside. The process of removing the outer skin, pulp, and mucilage after harvesting is called "green bean processing."

The Role of Fermentation

Fermentation is the moment when coffee beans undergo chemical changes to develop more flavors.

Coffee cherries undergo fermentation during the drying process. This is when coffee beans experience chemical changes that generate additional flavors. From past to present, processing methods have continuously evolved. Coffee producers constantly experiment with different fermentation techniques by controlling the fermentation sources (anaerobic fermentation), adding ingredients to feed microorganisms, and using various sugar sources and concentrations. They use different materials like fruit purée, cola, and alcohol to change the fermentation microorganisms and create unique flavors. For example, adding cola reportedly produces cardamom and cinnamon notes. This approach of flavor manipulation from the processing stage is an emerging technique that many coffee professionals are still studying in detail.

Natural Processing Method

Coffee cherries are poured into large water tanks, where buoyancy is used to separate low-quality beans. Good beans are then scooped out and spread out to dry in the sun. Finally, a hulling machine removes the skin and mucilage.

Flavor Profile

Because the entire fruit ferments together, the fermentation notes are most pronounced during extraction.

Washed Processing Method

Similar to the natural method, floating low-quality beans are removed by soaking in water. Then, machines remove the skin and pulp. The coffee beans are placed in water tanks, where fermentation dissolves the mucilage. Finally, the beans are machine-dried.

Flavor Profile

Compared to natural processed beans, the flavor is cleaner and more refreshing.

Honey Processing Method

What's commonly known as "semi-natural" or "semi-washed" processing can all be considered types of honey processing. Honey processing is a compromise between the two methods. The skin is removed before sun-drying, but the pulp and mucilage layers are retained. After drying, machines remove the sticky layer and silver skin.

Flavor Profile

The mucilage has a honey-like sticky texture, which gives honey-processed coffee higher sweetness.

Innovative "Flavor-Infused" Processing Methods

Various green bean processing methods exist worldwide. Here are some newly introduced creative "flavor-infused" processing techniques!

Washed Oak Barrel Fermentation

The initial steps follow washed processing, but instead of placing beans in water tanks, they are soaked in oak barrels, allowing the beans to absorb oak barrel flavors. (When发展到量产阶段时, wood chips or alcohol are used instead of oak barrels.)

Flavor Profile

Features notes of candied fruit, brandy, and toffee.

Mango Purée Infusion Fermentation

During the water tank stage, fruit purée is added instead, influencing the fermentation flavors. This can add floral, passion fruit, lychee, and other tropical fruit notes to the beans. Of course, different types of fruit can create various flavor variations.

Flavor Profile

Carries tropical fruit flavors.

Honey-Processed Coffee Bean Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rican black honey-processed coffee beans offer excellent guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide exceptional value - a 227-gram half-pound package costs only around 95 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams per single-origin coffee serving, one package can make 15 cups, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan. Compared to coffee shop prices that often run dozens of yuan per cup, this represents outstanding value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A Guangzhou-based roastery with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, offering both famous and lesser-known beans, plus online services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473