Honey Process Coffee Bean Grading System_Are All Costa Rican Coffee Beans Black Honey Processed

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After coffee fruits are planted and harvested on estates, the next most important step besides variety and growing region is the 'post-processing method'. Currently, most processing methods are mainly natural, semi-washed, and washed, with several special processing methods like honey processing as well.

The goal of each coffee processing method is singular: to remove the skin and extract the coffee beans. However, due to cost considerations and differences in natural environmental conditions like climate, the bean extraction processes may not be the same. These processing methods all affect the subsequent flavor of the coffee beans.

Coffee Cherry Selection

Before processing, the first step is to carefully select ripe fruits. There are two methods:

1. Color Differentiation Method

Typically, ripe fruits are characterized by red skin, where most sugars from the mucilage layer have penetrated into the fruit, significantly increasing sweetness and fruity aroma. Conversely, unripe fruits contain high amounts of chlorogenic acid and concentrated citric acid, giving coffee fruits an astringent and sour taste.

2. Water Tank Method

All harvested fruits are placed in a water tank. After manual selection, ripe and nearly ripe fruits will sink to the bottom, while unripe and defective fruits will float. However, sometimes unripe fruits may be pressed down by many ripe fruits at the tank bottom, so this method still requires careful attention to the tank's bottom conditions using color observation.

Natural Process

The natural process, also known as 'natural processing,' is commonly used in countries with water scarcity. In recent years, due to its unique flavor, it has often been used by estates pursuing special flavor profiles.

Harvested coffee cherries are spread directly with pulp and mucilage layers on drying patios for natural drying. The coffee beans are constantly turned to avoid moisture-induced mold. The time depends on climate, typically taking two to four weeks until the fruit's moisture content drops below 12% and becomes hard. Then, a hulling machine removes the dried hard pulp and parchment layer to extract the coffee beans. This processing method's greatest fear is rain and humidity causing mold. Every night, to avoid excessive moisture, the beans must be moved indoors.

Coffee processed this way, under appropriate fermentation conditions, carries exclusive berry and wine-like flavor notes. It produces excellent flavors regardless of brewing method. However, it can also easily exhibit off-flavors, which greatly tests the skills of roasters and baristas.

Process: Screen out floating beans → Natural drying → Hulling

Washed Process

The washed process can be divided into the following 3 types: General washed, Kenya-style washed, and Rwanda-style washed.

The washed method is currently the most common green bean processing method, but it has extremely high water costs, making it less suitable in some countries with limited water resources. Washed-processed coffee green beans have beautiful color, good appearance, high quality, better acidity and brightness, and fewer off-flavors.

General Washed Method

After selecting ripe fruits, they are moved to a pulping machine. The next most important step is washed fermentation processing to remove the mucilage layer. Since the mucilage layer cannot be removed by water washing alone, various bacteria in water are used for hydrolysis, breaking it down into pectic acid. During this period, constant stirring and water washing of the green beans in the tank are needed to accelerate mucilage separation from the bean pods. Time is approximately 12-36 hours, depending on temperature and humidity. During this time, malic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, and propionic acid naturally develop in the tank, with some acidic flavor compounds simultaneously penetrating the coffee beans. The fermentation status in the tank must be constantly monitored to check if the mucilage layer has detached, avoiding over-fermentation that produces excessive fatty acids and propionic acid, creating foul odors. After washed fermentation is complete, the coffee beans are removed, dried, and stored.

Kenya-style Washed Method

Following the same initial process as the general washed method, it first ferments naturally for 12 hours (mainly at pH 4.5-4.8), then washes away 80%-90% of the mucilage layer, ferments naturally for another 24 hours, cleans thoroughly, then soaks in water for 24 hours before drying and storage.

Rwanda-style Washed Method

Following the same initial process as the general washed method, it first ferments naturally for 12 hours, cleans thoroughly, then ferments in water for 24 hours, cleans again, soaks in water for 20 hours before drying and storage.

These washed methods give coffee beans clean and bright acidity, high moisture content, bright acidic aroma, high sweetness, and clean mouthfeel. They tend to have more easily distinguishable layered flavors, making it easier to discover coffee's unique characteristics and regional special flavors.

Process: Screen out floating beans (same as natural) → Remove skin and pulp → Ferment to remove mucilage → Natural drying

Semi-Washed Pulped Natural

The so-called honey processing involves removing the coffee cherry skin while retaining the sticky pulp portion, then proceeding with drying. The difficulty of honey processing lies in the fact that during the drying process, since the viscous pulp layer remains on the coffee beans, they must be turned frequently at high frequency to avoid the pulp sticking together and causing mold. Additionally, drying must be completed quickly to avoid over-fermentation. These multiple reasons create risks of honey-processed coffee beans easily spoiling, requiring more labor and time costs compared to other processing methods.

Honey-processed coffee beans are categorized by the percentage of pulp retained:

40% Pulp - 'Yellow Honey'

Turn every 30 minutes to 1 hour in the morning

60% Pulp - 'Red Honey'

Turn daily from 11 AM to 12 PM

80% Pulp - 'Black Honey'

Turn daily at 3 PM

Basically, the more pulp retained, the greater the sweetness and fuller the body. Generally, when people mention honey processing, they refer to yellow honey. The more pulp retained, the more careful and detailed the processing must be. Black honey, if processed for too long, often develops over-fermented flavors, making it extremely risky.

Honey-processed coffees generally have higher body, longer aftertaste, and excellent sweetness performance, sometimes extending sweetness to the aftertaste portion. However, it's difficult to find cleanly processed honey-processed coffee beans, as off-flavors often appear suddenly and then disappear, though overall they don't affect the flavor presentation.

Process: Screen out floating beans (same as natural) → Remove skin (skin removed while retaining mucilage layer) → Dry with mucilage layer

Honey-processed Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rican black honey-processed coffee beans offer full assurance in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide excellent value for money. A half-pound (227 grams) package costs only about 95 RMB. Calculating at 15 grams per single-origin coffee cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 RMB. Compared to café prices that often reach dozens of RMB per cup, this represents exceptional value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A Guangzhou-based roastery with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store 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