Honey Process Coffee Video_Coffee Beans Honey Process Suitable for What Coffee_Honey Process Coffee Price

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

What is Coffee Processing?

Coffee processing refers to the process of transforming coffee cherries into green coffee beans (seeds).

Three Main Processing Methods

Generally, there are three processing methods:

• Natural Process
• Washed Process
• Hybrid processes between natural and washed: including semi-washed (wet-hulled), Brazilian pulped natural, and honey process

Natural Process

Selection → Drying → Hulling → Sorting and grading

Washed Process

Selection → Pulping → Fermentation → Washing → Drying → Hulling → Sorting and grading

Wet-Hulled Process

The wet-hulled processing method is common in Indonesia and differs from typical washed and natural processes.

In washed, honey, or natural processes, the parchment remains until the bean body dehydrates and hardens, with moisture content dropping to 12%, or is stored for 1-3 months of aging before being removed.

However, the wet-hulled process removes the parchment when the bean body is still moist and soft, with moisture content as high as 30-35%, exposing the green bean surface directly to continue drying. This method was developed to adapt to the humid climate of Sumatra, aiming to accelerate drying. The shortened drying time reduces the fermentation period, significantly lowering acidity while increasing body weight. It also creates distinct caramel and fruit aromas with slight woody and herbal notes—this is FrontStreet Coffee's unique "regional flavor" for Mandheling.

For example, this FrontStreet Coffee Tiger Mandheling:

FrontStreet Coffee's Tiger Mandheling grows on hillside slopes around 1,500 meters elevation. The humid tropical rainforest climate brings abundant rainfall, while volcanic soil provides nutrients. However, due to year-round humidity, the wet-hulled method is used to shorten drying time. Using water at 88-89°C, sugar-sized granules, brewed with a Kono filter cup at a 1:14 water-to-coffee ratio, with 30 seconds of pre-infusion followed by single-stage pouring, it delivers distinct dark chocolate and cream flavors with high clarity.

Pulped Natural Process

Natural process quality is difficult to control, while washed process consumes significant water—averaging 10-20 tons of water per ton of coffee cherries to produce approximately 200kg of coffee beans. Coffee-producing countries with limited water resources cannot afford this. In the 1990s, Brazil utilized its unique dry climate to invent the pulped natural process.

After multiple improvements, according to Dr. Ernesto Illy's version, the pulped natural process is: coffee cherries are first sorted through water channels to remove defective floating cherries, then the skin, pulp, and part of the mucilage layer are removed, followed by one hour of washing. Due to the short soaking and fermentation time, mucilage is not completely washed away, leaving residual mucilage on the parchment. At this point, the sticky parchment beans are spread on drying patios to dry, preferably using breathable African raised beds.

For example, this FrontStreet Coffee West Java Amanni Estate honey-processed natural method. Hand-picking ensures fruit stability. After harvesting, the outer skin is removed while retaining the pulp for natural drying, also called pulped natural. After about one month of natural drying, washing and other treatments are performed, followed by half a month of storage before packaging. The sole purpose of this process is to create more complex and full-bodied flavors.

Honey Processed Coffee Beans

When Brazil's pulped natural process spread to Central American countries like Costa Rica and El Salvador, it was improved and became known as honey processing.

Honey process: the production process of green beans that are dried with mucilage still attached. After removing the outer pulp from coffee beans, a layer of viscous gelatinous substance remains. In traditional washed processing, this would be washed away with clean water, but due to water resource limitations in some high-altitude regions, this method of drying directly with mucilage was developed.

Honey-processed coffee has higher sweetness and sugar content than washed coffee, with relatively higher body weight. (Under the same roast degree comparison)

Depending on the thickness of mucilage removal, drying duration (or drying thickness), and turning frequency during drying, honey processing is further divided into black honey, red honey, orange honey, yellow honey, and white honey.

Based on mucilage removal thickness:

• Black Honey: 80% mucilage removed (some estates barely remove any mucilage for black honey), thus requiring the longest drying time of over 14 days. During the process, to avoid drying too quickly, coverings are used to block intense sunlight, allowing more complete sugar conversion.
• Red Honey: 25% mucilage removed (specific practices vary among estates), dried for about 12 days, during which shade structures may also be used.
• Yellow Honey: 40% mucilage removed, dried with maximum light exposure for about 8 days.

Some growing regions and estates distinguish based on drying thickness and turning frequency. For example, yellow and white honey both retain 20-30% mucilage:

• Yellow Honey: Thick layer drying, minimal turning, longer drying time.
• White Honey: Thin layer drying, frequent turning, shorter drying time.

For example, this FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Shumava Estate coffee bean. Estate owner Francisco Men preserves most of the original forest on the property, maintaining ecological balance, giving these coffee beans rich fruit aromas and high sweetness. Using V60 to brew FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica black honey processed coffee beans: 15g beans, 1:15 water-to-coffee ratio, sugar-sized grind, brewed to 225g. Pre-infuse with 37g water for 30 seconds. First stage: medium water flow to 120g, extracting front and mid-stage floral and berry aromas. Second stage: large water flow for strong black tea notes. Tasting reveals distinct tomato acidity, gentle berry acidity, retaining bright and delicate citrus notes with low raisin and nutty aftertaste. Strong sweetness.

As the coffee market pursues more extreme flavor profiles, many experienced and capable professionals have begun controlling honey processing details to produce higher quality coffee beans and showcase the possibilities of coffee flavors.

For example, using instruments like refractometers to determine harvest timing for coffee cherries. Coffee with consistent maturity tastes cleaner, while sweeter red cherries increase coffee sweetness, and riper fruits also add fermentation aromas.

Honey processing retains the cleanliness of washed processing, though not as bright as fully washed, but increases sweetness and caramel notes.

Summary of Green Bean Processing Characteristics

• Acidity: Washed > Semi-washed > Honey > Wet-hulled > Natural
• Sweetness: Natural > Honey > Wet-hulled > Semi-washed > Washed
• Production Risk: Wet-hulled/Natural > Washed/Honey > Semi-washed
• Equipment Cost: Washed/Semi-washed > Honey/Wet-hulled > Natural
• Water Usage: Washed > Semi-washed > Honey/Wet-hulled

FrontStreet Coffee's Honey Processed Coffee Bean Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Costa Rica black honey processed coffee beans offer full assurance in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide excellent value—a half-pound (227g) bag costs only about 95 RMB. Calculating at 15g per single-origin coffee, one bag makes about 15 cups, costing only 6 RMB per cup. Compared to café prices that often run dozens of RMB per cup, this represents exceptional value. For enthusiasts interested in honey-processed coffee beans, this is an excellent choice.

FrontStreet Coffee: A Guangzhou-based roastery with a small shop but diverse bean selection, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. Online services are also available. 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