Natural Process Coffee Bean Characteristics - Drying Duration & Process Flow

When it comes to coffee processing methods, FrontStreet Coffee's shop displays several beans processed in different ways. Natural processed beans account for about 40% of FrontStreet Coffee's entire selection, including natural processed Yirgacheffe, natural processed Panama Geisha, and natural processed Brazil coffee beans, among others. FrontStreet Coffee considers natural processing the simplest of all methods: the selected cherries are simply spread out to dry in the sun, with occasional turning to ensure even drying. Today FrontStreet Coffee explains the operational process of natural processing and the flavor characteristics of natural processed beans.

FrontStreet Coffee natural processed coffee beans (unpeeled)

FrontStreet Coffee washed processed coffee beans

FrontStreet Coffee honey processed coffee beans

Natural Processing Method

The natural processing method, also known as the "natural drying method," is the oldest processing method. Natural drying does not require much equipment but places high demands on the weather, needing continuous sunny days, and the drying period lasts as long as 27-30 days. During drying, it is worth noting that excessive sun exposure can cause the beans to crack and become defects. Although the process is relatively simple, natural processed beans do not have an attractive appearance, which makes them less popular. Ethiopia is a producing country that widely uses the natural method because it has high altitude, a dry climate, and scarce water resources. Locals harvest ripe coffee cherries and spread them out flat on net racks to dry.

Natural Processing Procedure

1. Collection & Selection

After harvesting, coffee cherries are first selected by hand to screen out defective fruit - overripe, unripe, and insect-damaged cherries, as well as foreign matter.

2. Drying

The selected cherries are sent to the drying area. Different regions use different setups: some use waterproof tarps, others raised beds, and some concrete floors. Drying takes an average of 3 to 4 weeks, until the moisture content drops to 11% and the process is complete.

3. Hulling

Once drying is complete, the cherries are sent to processing plants for hulling and even polishing. The dried pulp and other parts are removed at this stage.

4. Selection, Sorting & Storage

The hulled green beans go through another round of selection to remove beans with poor appearance. This reflects the quality of the drying process: over-dried beans are more fragile and may break into fragments during hulling, while under-dried beans hold too much moisture and are prone to bacterial growth and mold. After selection, the beans are stored in warehouses until export.

FrontStreet Coffee natural Yirgacheffe Aricha green coffee beans

FrontStreet Coffee natural Panama Janson Geisha green coffee beans

FrontStreet Coffee natural Brazil Queen Manor Farm coffee beans

Although the three beans above are of different varieties, they all use the natural processing method. From their appearance you can see they all have a yellowish-green color. Next, FrontStreet Coffee uses these three beans - Natural Yirgacheffe Aricha, Natural Panama Janson Geisha, and Natural Brazil Queen Manor Farm - as examples to describe their flavors after pour-over brewing.

FrontStreet Coffee natural Yirgacheffe Aricha coffee beans

FrontStreet Coffee natural Panama Janson Geisha coffee beans

FrontStreet Coffee natural Brazil Queen Manor Farm coffee beans

FrontStreet Coffee's brewing parameters can serve as a reference: V60 dripper, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, 90°C water, and a grind based on 80% passing a Chinese standard #20 sieve. The ideal grind varies from bean to bean due to variety, altitude, processing method, and roast, so when FrontStreet Coffee receives a new roasted bean it first sifts to determine the right pour-over grind. For these three beans, FrontStreet Coffee settled on BG#5F (Yirgacheffe Aricha), BG#4G (Panama Janson Geisha), and BG#5F (Brazil Queen Manor Farm) after sifting. Even with the same grinder brand, FrontStreet Coffee suggests sifting once for greater precision.

For technique, FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, or the three-stage pour. Pour 30 ml of water and bloom for 30 seconds. In the second stage, pour in a circular motion to 125 ml; when the water level drops to just before the bed is exposed, continue pouring to 225 ml. Total time is 2 minutes, including the bloom.

[Yirgacheffe Aricha Coffee Bean Flavor Description]

Ripe-fruit aroma with noticeable fermentation notes on entry and a green grape character. As it cools slightly, lemon acidity, cream, and grape-juice notes appear in the finish.

[Panama Janson Geisha Coffee Bean Flavor Description]

Maple flavor, lemon citrus, apple, rose aroma, dark chocolate fruit notes, pomegranate, ripe grapes, peaches, and dark berries, with multi-layered sweet and tart notes.

[Brazil Queen Manor Farm Coffee Bean Flavor Description]

Noticeable sweetness with a faint lemon aroma and rich nutty flavors, with distinct dark chocolate notes in the finish and an overall rounded sensation.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this walk through natural processing has you craving that fruit-forward, fermented character, FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Red Cherry is a natural fit. It uses only fully ripe, defect-free cherries, dried on raised beds for three to five weeks with frequent turning early on to avoid uneven heat and over-fermentation. Because the fruit stays with the bean through drying, it marries the classic Yirgacheffe profile with tropical natural fruitiness: citrus acidity, a berry-juice mouthfeel, honey sweetness, and a creamy smoothness, all at an affordable price that makes it an easy first step into specialty coffee.

To compare the natural style against a cleaner baseline, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe - the classic everyday lot - shows white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like finish, the very clarity that washed processing delivers by removing the fruit before drying. If you want a fruitier natural from the same stable, the washed Gedingding Cooperative from the Wolka area offers a precise, single-origin expression of washed Yirgacheffe, with no classic bitterness and the same jasmine-and-citrus signature.