How to Properly Brew Yirgacheffe - Introduction to Natural Process Yirgacheffe Coffee Characteristics

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more bean information, follow Coffee Workshop.

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe

Harvested coffee cherries must move into processing immediately, or they begin to ferment and develop off-flavors. There are two main processing routes, natural and washed, and each creates a different flavor profile. Natural-processed beans have a rounder, fuller flavor, gentler aromas and more body; washed beans offer clean flavors, high aromatic intensity and lively acidity.

Natural Sun-Drying Method (Natural/Dried-in-the-Fruit):

After harvesting, the fruit begins to sun-dry without any prior processing. This is the oldest processing method still in use. Drying typically takes about 4 weeks, and the process must be handled with great rigor so the coffee loses none of its flavor. Natural sun-drying demands a very dry local climate; in some regions, people use drying machines to assist the process, since the hot air can speed drying and help control the degree of dryness.

FrontStreet Coffee - Pour-Over Characteristics and Tasting Notes for Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe

Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe: We recommend 15g of coffee grounds at an 89°C water temperature, Fuji grinder setting 4, a V60 dripper and a 1:15 water-to-coffee ratio. First pour 30g of water and let it bloom for 30s. Second pour 104g, then continue to 225g in total. Avoid using the final tail of the extraction. Total extraction time around 2:02.

Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe: Natural processing adds complexity, with light fermented wine-like aromas and slightly more pronounced bitterness. The mouthfeel is much richer, with honey-like sweetness, cocoa undertones and hints of spice, full body and a persistent aftertaste.

Coffee Flavor Fundamentals You Should Understand

Aroma: Coffee aroma actually includes the dry fragrance of the beans, the aroma released once the coffee is brewed, and more.

Bitterness: Generally, the darker the beans are roasted, the stronger the bitterness.

Acidity: The "acidity" in coffee is an important component of the overall flavor of a cup. It is different from the acidity of lemons: coffee acidity is relatively refreshing and crisp. Some people compare the level of coffee acidity to the way pure water versus sparkling water stimulates the taste buds.

Body: Also called mouthfeel, this can be understood as the density the tongue perceives when tasting a drink. Think of the difference in mouthfeel between pure water and cream: pure water has the lowest body, while thick cream has the highest.

Aftertaste: As with red wine, this refers to the flavor that lingers in the mouth after swallowing. It can, to some extent, measure the quality of the beans; some coffees have a persistent, clear aftertaste, while others are brief and hazy. The former points to higher-quality green beans.

Flavor: Coffee flavor is the combined result of aroma, bitterness, acidity, body and other factors, and refers to the overall impression a coffee leaves behind.

The quality of a finished cup is shaped by every step from cultivation, harvesting and processing of the green bean through roasting, grinding and extraction. The coffee we drink can be said to hold the "life journey" of every single bean in the cup.

In reality, different varieties taste different, and there is no absolutely "best" bean, only coffee that suits your personal taste. To find the "good coffee" that is right for you, it is worth tasting different beans and discovering your favorite.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

For anyone who wants to understand what natural processing does to a Yirgacheffe, FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Red Cherry is the clearest example. It is a whole-red-cherry natural, meaning only fully ripe, sound cherries are picked, screened once at the processing station and then dried directly on raised beds, turned every two to three hours in the first days so they dry evenly and avoid over-fermentation. After three to five weeks in the sun, the outer fruit is scraped off by machine and the beans are moved to storage. Because the fruit dries with the cherry still on the bean, the cup holds the classic Yirgacheffe character alongside a natural's tropical fruit: citrus acidity, berry juice, honeyed sweetness and a creamy smoothness. With a V60 at 90-91°C, 15g of coffee at a 1:15 ratio and a grind of EK43s setting 10 (fine sugar, 80% passing a #20 sieve), a 30g pour and 30-second bloom, then 95g to about 125g over a minute, and the remaining 100g to about 225g once the bed drops to two-thirds, the brew finishes at 2:00-2:10.

If you prefer the washed side, FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe daily bean is the classic starting point: white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a tea-like quality, at a price that has made it the first specialty coffee for many drinkers. Yirgacheffe is a small town in southern Ethiopia's Sidama province, at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters with trees above 1,800 meters, one of the highest coffee regions in the world; once a wetland, it became famous for exactly the white florals and lemon-citrus acidity that now define the name. In 2010 the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange separated Yirgacheffe from Sidamo as its reputation grew.

For a cooperative lot with even greater clarity, try FrontStreet Coffee's Gutingting. Yirgacheffe town contains many small zones and villages, some with experienced cooperatives and mature processing; the washed Gutingting cooperative, in the Worka area at the southeastern end, is the most representative. Originally part of the Worka cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Union (YCFCU), it became a "single origin" as demand for traceable green coffee grew. It follows traditional washed processing, so there is no traditional bitterness, only fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance. Between the washed and sun-dried styles, these three lots show the full range of what Yirgacheffe can be.