What Are the Differences Between Washed and Natural Yirgacheffe? French Press Brewing Parameters for Yirgacheffe

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FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry French Press Brewing Guide

As the oldest and most original method of processing green coffee beans, the natural (sun-dried) method was once criticized as backward due to uncontrollable factors during processing that often led to inconsistent quality. With the development of the times, various new and innovative processing methods have emerged, including washed, honey, red wine, raisin, and anaerobic processing. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe is no exception. In 1972, Ethiopia introduced Central and South American washed processing techniques to improve quality, which made the inherent jasmine floral and citrus aromas fresher and more refined, elevating it to become one of the world's finest specialty coffee beans. Since then, the washed method has become the popular processing method.

The unpleasant off-flavors often found in natural processed beans are typically caused by defects during processing. As long as each processing stage is carefully controlled, it's not difficult to achieve a clean and bright flavor profile. Traditional natural processing generally skips pre-sorting, taking the beans directly to the drying field. Manual sorting only occurs after the beans are dried, making the process relatively rough with higher defect rates, often lacking in aroma and not well-regarded.

After identifying the root cause, Bagchi developed a strict screening procedure: before sun-drying, manually remove unripe green cherries or defective fruits; conduct a second screening during drying to remove moldy or damaged cherries; after about two weeks, when the moisture content of green beans drops to 12%, the sugars and essences from the pulp have fully penetrated into the coffee beans, then dehulling is performed (same operation as traditional natural processing); after removing the green beans, they undergo density and bean color testing (same as the latter part of washed processing), and finally, any missed defective beans are manually sorted by visual inspection.

Through layers of strict quality control, the green beans are of premium quality, and the crystal-clear, fruit-forward sun-kissed flavor profile that washed beans lack has been perfectly interpreted.

Fully Washed Method

This method uses washing and fermentation to remove pulp, mucilage, and parchment. Farms using the washed method must build washing stations and have access to a continuous supply of fresh water. During processing, the fermented beans are placed in the washing station and moved back and forth, using the friction between beans and the power of flowing water to wash the coffee beans until they are smooth and clean. After washing, the coffee beans are still encased in parchment with 50% moisture content and must be dried to reduce the moisture content to 12%, otherwise they will continue to ferment, become moldy and spoil. The better processing method is sun-drying, which takes 1-3 weeks but produces excellent flavor profiles that are highly appreciated.

Both natural and washed processing methods are quite popular. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will share the French press brewing method for FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry, allowing coffee enthusiasts to enjoy delicious coffee anytime, anywhere at home!

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry

Region: Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 1800-2000m

Variety: Local indigenous varieties

Processing Method: Natural

Coffee Powder to Water Ratio: 1:15

Note: The grind size for French press should be relatively coarse because the coffee grounds remain in contact with water for a longer period. If the coffee powder is too fine, it can lead to over-extraction. Additionally, avoid overly fine powder that might pass through the filter. Water temperature should be around 92°C. Excessively hot water can cause over-extraction, resulting in a relatively bitter taste and losing the original coffee flavor.

Cover with the lid and let steep for 4-5 minutes. After 4 minutes, slowly press the filter down and pour out the coffee.

Flavor: Red berries, citrus, tropical fruits, strawberry

Knowledge Expansion: FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe varieties are local indigenous varieties, small-bean types with relatively round shapes. The beans are very small, mostly between 14-15 mesh size.

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Tel:020 38364473