Coffee Bean Processing Methods: Washed Process for Clean, Pure Coffee Without Impurities

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Three Major Coffee Processing Methods

Dry Process (Natural Method)

The dry process (natural method) is the oldest and most original coffee processing method. Over a thousand years ago, Arabs used this method to process coffee. It involves placing harvested coffee cherries directly on patios for sun exposure (approximately 27-30 days), reducing moisture content from 60% to about 12%. This processing method is conceptually simple and inexpensive, but involves many variables and risks; for a long time, it was used to process beans of lesser quality.

Flavor Profile: Soft acidity with uniform bitterness, rich body with complex layers, and noticeable sweetness. High-quality natural processed beans carry fruity or wine-like aromas.

Sun Drying: Fresh coffee cherries are placed on drying patios for sun drying. After approximately 2-4 weeks of constant turning, they naturally dry to a moisture content of about 12%. This ensures even heating of the coffee cherries. After drying, the coffee bean separates from its outer skin, and then a huller removes the pulp, skin, and other layers before sorting.

Washed Process

The washed process was invented by the Dutch in the 18th century and is suitable for rainy regions. Although the process is quite complex, it is currently the most common method for processing green coffee beans, accounting for about 70% of total coffee production. Harvested berries are put through a depulper to separate most of the fruit flesh from the coffee beans, and the parchment beans are guided into a clean water tank. They soak in water for fermentation to completely remove the remaining pulp layer. Through water processing, underripe and defective beans are selected out due to buoyancy differences, and the fermentation process is easier to control. Therefore, unlike natural processed beans, washed beans don't have impurities in flavor, but instead present distinct fruit acidity, slightly more complexity, and cleaner cup characteristics (without any negative flavors like astringency or sharpness). However, because they are too "clean," the richness of flavor is somewhat weaker.

Flavor Profile: More pronounced acidity, with a clean, refreshing, and bright mouthfeel.

Processing Steps: Removing Floaters: Coffee cherries are rinsed with clean water, and immature fruits floating on the surface are skimmed off. Depulping: Fresh fruits are sent into a depulper to remove the skin and pulp. Removing Mucilage: After depulping, the seeds are moved to fermentation tanks for about 16-36 hours of natural fermentation to dissolve the surface mucilage, followed by washing. Drying and Hulling: Continue sun drying for 1-3 weeks until moisture content drops to 12%, then use a huller to remove the outer shell.

Honey Process

The honey process gets its name from the sticky mucilage layer of coffee beans before drying, which feels as sticky as honey. When the coffee pulp separates from the coffee beans, the surrounding mucilage layer becomes sticky after sun exposure by absorbing moisture from the air. Here, "honey" refers to the mucilage layer of the coffee pulp. After harvesting, the fruits are also put through a depulper to remove the outer skin, leaving the pulp to be sun-dried, allowing the sweetness of the pulp to penetrate the beans, without taking as much time as the natural process.

Flavor Profile: Low acidity with higher sweetness, accompanied by fruity aromas. The cleanliness of mouthfeel is higher than natural processed beans, and after drying, there's a fermented wine-like aftertaste.

Processing Steps: Removing Skin: Coffee cherries are washed with clean water, then the skin is removed while preserving the pulp for sun drying. Sun Drying: The sugar-containing pulp is preserved during sun drying. During this stage, regular turning is necessary to prevent the green beans from molding. Obtaining Green Beans: After drying is complete, the pulp, mucilage, and outer shell are removed all at once.

Knowledge Point: Brazilian coffee has neither particularly outstanding advantages nor obvious flaws. This coffee has a balanced flavor, low acidity, moderate body, light sweetness, and chocolate notes.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research workshop dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three coffee discount events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

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