Characteristics of Washed Process Coffee Beans: The Surprising Cost of Water in Coffee Processing Methods

FrontStreet Coffee's Introduction to Washed Coffee Processing

The washed processing method was invented by the Dutch in the 18th century. Due to frequent rainfall and high humidity in some countries, the natural drying method cannot be implemented. Although the process is relatively complex, it has become the most widely used processing method today. The biggest difference from the natural drying method is the use of fermentation to remove the mucilage layer.

Washed Method - Coffee Bean Processing

Harvested coffee beans must immediately enter the processing stage, otherwise they will begin to ferment and produce off-flavors. There are two processing methods: "natural drying" and "washed processing," each resulting in different flavor profiles. Natural dried beans have complete natural mellow flavors, gentle aromas, and more body; washed processing offers good mellow flavors, high aromatics, and lively acidity.

Mellow flavor is an important characteristic of espresso, creating intense wine-like aromatics and smooth sensations. Espresso enthusiasts can increase the proportion of naturally dried beans; washed processed beans are as clean as clear wind chimes due to fewer impurities. Additionally, washed beans have good acidity, which is the main source of sweetness in espresso.

Washed Method: Washed processing involves removing the fruit skin, pulp, mucilage, and other components before drying. Coffee beans processed using the washed method have more uniform appearance with fewer impurities and defective beans, typically containing about 16% moisture. The advantages are fewer impurities, clean taste, and bright fruity acidity.

Washed Processing Steps: Bean selection → pulp removal → fermentation → washing → drying → hulling → sorting and grading.

Advantages: Coffee beans have fewer impurities and more complete appearance. Since the pulp from coffee cherries is removed at the beginning, there's no need to worry about mold issues, resulting in more stable overall quality.

Disadvantages: The washed processing method is complex and tedious, requiring large amounts of water. Therefore, costs are relatively higher than natural drying, and it's less used in water-scarce regions.

Knowledge Point: Coffee beans are the fruit of the coffee tree, which belongs to the Rubiaceae family as a perennial evergreen shrub or small tree.

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee discount events because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for six years!

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