What is Natural Processing Method? A Complete Introduction to Natural Coffee Bean Processing Steps, Flavor Characteristics, and Taste Profile

The Natural Process: Traditional Coffee Processing Method

The natural process is the most traditional method for primary coffee bean processing worldwide, also known as the "dry processing method." Simply put, natural processing involves using sunlight to dry coffee cherries along with their pulp and skin until they become dry, after which the hulls are removed. This is why it's called "Natural" in English, meaning it adopts natural methods.

During the drying process, the sugars and aromas from the coffee pulp are well-preserved and penetrate into the raw coffee beans. Additionally, the longer the natural processing time, the more thorough the fermentation. Because the natural process allows coffee cherries to dry naturally, the coffee beans mature naturally within the fruit without interference from the external environment. Therefore, natural-processed coffee beans amplify their inherent flavors, exhibiting distinct tropical fruit characteristics, rich fermentation notes, and sweetness. Coffee-growing regions with water scarcity worldwide basically adopt this processing method, such as Ethiopia in Africa.

Ethiopia's Natural Processing Heritage

Located on the African continent, Ethiopia's high altitude, low rainfall, and long sunshine hours make it ideal for natural processing of raw coffee beans. Although natural processing saves water resources, if producers "seek convenience" and fail to strictly control heating time and temperature, the quality of raw coffee beans often varies. Traditional natural processing involves laying a cloth on the ground and placing coffee cherries directly on it for sun drying. If not stirred frequently, there can be issues with excessive temperature or uneven fermentation. Additionally, various harmful microorganisms and contaminants on the ground can damage the coffee beans' flavor. Therefore, traditional natural processing often has many undesirable defect flavors, and high-quality beans were rarely processed using this method in the past because people had poor impressions of natural processing, resulting in low prices.

The Evolution of Premium Natural Processing

With the advancement of specialty coffee in recent years, natural processing techniques have become increasingly refined. For example, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Cherry coffee beans adopt this refined natural processing method.

To increase the income of local Ethiopian farmers and improve coffee quality, the Dutch trading company Trabocca BV launched the "OPERATION CHERRY RED PROJECT" in 2007. This project focuses on improving processing techniques including washed, semi-washed, and natural methods in high-altitude regions such as Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Professional cuppers are involved, and different coffee harvesting volumes are determined for different microclimate zones during harvest seasons. Only 100% mature red coffee cherries must be harvested, with yields approximately 1500-3000KG. The economic loan support, new hardware equipment, and production knowledge and technology provided by Trabocca company have greatly improved the quality of coffee beans in the Yirgacheffe region and even throughout Ethiopia. Consequently, the coffee commands higher prices, thereby increasing farmers' income.

Modern Natural Processing Techniques

Unlike the past, today's natural processing invests more effort in manual sorting and ensuring even drying. Freshly harvested red coffee cherries are manually sorted to remove defective beans and those that are overripe or insect-damaged, leaving only the best beans. They are then transported to drying facilities for processing. Different growing regions use different drying racks - some use waterproof tarps, raised beds, etc., with African raised beds being the most common. The drying process generally requires 27-30 days until the coffee turns dark purple and moisture content drops to 11% to be considered complete. Natural-processed Yirgacheffe has more intense flavors, richer layering, with wine-like fermentation notes and higher sweetness.

FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry

FrontStreet Coffee's natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee beans are selected from fully red cherries using natural processing at the Aletland farm. The raw coffee beans are light yellow, full-bodied, with complete appearance and low defect rate, classified as G1 grade. Natural-processed Yirgacheffe has more intense flavors, richer layering, with wine-like fermentation notes and higher sweetness.

Brewing Parameters for FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Red Cherry

Filter: V60
Water Temperature: 92-93°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Fine sugar (20-mesh sieve to 78%)

First, pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour 95g more (electronic scale shows around 125g), completing the pour in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (electronic scale shows around 225g), completing in about 1 minute 35 seconds. Drip filtration completes at 2'10", remove the filter cup, and extraction is complete.

Flavor Profile

Natural Red Cherry flavors: lemon, licorice, citrus, berries, sweet orange, with overall high sweetness. The aftertaste has caramel and cream flavors, and the finish carries black tea aromatics.

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