Coffee bean processing: from picking to roasting, the whole process is revealed

pick

The coffee bean processing process begins with picking. Generally speaking, coffee beans are picked when they are at their best maturity. Farmers will carefully observe the berries on the coffee trees, and when the berries turn deep red, they are ripe. At this point, farmers use manual or mechanical equipment to peel these ripe coffee berries off the trees.

Peeling and fermentation

Once picked, the beans need to be peeled and fermented. First, farmers soak the freshly peeled berries in a tank of water and rub them vigorously to remove the outer pulp.

After a period of soaking in a tank (usually 12 to 48 hours), the peeled beans begin the fermentation process, which helps to eliminate the mucilage remaining on the surface of the beans and improve their taste and flavor.

Wash and dry

After the fermentation process is complete, the next step is washing and drying. Farmers will place the fermented beans in a sink and rinse them thoroughly with clean water. This step is to remove the remaining pulp and other impurities.

The beans are then transferred to large platforms or grids to dry. They are left in the sun for several days until they are completely dry. This process requires careful control of time and temperature to ensure that the beans are not damaged.

Shelling

Once the coffee beans are completely dry, they need to be hulled. Typically, farmers use special machinery to remove the outer hard shell from the coffee beans.

This process is very important because the outer shell affects the taste and also protects the coffee essence inside from oxidation or contamination.

Grading and packaging

After the shelling process is completed, the next stage is grading and packaging. In this stage, professionals will classify the coffee beans according to factors such as color, size, shape, etc.

Different coffee bean grades have different characteristics and uses. High-quality coffee beans are usually separated out to make special coffee products.

Finally, the strictly sorted coffee beans will be packaged. This process usually uses sealed bags or cans to ensure that the coffee beans remain fresh during transportation and storage.

Baking

The final stage is roasting, during which professionals will place the packaged coffee beans into a roasting machine for processing as needed.

Roasting is a delicate and complex process that can adjust the flavor and taste of coffee beans by controlling time and temperature. Lighter colors (such as light roasted) generally have sour, floral and other flavors, while darker colors (such as dark roasted) show more bitter, chocolate and other flavors.

Conclusion

From picking to roasting, each link has a huge impact on the final coffee flavor and taste. Only through careful processing and control can satisfactory coffee beans be produced.

By understanding this process, we can better appreciate and savor a quality cup of coffee.