Coffee is a common drink in our lives, but the coffee presented to us is processed, so the raw beans need to be processed during this process. Do you know what processing methods are there? What effects do these different coffee bean processing methods have on the taste of coffee? Let Xiaozhi show you how to do it.

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1. Sun-drying method

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The sun drying method is the cheapest, simplest and most traditional method of processing coffee beans. It mainly dries the whole coffee fruit so that the coffee beans can ripen naturally inside the fruit without being disturbed by the external environment. This processing method is still used in Ethiopia and Brazil.

step:

1. Remove floating beans

Pour the coffee beans into a large tank. The underdeveloped and inferior beans will float to the surface, while the mature and plump fruits will sink to the bottom. At this time, remove the floating beans on the water surface, and the step of removing the floating beans is completed.

2. Sun exposure

The coffee cherries are evenly spread in the drying area and turned over several times a day. This process usually lasts about 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the local climate. When the moisture content of the coffee beans drops to 10 to 14%, the sun drying step is completed.

3. Remove the shell

After the sun-drying process is over, the outer layer of the coffee seeds has dried and hardened. At this time, a shelling machine is used to remove the outer shell to complete the sun-drying process.

Taste : Coffee beans processed by the sun-drying method will amplify their own flavor, making them rich, strong, and sweet.

2. Water cleaning method

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Washing with water is currently the most widely used treatment method. The biggest difference from the sun-drying method is that fermentation is used to remove the pectin layer.

step:

1. Remove floating beans

Similar to the sun-drying method, the coffee beans are poured into a large water tank. The underdeveloped and inferior beans will float to the surface, while the mature and plump fruits will sink to the bottom. At this time, the floating beans on the water surface are scooped out, completing the step of removing the floating beans.

2. Remove the pulp

The outer skin and pulp of the coffee fruit are removed through the pulping machine, leaving the pectin, endocarp and silverskin.

3. Wait for fermentation

The purpose of this step is to remove the pectin by biological treatment. The coffee berries that have been processed by the pulp screener are placed in a fermentation tank for 16 to 36 hours, and the fermentation bacteria will dissolve the pectin.

4. Wash with water

After fermentation is completed and pectin is removed, the coffee beans are washed again because fermentation bacteria and impurities will remain on the coffee beans. In order to clean them thoroughly, this step consumes a lot of clean water.

5. Drying and peeling

The coffee cherries are usually dried by machine or sun drying to reduce the moisture content to 10-14%. The remaining endocarp and silverskin are then removed using a hulling machine to complete the processing.

Taste: Usually, due to the fermentation process, the coffee beans usually have a bright sour taste and fruity aroma.

3. Honey Processing Method

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The honey treatment is a modified method of the sun drying method. The main difference between the honey treatment and the sun drying method is that the outer peel and pulp are removed before sun drying, and the pectin layer is retained and directly sun dried. Because the mucous membrane on the surface of the coffee beans is extremely sticky and the sugar content is extremely high, people usually call it "honey". During the honey treatment process, some or all of the "honey" will remain when the coffee is dried.

step:

1. As with the sun drying method, remove the floating beans. This step may be omitted in some areas, depending on the situation. Pour the coffee beans into a large water tank. The underdeveloped and inferior beans will float to the surface, while the ripe and plump fruits will sink to the bottom. At this time, remove the floating beans on the water surface, and the step of removing the floating beans is completed.

2. Remove the peel and pulp This step is the same as the water washing method. The outer peel and pulp of the coffee fruit are removed through the pulp sifter. The pectin, inner peel and silver skin will be left.

3. Sunbathing

Spread the coffee beans with pectin in the drying area and expose them directly to the sun to reduce the moisture content to 10-14%.

4. Remove pectin and peel

The processing steps are completed by using a special machine to remove the pectin and endocarp.

Taste: Honey-processed coffee beans have a better flavor, with a balanced acidity and sweetness. And like the sun-dried method, the aroma of the coffee beans themselves will be amplified because they are exposed to the sun, so the taste is richer.