Before packaging in bags and transportation, the berries go through three stages:
Collection and sorting of berries.
Any treatment, such as washed or natural. As a result of washing, coffee in pachament (in a parchment shell) is obtained, and as a result of natural processing, coffee is obtained in dried berries.
Hulling is a peeling process in which the pamphlet and, if any, the remains of the berry are removed from the beans to obtain green coffee beans.
Washed, dry and honey treatments are what happens in the second stage. In this article we tell you how they happen and how they differ from each other.
Natural (dry) processing
The dry processing method is considered classic, because it was used by the inhabitants of the Ethiopian mountains. They noticed that ripe berries first slowly dry out on the branches, then fall to the ground and dry there. After this, separating the pulp from the grains is easy.
Due to the fact that the berry dries whole, sugars from the pulp and gluten enter the grain. Therefore, dry-processed coffee is richer and sweeter than, for example, washed-processed coffee.
The thinner the layer of berries, the better - the berries dry evenly
On an industrial scale, waiting for the berry to dry on a branch and the ground is long and inconvenient. To speed up the drying process, farmers place the berries on layers of palm leaves, concrete patios, or special tables with a net called African beds.
There are several very important points in dry processing:
Immediately after harvesting, unripe berries must be separated. Otherwise, they will darken, and it will no longer be possible to distinguish them from ripe ones.
While the berries are drying in the sun, they should be stirred approximately every six hours. If the berries dry unevenly, mold will appear and the taste will be spoiled.
Most often, coffee is dried in the sun. Typically this takes up to four weeks. But on large plantations they use special drying machines, into which the berries are loaded after several days in the sun.
Washed coffee processing
In regions with high humidity, it is impossible to dry coffee in the berry. Therefore, in Java in 1740 they came up with a washed processing method. Farmers removed the pulp immediately after harvest, then washed off the gluten using fermentation and dried the grains in the sun.
The first stage is depulpation. It is needed in order to start fermentation processes, in which bacteria begin to eat sweet gluten and this leads to its destruction. After this, the gluten is simply washed off with water and the grains are sent to dry. There are three types of fermentation in washed coffee:
Dry fermentation.
Washed fermentation.
Mechanical method.
For washed or dry fermentation, the grains are placed in containers with or without water for a day. To mechanically remove gluten, special devices are used, such as a washer. In this device, the grains move under strong water pressure, rub against each other and the gluten is erased.
After removing the gluten, the grains need to be dried. This is done, as with dry processing, on patios or African beds. This is the longest stage of coffee processing required before halling.
Honey processing
Honey processing is similar to washed. The only difference is that during honey processing after depulping the berries, the gluten is not removed from the grains, but is immediately sent for drying.
With this processing, the aromas and sugars from gluten, under the influence of sunlight, enter the grains and saturate their taste. It is believed that this type of coffee is softer, smoother and has more uniform acidity.
Cracks on the grains are pament, that is, a parchment shell
The color of processed honey beans differs from the usual washed one. If the grains after washed processing are pale yellow, then the grains of honey processing can be of different shades: from yellow-red to almost brown. This is due to the effect of the sun on gluten: the thicker the gluten layer and the stronger the sun, the more caramelized sugar and the darker the grains.
Because of this effect, Central American producers have identified several subtypes of honey processing: white honey, yellow honey, red honey, black honey.
The method of processing white honey, that is, drying the coffee with a minimum amount of pulp, is called palp natural in Brazil or semi-washed processing in some Central American countries.
Next stage after processing
After processing, the parchment-coated grains or, in the case of dry processing, the dried berries are sent to the halling. This is the last stage of processing before roasting coffee - we will talk about it in the next article.
Probably everyone knows that coffee is a berry, and if not all, then many. Coffee grows in regions with a tropical climate in mountainous areas at altitudes from 700 to 2300 meters above sea level. Before getting into our cup, coffee goes through many stages: ripening, berry picking, processing, fermentation, sorting, roasting. Each of these steps on the path from plantation to cup of coffee is very important, and control over each of them is critical to the final product. Today we’ll talk about methods of processing coffee berries and the effect of these methods on the taste of coffee.
Before you get the grain ready for roasting, it needs to be cleared of pulp and dried. If you dry grains without peeling the berries, the pulp will give up some of its flavor and sugars to the grain. This process is called fermentation. The taste of such grain becomes complex and rich, and if already purified grains are dried, the taste acquires a more unambiguous and simple shade with fewer components. And for each type of coffee, several processing methods have been developed.
There are two main methods:
- dry (natural) method,
- wet (washed) method.
There is a third method that is not widely used: the half-wash method (honey process).
Natural grain processing (dry method)
With this method, the grain is dried after harvesting without being cleared of pulp. The coffee berry is rich in moisture, so this process takes 2-4 weeks, depending on the thickness of the coffee layer and the average daily temperature. During this period, the coffee bean absorbs many flavor components from the pulp, which provides the grain with increased sweetness, a bright aroma and a rich berry taste with citrus notes.
Drying coffee occurs in different ways: the collected berries are laid out in even layers on special beds, or on concrete surfaces, or directly on the ground (this method is not desirable, since the grain acquires a characteristic earthy taste, but it also has its place). As the grain dries, it is necessary to stir it regularly so that the drying proceeds evenly in order to avoid the fermentation process in the berries.
All this time, many chemical processes (fermentation) occur in the berry, the grain ripens, the coffee gains strength, and its taste improves. Drying is considered complete when 12% moisture remains in the grain, the outer shell of the grain becomes dark brown, dry and brittle, and the core itself rattles inside the husk. After this, the coffee is collected in bags so that it loses some more moisture before the peeling process.
The natural process is the oldest and most used processing method in the main producing regions of Brazil and Ethiopia. The birthplace of this method is Africa, it is from here that it began its march through coffee farms around the world. In general, this method requires careful attention, since uneven drying can lead to the appearance of fermentation aroma in the grain.
Naturally processed grains have enormous potential, which can be revealed in the process of roasting and preparing a cup of your favorite drink.
Washed coffee processing (wet method)
Washed or wet processing is a more complex and complex process. To be successful, this treatment must be carried out within 24 hours after harvest. Initially, freshly picked berries must be peeled and pulped (depulpation). To do this, the grain is soaked for 24 hours to soften the pulp. Then the pulp is mechanically separated from the grain in special depulping machines. The next step is to remove the sticky substance covering the grains. The grains are placed in a tank with water and yeast and special bacteria dissolved in it, under the action of which the gluten is separated.
This step is called fermentation. The process can occur without water (dry fermentation), or with a combination of these two processes. During fermentation, the temperature of the grains increases, so it is necessary to stir them so that the temperature does not exceed 40 degrees. Fermentation lasts from 6 to 72 hours depending on the type of coffee, its maturity and volume. The next stage is grain washing. It is driven through different locks, in which the water is in constant movement.
Good ripe grains sink to the bottom, while bad ones (with defects) float to the surface. After washing, the grain is sent for drying.
Washed grain has a characteristic acidic aroma, less pronounced sweetness, and a well-balanced bright taste (delicate and varied from notes of tropical fruits to dark chocolate).
Semi-washed processing (honey process)
This method combines the two methods listed above in one. The collected berries are first sent for depulpation in the same way as in the washed method, and later they are sent for drying, bypassing the fermentation vats, and dried together with the fruit mucilage in the sun, as in the natural method. The fermentation process occurs directly during drying. Depending on the amount of remaining berry pulp, the honey process is divided by color from black to yellow; the less pulp, the lighter the color. Coffee from this method has the distinct sweetness characteristic of the natural method, a creamy body like washed beans, but a texture close to honey with some fruit flavors and muted acidity.
After processing and chilling, the coffee is sifted through multi-level vibrating sieves to sort the larger beans from the smaller ones. Then they pack and sell.
Many professional baristas and home coffee enthusiasts use an arsenal of expensive equipment to control the flavor profile of their cup of coffee: scales, kettles with temperature control down to 0.1 degrees, water filters and mineralizers. But few people think that the fate of the grain was predetermined much earlier, thousands of kilometers away from you at a time when the coffee bean was still green.
A number of factors create different shades of taste and aroma in the grain: notes of caramel, fruit, sesame or pine nuts. The aroma profile of coffee is closely related to the genetic characteristics of the species: bourbon, caturra, castillo and geisha carry their own aroma characteristics. The height of growth also matters. Lower levels of oxygen in the air allow us to grow denser beans with a complex flavor profile. But to take advantage of these aromas, the coffee cherries must be processed: extract from them grains for subsequent roasting. And so, the way in which the grain is processed not least affects the taste of the cup.
Below we will look at the three most common ways to process coffee cherries and analyze how each method affects the quality of the finished drink in your cup.
Natural processing
Natural Process
Overall Flavor Profile:varied, rich, with fruity flavors inherited from the pulp and peel of the coffee berry. The densest body in the cup.
Regions:Ethiopia, Brazil.
Unlike the two processing methods we'll look at below, the natural process, also known as dry or dry natural, does not require the use of water. Hence its name. Coffee cherries are picked at the peak of ripeness and dried to a certain moisture content.
The skin of the berry is wrapped in a thin layer around the pulp, also called mucilage or mucilage. The berry usually contains two grains, each of which is covered with a thin layer called parchment. The grain and parchment are separated by a silverskin shell.
During the natural drying process, all coffee cherries remain intact. The grain, located in the very center, absorbs some of the characteristics of the sweet pulp and aromatic skin until the next stage - grinding. During grinding, the dried berries are destroyed and the grains are separated from the parchment.
The birthplace of the natural process is Africa, where it began its march through coffee plantations around the world. Using the natural method is quite risky, as uneven drying of the berries can lead to the appearance of fermentation aroma in the grain.The haphazard application of the processing process can result in a so-called “dirty” natural, which will give the drink a chalky taste on the tongue. That is why many exporting organizations that purchase grain from small farmers directly after harvest facilitate washing processing by the manufacturer.
Traditionally, for coffee producers who have access to the washed process, using natural coffee is considered bad form. In the past, farmers applied this process to coffee residues that were, for one reason or another, not suitable for export, to avoid wasting time and resources on additional processing steps. Regardless, the natural process is the oldest and most used method of coffee processing in the main producing regions of Brazil and Ethiopia.
The natural process produces beans that produce a richer, denser flavor with hints of citrus, lime acidity or rich raspberry jam.
More recently, coffee enthusiasts and professionals around the world have recognized the enormous potential that can be unlocked in naturally processed beans. Through a natural process, it is possible to obtain beans that provide a richer, denser flavor with hints of citrus, lime acidity, or rich raspberry jam. Hints of tropical fruits, bergamot, black tea and chocolate may also appear.
Note that you don’t have to be a professional taster to distinguish the various flavor shades that appear in a drink made from “natural” grains - they are quite obvious, you just need to listen a little more carefully to your feelings.
Wet process, washed process
Overall Flavor Profile:“clean,” which means more of the flavor inherent in the grain. Well balanced, complex, with pronounced acidity. Silky, delicate, with a variety of flavor shades from notes of tropical fruits to dark chocolate. Most often floral.
Regions:Latin America, Africa.
The life path of berries that go through the washed process after harvest is very different from berries processed using the dry method. While "natural" berries remain intact, during the washing process the grains are separated from the berries through a process called depulping. The coffee cherries are placed in special machines, also known as wet mills, in which the beans are depulped through a series of stations. Immediately after harvesting, the berries are placed in a hopper at the top of the mill. Using disc or cylinder machines, the musilage is removed from the berries. At the same time, the first grain sorting occurs: grains damaged by bacteria are lighter than water, so they float and are easily removed from the surface. Good grains are sent to the fermentation tank to “rest” for 36-72 hours. There, during the fermentation process, parchment is removed from the grain. Washed coffee is said to taste “purer,” but that doesn’t mean it’s inherently better. This means that the aromatic nuances inherent in the grain are perceived better.
Therefore, washed coffee often boasts more pronounced acidity and the acidity can be increased by acetic acid, which develops organically when the sugars in the pulp react with the environment in the fermentation tanks. However, if pH levels are not kept in check, excess acids can develop during the fermentation process, resulting in overly sour coffee.
The balance and complexity of washed coffee is what matters most in the end.
Semi-washed processing method or honey process
Honey Process or Pulped Natural
Overall Flavor Profile:obvious sweetness, confiture, sweet notes. The creamy body is like a washed one, but the texture is closer to honey. Not as acidic as washed, but just as upscale as natural.
Regions:Brazil, Central America.
If you're somewhere between the two camps—not keen on the lemony tartness of washed coffee or the rich acidity of naturally processed beans—the honey process is your choice. Immediately after harvesting, depulpation is carried out, as in the washed process, and then, as in the natural process, the honey grains, bypassing the fermentation vats, are sent for drying without being cleared of mucus.
Depending on the amount of mucilage remaining on the seeds, the honey process is classified by color from black to yellow. The lighter the color, the less musilage remains on the drying grains.
What you end up with is coffee with a good amount of the sweetness inherent in the natural process, without a lot of different fruity flavors and aromas, since you've gotten rid of the skins that contained the fruity flavors. Typically you get a creamy body, muted acidity and plenty of honeyed flavor.
Whether you prefer the thick, syrupy sweetness of honey, the fresh, delicate acidity of the washed process, or the robust, rich flavor of naturally processed beans, remember that coffee taste is subjective and the nuances that processing can impart are quite variable. Within these general methods, there are countless variations that diversify the flavor profiles even further. The processing of coffee beans is a topic of greater scientific study and is often a process that occurs outside the mind's eye and is more controlled by experience and the senses of touch.
In order for coffee lovers to enjoy the aroma of coffee beans to the fullest, the coffee fruits must first be collected, then processed, and the resulting beans must be roasted.
When harvesting fruits of more expensive varieties, coffee trees are shaken, causing only ripe fruits to fall to the ground. Cheaper types of coffee They collect by picking both ripe and unripe fruits.
This is followed by a processing stage, as a result of which the grains are separated from the fruit shell. There are two main ways to process harvested coffee fruits: dry and wet. The choice of method depends on water availability, crop ripening conditions, weather and timing of crop ripening, and the availability of hulling and drying equipment.
In progress dry processing The collected coffee fruits are scattered in an even layer on a concrete surface or on special platforms. Sun drying takes up to five weeks and depends on several factors: the thickness of the layer of coffee beans, the average daily temperature and the number of sunny days. During drying, the fruits are turned with a rake or by hand. After drying, the coffee fruits are placed in bags and kept for several more weeks so that the fruits additionally lose some of their moisture. After this, they are subjected to peeling, separating the fruit shell from the green coffee bean. In some African countries, coffee is peeled by hand, while in others there are special peeling machines for this purpose.
Wet processing more complex and is used mainly on large plantations. It allows you to obtain better quality coffee beans. Freshly picked coffee beans are subjected to preliminary cleaning, during which twigs, leaves or foreign objects that have fallen along with the coffee bean are separated. Then the coffee fruits are quickly washed, after which they are cleared of pulp in a special apparatus - a pulper, which separates the shell of the coffee fruit from the beans. After pulping, the fermentation stage begins, which allows you to get rid of the slightest remnants of pulp, fibers, films and skin shells. This process should last no more than 36 hours, otherwise the taste of the final product will sharply decrease.
After fermentation, the grains are rinsed in cold water, drained into sieves, and then laid out on a stone floor or on wire mesh racks to dry. Coffee beans are dried under the scorching rays of the sun in the open air. To ensure that the grains dry evenly, they are turned over periodically. This final stage lasts approximately 2 weeks.
The residual moisture content of the coffee beans should be 11-12%. It is important not to overdry the beans, as excessive drying negatively affects the quality of the coffee. For example, Arabica, dried to 10%, loses its characteristic bluish-green color, becomes fragile and acquires an unusual taste. Fungi and bacteria begin to develop in under-dried seeds.
In most coffee-producing countries (with the exception of some parts of Brazil and Ethiopia), wet processing is mainly carried out Arabica. Robusta is dry processed almost everywhere.
In order for the grains to acquire a more beautiful appearance, they are polished in drums specially designed for this purpose. Sometimes coffee is placed in a drum along with sawdust, as a result of which the beans are smoothed out, but tiny particles of sawdust remain on them, which look like a white coating. This coating is considered a sign of a high grade coffee.
In some countries, there is a special position - coffee bean quality inspector. These specialists control all incoming batches of coffee beans for their uniformity.
After drying, the coffee beans are ready for sale and further processing.
Processed and dried coffee is packed in jute bags. Typically, dried raw materials are stored for about a month. But just like expensive wine, good coffee requires aging. When raw, unroasted coffee is stored for a year or more, its quality improves - the herbaceous taste characteristic of a drink obtained from freshly harvested coffee is lost. For example, Arabian coffee from Yemen acquires its high quality only after a three-year storage period, and Brazilian coffee only after 8-10 years of storage.
Along with the traditional one, there is an American technology for processing raw coffee, for which special chemicals are used. As a result of this treatment, there is no need to age coffee for several years.
Roasting coffee beans
A very important, if not the most important stage in coffee production is the process roasting grains, thanks to which the whole bouquet of aroma and taste of the grain is revealed. Roasting of expensive coffees is still carried out manually, since this process is more of an art than a technology, where much depends on the experience and skill of the roaster.
If the beans are not roasted well, the taste of the drink will be spoiled. Properly roasted beans should have a bright shine and look uniform. If they are dull, then this indicates that the grains are either overdried or the roasting technology was violated.
There are different degrees of roasting, each of which can add a different flavor to the same type of coffee.
- Light frying used only for high-quality delicate varieties of Arabica grown in the highlands. This method of roasting is also called semi-urban or New England. In the USA, lightly roasted coffee is called cinnamon because the color of the roasted beans is similar to the bark of this spicy plant. Coffee brewed from lightly roasted beans has a sour, slightly watery taste.
- Scandinavian roasting- a type of light roasting, as a result of which beans roasted at 220-230 ºC acquire a light brown color. This method differs in that the coffee aromas and oils do not come out, but are concentrated inside the bean. Scandinavian roasted coffee is used to prepare the drink in drip coffee makers and French presses.
- Medium roast- American way. It is distinguished by the fact that coffee beans are roasted intensively and for a long time, but at the same time they never allow oily substances to be released on their surface. As a result of roasting, the beans acquire a dark color, and the finished coffee drink has a luxurious aroma with a bitter aftertaste.
- Vienna roast- darker than Scandinavian, it is most popular in Central Europe. It is also called light French, business or urban. With this method of heat treatment, dark brown spots and oils appear on the surface of the grains, and, accordingly, the drink made from them is quite aromatic. This type of roasting is especially suitable for drip coffee makers and French presses.
- French frying- strong degree. The grains acquire a dark brown color and begin to shine from the abundantly released oils. From such grains, a drink with a bitter taste and a taste of campfire smoke is obtained. In some cases, espresso is prepared from coffee roasted this way. It is mainly used in French press coffee makers and coffee pots.
- Continental way- better known as double frying or deep frying. The grains acquire the color of dark chocolate. In the United States, coffee that has undergone this treatment is called French roast, New Orleans roast, or European roast.
- Italian roast- the darkest, produced at high temperatures, which allows the maximum flavor of the coffee bean to be revealed. As a result, the grains become very oily, almost black in color. Italian roast coffee is used only for making espresso or in moka coffee makers. By the way, in Italy itself, coffee is roasted to a lighter shade than, for example, in the USA.
By mixing roasted coffee beans of different varieties and different degrees of roasting, manufacturers achieve unique flavor combinations, and the composition of the resulting blends is kept in the strictest confidence.
Only a small part of the coffee is roasted by hand, the bulk is done automatically. In industrial coffee production, there are three main types of roasting: thermal (contact and convective), dielectric and radiation.
With the thermal contact method, the heated metal of the walls of a special drum containing two and a half hundred kilograms of green beans transfers heat to the coffee bean. But this method was not widely used, especially after convective apparatuses appeared at coffee processing plants in Brazil and the USA in 1935. In them, a stream of air heated to 200°C paints coffee beans a chestnut color, and different types of coffee are brought to varying degrees of darkening. The beans are not completely roasted in drums, but only give them a soft brown color, allowing the coffee beans to “cook” due to their own heat. This ensures uniform roasting, and the grains do not contain impurities and acquire a smooth, shiny surface.
Dielectric frying uses microwave energy. Since ultra-high frequency waves are able to penetrate evenly deep into coffee beans regardless of their size, beans roasted in this way have a uniform taste. The features of microwave energy make the roasting process continuous and faster, and the coffee obtained in this way contains the maximum amount of extractive substances.
The radiation frying method was invented in the USA. As a rule, roasting with the help of ionizing radiation energy is used for combined production methods - first, coffee beans are illuminated with gamma rays, and then roasted using standard heat treatment technologies - but in a shorter period of time.
During heat treatment, coffee beans increase in size up to one and a half times, but at the same time lose about 20 percent in weight due to the evaporation of water, the combustion of foreign particles and the decomposition of certain substances. But at the same time, during roasting, a new element is born - kafeol, which allows us to enjoy the wonderful aroma of roasted coffee.
Sometimes, to give the grains a special shine, they are coated with a very thin layer of glycerin or sugar solution.
If, in the final version, coffee is delivered to the market in beans, then its processing is completed: the coffee beans are packaged in specialized sealed packaging and sent to their destination.
Grinding coffee beans
Everyone knows that coffee is brewed from ground coffee beans, and therefore they must first be ground. This is done in two ways: industrially and at home, and it is believed that the latter is used by true coffee lovers.
Regardless of the method, coffee happens coarse, medium and fine, sometimes even very fine grinding is distinguished (like premium quality flour). If coffee is ground industrially, it is additionally sifted through sieves with cells of different sizes so that the grains in the finished product are the same. This is done because grains of different sizes will impart their flavor, aromatic and other beneficial substances to the drink in different ways. The finer the grind, the greater the solubility of these substances, the richer, and therefore tastier and more aromatic the drink.
Solubility of aromatic substances in fine ground coffee– 1-4 minutes, medium – 4-6 minutes, and rough – 6-8 minutes. At first glance, it would seem that finely ground coffee is the best, but this is not always the case. For example, it is completely unsuitable for brewing coffee in machines where hot water passes under pressure through the coffee powder. The finer the powder, the more difficult it is for water to flow through it. Therefore, the grind must be selected in strict accordance with the method in which the coffee will be brewed.
Coarse grinding is universal, suitable for preparation in any coffee pot. Medium also works with most methods, while fine is for filter coffee makers. Ultra-fine powder is used only for brewing Turkish coffee according to the original recipe using Turkish coffee (cezve).
Ground coffee, prepared industrially, goes on sale in hermetically sealed bags, from which the air is pumped out or replaced with an inert gas. In such bags, coffee does not spoil for six months or even longer. The best packaging is considered to be bags with an outlet. But an open package loses its wonderful properties, so after opening it is advisable to tie or seal it as tightly as possible. There is this way to store ground coffee: cut a small semicircle in a bag, bend it, quickly pour out the required amount of coffee, then close the hole. Place the package in a tightly closed metal box, which is placed in a cool, dry place.
Experts say that the most delicious drink with a rich, unique bouquet is obtained only from freshly ground selected grains, crushed using a manual coffee grinder. Grinding beans on it is more difficult and takes longer, but the coffee does not heat up too much and, accordingly, loses its aroma less.
It is easier and faster to grind coffee beans with an electric coffee grinder. Depending on how long the coffee is ground, the grind will vary. But there is a limit when it is no longer possible to grind finer, and with further exposure the coffee only heats up. If this happens, it is recommended to remove the lid of the coffee grinder and let the coffee cool. The aroma of ground coffee quickly dissipates, so it is better to grind as much coffee as needed for one time.
A good coffee grinder can make coffee of different grinds: from coarse to extra fine.
Instant coffee
Instant coffee appeared relatively recently and quickly became popular all over the world due to its ease of preparation. The taste and aroma of instant coffee is somewhat weaker compared to natural coffee, and the caffeine content, on the contrary, is much higher - sometimes four times. Instant coffee can be either natural or with various additives - chicory, rye, oats and other grains.
Instant coffee is usually made from the Robusta variety, as it better preserves the taste and aroma of the natural product during processing. Sometimes there is a mixture of varieties. This coffee is more aromatic and has better taste. In the production of some elite varieties, premium Arabica beans are used, but such coffee costs much more.
Powdered coffee has the simplest manufacturing technology: the beans are crushed to a particle size of 1.5-2 mm, then treated for 3-4 hours with hot water under a pressure of 15 atmospheres. The resulting extract is cooled, filtered, and then dried with hot air. The resulting powdery mass is cooled.
Granulated coffee is obtained by specially treating the powder with steam, causing it to stick together into granules.
The most expensive method of production is freeze-dry. Frozen and crushed coffee brew is fed into a vacuum tunnel, where the ice evaporates, bypassing the liquid state. The dehydrated mass breaks down, resulting in unevenly shaped crystals. Coffee made using this technology is called freeze-dried. Of all types of instant coffee, it has a more subtle taste and aroma.
The main botanical types of coffee trees are Robusta and Arabica. Arabica is characterized by extreme flavor diversity, while Robusta has a high caffeine content. Arabica accounts for 85-90% of world coffee production, the remaining 10-15% belongs to Robusta. The choice of varieties depends on the climatic conditions of the coffee-growing country. Coffee trees that are afraid of cold weather can only grow in tropical conditions. The growing area of coffee is limited in the north by the Tropic of Cancer, and in the south by the Tropic of Capricorn.
The acceptable temperature range for growing Arabica is from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, Robusta is from 23 to 30 degrees. The ideal growing altitudes (meaning altitude above sea level) for arabica range from 700-2200 meters, for robusta - 250-900 meters. The exception is Ugandan robusta, which grows well at an altitude of 1200 meters.
Wild coffee trees can reach a height of 10-16 meters. Their maximum height on plantations is no more than 4.5 meters (pruning makes it easier to collect fruits). Since out of the 65 years that make up the maximum lifespan of coffee trees, they produce fruit for 20 years, industrial plantings undergo periodic renewal. The first fruits appear on trees that have reached three years of age. The snow-white flowers of coffee trees are incredibly beautiful.
During the flowering period, they shed branches like snow flakes. A few days later, the dried flowers give way to coffee berries. Since the flowering of coffee trees is a continuous process, berries of varying degrees of ripeness are constantly adjacent to them on their branches: unripe ones are green, mature ones are red or yellow, overripe ones are dark red, dark yellow or black. The color of ripe fruit (red or yellow) is determined by the type of coffee.
How coffee is made. From harvesting to roasting
1. Timing and method of harvesting
Harvest times occur at different times in different parts of the world. In Brazil, it is limited to the time frame from April to September, on the plantations of Costa Rica - from September to January, Ethiopian coffee is harvested in October-December, and Malawian coffee - from December to February. The coffee year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.Coffee pickers much more often resort to “stripping” - a method that does not leave a single berry on the branches. Fruits of varying degrees of maturity are sent to a processing station (“wet mill”), where they are sorted. Mechanized coffee harvesting (using specialized combines) is not always possible due to the fact that coffee plantations are often located on too steep mountain slopes: agricultural machines simply cannot pass there. Coffee harvesting is most mechanized on plantations in Brazil. When “stripping” and mechanized picking, the collection of both unripe and overripe fruits is inevitable.
Video: How is coffee made?
The harvested crop should still be consolidated. This is a very important stage. One should not naively believe that coffee producers obtain raw materials directly from the plantations or purchase them at the coffee exchange. Such cases are so rare that they can be counted on one hand. Export of coffee from the country of origin occurs in a different way. For example, in a coffee-growing country, there is a farmer whose plantation produces up to ten tons of coffee beans per year. Where can he put the harvest? He simply cannot process coffee on his own, since in the coffee business there is a sharply negative assessment of “home-grown” processing. African coffee that has undergone “washed” processing carried out by the efforts of the farmer himself is called “washed”. Coffee beans processed at a specialized processing station are labeled “fully washed” and have a higher price category.
2. Processing of coffee beans
Before being exported, the coffee usually goes to a processing station. Nowadays there are two types of such stations:- "wet mill" (wet processing point);
- “dry mill” (dry processing point), although there is still a lot of confusion in the terminology.
Abstracting from linguistic subtleties, it is important to understand the following: dry (natural) processing of coffee fruits that have not been peeled comes down to their elementary drying in the sun. Wet processing requires the presence of water for sorting and processing coffee fruits. Let's look at each of these methods in more detail.
In coffee growing regions, two methods of fruit processing are used: natural (or dry) and wet (or wet). During dry processing, coffee fruits are dried either directly on the soil or on special clay and concrete platforms. Fruits that have undergone dry processing acquire a rich and strong taste, high intensity and pronounced sweetness. However, they may develop a specific taste that not everyone likes. Grains dried on the ground often develop a very unpleasant defect - a characteristic earthy taste.
Despite the richness and brightness of the taste of dry-processed coffee beans, washed fruits are valued higher in all corners of the globe. There is a simple explanation for this. The choice of dry processing is sometimes dictated not by the desire to obtain a rich taste. This method is often chosen by farmers who are unable to transfer their coffee to the wet processing point on time. In this case, the desire for product quality is often not up to par. A truly high-quality product, in no way inferior to washed coffee, can be made only if all the technological rules of natural processing are followed. Ideal conditions for dry processing of coffee beans exist in regions where the harvest coincides with a long dry period, eliminating the possibility of precipitation. Such climatic conditions exist in Brazil, Indonesia, Yemen, and Ethiopia. The main technological nuance of natural drying is the long-term contact of coffee beans with the extremely sweet tissues of the skin that envelops them.
Video: Film about coffee
During the wet processing process, the coffee fruits are depulped, completely freed from the skin, after which they are sent to huge tanks filled with water. In them, the fruits are aged until the gluten is completely removed. When immersed in water, some of the inferior grains, which have a very low density and are called “floats,” immediately float up. All floats should be removed immediately as they will turn into black coals in the fryer. Unripe fruits are also sorted using special devices. At the end of wet processing, all grains are dried: either in the sun (as with natural processing) or in mechanical dryers.
Compared to fruits subjected to natural drying, the taste of grains that have undergone wet processing is more balanced and soft. Wet processing, as opposed to dry processing, enhances the acidity of the coffee beans rather than their sweetness. Taking this feature into account, wet processing is used in regions that grow coffee varieties that have their own unique acidity. Countries that do not have the opportunity to subject the beans to long-term natural drying are also forced to resort to wet processing of coffee, since the harvest in them coincides with the rainy season. Thus, most of the world's coffee is wet processed, and the ability to choose between beans that have undergone different processing methods only enriches the flavor palette of everyone's favorite drink.
3. Logistics and transportation of coffee
The notorious farmer, whose harvest amounted to ten tons of coffee fruits, has two options: either hand them over to a wet processing station, or engage in independent natural processing. With any option for processing the crop, the farmer will be forced to sell it to the exporter due to the impossibility of organizing the entire logistics chain that ensures the delivery of the finished product from his plantation to the port and from there to the recipient of the cargo. Most farmers, who have no idea about the structure of the banking system, are not able to pay the recipient of their products. The exporter, acting as an intermediary, sells the coffee beans to an exchange trader (trader), who then sells them either to a reputable roaster who independently imports coffee, or to a large company specializing in coffee imports. The shipment of coffee from the growing region is carried out by the exporter, and the international company guarantees the arrival of the valuable cargo at its destination.Video: As it is. Coffee
Direct negotiations with coffee producers on plantations are carried out in very rare cases. This mainly concerns the vast Brazilian plantations, which have an excellent global reputation, as well as roasting companies that own their plantations in the place of cultivation. Direct purchases of microlots - very small (about two dozen bags) batches of coffee of the highest quality - are very rare. In the vast majority of cases, the purchase and transportation of coffee is carried out according to the scheme described above.
Processed grains are dried and poured into bags before export. To acquire the desired taste, producers (most often Brazilian) age the coffee in special silos.
From the places where it grows, coffee is exported in jute bags, the weight of which in Central American countries is 69 kg, in Colombia - 70 kg, in Brazil and the countries of the Asian and African regions - 60 kg. Expensive varieties of coffee are supplied in bags of arbitrary weight: the Galapagos standard is twenty-five kg, the Yemeni standard is twenty kg, New Caledonian coffee is packed in ten kg bags, and Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee beans are exported in barrels holding fifteen kg. Polypropylene can be used as a material for bags. To transport coffee, the exporter rents twenty-foot containers (holding at least twenty tons) from a shipping company and fills them with bags of green beans.
4. Coffee roasting
Coffee that arrives in the country of consumption and reaches the roaster is roasted on special machines - roasters. They are:
- gas and electric;
- automatic and manual;
- convector and drum.
There is only one rule for roasting coffee: the darker it is, the less sourness becomes, but the bitterness, strength and richness of taste only increase. The coffee roasting profession is of extraordinary interest to a true connoisseur of this drink. The main difficulty with roasting is that during this process the behavior of not only different types of coffee, but also different roasting machines can be unpredictable.
In addition to constantly searching for a roasting method suitable for a particular type of coffee, the roaster must take into account the individual behavior of the roaster used. You cannot learn the art of coffee roasting from a book alone. It can only be acquired experimentally, necessarily taking into account the density of the grains (depending on the height of cultivation) and their taste parameters. Roasting should only be done in the region of consumption, as close as possible to the coffee consumers. In such a huge country as Russia, the roasting of beans intended for Muscovites should be done in Moscow, and for coffee lovers from Khabarovsk - in Khabarovsk itself. The reason is that coffee beans retain their intense taste and amazing aroma only during the first two weeks after roasting. Over the next eight weeks, the coffee gradually loses these characteristics, and its quality is rated “B.” After two months after roasting, the rating of the drink’s taste properties is reduced to “C”. Coffee that has been roasted for four months can simply be thrown away: its smell becomes rancid, which cannot but affect the taste.
One of the main components of the quality of coffee beans is the freshness of the roast, but it is in relation to this parameter that an incredible number of omissions occur. Despite the large number of Russian companies engaged in roasting coffee at the highest professional level, the freshness of roasted coffee lying on supermarket shelves is not always at the proper level.
To store coffee, it is best to use a bag with a valve (either foil or paper). It is advisable to drink it within two months after purchase. Coffee can be prepared by a person who has not undergone any special training, which cannot be said about preparing it using professional coffee machines. This should only be done by baristas - people who have completed a special training course. The profession of a barista is akin to art: in the hands of a true professional, even mediocre quality coffee can turn into a cup of delicious espresso, and an inexperienced specialist can ruin the best beans.
The secret of a good cup of coffee, therefore, consists of three components: the quality of the beans themselves, the professional level of the roaster and the art of the barista. The participation of a barista significantly complicates the consumer’s task of assessing the taste parameters of a favorite drink. Another nuance of high-quality coffee is the roasting date: the more time passes from its moment, the worse its taste.