Coffee processing removes the fruit from the seed; skin, pulp, parchment, and silverskin slough off to reveal a beautiful bean. Washed Coffee . Semi-washed coffees strike a balance between the two, with a rounded acidity, medium body and sweet notes. Also know as wet processing method, is the other main way to process coffee. Historically considered an inferior process, over the last few decades more precise Natural Coffee Processing techniques have been dialed in to create unique products that often demand a premium over Washed coffees. Featured If you are looking for a pure coffee taste without added flavor notes from external “impurities”, the best coffee to drink is a wet-processed coffee. Washed coffees feature bright, clean and crisp profiles. Dry, washed and semi-washed processing all infuse coffee with unique characteristics. Dry processed coffees are known for their exotic flavors and big bodies. These techniques also have multiple variations and names around the world. Also known as the “wet process,” the coffee cherry is pulped by a machine, removing the red or yellow outer skin of the cherry. Once this is done, the seeds with their mucilage (the gummy, pasty, substance that surrounds the seeds and gives coffee its sweet flavor) are then fermented in water for 1-2 days, or sometimes longer. The quickest and arguably the most efficient of the post-harvest processing methods is often called Washed or Wet process, though, confusingly, it doesn’t always require water. The washed process is arguably our favourite at North Star due to the incredibly bright and clean coffees that it can produce – washed Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees are fantastic examples of the clarity of flavour that can be coaxed out if the coffee is processed correctly. Washed coffees taste clean and vibrant. Coffee processing methods. During this time, the sugars from the mucilage left on […] washed - wet process. In this controlled process, coffee (still encased in parchment and mucilage) remains under water for a length of time determined by local practices. An Explanation of the Washed or Wet Coffee Processing Method A washed bean has the pulp completely removed before it is dried. It’s important to convey the intense natural sweetness of the coffee. Processing coffee requires great skills and quality equipment. Coffee is typically processing using one of two methods: washed process (also called wet process), or natural process (also called dry process). Washed Processing Generally, coffees identified as “washed” are coffees which undergo de-pulping, washing, and fermentation. The possible methods of processing the berries are wet processed (washed), dry processed (natural) or their intermediate, semi-dry (semi-washed, pulped natural, honey, wet-hulled). It is a very good process that does not add a lot of variability to the bean. Dry-process requires less industrial equipment and clever gadgets than “washed process” coffee does, but it also works in a less diverse array of conditions. The most common method of processing coffee, the washed process provides the most opportunity for consistency and control. The key to this process is fermentation. Removing of the fruit flesh is done with a machine called depulper. In the washed process all of the fruit flesh is removed mechanically from the coffee bean before the beans are dried. The true character is a shiny, bright, sweetness that is hard to achieve with a washed coffee… A good honey process [coffee] typically has a lot of high notes – [the] analogy of biting into an apple is a good one. Primarily, the surrounding air must be at a good humidity level (a wet season can make this go wrong). This is typically done with a mixture of water and a depulping machine. To reveal a beautiful bean, coffees identified as “ washed ” are coffees which undergo de-pulping,,... 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