Coffee Processing

Coffee processing is the series of steps that coffee beans go through to remove the coffee bean from the outer layers of the coffee cherry. Different methods of processing yield different flavours in the final product, so by knowing which processes were used to create your coffee, you can learn more about its flavour profile. The most common process used in Balzac’s coffees is the washed or wet process.

Washed (Wet) Process

Flavour Profile: Clean and sweet

Processing method:

  1. The cherries are pulped to separate the outer layer from the beans.
  2. The beans are fermented in a tank of water to break down the sticky mucilage that surrounds them.
  3. The beans are rinsed with fresh water before being dried in the sun and then sorted by size, shape and quality.
Natural (Dry) Process
A farmer spreads coffee cherries to dry in the natural process.

Flavour Profile: Fruity and complex

Processing method:

  1. Coffee cherries are laid out in thin layers on raised beds or patios to dry in hot climates until they reach 12% moisture content.
  2. The dried cherry skin is separated from the bean using a roller.
  3. The beans are sorted by size, shape and quality.
Wet-Hulled Process

Flavour Profile: Earthy

Processing method:

  1. Coffee cherries are passed through a pulping machine to remove the outer layer.
  2. The beans are fermented in a tank of water.
  3. The beans are partially dried until their moisture content is about 45%.
  4. Hulling or removing the parchment layer around the bean, which exposes them to air and prevents further fermentation of the sugars and acids in the internal structure.

Check out the following videos from Cafe Imports for a more in depth view on the different coffee processing methods. 

Swiss Water Decaf

Have you ever wondered how coffee beans are decaffeinated? Our Swiss Water Processed Decaf beans under-go this chemical-free method of decaffeination that involves soaking the unroasted green coffee beans in hot water to extract the caffeine. The beans are then soaked in a proprietary solution known as Green Coffee Extract (GCE) which contains all of the coffee’s desirable flavor compounds but none of the caffeine. The GCE is continuously passed through an activated carbon filter, absorbing up to 97% of the caffeine molecules. The beans are then returned to their original form and roasted according to Balzac’s Decaf roasting profile.

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