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TYPES OF COFFEE PROCESSING METHODS
Washed Coffee Beans
What to expect:
  • Known for clarity in flavors.
  • Full of apple, pears, and dark chocolate notes. 
 
Process:
  • Coffee cherries are picked at their optimum ripeness.
  • Cherries are sorted in a floatation tank. Unripe ones float and are removed.
  • The cherry pulp is mostly removed and placed in water tanks to ferment for 18-36 hours.
  • After that, beans are rinsed and dried in the sun for 1-2 weeks.
  • The cherries are then dehulled, to remove the 'parchment' layer.
Honey Coffee Beans
What to expect:
  • Known for clarity in flavor, moderately sweet.
  • Full of plum, hazelnut, almond, and cashew flavors. 
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Process:
  • This does not involve any honey- the process brings out a golden sticky layer of mucilage that looks like the sugary 'honey'.
  • Coffee cherries are picked at their optimum ripeness.
  • Once they are picked and sorted, they have their skins and pulps removed like the other processes.
  • They are then dried for 2-3 weeks without washing off the mucilage- which is the sticky sweet outer layer.
  • Finally the cherries are dehulled and the final 'parchment' layer is removed.
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Source: Pact Coffee
Pulped Natural Coffee Beans
What to expect:
  • Full bodied and syrupy sweet
  • Full of stewed fruits and coca powder flavors.
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Process: 
  • Coffee cherries are picked at their optimum ripeness
  • Similar to the Washed process except that the pulp is not fermented and washed. 
  • The remaining beans are the dried for 2-3 weeks.
  • The cherries are then dehulled, to reveal the green bean.
Natural Coffee Beans
What to expect:
  • Known for full, bold but inconsistent flavors.
  • Full of stewed fruits, milk chocolate, and coca powder flavors. 
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Process:
  • Coffee cherries are picked at their optimum ripeness
  • The cherries are laid out on patios to dry out.
  • They are frequently raked and turned to allow fermentation. 
  • The drying process takes several weeks for the cherries to reach optimum moisture level. 
  • The cherries are then dehulled to separate out the green beans.
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