Processing

Anaerobic fermentation seals coffee in oxygen-free tanks, driving esters and acids. Intense tropical fruit and wine-like complexity define the cup.

Barrel aging rests coffee in spirit casks, absorbing vanillin, oak, and ethanol. Vanilla and caramel notes emerge where processing and flavoring blur.

Carbonic maceration seals whole un-pulped cherries in CO2, triggering intracellular enzymatic fermentation. Berry, stone fruit, winey complexity result.

Co-fermentation places fruit or spice with coffee in sealed tanks; microbes transfer flavor into the bean. Strawberry or lychee notes arise from biology.

Drying method controls moisture and flavor stability of green coffee after processing. Raised beds, patios, and dryers trade speed against cup quality.

Hand-picking harvests peak-ripe cherries across multiple passes, setting quality before fermentation. No downstream step corrects a compromised start.

Coffee processing transforms cherry to green bean through depulping, fermentation, drying, and milling. Each method produces a categorically different cup.

Decaffeination removes caffeine via water, CO2, or solvents, each with flavor tradeoffs. Sugarcane ethyl acetate and CO2 best preserve origin character.

Double fermentation pairs an anaerobic stage for flavor with a water soak for clarification. The result combines depth with washed-coffee transparency.

Dry milling hulls parchment, sorts by density and screen size, and grades green coffee for export. Calibration errors squander months of fermentation.

Revolutionary fermentation techniques that manipulate microbial environments and temperature to create unprecedented flavor profiles in coffee.

Extended fermentation prolongs anaerobic tank time from hours to days, building acids and esters. pH control is critical; the defect margin is narrow.

Processing transforms cherry to green bean through depulping, fermentation, drying, and milling. Defects at each stage compound and cannot be undone.

Green coffee grading is the systematic physical evaluation of unroasted beans by screen size, defect count, moisture content, and density before export.

Green coffee storage in jute, GrainPro, or vacuum foil bags determines whether flavors reach the roastery. Oxygen and moisture degrade beans to flat cups.

Honey processing leaves mucilage on the bean through drying, spanning white to black honey levels. Mucilage level and drying discipline set quality.

Koji inoculates coffee with Aspergillus oryzae to reshape flavor precursors before fermentation. Results are silky, round, and complex with savory body.

Lactic fermentation uses low temperature, brine, and LAB inoculation to favor Lactobacillus. Creamy mouthfeel, yogurt acidity, and florals define the cup.

The natural process dries whole cherries for weeks, letting fermentation byproducts migrate into the seed. Dense sweetness and tropical fruit result.

Washed removes fruit before drying to express terroir; natural dries the whole cherry, adding fermentation character. Climate drives the choice.

Thermal shock cycles cherries through hot-to-cold immersion, rupturing cell walls before fermentation. Intensely aromatic tropical fruit clarity results.

The washed or wet process removes the coffee cherry's fruit before drying, using water-based fermentation to strip mucilage from the parchment.

Washed, natural, and honey processing form a spectrum shaping flavor, body, and acidity. Climate and market context determine which method dominates.

Wet hulling removes parchment from Indonesian coffee at high moisture, exposing the bean to heat and microbes. Heavy body and earthy herbal flavors result.

Yeast and LAB inoculation introduces known strains that outcompete wild populations. Strain selection determines which esters and acids accumulate.