[sun, water washing, honey treatment] effects of different coffee bean treatments on coffee flavor

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Coffee beans are not born with dark brown beans. Coffee fruit is shaped like a red cherry fruit, each fruit has two coffee beans, the coffee fruit, coffee beans after processing, will be what we usually see. The production of a cup of coffee includes harvesting, processing, peeling, picking beans, roasting, storage, grinding, brewing and other processes, in which the "treatment" step is one of the initial keys to affect the flavor of coffee.

We can often see such nouns as washing, tanning, honey treatment and so on. What kind of influence do these different methods of coffee bean treatment have on the flavor of coffee? Today, the editor is here to take you to find out.

What is a coffee cherry?

In order to carry on the family line, the coffee tree will grow coffee fruit, which is bright red and is also called "coffee cherry" because it looks like a cherry.

The coffee beans we use when making coffee are actually the seeds inside the coffee fruit. In the outer layer of the seed, there are exocarp, pulp, pectin, endocarp and silver peel and other structures, and the purpose of processing is to remove these external structures in order to obtain internal coffee seeds.

Solarization method

Tanning is the oldest method of treatment. according to literature, Arabs began to use tanning to treat coffee fruits as early as 1000 years ago in the 11th century. Coffee was called "Arab wine" when it was introduced into the West from the Arab world because of its refreshing effect.

Treatment process

1. Remove floating beans

Pour the coffee beans into a large tank, the underdeveloped inferior beans will surface, and the ripe and full fruits will sink to the bottom of the water. At this time, the floating beans on the surface will be removed, that is, the steps of removing floating beans will be completed.

two。 Insolation

Spread the coffee fruit evenly in the exposure field and turn it several times a day. This process usually lasts about 2-3 weeks, depending on the local climate, when the water content inside the coffee beans drops to 10-14%, the sun drying step is completed.

3. Remove the shell

After the end of the sun, the outer layer of the coffee seed has been dry and hard, at this time, the shell is removed by the sheller, that is, the treatment step of the sun method is completed.

Advantages:

Except for the step of removing floating beans (which is even omitted in some areas), sunbathing requires no water, and a bucket of water can be reused at low cost, so it is widely used in areas where water resources are not abundant and less affluent.

Disadvantages:

1. Due to the need to keep coffee beans outdoors for a long time, there are often many impurities such as withered branches and leaves.

two。 Because it is the use of the sun's energy, the degree of dryness of coffee beans is not easy to control, resulting in coffee fruit "overdrying" situation, internal coffee beans are damaged as a result.

3. In the process of the sun, because the pulp has not been removed, it is often moldy and rotten.

Flavor:

Because the sun drying method is to let the coffee fruit dry naturally, the coffee beans can ripen naturally inside the fruit and will not be disturbed by the external environment, so the coffee beans treated by the sun method will enlarge their own flavor, mellow and strong flavor. and give off a sweet taste.

Washing method

Due to too many shortcomings of the sun method, the water washing method was invented. Water washing is the most widely used treatment method at present, and the biggest difference from the sun method is the use of fermentation to remove the pectin layer.

Treatment process

1. Remove floating beans (same sun method)

Pour the coffee beans into a large tank, the underdeveloped inferior beans will surface, and the ripe and full fruits will sink to the bottom of the water. At this time, the floating beans on the surface will be removed, that is, the steps of removing floating beans will be completed.

two。 Remove the peel and pulp

Through the pulp screening machine (pulping machine), the exocarp and pulp of coffee fruit are removed. It leaves pectin, endocarp and silver peel.

3. Ferment

The purpose of this step is to use biological treatment to remove pectin. Put the coffee fruit treated by the pulp screening machine into the fermentation tank for 16 hours and 36 hours, the fermentation bacteria will dissolve the pectin.

4. Water washing

After completing the fermentation and removing the pectin, the coffee beans will be cleaned again because the fermentation bacteria and impurities will remain on the coffee beans. In order to clean it, this step consumes a lot of water.

5. Drying and removing endocarp and silver peel

The coffee fruit is usually dried by machine (or sun-drying) so that the moisture content is reduced to 1014%. Then use the sheller to remove the remaining endocarp and silver peel, that is, to complete the processing.

Advantages:

1. All the treatment procedures of the water washing method are indoor, so the impurities in the coffee beans can be reduced to the lowest and the quality is the highest.

two。 Since the flesh is removed in the first place, there is no need to worry about mildew like the sun method.

3. The appearance is relatively complete, and the selling image is excellent.

Disadvantages:

1. The procedure is complex and tedious, so the cost is much higher than that of tanning.

two。 A large amount of water will be used, and it takes 40 to 50 liters of water to obtain 1 kilogram of coffee beans, so it is less used in areas where water resources are scarce.

Flavor:

As a result of fermentation, coffee beans usually have a bright sour and fruity flavor.

Honey treatment method

Honey treatment is an improved method of solarization. The main difference between honey treatment and solarization is that the exocarp and pulp are removed before sun exposure, and the skin and pulp are directly exposed to the sun under the retained pectin layer.

Processing steps

1. Remove floating beans (as with solarization, this step may be reduced in some areas)

Pour the coffee beans into a large tank, the underdeveloped inferior beans will surface, and the ripe and full fruits will sink to the bottom of the water. At this time, the floating beans on the surface will be removed, that is, the steps of removing floating beans will be completed.

two。 Remove the peel and pulp (same as washing):

Through the pulp screening machine (pulping machine), the exocarp and pulp of coffee fruit are removed. It leaves pectin, endocarp and silver peel.

3. The sun:

The coffee beans with pectin are directly exposed in the exposure field, so that the water content is reduced to 10-14%.

4. Remove pectin and endocarp

With a special machine, remove pectin and endocarp, that is, complete the treatment steps.

Advantages:

1. It belongs to the improved method of tanning, because the pulp is removed from the beginning, so there is no mildew problem.

two。 It does not need to consume a lot of water, and the cost is low.

Disadvantages:

The processing steps can be said to be the most complex and labor-intensive of all ways.

Flavor:

Honey-treated coffee beans have a better flavor, sour taste and sweet taste balance, and the same sun method because of the sun, the aroma of coffee beans will also be magnified, mellow flavor.

Other methods

In addition to using the above refining methods, there is also the use of enzymes and digestive juices in the biological digestive tract for the treatment of raw coffee beans (to put it simply, to pull the coffee beans out.) .

At present, creatures that are known to be able to be used in this treatment are civets (Kopi Luwak) and elephants (such as shit coffee). Macaques, meat-clad Phoenix-crowned gizzards and even buffaloes are also used in other areas for coffee processing, but the yield is not high and is still rare.

Last

In fact, in this link of raw bean processing, there are a variety of treatment methods, the substance is all around the [fermentation] change collocation.

In the process of [fermentation], different substances are involved (coffee peel, coffee pulp, coffee pectin, bacteria species, bacteria distribution), different environments (water and water, oxygen and oxygen, PH environment, etc.), different drying methods and processes (container material, natural sun, drying equipment, turning times, etc.), resulting in different post-processing flavors and tastes. Only by understanding the actual process and development degree of fermentation, can we imagine the flavor trend of raw beans.