How many coffee treatments are there? What's the difference between tanning and washing?

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How many coffee treatments are there? What's the difference between tanning and washing?

In this innovation and change of modern coffee industry, more and more characteristics of producing areas, roasting degree, treatment methods and so on have been paid more and more attention.

This time, I would like to share with you several common coffee fruit treatments and their respective coffee bean flavor categories.

Various treatments of Coffee fruits

The basic skills of good quality coffee

Since the Kuroshio began in Taiwan, coffee beans on the market have also put forward the slogan of "fine products" one by one, advocating a dazzling variety of coffee bean choices such as single producing areas, microclimates, and various treatments, and discussing a variety of aromas and flavors. It has been discussed earlier that the most important base for a perfect cup of coffee is the quality of the coffee bean itself. Good coffee fruit needs to go through a complicated and time-consuming and delicate and patient process before it can become a high-quality raw coffee bean.

The more common methods are water washing, sun exposure, honey treatment and so on. Although the traditional washing treatment method is mostly used in the market, the choice of treatment method actually varies from person to person, and there is no absolute difference between good and bad. Even if the processing methods of different kinds of coffee fruits are slightly different, they are also different in flavor and taste. On the whole, the choice of treatment depends on each person's preference for different flavors. Being able to find your favorite flavor and treatment in the producing area is the beginning of taste.

Although many people have drunk coffee, they don't know what the coffee fruit looks like. The fruit picked from the coffee tree (also known as coffee cherry Coffee Cherry) is structurally divided into pericarp, pulp, pectin layer, hard shell (or sheepskin), silver skin, and innermost coffee bean seeds.

From coffee fruit to raw bean

With the different regions, climates and even elevations of coffee producing areas, each factor has a key influence on the choice of treatment methods. Therefore, no matter which method of treatment, the structure of each layer of fruit has its different intention. The following are the more common treatments:

Sun treatment

Before the coffee drinking habit began, Arabs were already using the sun method to treat coffee, which is the oldest method of treating coffee fruits, and is mostly suitable for areas where there is plenty of sun.

Flavor: soft acidity, rich layers, obvious sweetness, good quality sun beans will have fruit or wine flavor.

Preliminary selection of beans: in the stage of manual picking, pick the coffee fruit with the same maturity, and then rinse the surface of the coffee fruit with clean water.

Sun-drying: put the fresh coffee fruit in the exposure field for sun-drying, after about 2-4 weeks of continuous turning and natural drying until the water content is about 12%.

Remove the shell: after the drying, the peel, pulp and shell are removed directly by the sheller.

Advantages: the operation is simple and does not need complex equipment.

Disadvantages: there are many defects in the appearance of raw coffee beans.

Washing method

Water washing is a technology invented by the Dutch in the 18th century. It is suitable for rainy areas. Although the process is quite tedious, it is currently a more common method of raw bean treatment, accounting for about 70% of the total coffee.

Flavor: acidity is strong, taste is cleaner, refreshing and bright.

Sift out floating beans: rinse the coffee fruit with clean water and remove the immature fruit that floats on the surface.

Remove the pulp: the fresh fruit is sent to the pulp sieving machine for peel and pulp removal.

Pectin removal: after removing the pulp, the seeds are moved into the fermentation tank, after about 16 to 36 hours of natural fermentation, dissolve the surface pectin and then wash.

Drying and shelling: keep exposed for 1 to 3 weeks to reduce the water content to 12%, and then remove the shell with a sheller.

Advantages: the appearance of raw beans is complete, and the quality is the most consistent.

Disadvantages: the treatment process consumes a lot of water and the cost is high.

Semi-washing method

Compared with the more traditional water washing method, semi-washing is an improved treatment method, which is very similar to the water washing method, except that the process of pectin removal by fermentation is replaced by a machine, so it takes less time.

Flavor presentation: between the washing method and the sun method, it is a little sweeter than the washing method, but also a little sour than the sun method.

Sift out the floating beans: wash the coffee fruit with clean water, remove the peel and leave the pulp.

Remove the pulp: the fresh fruit is sent to the pulp sieving machine for peel and pulp removal.

Remove pectin: put the coffee beans into a pectin scraper to remove pectin from the shell.

Drying and shelling: keep exposure for 1 to 3 weeks to reduce the water content to 12%, and then use a sheller to remove the shell.

Advantages: save a lot of water consumption costs.

Disadvantages: coffee has a mild and mild flavor.

Honey treatment method

Honey treatment, also known as peeling sun treatment, is the most difficult and risky of all treatments. At present, there are three different honey treatments, which vary according to the proportion of pulp left after peeling.

The flavor shows: low acidity, high sweetness and fruity aroma, the cleanliness of the taste is higher than that of sun beans, and the dry wine has a finish of fermented wine.

Peel off: after washing the coffee fruit with clean water, remove the peel and leave the pulp.

Sun drying: keep the flesh containing sugar to be exposed to the sun together. At this stage, it must be stirred to avoid mildew of raw beans.

Obtain raw beans: remove pulp, pectin and shell at once after drying.

Advantages: enhance the thickness and sweetness of the coffee, and the aroma is more meticulous.

Disadvantages: the cost of manpower and time is high.

Persistence from the highest quality

The origin of coffee beans is generally in less developed countries, and they are treated differently according to the local climate. From the very beginning of planting, in addition to paying attention to the friendliness of nature and environmental protection, paying attention to soil and water conservation, and improving the healthy growth of coffee plants, the choice of artificial picking of coffee fruits (mainly Arabica beans with high economic value), and then screening out all defective beans requires 100% attention.

Who has ever wondered how many people's painstaking efforts are hidden behind his back while tasting the delicious coffee in his hand? From planting, picking and processing to roasting, grinding, brewing, and so on, how many people pay attention to and insist on the quality of coffee? For those of us who love coffee, this is a perfect cup of coffee with rich stories, which is so hard to get.