That Coffee Roasters: Learning about Sun-dried Coffee

martes, 17 de abril de 2018

Learning about Sun-dried Coffee

Each one provides different qualities to coffee.

An important part of the coffee industry lies in the drying process of coffee beans. This is a processing method that allows all moisture to be removed from the beans so that they can be ground and brewed in a better way, thus guaranteeing a richer flavor as well as the extraction of caffeine and natural oils from the beans.

The best known methods for processing coffee beans are sun-dried and washed process. In this article, we are going to explore the basics of sun-dry processing above all, but also explain the main differences between this process and the washed process, as well as the results of each.

The sun-dried coffee process, also called natural process or unwashed coffee processing, is the oldest method of processing coffee. The entire cherry after harvest is first cleaned and then placed in the sun to dry on tables or in thin layers on patios. As the cherries dry, they are raked or turned by hand to ensure even drying and prevent mildew. It may take up to 4 weeks before the cherries are dried to the optimum moisture content, depending on the weather conditions. On larger plantations, machine-drying is sometimes used to speed up the process after the coffee has been pre-dried in the sun for a few days.

The drying operation is the most important stage of the process since it affects the final quality of the green coffee. A coffee that has been overdried will become brittle and produce too many broken beans during hulling (broken beans are considered defective beans). Coffee that has not been dried sufficiently will be too moist and prone to rapid deterioration caused by the attack of fungi and bacteria.

The dried cherries are stored in bulk in special silos until they are sent to the mill where hulling, sorting, grading and bagging take place. All the outer layers of the dried cherry are removed in one step by the hulling machine.

The dry method is used for about 90% of the Arabica coffee produced in Brazil, most of the coffees produced in Ethiopia, Haiti, and Paraguay, as well as for some Arabicas produced in India and Ecuador. Almost all Robustas are processed by this method. It is not practical in very rainy regions, where the humidity of the atmosphere is too high or where it frequently rains during harvesting.

Over time, the natural process has become considered a lower-quality method that can lead to inconsistent flavors. This inconsistency is often the result of unripe fruit drying and turning brown alongside ripe fruits.

However, there are many who believe this process actually has the potential to create the most flavorful coffees – and that a comeback is just around the corner. If consistency can be achieved, then many argue that natural coffees can match washed coffees for clarity, and also provide some more interesting notes and characteristics as well. You can see this happening in Brazil, among other places.

On the other hand, in the wet process, the fruit covering the seeds/beans is removed before they are dried. Coffee processed by the wet method is called wet-processed or washed coffee. The wet method requires the use of specific equipment and substantial quantities of water. Any wet processing of coffee produces coffee wastewater which can be a pollutant. Ecologically sensitive farms reprocess the wastewater along with the shell and mucilage as compost to be used in soil fertilization programs. The amount of water used in processing can vary, but most often is used in a 1 to 1 ratio.

Main differences between sun-dried and washed coffee beans

The consensus is the sun-dry method produces a bolder coffee with more body and increased complexity, while the washed method produces a much more acidic coffee with enhanced clarity
The removal of the bean is the most difficult and risky process when producing coffee using the sun-dry method as there is very little control over the process of the bean removal. However, this process still doesn’t require as much skill as the washed process, meaning it is a much easier process and is widely used by coffee producers around the world
The sun-dry method often depends on climate and environmental conditions (making countries like Ethiopia and Brazil favor this method, as they have plenty of sunlight to fully dry the beans) whereas the washed method depends only on substantial quantities of water and the devices that this method implies
When it comes to the time factor, the actual 'cleaning' of the pod can take just a few hours and is fairly consistent in the washed method, whereas with unwashed coffee beans this fermentation can take weeks
The farmer’s resources are also to take in consideration when it comes to choosing the processing method. Without the need for water and specialized equipment, the unwashed process is much cheaper - but also carries with it a much higher risk of rot and spoilage that don’t happen with the washed method.

As you can see, each processing method has its own pros and cons. Also, each results into a different arrange of flavors and shades of coffee brew, but as taste is subjective, we have to admit that both unwashed and washed coffee have the potential to be a delicious treat for our palates.

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