Harvesting And Processing Coffee
Harvesting Gourmet Coffee
Gourmet coffees are hand picked, as the cherries do not mature at the same time. The
pickers will return to the trees 3 to 4 times during the harvest season.
While cherries can be harvested by mechanical or stripping methods, these methods
cause stress to the trees, and the beans picked include unripe and overripe cherries.
Processing
After harvesting, the cherries are processed to the green coffee bean stage. There are
two different types of processing, dry and wet method. In the wet method, the coffee can
be fully washed, semi-washed, or aqua pulped. In the dry method, the cherry is left out in
the sun to dry with all of the layers of the coffee cherry left intact. Dry processing tends to
result in an earthy and grassy cup. Coffees processed in the dry method are known as
naturals.
Gourmet coffee is generally processed the fully washed method. In this method, cherry
skin and pulp is removed and the coffee is fermented before being dried in the sun and/or
mechanical dryers.
Once the coffee is dried, it is in the pergamino stage or parchment. Parchment is a shell
that protects the bean. The parchment will remain on the bean until the coffee is ready to
be hulled, sorted and shipped.
Hulling removes the parchment and some of the silver skin. Once the coffee is hulled, it is
sorted by density, size and color. In general, the denser and larger the bean, the better
quality of the cup. Exceptions are the Peaberries and the largest sizes of coffee.
Peaberries will have a more concentrated flavor. Some of the largest grades may not
have as pronounced a flavor as the second largest grade.
Harvesting Gourmet Coffee
Gourmet coffees are hand picked, as the cherries do not mature at the same time. The
pickers will return to the trees 3 to 4 times during the harvest season.
While cherries can be harvested by mechanical or stripping methods, these methods
cause stress to the trees, and the beans picked include unripe and overripe cherries.
Processing
After harvesting, the cherries are processed to the green coffee bean stage. There are
two different types of processing, dry and wet method. In the wet method, the coffee can
be fully washed, semi-washed, or aqua pulped. In the dry method, the cherry is left out in
the sun to dry with all of the layers of the coffee cherry left intact. Dry processing tends to
result in an earthy and grassy cup. Coffees processed in the dry method are known as
naturals.
Gourmet coffee is generally processed the fully washed method. In this method, cherry
skin and pulp is removed and the coffee is fermented before being dried in the sun and/or
mechanical dryers.
Once the coffee is dried, it is in the pergamino stage or parchment. Parchment is a shell
that protects the bean. The parchment will remain on the bean until the coffee is ready to
be hulled, sorted and shipped.
Hulling removes the parchment and some of the silver skin. Once the coffee is hulled, it is
sorted by density, size and color. In general, the denser and larger the bean, the better
quality of the cup. Exceptions are the Peaberries and the largest sizes of coffee.
Peaberries will have a more concentrated flavor. Some of the largest grades may not
have as pronounced a flavor as the second largest grade.
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