Honey Processed -
Occasionally you'll also see these referred to as “pulped natural” and in some respects they fall between washed and natural coffee processes. The term became popular in Brazil where the process originated, though more recently Central American countries and now some African countries have begun to experiment with honey processed coffees with some exciting results.
The honey process, like all of the other processes begins with the harvesting of ripe coffee cherries. Similar to washed coffees, the cherries are delivered to a wet mill where they are “floated” to separate the denser ripe cherries from their under-ripe counterparts. The still gooey beans are then laid on a patio or raised bed to air dry. “Honey,” or “miel” in Spanish refers to the thick, sticky sweet consistency that the pulp takes on during this drying process. There is no honey from bees involved.
The four common grades or “degrees” of honey are white, yellow, red, and black. Originally, the degree of honey was determined by the amount of time that was allotted for the coffee to dry, with white and yellow honey using shorter drying times, red honey being slightly longer, and black honey being the longest. Today the degree of honey is determined by the amount of mucilage left on the bean during drying, with white honey having the least, yellow honey more, red honey even more, and black honey the most. Depulping machines that allow for leaving variable amounts of mucilage on the bean has allowed mills to standardize drying times, and as a result, meet increased demand honey processed coffees.
White and yellow tend to be closest in characteristics to a fully washed coffee. Often you'll find delicate and clean flavor notes with this method. Red honey coffees tend to have more fruity flavor notes while still maintaining the complexity, nuance, and acidity of washed coffees. Black Honey, because it retains the most pulp during drying, tends to be very fruit forward (much like a natural) with heavier body and more muted acidity. One of our favorite coffees here at 802 Coffee is our Costa Rica Aurora Micro Lot. It is Red Honey processed and also represents our first fully exclusive coffee, which we are proud to have brought on as an exclusive for over seven years. Another fantastic Honey processed coffee in our lineup is our Colombia El Naranjo.
Natural - Sometimes referred to as “dry processed,” these coffees are dried inside the intact coffee cherry and as such require little or no water. Ripe coffee cherries are harvested and laid out on a patio or raised “African beds” where they are raked and turned frequently to maintain even drying. In this process the sugars and flavors of the cherry itself are imparted to the bean contributing to a natural coffees characteristic fruitiness.
Natural processing is the oldest method originating in Ethiopia along with coffee itself. For a long time natural coffees were considered to be inferior to washed coffees for a number of reasons. They are more difficult to sort for unripe cherries and defects, and many lower grade Robusta coffees are natural processed which may tarnish some excellent Arabicas by association. Thankfully over the last decade naturals have found a new following in the specialty coffee world among both consumers and growers alike. When done with the right care and attention to detail natural processing can produce spectacular fruit-forward coffees. Additionally they have the environmental benefit of reducing the use of water resources.
The most important parts of the process are turning the coffee cherries frequently (as often as every 15-30 minutes), and the final sorting at the dry mill. After the dried coffee fruit and parchment is removed from the bean. Since there is usually no process of sorting these beans between harvest and laying them out on the patios or raised beds, a well produced natural coffee must be meticulously sorted by size, density, ripeness, and color. Even still, a carefully sorted natural coffee will often have some inconsistencies - in the right coffee this can add to its character after roasting.
In the cup natural coffees are noted for their pronounced fruit forward profile and often by a heavier body than their washed counterparts. While the traditional perception of naturals often assumes a less complex, even one-dimensional "fruit bomb," a great natural can be multi-layered with depth and nuance. A fantastic example of a natural here at 802 Coffee is our Ethiopian Natural Sidamo -- an exquisite coffees with depth, character, and multiple flavor notes that transition smoothly in a well balanced cup.
Washed or “Wet” Process - This is by far the most common process used for specialty coffee. After the cherries are picked they are delivered by the farms to a “wet mill.” After the delivery is weighed the cherries are sorted for freshness either by hand or by floating them in large tanks filled with water where the ripe cherries will be more dense and sink to the bottom of the tank where they are fed into a depulping machine. This machine removes the skin and pulp (or mucilage) from the cherry leaving the seeds and parchment layer. Also remaining is a sticky mucus layer on the outside of the parchment. This is harder to remove and in order to get this last layer off, a washed coffee must go through one of two processes.
The first, and most common is for the coffee to go into fermentation tanks. These large open-topped concrete pools are filled with the recently de-pulped beans and then covered with water for somewhere between 12 to 96 hours. The exact time depends on local practices and the desired attributes of the coffee. The light fermentation that happens in these pools breaks down and loosens the last bits of fruit pulp so it can easily be removed from the parchment. This method is both water and time intensive. As a result another machine is sometimes used. Referred to in Latin America as a “lavador” or literally “washer” these machines use friction to remove the remaining gooey layer. While they tend to use less water they are also more expensive and require more energy and maintenance than the traditional, water-heavy method.
After the coffee is completely washed (though still in its parchment) it is laid out on patios or raised beds to dry in the sun. They are raked and turned frequently to avoid fermentation which would manifest down the line as a flavor defect. The weather however does not always cooperate. Occasionally, in particularly wet weather beans are kiln dried in large ovens with rotating barrels. These are not heated enough to roast the beans, just enough to dry them to the optimal internal moisture content of 11-12%.
Once the coffee is dried it is sent to a dry mill. It's here that the hard papery parchment is removed from the bean using a machine called a “huller.” Before being shipped out the remaining beans are sorted for size, density, and color. It is then bagged and sent on its way to coffee roasters around the world.
Washed coffees are often considered to have the most complexity and cleanness in the cup when compared to other processes. The flavor profiles and body can vary widely from origin to origin. We have a number of great washed coffees here at 802 Coffee. A couple of our current favorites are the Ethiopia Girma Eshetu and the Guatemala El Pilar.