Coffee bean production process: from raw materials to fragrant black gold

Coffee bean production process

Coffee, known as the fragrant black gold, is one of the indispensable drinks in people's daily life. Coffee beans are an important raw material for making coffee. The following will introduce the production process of coffee beans, from raw materials to fragrant black gold.

1. Raw material picking and processing

To make high-quality coffee beans, you first need to select coffee cherries of suitable maturity and good quality as raw materials. Usually, when picking, you will choose cherries that have turned red and ripe and have not been eroded by insects or other damage.

Once harvested, the fruit is processed to remove the outer skin and pulp. This process is called hulling or peeling. There are two general methods: dry and wet.

Dry peeling is a process in which the whole unprocessed fruit is exposed to the sun to remove moisture from its surface under natural conditions, and the outer layer is removed by manual cleaning.

Wet peeling involves soaking the freshly harvested fruit in water, and then separating the pulp from the coffee beans through mechanical force and water flow.

2. Fermentation and cleaning of coffee beans

After being peeled, the coffee beans need to be fermented. This process helps to remove the pulp that remains on the coffee beans and changes the internal chemical composition of the coffee beans to increase their flavor characteristics.

Fermentation usually involves placing peeled coffee beans in a specific environment, usually a moist, warm and well-ventilated place. The length of time depends on the variety and process, usually 12 to 48 hours.

After fermentation, the coffee beans need to be thoroughly washed to remove any residual substances. This process can be done by rinsing with clean water or soaking.

3. Drying and sorting of coffee beans

After washing, the coffee beans need to be dried to reduce their moisture content. Drying is done to prevent mold growth and extend shelf life.

There are many drying methods, including natural drying, mechanical drying and solar drying. Among them, natural drying is the most traditional method, which is to spread the coffee beans on a flat surface and dry them in the sun.

After drying, the coffee beans need to be sorted. This process judges the coffee beans according to their size, shape and quality, and divides them into different grades.

4. Roasting and cooling of coffee beans

After sorting, the coffee beans need to be roasted to enhance their aroma and flavor. This process involves exposing the coffee beans to high temperatures (usually 180-250 degrees Celsius) for processing.

During the entire roasting process, a series of chemical reactions occur. As time and temperature change, the coffee beans, which were originally green or yellow, gradually turn into dark brown or black and release a rich aroma.

After roasting, the coffee beans need to be cooled to stop them from being affected by heat. This process can be done through natural cooling or mechanical cooling.

5. Grinding and packaging of coffee beans

The last step is to grind and package the coffee beans. The coffee beans need to be ground into powder before use so that they can be brewed into a strong coffee.

Depending on your needs, you can choose coffee powder of different coarseness and fineness. Generally speaking, finer coffee powder is suitable for making strong black coffee with equipment such as espresso machines, while coarser particles are suitable for making popular filter-type hand brewing with equipment such as filter pots.

Finally, put the bagged freshly ground coffee into a sealed package and mark it with information such as origin, variety and shelf life.

Conclusion

From raw materials to fragrant black gold, it goes through multiple links such as picking, processing, fermentation, cleaning, drying, sorting, roasting, research and packaging. Each step has an important impact on the final coffee quality. Only carefully made coffee beans can brew delicious coffee with a rich taste and overflowing aroma.