The coffee bean production process: from picking to roasting

1. Picking coffee beans

The coffee bean production process begins with picking. Generally speaking, coffee trees are picked after the berries are ripe. At this time, the coffee berries appear bright red or yellow, indicating that the coffee beans inside are fully ripe. Farmers use manual or mechanical equipment to peel these ripe berries from the trees.

2. Remove the peel and pulp

Once picked, the next step is to remove the outer skin and pulp of the coffee bean. There are two common methods to accomplish this step: dry method and wet method.

The dry process involves drying the whole coffee berry in the sun, which concentrates the water and causes the outer layer to fall off. The wet process involves first passing the concentrated berry through a machine that crushes it, scrubs it, and removes the outer layer.

3. Fermentation and cleaning

Whether it is processed by dry or wet method, the coffee beans with the outer layer removed need to be fermented next. This process helps to remove the pulp residue inside the coffee beans and provide better taste and flavor for the subsequent roasting process.

Fermentation time usually ranges from 12 to 48 hours, depending on the processing method used and the environmental conditions. After fermentation is complete, the coffee beans need to be washed to remove residues and soaked in water for a period of time to further improve the taste.

4. Removal of the inner membrane

After fermentation and washing, coffee beans are still covered with an outer layer called the endothelium (or silver skin). This endothelium affects the absorption and release of heat by the coffee beans during roasting.

To remove this inner membrane, farmers use special equipment to peel it off the coffee beans. This step is critical because it can affect the quality and flavor of the final product.

5. Baking

The final critical step is roasting. By controlling temperature, time and other parameters, the internal structure and chemical composition of the coffee beans will change, giving the beans a specific flavor and aroma.

The roasting process is usually divided into three stages: light roasting, medium roasting and dark roasting. Different roasting degrees will bring different tastes, such as light roasting is more sour, medium roasting is more balanced, and dark roasting is more bitter. Farmers determine the best roasting degree based on market demand and their own experience.

Summarize

From picking to the final product, coffee beans go through a series of complex and delicate production processes. Each step has an important impact on the quality of the final product, so farmers need to put in a lot of effort to ensure that every coffee bean can meet high quality standards.

Whether you are drinking a cup of delicious latte or enjoying the bitterness of pure black coffee, these delicious foods are inseparable from the silent contributions of these hard-working workers behind the scenes.