After harvesting the fruits, the outer skin, flesh, skin, and silver skin should be removed before being shipped for sale. There are two methods for this: dry method (also known as natural method or non water washing method) and water washing method.

Dry type

The method is relatively simple. Firstly, spread the freshly harvested fruit widely on the sun for one or two weeks until it makes a cracking sound and dries naturally. Afterwards, use a huller to remove the dried fruit pulp, inner skin, and silver skin.

The coffee beans refined in this way have a slightly sour and slightly bitter taste. Almost all coffee beans produced in Brazil, Ethiopia, Yemen, and other places are obtained through this method. The disadvantage of this method is that it is easily affected by weather and prone to the inclusion of defective beans and other impurities. Therefore, careful screening is necessary.

Water washing type

The fruits that are about to be harvested are placed in a flowing water tank, and after removing the fruits floating on the water surface, the outer skin and flesh are peeled off using a pulp removal machine. Put it back into the sink and remove the floating fruit pulp. Afterwards, transfer to the fermentation tank and soak for half a day to a day, then dissolve the gum on the surface of the fermented coffee beans.

After washing with water, drying in the sun for a few days, then using a machine to dry it, and finally using a huller to remove the inner skin, it becomes raw coffee beans that can be used as commodities. In this way, the color of coffee beans will be more beautiful and there will be fewer impurities compared to dry coffee beans. About 70% of the production in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and Guatemala uses this method.

Comparison of methods

After the coffee beans are harvested, they undergo processing procedures, otherwise fermentation will begin, causing the coffee beans to produce an unpleasant odor. The main methods of processing are "drying" and "washing", which can result in different flavors. Dried beans have a complete natural mellow taste, gentle aroma, and a lot of gum; Water washed coffee has a good mellow taste, high aroma, and lively acidity, and it is also the source of sweetness in espresso. [2]