Coffee processing
Coffee passes through various stages of primary processing in the country of production before it is exported as unroasted 'green' coffee. The main aim of primary processing is to separate the coffee beans from the skin and the pulp of the coffee cherry.
There are two methods for removing these outer layers: wet method and dry method.
Dry method:
The Dry Method begins with the ripe coffee cherries partially drying while on the tree. When the beans are harvested from the coffee plant they are spread out in the sun on patios. Here they are raked and turned several times during the day so that the beans dry for another 2-3 weeks. In the last stage of the Dry Method, the now dried beans are put through a hulling machines to remove the dried pulp, parchment and silver skin. This is also known as 'natural' coffee.
Wet method
The Wet Method has a machine break away the cherries’ outer skin. This removes most of the pulp and exposes the parchment covered beans. The second step in the process is to remove the sticky coating called mucilage. The beans are then placed in large tanks of water to ferment for about 24 hours - and this is where the Wet Method gets its name. After fermenting the beans are thoroughly washed and afterwards dried in the sun for two or three days. It requires the use of specific equipment and substantial quantities of water. This is known as 'washed' or 'Mild' coffee, and normally applies to Arabica coffees rather than Robusta coffees. Coffees following this method are considered to be higher quality coffees
