What is the Difference Between Wash, Honey, and Natural Coffee Processing?
Long before you get that oh-so-important cup of coffee in the morning, the coffee bean, or seed, goes through quite the journey. As discussed in the blog “The Life Cycle of a Coffee Bean,” this journey is long and arduous. So many people and processes are attached to that one cup of coffee. As such an intricate and unique product, coffee quality can never be rushed. After it is harvested, it must be processed. This blog will explore the three most common types of coffee processing methods: wash, honey, and natural processing.
Before we dive in, we should probably let you know that the coffee beans you see are not anatomically beans at all. In fact, they are technically seeds! However, they have become known as beans because of their similar appearance. So, we will refer to them as both a bean and a seed.
Washed, Natural, and Honey Processes – What Do They Have In Common?
These processes can get very intricate and scientific. From harvesting, washing, drying, fermenting, and more—coffee beans must be wisely handled before they are ready to ship. But what do they all have in common?
All of these processes follow a very similar pattern of coffee processing. For starters, even though one of the processes is called the washed process, all coffees are thoroughly cleaned. They are all sorted, removing debris, bad coffee cherries, and different impurities. These processes also generally have a main progression of a fermentation, drying, and milling period. The main differences between each process arise from the methods and lengths of time the seed spends in each step.
The Natural Coffee Process
The natural coffee process is the oldest and the simplest of methods. However, it takes the longest time out of the three processes to complete. All processes start by harvesting the coffee cherries. Then, the cherries are cleaned and sorted to remove debris and bad coffee cherries. After this, the processor does one of two things for the natural coffee process. The first option involves a fermentation tank. There are many different new and experimental fermentation processes that producers are trying out. One is anaerobic fermentation which means putting the coffee in a water tank without oxygen. The other option is to go straight to the drying process (which includes a natural fermentation). The natural drying process takes a very long time. This is because the whole cherry is left on the bean. The drying process varies significantly due to environmental and coffee cherry differences. However, the general time frame is 3-6 weeks. After the drying, the natural coffees are specially milled to get the dried cherries off. And then milled to get the husk off. The coffee is then ready to be bagged and shipped to its destination.
The most significant perks of the natural process are its simplicity and the complex and unique flavor profiles it can create. However, because of the length of time, there is a much greater risk of defects and flavor variability. The natural process, in particular, can tend to mold or over-ferment due to the length of exposure to the elements. If done EXCELLENTLY, the natural process can bring out some incredible flavors. Generally (but not limited to), the natural process can produce fruitier and brighter flavor profiles.
The Washed Coffee Process
The washed process kicks off with standard cleaning and sorting. The coffee cherries are then put through a machine called a Depulper. This machine strips the cherries from the bean. Then the coffee seeds with remaining flesh are placed in large fermentation tanks for two primary purposes; for a fermentation period and to loosen the remainder of the cherry flesh from the coffee seed. The amount of time the coffee remains in the water tanks varies based on the individual processor, but generally, fermentation time ranges between 8 – 72 hours. When the processor determines that the seeds have fermented long enough, typically, they scrub the coffee with long brushes which look like brooms to get the rest of the flesh of the seeds. The coffee is then set out to dry. Generally, washed coffees take around 4 – 8 days to dry, depending on environmental factors. But farmers dry the washed coffee until they achieve the desired moisture percentage, which is around 11%. The coffee must be regularly turned during the drying process to ensure proper drying, but after drying, it is then ready to be milled, bagged, and shipped to its destination!
The washed process generally produces more mild and consistent flavors. However, it certainly varies and can never be said for sure. Coffee is so complex that the process cannot determine the flavor per se. The washed process also uses A LOT more water than any of the other processes. Therefore, there is the potential for more wastewater and water pollution depending on the processor’s method. Farmers in coffee-producing countries must always be conscious of their water usage due to limited availability or the increased cost it adds to the process. The washed coffee process’s greatest advantages are its speed and consistency. However, producers must always weigh the cost of increased water usage.
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The Honey Coffee Process
The honey process is almost a hybrid of the washed and natural processes. After being harvested, washed, and sorted, the coffee cherries are semi-pulped. They run through a depulping machine, removing much of the skin and flesh from the coffee seed. However, the coffee seeds with the remaining flesh are immediately sent to dry. The coffee seeds dry with the flesh on them, which turns into a crystallized sugar coating over time. It resembles honey which is part of the reason it is called the honey process. Despite the way it sounds, no honey or anything else is added to the coffee process.
This process originated in Central America with the purpose of reducing water usage while maintaining consistency. The flesh or mucilage of the fruit in Spanish is called Miel, the same word for honey. Therefore, it was translated into English as the Honey process. This was partly because the technical name, “Mucilage process,” doesn’t sound quite as lovely as “Honey process”. The crystallized sugar also resembles the color of honey on the coffee seed, so they figured that could also be a reason to name it that.
The coffee must be flipped and separated regularly during the drying process. Because the flesh left on the bean is primarily sugar, the seeds tend to crystallize together and form clumps of seeds that look like honeycombs. So, to ensure an even dryness for all the seeds, the clumps must be broken up regularly, and the coffee needs to be flipped. The dry time for the honey process generally takes about 8 – 14 days. After drying, they clean the coffee of all the mucilage and send it to be milled and bagged. And finally, it is ready to be sent to its destination.
The honey process is a nice in-between of the natural and washed coffees. It is a much quicker process, and you do not have to use nearly as much water. That is its biggest advantage- a happy medium. Generally, you can also get more complex flavors from the fermentation and drying of the seeds with the flesh.
You may also have seen the “Red Honey Process,” “Gold Honey Process,” or even the “Black Honey Process” on a bag of coffee and wondered what the difference is between them. The difference is the color of the flesh as it is dried onto the seed. Generally, the more flesh that is left, the darker the color. Therefore, the darkest honey process is a black honey process, then red, then gold, then yellow, and lastly, white. The color labeled color typically depends on the producer’s opinion. Producers can sometimes even control the color depending on the calibration of their de-pulping machines. They can calibrate the machine to take more or less of the flesh off of the seed. However, there is not generally a huge difference in flavor profile between the different colors, although some people think otherwise.
Conclusion
There are many different variations, combinations, and additions to each of these types of coffee processing methods. Producers have become increasingly more creative in the coffee processing world, constantly bringing new and innovative ways to get different flavor profiles out of the coffee seeds. Coffee is such a complex and wonderful drink to consume. So many intricate and intentional steps are taken along the way to get that cup into your hand every morning! After reading this, we hope you have a greater appreciation for the producers’ work and the intricacies that bring excellent flavors to your cup.