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Coffee Processing Methods
There are two processing methods that are practiced in the industry: the washed method, and dry method.
The wet method breaks the seed from the pulp and skin. They are soaked for 24 hours and, then, washed removing the mucilage. The bean is then dried in the sun for two to three days. Finally the bean is run through a hulling machine which removes the thin layer called parchment from the bean.
Countries lacking a sufficient water supply use the older and simpler method of processing, the dry method. Cherries are dried on the plant, picked, and spread out on large patio areas. The beans are dried and racked daily for a period of two to three weeks, then run through a hulling machine to remove the dried pulp, and parchment.
After the bean is separated from the pulp or fruit, it is still covered by a protective husk called a pergamino. At this point in the process, the coffee can be stored for some time with very little effect on the quality. The pergamino is removed by a process called milling. Milling is an activity performed by machines by which the outside covering is rubbed away. If this is done carefully, the quality of the bean is not hurt. If it is done too quickly, or if the bean is exposed to excessive cold or humidity, the final product suffers.
At the end of the process, the beans are separated by size, density and color. Modern techniques employ electronic equipment. But even in such cases, a certain amount or work must be done by hand. Decaffeinated coffee has 96% to 98% of the caffeine removed before roasting. There is some debate about which of several ways is most effective and does the least to change the flavor. Caffeine is water soluble; hence most methods include water as a solvent.
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