Coffee: Washed vs. Natural Process


Image that says Washed vs. Natural with roasted coffee in background.

A few months back we posted a blog about how roast levels affect the flavor experienced in the cup. We put a lot of energy into our craft of roasting at Backyard Beans, seeking to always pull out the best in every coffee we offer. Roast, however, is only one aspect that can alter the flavor profile in coffee. If we aren’t starting with high quality, specialty grade green coffee then we can’t magically make it taste great with the perfect roast.

What we want to highlight this month is how the processing method affects flavor. 

The coffee bean is encased in many layers: silver skin, parchment, pectin, pulp, and outer skin. There are three primary methods to process the coffee and extract the bean: washed/wet-process, natural/dry-process, and pulp natural. Some Indonesian coffees employ a separate method, wet-hulled, but that is for another day. We want to focus in on natural vs. washed. 

 
Image of washed coffee.
Image of natural coffee drying.
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