After the coffee cherries are picked, they need to be processed using a specific method to produce finished coffee beans (green beans). The coffee cherry washing process is just one stage of the coffee processing process; coffee processing varies greatly depending on many factors, from cost, environment, and labor to the resulting flavor. So, what is the difference between the full-wash and semi-wash processes?
Well, for starters, washed or semi-washed coffee is said to be of superior quality than that produced using completely natural methods, which are generally less expensive, as they impart a cleaner and more consistent flavor to the final coffee. Coffee bean washing in Indonesia is sometimes referred to as the wet production method rather than the dry method.
Full Wash Coffee Process
In the full-wash coffee process, the coffee cherries are picked and then washed. During the washing process, ripe coffee cherries sink, while less ripe ones float. Then, the cherry skin and some of the pulp are removed from each bean by pressing them through a sieve using a machine.
Then, the cherry skin and some of the pulp are removed from each bean by pressing them through a sieve using a machine. However, much pulp remains firmly attached to the beans, requiring either a more traditional fermentation and washing method or a more modern process called aquapulping, mechanical demucilaging, or machine-assisted wet processing to separate the coffee beans from the pulp.
The former method destroys the remaining pulp by fermenting the beans with microbes and then washing the beans with water. This process must be carefully monitored and monitored to ensure the fermentation process does not alter the final flavor of the coffee. The beans must also be thoroughly washed afterward to ensure no fermented mucilage remains.
Meanwhile, the more modern demucilaging process removes the remaining pulp by mechanical scrubbing, which is preferred, especially in some warmer countries, because it requires less water. In addition to this benefit, it is easier to monitor and predict the results of the process.
Semi-Wash Coffee Process
Semi-washed, honey process, natural pulped, wet-hulled.
Because each has its own advantages and complexities, this article will focus on the two main styles of semi-washed coffee: Wet Hulled (Semi-washed) and Honey/Natural Process. The basic steps of all semi-washed coffee processes include pulping, drying, parchment removal, cleaning, and grading.
Honey and pulped natural processes are essentially the same process, just with different names. After the ripe coffee cherries are picked, the outer fruit is removed, but the sticky pulp and mucilage layer are left intact. The sticky coffee beans are then dried like “unwashed” coffee. Once dried, the parchment is removed through a mill, and the beans are then cleaned, graded, and sorted.
Wet-hulled coffee (also known as semi-washed) is a specialty of Indonesian coffee processing. Wet-hulled coffee differs from other methods in the world. After the ripe coffee cherries are picked, the fruit is immediately removed. This is referred to as “pulping” or “grinding.” The mucilage layer is then washed from the beans. The coffee is then raked onto terraces to dry. Once the coffee reaches a moisture content of around 30%, it undergoes a milling process to remove the parchment layer. The beans are still malleable at this high moisture content, and they are often damaged by hullers. This is due to the high humidity in Indonesia. Farmers and millers are afraid to leave their coffee outside to dry for too long, so by removing the parchment skin earlier than usual, the beans are more exposed to air and dry faster.
Each of these seemingly insignificant steps can ruin the coffee. If under- or over-ripe cherries are picked, the remaining cherries are useless. If the coffee is not hulled immediately after picking, it will taste fermented. If coffee is left in large piles to dry, it will develop mold, so it must be dried in thin layers for even drying. The more we understand about the coffee process, the more we appreciate good quality coffee when we get it.
At the Rantekarua Toraja Coffee plantation, owned by PT. Sulotco Jaya Abadi, four coffee processes are used: full wash, semi-wash, natural, and civet coffee. Each process produces different characteristics.
The premium full-wash Toraja coffee product has flavor notes: vanilla, brown sugar, lemon tea, a juicy body, and a long, sweet aftertaste.
Unlike Toraja Premium Full Wash, Toraja Premium Semi Wash coffee has the following flavor notes: chocolate, brown sugar, citrus, nutty, and medium body.
For those of you who are curious about Toraja coffee, you can buy Sulotco coffee on Tokopedia @sulotco
