How Coffee is Made

How Coffee is Made

From a seed...

A coffee seed begins it’s life in a nursery, planted in large, shaded beds. With a lot of love, water, and protection from the harsh sun, the small plants are nurtured until they’re strong enough to be permanently planted during the wet season, and are typically about 18 to 24 inches in height.

Most of the coffee produced is one of two varieties derived from two plant species: Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta.

About 70% of the world's coffee is arabica, and it is considered to be the higher quality, with a mild taste and a light and airy complexion with an intense, intricate aroma. It grows typically in higher elevations and requires considerable care while growing. Most gourmet coffees are made with high-quality mild varieties of arabica coffee.

Robusta coffee is grown mostly in Vietnam, with India, Africa, and Brazil also contributing to the supply. It is easier to care for and has a greater crop yield than arabica, so it is cheaper to produce. The taste of robusta coffee is a little bitter although full-bodied and possessing a distinctive earthy flavor. Not surprisingly, you'll find robusta used most often in espresso blends.

...to a Fruit

Then Comes the Harvest...

The harvesting is done is cycles, revisiting the trees until all of the coffee is picked from the field. It is a costly process and used primarily for harvesting the finer Arabica beans.

How many coffee cherries does a coffee picker pick? Approximately 100 to 200 pounds  per day, which translates into about 20 to 40 pounds of coffee beans.

...and Processing

Processing must begin quickly after the coffee cherries have been picked to prevent spoilage, and is most often handled in one of two ways:

The Dry Method is the ‘age-old’ method and is used in countries where water resources are limited. It’s very simple but labor intensive.

The coffee cherries are spread out on huge surfaces to dry in the sun. They are turned regularly to keep the from spoiling, and covered at night to keep the rain and moisture off. This manual process could continue for several weeks, and ultimately until the moisture content of the cherries reaches about 11%. After the drying process the outer cover will change to black.

The Wet Method  is quite different in contrast. The freshly harvested cherries are passed through a pulping machine to separate the pulp and skin from the beans.

Then, the beans pass through water channels where they are separated by weight. The heavier beans sink and the lighter beans float. 

The next step in the wet method is to soak the beans in large, water-filled fermentation tanks. The magic that happens here is that while they soak (anywhere from 12 to 48 hours), a slick layer of mucilage will dissolve and leave just the beans. After this process they feel rough to the touch. But, they’re now ready for drying!

The beans can be sun-dried by spreading them out and turning them regularly, or they can be machine-dried in large tumblers. Either way, they must be dried to approximately 11% moisture.

Now, our small java friends are referred to as parchment coffee. They are stored in jute or sisal bags until ready for export, in an area that has good air circulation, is dark, and away from moisture. There are quite a few steps in learning how coffee is made, and we're working our way through!

Now It's Time for Milling

In the milling process, the skin is removed from the coffee beans (the parchment coffee). There are two steps to this process:

1. Hulling - the dried husk is removed using a machine called a 'huller'. It is done carefully to avoid damaging the little beans.
2. Polishing - an optional process where any remaining silver skin is removed and leaves the coffee beans shiny and pretty. It doesn't affect the taste, though.

Now, the coffee beans are light brown, and they're called 'green coffee. I know. Confusing, but that's what it is. 

The All Important Tasting of the Coffee

Before the beans are taken for roasting, more coffee-magic happens, and that is the grading of the coffee. It is done by professionals who are called tasters, or cuppers. They play a vital role in how coffee is made.

There are very special rooms designed solely for the purpose of cupping. This is the process of tasting the coffee and evaluating it for overall visual, taste, and aromatic appeal. A professional cupper can taste hundreds of samples per day and be able to find the subtle differences between them. Amazing.

You might be wondering how this is accomplished, as we’re still in the ‘green coffee’ stage, aren’t we? Well, here’s how the process works.

• A professional taster, or cupper, first evaluates the beans for their overall visual quality.
• Then, the beans are roasted in a small laboratory roaster, ground immediately, and infused in boiling water (at the perfect temperature, of course).
• The cupper will then nose the brewed coffee and experience its aroma.
• The coffee rests for several minutes, and then the cupper pushes aside the grounds at the top of the cup...that is called the crust...and they nose it once again.
• The tasting of the brew is quite special, too. The cupper quickly slurps a spoonful of coffee, then weigh it on their tongue before spitting it out.

It's Distributed...

...then it's Roasted!

Okay, we’re finally to the step in the process of how coffee is made where the little beans turn the beautiful brown color that we’re accustomed to seeing (and smelling!)

Most roasting machines maintain a temperature of about 400 degrees Fehrenheit. During the roasting process the beans begin to turn brown, and they emit a fragrant oil called caffeol. This process is called pyrolysis...the evolution and creation of the flavor and aroma of the coffee we ultimately drink and enjoy so very much!

While roasting at high temperatures, the oils and lipids found in the coffee beans move from the center to close to the surface of the beans.

Onward to the Packaging...

Because roasted coffee beans are easily spoiled by air or moisture, it's important to package them quickly and properly.

An air-tight bag with opaque material to protect them against UV rays is used, as well as a one-way valve in the packaging material that is included to allow carbon dioxide to escape the bag. The valve also prevents oxygen from entering the bag.

...Then it's Time to Grind

Our journey into how coffee is made has now ventured all the way to the point of grinding the beans. This can take place at the manufacturing location, at the local coffee shop, or in your kitchen!

There is nothing quite like the aroma, and then the taste, of coffee brewed with freshly ground beans. The level of grind depends on what type of coffee will be brewed:

Coarse - looks like flaky sea salt, and is used to make french press coffee

Medium: feels crumbly, looks like peat moss, and is used to brew coffee using the pour-over method

Fine: looks like finely milled salt, and is used when making espresso style coffee

Here is a helpful Coffee Grind Size Quick Reference Chart: 

Read the full post here: A Simple Coffee Grind Size Chart for Better Brewing at Home