Coffee Processing Methods

Brazil processes its coffee by the wet (washed), dry (natural), and semi-washed (pulped natural) methods. The vast majority of Brazil coffee beans are still processed via the dry method since Brazil is one of the few countries in the world that has the appropriate weather to do so successfully. Due to Brazil’s distinct dry and wet seasons, the flowering and cherry maturation is homogeneous. This allows Brazilians to harvest coffee via the strip picking method and/or mechanically. Although under-ripe and overripe cherries are also harvested, careful processing will easily remove these coffee cherries. In my experience, I have found Brazil to have one of the most advanced and well-cared-for processing systems in the industry.

Dry-Process: Dry-processed (Naturally processed) coffees are dried while they are still in the cherry. Prior to drying, only cherries that float will be removed. Since the coffees are dried in contact with the sweet mucilage, the coffee will be heavy in body, sweet, smooth, and complex. This coffee is also one of the most complex to deal with do to the long drying times and possibility of fermentation. However, since dry-processed coffees are more difficult, Brazil has invested significant time and money to developing new drying systems and drying practices to prevent fermentation.