Essentially, green coffee beans are the seed of the coffee plant that has been extracted from its fruit.
These green beans are roasted, and then, they are used to brew coffee.
About three or four years after a coffee plant is planted, its flowers begin to grow. These flowers produce the plant’s fruits which are also referred to as coffee cherries.
After about eight months, the cherries are ripe and ready to be picked. Most coffee cherries are picked while they are still green.
However, sometimes, they are left on the plant, and they are not picked until they have turned red. Most plants flower only once per year, and thus produce cherries only once per year, but in Columbia the plants flower twice per year so they produce cherries more often.
The Cherry Flavor
The cherries themselves usually carry a unique flavor that is specific to their plant and when they were picked. Some tend to be more bitter or astringent with a strong or sharp odor. Other cherries have more aromatic oils and lower amounts of acids. These cherries tend to be more fragrant and smooth.
However, in order to make these cherries useful for home roasters, the fruit must be removed to reveal the beans.
There are two methods that are commonly used to remove the fruit from beans. The wet method and the dry method can be used in several different ways. For instance, there is a ferment and wash wet method as well as a machine assisted wet processing method which does not involve fermentation.
However, the main difference between these two popular processing methods is that in the wet method the fruit is removed and then the bean is dried. In the dry method, the entire cherry is dried. When it is finally ready to be processed, the dried fruit is then removed from the bean.
Roasting Process
The roasting process has a huge impact on how the coffee will ultimately taste. However, home roasters should pick their green beans carefully as they also have a huge impact on the final result. There are a number of factors that will affect the coffee’s taste. Roasters should know as much as possible about their green beans.
They should know where they come from, and if possible, they should know when the plant was harvested, and how the fruit was processed.
The more a home roaster knows about their beans, the better they will be able to control their final product.
Next Article: How To Select Freshly Roasted Beans
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