In order for the coffee to retain the most characteristic layers of flavor, the coffee cherries, after leaving the branch, will be quickly transported to the drying yard to be ready for the preliminary processing. Drying – or preliminary drying (natural) under the sun is considered one of the methods to save raw materials and water resources. Follow Huongmai Cafe with the article below to understand the process.

What is natural drying?

Dry preliminary processing, also known as natural preliminary processing (Natural) is one of the basic coffee processing methods originating from Ethiopia - the country considered the cradle of coffee. At that time, the coffee beans are still intact and covered with a red berry shell. This method has low investment costs, mainly based on certain climatic conditions to ensure timely drying of fruits and seeds.

natural-process

natural-process

There's a reason why the dry pre-processing method is so popular is that it can produce a clean, sweet, and naturally aromatic batch of coffee. It uses less water as well as energy and is not too demanding in terms of technical facilities. In other words, this method is manual but yields a product of good quality, eco-friendly and cost-effective – a magic trio.

Dry processing (natural) and standards to be achieved

In order for the dry pre-processing process to achieve a certain effect, we need to divide it into many different stages. From there, it is easy to control the quality of coffee beans after preliminary processing.

Harvest stage

Before going to the drying stage, you need to pay attention to the harvesting stage. Our products are all controlled from quality raw materials to grow regional specialty coffees, so picking coffee is one of the most important steps. This means selective picking and picking only ripe coffee cherries. We may even have to pick several times each harvest season because coffee often ripens unevenly.

coffee-harvest

coffee-harvest

First drying stage

Every day, when it is time to harvest ripe coffee, it is important to spread the coffee evenly on the drying rack and name each area with a sign if you do not want your batches to be confused with the time mixed with coffee.

Keep the ripe cherries no more than 3 inches thick so they can have good air movement. It is important to scrape the beans every 3-4 hours so that the bottom and top dry evenly. Also, during this stage, discard any that are overripe or underripe. Ensure that the coffee is uniform in color to get a consistent and high quality batch.

2nd drying stage

After 3-5 days of drying on the rig, the coffee will start to feel like rubber. At this point, you can stack the coffee 5-6 inches thick along the bed to expand the space. However, you still have to scratch your coffee at least twice a day.

Final drying stage

After another 3-4 days, you start to have more options. Many manufacturers will transfer the coffee to their dryer to ensure uniform drying, complete the coffee pre-processing and allow the coffee to "rest". It is important to dry the coffee to a moisture content of less than 11% and to do this, a good temperature is required. So if you are having heat during the day around 29-31°C, there should be no problem drying the coffee on the rig.

final-drying-stagefinal-drying-stage

However, if it's colder outside, you may need to use a transparent tarp or other plastic cover. This will increase the heat. Or use a coffee dryer. Also, be aware that humidity can be an issue. If the weather is humid, I wouldn't recommend trying to dry it on a drying rack – even with a tarp.

Advantages of dry pre-processing (Natural)

Dry processing creates a variety of flavors in coffee, some of which are sometimes good, but by no means suitable for everyone. The advantage of dry pre-processing is that it is suitable for areas where there is no abundant water source. Therefore, the dry pre-processing method is popular in Ethiopia and Brazil.

Besides the natural method of drying in the sun, some farms also use dryers to meet the overwhelming demand for coffee. The quality of dried goods may not meet the requirements of many people, but it solves the problem of output. However, it is these things that give us more rich experiences in modern coffee taste.

coffee-process

coffee-process

But with any pre-processing method, if the steps of the process are followed correctly, the results always make coffee enthusiasts extremely satisfied. In fact, many producers use a dry pre-processing method for coffee that is 100% ripe, thus increasing its market value.

In short

In Vietnam today, coffee after being harvested can be processed in many different ways, but the most common are: Fully Washed - Honey - Natural. With the dry pre-processing method, the coffee beans will be kept full of natural flavors, which will highlight the chocolate, fruit flavors and darken the body of the coffee cup.

Regardless of the preliminary processing method applied, Huongmai Cafe's products always focus on quality and want to bring the best experience to customers. We look forward to serving you.

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Huongmai Cafe

Address: 15 Hang Manh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Visit us from 8AM - 10PM every day of the week, including holidays, Huongmai Cafe is also open to welcome you.

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