Coffee production

Harvesting

Crops can be harvested manually (for high-value varieties) and mechanically (for poor-quality coffee).

Primary grain treatment

It is divided into two types:

Dry grain processing

This type of processing is considered the oldest. Dry processing consists in the fact that the fruits are scattered in a thin layer on the ground, brightly illuminated by the sun

Since the fruits have a sufficiently high humidity that they do not become damp and covered with mold, they are constantly mixed and covered at night.

After two weeks, the grain coating pulp becomes dry and brown, and the seeds inside dangle freely.

This method is considered the most gentle for coffee beans. In some coffee-producing countries, the fruits are not harvested, but wait for them to dry on the trees, when they themselves fall on a specially spread cloth under the trees. Fallen seeds are then sieved and cleaned.

Wet grain treatment

The essence of this method is that coffee beans are not dried, but passed through a machine resembling a mill. The machine cleans so that all the coarse pulp is removed, and the grain remains only in a thin shell.

After the pulp has been removed from the fruit using machines, the seeds are sent for washing, which takes place in winding channels specially built for this purpose.

This allows you to better rinse the grains and find patients among them - they pop up.

This selection method is considered the initial sorting step.

After the grain is washed, it is sent for fermentation.

This is done in order to remove insoluble particles of pulp left after washing.

In order for the grain to pass this stage normally, it is constantly turned over, exposing as much of the grain surface as possible under the sun. Typically, this stage lasts up to 24 hours. After that grain is directed for repeated washing.

This method has become widespread relatively recently, as a result of this processing, coffee is of high quality. But this is an expensive production technology, since a large amount of good quality water is required. And many coffee-producing countries don't have that option. Therefore, some manufacturers use water several times to save money. This significantly reduces the cost of work, but degrades the quality of the finished product.

Repeated use of water significantly increases its acidity level, which gives the finished product a very unpleasant taste and smell.

Another disadvantage of the wet method is the risk of leaving at least a few beans in special pools designed for coffee fermentation.

In this case, they will be fermented several times, which as a result will spoil the entire batch of finished coffee. And this will not appear immediately, but only during the roasting process, when these grains begin to emit an unpleasant odor, spreading it to the grains of the entire batch.

Grain cleaning

Coffee beans are being purged at this stage of processing.

For this, machines are used to remove dust, earth, stones and other impurities.

After purging, the grain is sent for magnetic cleaning to remove any metal chips that may have entered the coffee beans from the metal machines as a result of previous treatments.

After magnetic cleaning, the grains are cleaned of their casings and then polished.

Granulometric sampling

It is the sorting of seeds by their size using a special sieve.

The first to select are large seeds, which are classified as elite, from which the highest quality coffee is obtained. In addition to sorting by size, the purpose of this selection is to identify low-quality or diseased grains that degrade the quality of the entire batch of goods.

This step can be performed manually or mechanically.

Grain roasting

The thermal type of grain roasting has two subspecies: contact and convective.

Thermal contact method

In the contact method, the grain is fried under the direct influence of heat resulting from the contact of the seeds with the hot surface of the frying machine. At the same time, the grain is interfered with all the time so that it does not overcook.

This type of roasting is considered the worst, since coffee is often overcooked, the color of the beans is heterogeneous, which degrades the quality of the finished product.

Thermal convective method

In the convective method, heated air is used, which enters the chamber where the frying process takes place. In this case, the grain is also subjected to constant mixing.

The quality of the product as a result of this roasting method is much higher, since the grain is roasted more evenly; grains have uniform uniform colour & mdash; all this improves the appearance of the finished product.

Dielectric method

It is carried out using microwave energy, which penetrates into the depth of coffee beans and roasts it.

An important feature of this method is that the coffee bean does not touch any heated surfaces at all, which significantly improves its quality.

Radiation method

Today it is one of the newest and most advanced processing methods that has not received significant distribution due to the high cost of equipment, and also, most likely, due to prejudices related to radiation radiation.

First, coffee beans are shone through with gamma rays, and then roasted according to standard heat treatment.

Cooling

It occurs in special machines that allow you to cool coffee to a temperature of 40-45 & deg; C.

For a higher quality product, it must be passed through special magnetic installations that allow you to identify metal impurities.

After that, the grains are placed in machines that take away the stones in the mass.

Packaging

Coffee is packaged.