Coffee Processing: What Happens After the Coffee Cherry Is Picked?

Coffee processing is the transformation of a sweet, sticky, bright red fruit into the green coffee beans that we later roast. A coffee cherry contains two seeds—commonly referred to as beans—surrounded by layers of pulp, mucilage, and parchment.

To make these beans stable and suitable for transport, the fruit pulp must be removed and the seeds dried to a moisture content of around 10–12%. The type of processing has an enormous influence on flavor—at least as significant as the roasting itself. Which method a coffee producer ultimately chooses depends on:

• Climate
• Water availability
• Tradition
• Willingness to take risks

After all, an entire year’s income is often at stake!

Due to the growing demand for specialty coffee, a great deal has changed in recent years. New processes such as selective yeast inoculation or carbonic maceration are opening up entirely new worlds of flavor for coffee lovers.

The following explains the coffee processing methods and techniques, how they differ in flavor, and why they are so crucial to the character of a coffee.

In wet processing, also known as washed coffee, the coffee cherry is processed immediately after harvest. The name comes from the fact that water plays a central role in nearly every step of the process.

First, the freshly harvested cherries are sorted in large water tanks. Ripe fruits sink, while unripe or damaged ones float on the surface and are removed. Within a few hours after harvest, the cherries are mechanically pulped, leaving the beans still covered by a sticky mucilage layer. They then ferment in water or fermentation tanks for 8 to 72 hours to break down this layer. Afterward, the actual washing takes place, removing the remaining fruit pulp and, in part, the parchment layer.

The beans are then spread out on drying beds or terraces, where they dry for 7 to 14 days. During this period, they are regularly turned and covered at night or during intense midday heat to ensure even drying until moisture stabilizes. The goal of this method is to cleanly and precisely remove the fruit to allow the coffee's natural character to shine through.

Dry processing, also called the Natural Process, is the oldest method of coffee processing. Here, the ripe, red coffee cherries are spread out to dry immediately after harvest without pulping, usually on cement floors, compacted earth, or raised drying tables.

The cherries are regularly turned to ensure even drying and prevent mold growth. During this time, the pulp, mucilage, and parchment remain fully intact until the coffee reaches its final moisture content. Afterwards, everything is hulled. This allows the sugary pectin layer to infuse into the bean, shaping its sweet, fruity character.

The process usually takes two to four weeks, depending on temperature and humidity. Hot, dry conditions, such as those in Ethiopia, Brazil, or Yemen, are ideal for this method, as it does not require water.

The "honey process" sits both flavor-wise and technically between washed and natural processing. The name has nothing to do with edible honey; it refers to the sticky, sugary layer that surrounds the beans during drying.

After harvest, the coffee cherries are pulped, meaning their outer skin is removed. Unlike wet processing, however, a portion of the fruit flesh (the mucilage layer) is left on the bean. When the beans are then placed on so-called drying beds, they appear as if coated in honey.

During drying, the bean slowly loses moisture until it reaches the desired level. The duration and intensity of drying influence both the color of the bean and its flavor.

Depending on the amount of remaining mucilage, different honey styles are distinguished:

Originally, this method was developed in Brazil as Pulped Natural—to save water and reduce the risk of over-fermentation. Today, it is especially widespread in Costa Rica and other Central American countries.

"Honey coffees form a bridge between the clean brightness of washed coffees and the fruit intensity of natural coffees."

– SCA, Coffee Standards Definitions (2022)

Fermented coffee is not a new idea! Every coffee processing method involves natural fermentation to some extent. However, modern techniques such as anaerobic fermentation, carbonic maceration, Koji fermentation, or yeast inoculation take this approach to the next level. They represent the cutting edge of modern coffee processing, which is constantly evolving and being refined experimentally.

Coffee fermentation is a deliberate biological process. Under controlled conditions, microorganisms such as yeasts, bacteria, and enzymes transform the sugars and cellular components in the coffee cherry. This produces new flavors and acids—similar to the fermentation of wine, beer, or sourdough, where natural microflora significantly shapes the taste.

This controlled process creates a completely new spectrum of flavors, textures, and complexity. Curious to taste how fermented coffee tastes?

Discover Our Fermented Green Coffees

After pulping and a short fermentation phase, the protective parchment layer is removed while the beans still have a high residual moisture of around 30–35%. Air drying then begins, a process that requires patience and a delicate touch. In tropical regions, sudden rain showers often interrupt the drying, requiring the beans to be spread out and collected multiple times.

These natural fluctuations make the process particularly challenging. Before export, the coffee rarely reaches a completely uniform moisture content, but this often gives it its characteristic, lively flavor—a reflection of the environment in which it was grown and processed.

The Monsooned Malabar process is a traditional Indian method that originated as a historical accident. In the 19th century, coffee beans were transported by sailing ship from India to Europe. During the months-long voyage through the humid sea climate, the beans absorbed moisture and salty air, significantly altering their flavor and color. Instead of fresh-green, they became pale yellow, and the aroma developed a spicy, earthy, almost woody depth—a profile that quickly became popular in Europe.

Green coffee is exposed to the moist monsoon winds in open warehouses for 12 to 16 weeks. The beans absorb the salty sea air, swell, bleach, and lose almost all of their acidity.

What now seems like a sophisticated process was originally an accident: during the era of sailing ships, long voyages to Europe naturally altered the coffee, and Europeans loved this new, full-bodied flavor. Eventually, people began to deliberately use the monsoon climate to replicate the effect.