31/08/2026
Do you know what happens to coffee after it is harvested?
Before it becomes the bean you know and following the initial processing we already talked about, the coffee cherry must lose most of its moisture. This is the drying phase, a process that varies depending on how the coffee was processed earlier.
In natural (or dry) processing, the whole cherries—with all the pulp still intact around the bean—are spread out on large concrete patios or raised drying beds. They stay here in the sun for two to four weeks. During this time, they must be raked and turned daily to prevent unwanted fermentation that would alter the coffee’s flavor profile. Once they have shed their excess moisture, they are hulled using specialized machinery that separates the bean from the outer skin, pulp, and parchment layer.
In washed (or wet) processing, however, the bean reaches the drying stage already clean, having had its skin removed and been washed following fermentation. It is then spread out in the sun or placed in mechanical dryers until it reaches the proper moisture level. A final step removes the parchment.
Two different paths, same goal: a stable bean, ready for roasting.