From planting a seed to drinking the resulting coffee, here are 10 easy steps.

The daily jolt of caffeine you take in has traveled far and wide to reach your lips.

Coffee beans go through a standard procedure between planting, harvesting, and buying that brings out their full potential.

 1 Planting 

Coffee is named after the bean that produces it, which is a seed. Coffee beans are used to brew coffee after they have been dried, roasted, and ground. It is possible to grow a coffee tree from the unprocessed seed.

For the most part, coffee seeds are planted in large beds inside of partially shaded nurseries. Until the seedlings are strong enough to be planted in the ground, they will be given plenty of water and protection from direct sunlight. It is common practice to plant during the rainy season so that the soil can retain its moisture and the roots can grow strong.

Cherry Picking, Part Deux

It takes about three to four years for newly planted coffee trees to begin producing fruit, though this varies greatly by variety. When the coffee cherry fruit is at its peak of ripeness, it takes on a brilliant, deep red color.  

On average, only one harvest takes place per year. When there are two blooming seasons per year, as there are in Colombia, farmers harvest two separate crops.

The crop is typically picked by hand in a labor-intensive and challenging process, though the process has been mechanized in countries like Brazil, where the landscape is relatively flat and the coffee fields are enormous. Coffee can be picked by hand or by machine, but there are only two methods in use:

All of the cherries are removed from the branch at once, either mechanically or by hand, to create a "strip."

Only the ripe cherries are harvested, and each one is picked by hand. Every eight to ten days, a different group of pickers goes through each cherry tree and selects only the ripest cherries. This method of harvesting is used primarily for the harvesting of the superior Arabica beans because of the increased time and money required.

An expert picker can harvest between 100 and 200 pounds of coffee cherries per day, yielding between 20 and 40 pounds of coffee beans. Pickers are compensated based on their individual contributions, which are measured by the weight of their daily haul. The produce of the day is then delivered to the factory for further processing.
 

Third, Taking Care of the Cherries

Picking coffee is only the first step; processing needs to start right away to keep the fruit from spoiling. Coffee is prepared in one of two ways, depending on geography and available resources:

There are still many countries that use the traditional dry method of processing coffee due to the scarcity of fresh water there. To dry in the sun, the newly picked cherries are simply spread out on massive surfaces. The cherries are kept from spoiling by being raked and turned throughout the day, then covered at night or during rain to keep them dry. This can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks for each batch of coffee, depending on the weather, or until the cherries' moisture content drops to 11%.

After picking coffee cherries, the Wet Method involves separating the bean from the pulp so that only the parchment skin remains before drying. To begin, the newly picked cherries are put through a pulping machine, where the skin and pulp are removed while the bean remains.  

The beans are then sorted according to their weight as they float down a series of water channels. Unripe beans rise to the top, while ripe ones sink to the bottom due to their greater density. They go through a set of rotating drums that sort them by size as they go through.

The beans are then sent to massive fermentation tanks filled with water. The beans spend anywhere from 12 to 48 hours in these tanks to remove the slimy layer of mucilage (called the parenchyma) that is still attached to the parchment, depending on factors like their condition, the climate, and the altitude. This layer will dissolve while the tanks are at rest due to the action of naturally occurring enzymes.  

The beans become rough to the touch after fermentation is complete. The beans are prepared for drying after being rinsed in additional water channels.
 

4. Bean drying

The beans, once pulped and fermented, need to be dried to about 11% moisture if the wet processing method was used.  

Beans in their endocarps can be dried in the sun by spreading them out on drying tables or floors and turning them on a regular basis, or they can be dried in large tumblers in a dehumidifier. The parchment coffee beans are stored in jute or sisal bags until they are ready to be shipped overseas.     

Fifth, Crush the Beans

The following steps are taken to prepare parchment coffee for export:

Wet-processed coffee undergoes a process called "hulling," in which the parchment layer (endocarp) is mechanically removed. Hulling is the process of dehusking dried coffee, which involves removing the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp from the coffee cherry.

The silver skin that remains on the beans after hulling can be mechanically removed in a step called polishing. Although polished beans have a higher social status than unpolished ones, there is little difference between the two types.

Beans are graded and sorted according to size and weight, and any color defects or other imperfections are also examined.

The beans are sorted by size as they move through the screens. Beans can also be sorted pneumatically, with the help of an air jet, to separate the heavier from the lighter ones.

In most cases, a number between 10 and 20 is used to indicate the size of the bean. This fraction of an inch represents the diameter of a round hole of this size. The diameter of a hole equal to a number 10 bean is about 10/64 of an inch, and the diameter of a hole equal to a number 15 bean is about 15/64 of an inch.  

This process concludes with the manual or mechanical removal of any imperfect beans. Defective beans (those that are too small or too dark, those that have undergone too much fermentation, those that have been damaged by insects, and those that have not been hulled) are discarded. This is done by machine and by hand in many countries, selecting only the highest quality coffee beans for export.
 

Beans: Number Six on the Export Market

Green coffee beans (now) are packaged and shipped in jute or sisal bags inside plastic-lined shipping containers or in bulk.

In 2015–16, global coffee output is expected to reach 152 USDA data shows that 7 million 60-kg bags were sold internationally.

7. Coffee Tasting

Each batch of coffee undergoes extensive quality control. Cupping is the name given to this practice, and it is typically done in a room that has been outfitted specifically for the purpose.  

• The taster (also known as a cupper) first assesses the beans' aesthetic appeal. After being roasted in a mini-roaster, the beans are promptly ground and infused in water at a precisely controlled temperature. The aroma of the coffee is one of the most important factors in determining its quality, so the cupper gives it a good sniff before making his or her final decision.  

• When the coffee has rested for a few minutes, the cupper removes the crust by pushing down on the grounds at the top of the cup. Once more, the coffee is sniffed before being tasted.

• A spoonful of coffee is slurped and inhaled quickly by the cupper to get a taste. The cupping process consists of spraying the coffee evenly over the taste buds, weighing it on the tongue, and then spitting it out.  

Every day, we taste a selection of beans and batches. Not only are coffees examined for their positive and negative qualities, but also so that the best blends can be made or the roasting process can be optimized. In spite of tasting hundreds of cups of coffee every day, a professional cupper will still be able to detect subtle differences between them.  
 

Roasting the Coffee Beans

Green coffee beans, before they go through the roasting process, are a bland, unappealing color. The average temperature of a roasting machine is about 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Throughout, the beans are continuously rotated to prevent them from overheating and burning.

Beans turn brown and release their fragrant caffeol oil when heated to temperatures of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The roasting process relies heavily on a chemical reaction known as pyrolysis, which is responsible for giving roasted coffee its distinctive flavor and aroma.  

The beans are cooled rapidly, either by air or water, after roasting. Since freshly roasted beans need to reach the consumer as quickly as possible, roasting typically takes place in the importing countries.  

Roughing Up Coffee, No. 9

To extract the most flavor from one's coffee, a fine grind is essential. It is up to the brewer to decide how finely or coarsely to grind the coffee.

The ideal coarseness of grind is determined by how long the coffee grounds will be in contact with water. Coffee should be prepared as quickly as possible with a finer grind. This is why espresso coffee requires finer ground coffee than coffee brewed in a drip system.  

Coffee is extracted at a pressure of 132 psi in espresso machines.

We suggest you take a moment to inspect the beans and inhale their aroma; research has shown that just the smell of coffee can stimulate the brain.
 

Prepare Coffee by Making a Brew

Our guide will teach you everything you need to know to brew coffee to perfection, no matter what your taste is. Enjoy

The image comes from Giphy.