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Processing
Once the harvest has ripened the beans are collected and begin the processing stage. Usually the berries are hand picked and the soft flesh containing the seeds (beans) is removed from the husk and then fermented to remove the flesh from the actual beans. They are then washed, dried, sorted and labeled.
The next process is to roast the green coffee bean as all coffee has to be roasted to be consumed. The actual roasting of the bean will affect the flavour by changing its chemical make up and it will decrease in weight due to moisture loss but also increase in volume as it reduces in density. The bean in roasted at temperatures of about 200 degrees Celsius generally, though different varieties can be roasted differently to produce different flavours.
The result of the roasting process will produce different coloured beans labeled as light, medium-light, medium, medium-dark, dark, or very dark. The light beans tend to have a higher caffeine content whereas the darker beans have a smoother taste.
The popularity of coffee has also opened a new development in decaffeination. Many people enjoy the coffee but are either over sensitive to the caffeine or like to drink high volumes so a decaffeinated option has been created. The beans are treated at the green stage where they are soaked or steamed and a solvent specific to dissolving caffeine is added, they are then processed through the same roasting process.
