Coffee Processing--To wash or not to wash???

Usually when we talk about washed and unwashed coffee it is from different area's.  So when you compare them you are comparing more than just the effects of processing.  So for example if you compare a washed Central American with an unwashed Ethiopian  you are comparing region as much as you are comparing processing.


Recently I have been cupping many Guatemalan coffee's (last saturday 51 samples).  A lot of time we are comparing coffee from the same farm with different processing.  In general this is what we find.


The longer the coffee is in the fruit, the sweeter, fruitier and lower acidity.
The quicker it is depulped and washed the better the acidity but you trade off some sweetness and complexity.


Now with that said, there is probably the same actually acidity in the natural processed coffee's but with the additional sweetness you don't taste it in the cup.  Remember sweet overpowers very easily.


So do you wash or not wash.  Here in Guatemala acidity is king.  All coffee's are rated heavily on acidity and many other important factors are seemingly forgotten.  So Guatemalans are big on washing and depulping quickly.  But there is some very nice complexity and character in the cup that come come with natural processing or even just letting the coffee have more time in to ripen in the fruit.  So I'm for some balance,  I love acidity, but I also want some sweetness and complex fruited notes.

The cupping master Jose Angel Alvarado wins #2 cupping in Guatemala

he has been cupping over 30 years.

I'm thankful to have him as my teacher!