Sweetness Perception in Coffee: Wash vs. Natural Processing

This chapter examines the differences in perceived sweetness between washed and natural processed coffees, revealing that sweetness encompasses more than just sugar content. By analyzing the interplay of sugars, acids, and other flavor compounds, it underscores the importance of processing methods in shaping coffee's unique flavor profiles.

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How coffee is processed after harvest has an incredible impact on the final quality in the cup. Today we have the luxury of choosing form a wide variety of processing techniques. Whether you are a roaster or a farmer, understanding what these methods contribute to the coffee as well as their impact on the environment, and the industry is critical.

On this episode of RoR from Roast Magazine, we will be discussing post-harvest processing methods from a scientific, philosophical, and practical perspective with guests, Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients.

Siva Subramanian is Vice President & Head of coffee Innovation, Olam Food Ingredients (OFI). He has 27 years of extensive experience in the food industry working in multiple countries including India, Singapore, and the United States. Prior to joining OFI, Siva worked with Hindustan Unilever at the Global R&D center in Bangalore, India Siva holds degrees in Chemistry, Chemical Technology & Food Technology from the University of Mumbai, India. Currently, Siva is leading a team engaged in creating new processing techniques to enhance the aroma, flavor, and taste of coffee & creating novel food ingredients.

Byron Holcomb is the Specialty Coffee Manager, Olam Food Ingredients (OFI. Byron likes to say he is a strong generalist in coffee but not an expert at any one part of coffee. In 2009 he competed as a barista with coffee from his own farm in the Dominican Republic. He was a coffee buyer for Dallis Bros Coffee in NYC for a few years before moving to Brazil to manage a couple farms in Sul de Minas. There he tried to bring better post-harvest management to the operation. At least one of the farms made it into CoE the 5 years he was there. Recently he received the QP3 certification. For the last few years he is based in Guatemala City supporting the Specialty business in Olam/ofi.

We cover:

How processing has evolved
What happens in the washed, natural, and honey process
The illusion of sweetness
Role of stress, microorganisms, acids, metabolites, and sugars
Mechanical harvesting impact on flavor
Why honey process is not ideal
How much does processing contribute to the bean's true terroir?
What methods are most scalable and sustainable?
How roasters can make mindful selections to support farmers and serve customers well
Experimental processing, quality, and marketing
Pendulum of experimentation