- Planting: coffee been is actually a seed that can be planted and grow into a coffee tree. Planting often takes place during the wet season so that the soil remains moist while the roots become firmly established
- Harvesting the cherries: It will take approximately 3 to 4 years for the newly planted coffee trees to bear fruit. The fruit, called the coffee cherry, turns a bright, deep red when it is ripe and ready to be harvested.
3. Processing the cherries: Once the coffee has been picked, processing must begin as quickly as possible to prevent fruit spoilage, there are two methods:
- The dry method: The freshly picked cherries are simply spread out on huge surfaces to dry in the sun. In order to prevent the cherries from spoiling, they are raked and turned throughout the day, then covered at night or during rain to prevent them from getting wet.
- The wet method: Removes the pulp from the coffee cherry after harvesting so the bean is dried with only the parchment skin left on
4.Drying the beans: If the beans have been processed by the wet method, the pulped and fermented beans must now be dried to approximately 11% moisture to properly prepare them for storage.
5. Milling the beans:
- Hulling dry processed coffee refers to removing the entire dried husk of the dried cherries.
- Polishing is an optional process where any silver skin that remains on the beans after hulling is removed by machine.
- Grading and Sorting is done by size and weight, and beans are also reviewed for color flaws or other imperfections.
6. Exporting beans: The milled beans, now referred to as green coffee, are loaded onto ships in either jute or sisal bags loaded in shipping containers, or bulk-shipped inside plastic-lined containers.
7.Tasting coffee: Coffee is repeatedly tested for quality and taste. This process is referred to as «cupping» and usually takes place in a room specifically designed to facilitate the process.
8.Roasting coffee: Roasting transforms green coffee into the aromatic brown beans that we purchase in our favorite stores or cafés. Most roasting machines maintain a temperature of about 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The beans are kept moving throughout the entire process to keep them from burning.
9.Grinding coffee: The objective of a proper grind is to get the most flavor in a cup of coffee. How coarse or fine the coffee is ground depends on the brewing method.
National Coffee Association of USA
http://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/10-Steps-from-Seed-to-Cup
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