What Separates Natural and Washed Yirgacheffe Beans?

Natural and washed Yirgacheffe beans from the same region taste very differently. Natural lots dry whole cherries, so sugars and aromatics from the pulp stay in the bean, giving tropical fruit, fermented depth, and higher sweetness. Washed lots are depulped before drying, which yields a cleaner, brighter cup with clearer acidity.

In Ethiopia, high altitude, low rainfall, and strong sun suit natural processing, though early drying on mud ground or rooftops caused quality problems. The comparison here uses two Ethiopian lots from a single bean list, a washed Gedingding Cooperative coffee and a natural Red Cherry coffee, brewed with a V60 three-pour method.

Yirgacheffe beans from the same region can present drastically different flavor profiles depending on the processing method. On Front Street Coffee's bean list, the Gedingding Cooperative is a washed lot, while Red Cherry is a natural lot, and the two each have their own distinctive characteristics in aroma, acidity, mouthfeel, and aftertaste. This article will systematically sort out the differences between natural and washed Yirgacheffe, from the principles of processing methods, the background of the Red Cherry Project, and cupping performance to V60 three-pour brewing parameters, and share Front Street Coffee's standard pour-over extraction approach, helping coffee lovers more clearly understand the flavor personalities and brewing key points of these two beans.

When buying coffee beans, in addition to paying attention to the region and flavor description, the processing method is also a consideration that cannot be ignored. Different processing methods give coffee beans drastically different flavor directions. Even for beans from the same region, natural and washed processing will bring about very different taste performances. Take the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe on Front Street Coffee's bean list as an example: Front Street. Gedingding Cooperative Coffee is a washed lot, while Front Street. Red Cherry Coffee is a natural lot. Below is a comparison of the specific differences between these two beans.

Front Street. Natural Yirgacheffe Coffee

The so-called natural method refers to drying coffee cherries directly with the fruit after harvest, without peeling off the skin and pulp. During the drying process, the sugars and aroma components contained in the pulp are retained in large amounts and gradually penetrate into the green beans. At the same time, the longer the drying cycle, the more fully the fermentation progresses. Because natural processing allows the fruit to dehydrate naturally, the coffee beans mature within the parchment with less external interference, so natural beans often amplify their own flavors, exhibiting distinct tropical fruit notes, a thick fermented quality, and higher sweetness.

From the perspective of natural conditions, Ethiopia's high altitude, low rainfall, and abundant sunshine make it very suitable for natural processing. However, in the early days, farmers often spread coffee fruits directly on mud ground or rooftops to dry, making the fruit prone to picking up earthy off-flavors or over-fermenting due to uneven heating, ultimately dragging down coffee quality.

In order to improve the income of Ethiopian coffee farmers and enhance coffee quality, the Dutch trading company Trabocca BV launched the "OPERATION CHERRY RED PROJECT" in 2007. This project mainly targets high-altitude production areas such as Yirgacheffe, improves processing techniques such as washed, semi-washed, and natural, and introduces professional cuppers to participate in quality control. During the harvest season, harvest volumes are set according to different microclimate zones, and only 100% ripe red coffee cherries are picked, with a single batch yield of about 1,500 to 3,000 kilograms. The economic loans, new hardware equipment, and production technology knowledge provided by Trabocca have significantly improved coffee quality in the Yirgacheffe production area and even throughout Ethiopia. Coffee prices have risen accordingly, and coffee farmers' incomes have also increased.

Unlike the extensive practices of the past, today's natural processing invests more effort in manual sorting and even drying. Freshly picked red coffee cherries are first manually sorted to remove defective beans, overripe beans, and insect-damaged beans, retaining high-quality fruit. They are then sent to drying sites for processing. Different production areas use different drying facilities; some use tarps, some use raised beds, and the most common is the African drying bed. The drying process usually lasts 27 to 30 days, and is only considered complete when the coffee fruit turns dark purple and the moisture content drops to 11%. Naturally processed Yirgacheffe tastes more intense and has richer layering, with a wine-like fermented aroma and also relatively high sweetness.

Front Street. Washed Yirgacheffe Coffee

Ethiopia's washing technology was introduced from Central and South America in 1972. The washed processing flow is complex and cumbersome, and requires a large amount of clean water, so its cost is higher than the natural method, and it is also less commonly used in water-scarce African regions.

The specific steps of washing are: after the coffee cherries are picked, they are placed in water, and immature fruits are removed by buoyancy; then the skin and pulp are removed with a depulper, after which they are left to rest in a fermentation tank for 18 to 36 hours until the mucilage layer is fully broken down. After fermentation is complete, the parchment beans are washed in channels for 30 to 60 minutes. Through specially made channels combined with water flow, low-density and poor-quality beans are removed, and then the high-quality coffee beans are drained of water and spread on African-style raised beds to dry.

Because the pulp has already been stripped before drying, Front Street. Yirgacheffe's inherent aromas are displayed more clearly and thoroughly, presenting citrus and lemon notes as well as elegant white floral notes, with an overall bright and delicate flavor. After Front Street. Yirgacheffe launched washed coffee beans, it immediately became a representative of the world's specialty coffee producing regions.

Flavor differences in cupping

In terms of roasting, considering that Front Street. Yirgacheffe should take acidity as its main flavor direction, a medium-light roast is used. The washed Yirgacheffe Front Street. Gedingding Cooperative coffee beans use a light roast to retain more bright acidity and floral aroma; the Front Street. Natural Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee beans use a medium-light roast, presenting full berry sweetness and acidity. Before Front Street launches each coffee bean, it conducts at least one cupping evaluation. Under unified standards, cupping allows us to feel the strengths and weaknesses of the coffee more objectively.

Cupping flavors of Front Street. Washed Gedingding Cooperative Coffee: the dry fragrance gives off fresh passion fruit, citrus, and berry acidity. The wet aroma is citrus and berries. On the palate there is citrus acidity, accompanied by the sweetness of berries, as well as almond and tea notes, with a honey-like sweetness in the aftertaste. Low body, bright acidity, clean and refreshing.

Cupping flavors of Front Street. Natural Red Cherry Coffee: the dry fragrance shows full berry sweetness and acidity. When sipped at different temperatures, one can feel soft berry sweetness and acidity, the fermented quality of ripe fruit, obvious honey sweetness, and a black tea finish, with a smooth mouthfeel.

Through comparison, it can be seen that both the natural and washed Front Street. Yirgacheffe have citrus and berry acidity. The washed one has higher acidity, a brighter and more uplifting mouthfeel, and an aftertaste mainly of honey aroma; the natural one more highlights the roundness of tropical fruit, has a creamy smooth mouthfeel, and a stronger fermented aroma.

Pour-over recommendations

Many friends consult Front Street about related brewing suggestions after buying coffee beans. In fact, each bag of Front Street coffee beans has brewing references on its label. Here Front Street takes the washed Gedingding Cooperative as an example and explains Front Street's extraction approach according to the store's production standards.

Because Front Street. Yirgacheffe coffee beans grow in high-altitude areas and are relatively hard in texture, in order to stimulate more floral and fruity notes, Front Street uses hot water at 92°C to 93°C for extraction. In terms of grind size, Front Street recommends medium-fine grinding (78% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve). If the grind is too coarse, rich substances cannot be extracted, and the brewed coffee will taste thin; if it is too fine, it is easy to over-extract at high water temperature, causing the coffee to become bitter.

During cupping, Front Street noticed that this bean shows different flavors at different temperatures, so the brewing method uses three-pour extraction, allowing different flavor substances to show better states as the coffee bed rises in temperature in stages. In order to highlight the fresh and charming aroma of washed Yirgacheffe, Front Street uses a V60 dripper for brewing.

Compared with other drippers, the V60's cone shape and 60° angle design mean that during brewing the water flow must reach the center before dripping into the server, extending the contact area between water and coffee grounds, thereby allowing the aroma and flavor to be fully extracted. Its iconic single large opening lets water flow unimpeded; the liquid flow rate largely depends on the brewer's flow control ability, and is directly reflected in the coffee's flavor. If the pouring habit is too large or too hurried, the delicious substances have not yet been released from the coffee before extraction is already over, and the brewed coffee will likely taste thin and bland.

Not only that, the side wall of the V60 dripper has multiple raised spiral ribs, some long and some short, running through the entire dripper. First, it prevents the filter paper from fitting tightly against the dripper, forming enough space for air circulation and maximizing the coffee particles' water absorption and expansion; second, the spiral raised groove design also causes the downward-flowing water to press against the coffee bed, forming richer layering, while extending the water flow path and avoiding under-extraction caused by the large opening.

In terms of brewing ratio, Front Street believes 1:15 to 1:16 is fine. If you want a richer mouthfeel, use 1:15; if you want to feel the floral aroma and sweetness more clearly, you can use 1:16 to let the flavors spread out more.

Dripper: V60 Water temperature: 92-93°C Dose: 15g Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15 Grind size: fine granulated sugar size (78% of grounds passing a No. 20 sieve)

Three-pour brewing: wet the coffee bed with twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds, forming a dome and blooming for 30 seconds, then pour in a small stream in circles from the inside out until 125 grams, pause, wait until the coffee bed drops to half the height of the dripper, continue pouring the third pour with the same fine stream to 225 grams, and after all the coffee liquid has filtered through, remove the dripper. The time is about 2 minutes. After the coffee in the dripper flows into the server, remove the dripper, then swirl the coffee liquid in the server to mix it evenly, and you can begin tasting Yirgacheffe's flavors starting from high temperature.

Flavor description of pour-over Front Street. Yirgacheffe

After grinding the washed Front Street Yirgacheffe coffee beans into powder, you can smell the fresh fragrance of honey and jasmine. When Front Street pours in hot water, it begins to give off hints of berry flavor. The brewed black coffee enters the mouth with bright lemon, citrus, and green tea, and as the temperature changes there are aftertastes of berries, cream, and sugarcane, with obvious sweet returns, and a clean, clear, and sweet taste.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.