How does the double anaerobic enzyme washed process work?

Double anaerobic enzyme washed processing adds a second fermentation round with special enzymes on top of anaerobic washed processing. Anaerobic fermentation itself places coffee cherries in sealed containers and injects carbon dioxide to expel oxygen, which slows sugar breakdown in the mucilage and the pH drop, extending fermentation time and building sweetness and balance.

In the second round, cherries leave the anaerobic environment, the skin and pulp are removed by machine, and the mucilage-covered beans go into sealed containers for further fermentation. Colombia Rose Valley coffee from Big Tree Estate, a Caturra variety, shows peach, cranberry, and liqueur chocolate flavors. V60 brewing parameters let drinkers reproduce those flavors at home.

Special processing methods have continued to rise in popularity within the coffee community. These processing methods give coffee beans a distinct flavor imprint and rich aroma, forming a strong contrast with traditional processing methods. This article uses Front Street Coffee's Colombia Rose Valley coffee beans as a sample to deeply analyze the principles and characteristics of the double anaerobic enzyme washed processing method. Starting from the basic concept of anaerobic fermentation, it gradually breaks down the specific process of double fermentation, and combines the growing background of Big Tree Estate and the characteristics of the Caturra bean variety to present a complete picture of this coffee. At the same time, it also includes the V60 brewing parameters and operating steps recommended by Front Street Coffee to help coffee lovers reproduce Rose Valley's peach, cranberry, and liqueur chocolate flavors at home.

In recent years, the term "special processing method" has appeared extremely frequently in the coffee field. Coffee beans processed by special processing methods often have highly recognizable flavor expression and especially rich aroma, differing significantly from beans processed in traditional ways. Today, Front Street Coffee uses its own roasted Front Street Colombia Rose Valley coffee beans as a case study to talk about what unique qualities double anaerobic enzyme washed processing can bring.

Anaerobic fermentation is a type of processing method that has been widely used in recent years. Its inspiration comes from the winemaking method of red wine. Specifically, coffee cherries are placed in sealed containers, and carbon dioxide is injected to expel the oxygen inside. Under oxygen-free conditions, the decomposition rate of sugars in the coffee mucilage is slowed, and the rate at which the pH value drops also slows, allowing the fermentation time to be extended, thereby helping the coffee develop better sweetness and a more balanced flavor.

Double Anaerobic Enzyme Washed

This processing method adds special enzymes for a second round of anaerobic fermentation on the basis of anaerobic washed processing. After the coffee cherries are removed from the anaerobic environment, the skin and pulp are first removed by machine. Then the coffee beans, which still have mucilage attached, are put into plastic bags or other sealed containers and once again placed in an anaerobic environment to complete a new round of fermentation. The processing flow after the above two rounds of anaerobic fermentation is called double anaerobic fermentation. After fermentation is completed, the coffee beans in the tank are dried. Coffee beans processed in this way show a rich, layered taste experience with a fresh fruity sweetness.

Front Street Colombia Rose Valley coffee uses exactly this processing method. This Front Street double enzyme washed Rose Valley bean has a stunning peach characteristic, accompanied by flavors of cranberry, liqueur chocolate, and rose.

Front Street Rose Valley comes from Big Tree Estate in the Santander producing region of Colombia.

The farm owner of Big Tree Estate, Vargas, has been operating Big Tree Farm and growing coffee for 20 years. At Big Tree Farm, only fully ripe coffee cherries with a bright red appearance are selected for picking, and defective floating beans are removed through washing. Then two anaerobic fermentations are carried out and placed into a special enzyme group for fermentation. At the same time, the farm also attaches great importance to the drying stage of the coffee beans, avoiding excessively high temperatures during drying and adopting a slow drying method.

The bean variety of this Front Street Rose Valley coffee is Caturra, a natural mutation of Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in 1937. Its tree is not as tall as Bourbon and is shorter. Caturra was introduced from Brazil in 1960 and currently accounts for 45%-50% of Colombia, having replaced the earliest Typica. Caturra is suitable for cultivation at altitudes of 700-1750 meters. The higher the altitude, the better the flavor. In terms of flavor, it often has a refreshing fruity acidity and a light sweetness.

Front Street Brewing Recommendations

Dripper: V60

Water temperature: 90-91°C

Grind size: 80% passing rate with a No. 20 standard sieve (setting 9.5 on an EK-43s grinder)

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Dose: 15 grams

Pour the coffee grounds into the V60 dripper, wet the coffee bed with twice the amount of water as the coffee grounds, and let it bloom for 30s to form a dome. Then pour in a thin stream in circles from the inside to the outside until 125g, then pause. When the coffee bed drops to half the height of the dripper, continue pouring the third stage with the same thin stream until 225g, and wait until all the coffee liquid has finished filtering before removing the dripper. The time is about 2 minutes.

Front Street Colombia anaerobic enzyme washed Rose Valley is a sweet, rich rose, then on the palate it is liqueur chocolate, and as the temperature drops you can taste the sweet-and-sour flavor of dried cranberries.

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