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Sun-dried coffee beans are naturally dried inside the fruit pulp, so the weather greatly affects the quality of the coffee beans. Front Street compares sun-dried coffee beans with the other two traditional processing methods, washed and honey. Front Street believes that coffee beans processed by the sun-dried method amplify their own flavors, have a thick body, intense flavor, and give off sweetness; washed coffee has more pronounced acidity, better cleanliness, a medium mouthfeel, and the most consistent green bean quality; honey-processed coffee beans have better flavor, with balanced acidity and sweetness, and like the sun-dried method, because they have undergone sun drying, the aroma of the coffee beans themselves is also amplified, with a rich body. 

Sun-Dried Processing MethodSteps

Collection/Screening～Drying～Peeling～Screening and Sorting～Storage and Collection&Screening: After picking is completed, the coffee cherries are first manually selected for screening, removing defective coffee cherries, including overripe, underripe, insect-damaged ones, and of course foreign matter other than the cherries. 

Drying: After screening, the coffee cherries are sent to a drying area to be dried. Different regions may also use different drying racks; some may be tarps, some may be raised beds, and some may be concrete ground. The average drying time is 3 to 4 weeks, until the coffee's moisture content drops to 11% before the drying process is complete.

Peeling: After drying is completed, the coffee cherries are sent to a processing plant for peeling and hulling, and may even be polished. The skin, pulp, and other parts are all removed in this step. 

Screening and Sorting&Storage: After peeling, the green coffee beans are screened once again to remove beans with poor appearance. This also reflects the quality of the coffee drying process: over-dried coffee beans are more fragile and will be broken into fragments during peeling; under-dried coffee beans contain too much moisture, and the water is overly active, making them prone to bacteria and mold.

Sun-Dried Processing MethodAdvantages

Aside from the first step needing water to filter out inferior beans, the sun-dried processing method requires no water in any other step, and the water can even be reused. In areas where water resources are not abundant, this method is simply amazing~

Also, because sun-dried beans have an irreplaceable special flavor, some excellent farms have begun to treat sun-dried beans seriously, such as putting them on raised racks to dry to prevent contamination and carefully selecting them. As a result, today we can see many high-quality sun-dried coffee beans. 

Sun-Dried Processing MethodDisadvantages

The sun-dried method depends entirely on the weather, and the drying degree of the coffee cherries is difficult to control. If the drying yard is not clean, it is easy for impurities to mix in. During the sun-drying process, the pulp of the coffee cherries is not removed, so mold and spoilage often occur. Therefore, in many people's minds, the quality of sun-dried coffee beans is poorly controllable and the grade is not very high.

Sun-Dried CoffeeFlavor

Although sun-dried coffee beans have uneven appearance and large color differences, because the coffee beans mature naturally inside the fruit without interference from the external environment, sun-dried coffee beans have a more intense flavor, with a wine-like fermented taste and sweetness. Front Street found that the most famous sun-dried coffee beans come from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe and Sidamo producing regions. Although both are from Ethiopia, their flavor expressions feel different. This time, Front Street brews Yirgacheffe Red Cherry and Ethiopia Huakui to see how the flavors of the two coffees perform. 

Front Street Yirgacheffe Sun-Dried Red Cherry Coffee Beans

Region: Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia

Altitude: 1700-2200m

Processing Method: Sun-Dried

Variety: Local Heirloom 

Ethiopia Sun-Dried Huakui Coffee Beans

Region: Guji Hambela

Processing Plant: Buku Able

Altitude: 2350 meters

Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing Method: Sun-Dried Processing

Front Street Brewingtips

To highlight the fermented characteristics of sun-dried processing, Front Street's roaster used a medium-light roast for these two coffees. For brewing medium-light roasted beans, 90-91°C is recommended. Using a slightly higher water temperature can extract the aromatic substances and acidity of light-roasted beans (the aroma of tropical fruits and the acidity of tropical fruits). Because medium-light roasted beans are harder in density, increasing the water temperature can improve the extraction efficiency of the coffee grounds and avoid sharp acidity. The V60 cone-shaped dripper has a relatively large opening, and together with its unique spiral curved ribs, it allows air to escape more easily, thereby improving extraction quality. The mouthfeel may not be thick enough, but the sweetness, acidity, and distinct aroma brought out by its high concentration are one of its major features. 

Front Street Brewing Recommendation

Dripper: V60

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Dose: 15g

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Grind Size: Fine sugar size (80% passes a No. 20 sieve) 

Front Street brewing method: Pour 30g of water in the first stage and bloom for 30 seconds, then pour 95g (the scale shows about 125g), finishing the pour in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (the scale shows about 225g), finishing the pour in about 1 minute 35 seconds. Dripping is completed at 2 minutes 04 seconds. Remove the dripper and extraction is complete.

Yirgacheffe Sun-Dried Red Cherry: has a light fermented wine aroma, with citrus notes, honey sweetness, and cocoa flavor, with a lasting finish. Sun-Dried Huakui: citrus acidity, full-bodied blackcurrant juice, lemon black tea tea-like body, and lasting sweetness.

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