Coffee Processing Course

Lesson 1 • Global Coffee Growing Regions

Maps major producing regions and their climate profiles. Connects terroir to expected bean characteristics before processing begins.

Lesson 2 • Seed Structure and Chemical Composition

Examines bean layers, moisture content, and key compounds. Provides the chemical context needed to understand how processing alters flavour.

Lesson 3 • Coffee Plant Biology and Taxonomy

Covers Coffea genus structure, key species, and plant anatomy. Grounds all downstream processing decisions in botanical reality.

Lesson 1 • Washing Channels and Water Management

Covers channel design, water volume, and wastewater handling. Connects water quality and volume to both bean cleanliness and environmental responsibility.

Lesson 2 • Fermentation Science and Control

Details microbial activity during fermentation and how pH, temperature, and time interact. Enables operators to set and monitor fermentation endpoints.

Lesson 3 • Drying Washed Parchment Coffee

Addresses raised-bed and patio drying for washed lots. Establishes target moisture levels and common drying defects.

Lesson 4 • Cherry Intake and Sorting

Covers receiving protocols, density sorting, and flotation. Sets quality gates before cherries enter the pulping stage.

Lesson 1 • Drying Management for Natural Lots

Details bed depth, turning frequency, and shade use for natural drying. Prevents mould, over-fermentation, and uneven moisture in finished lots.

Lesson 2 • Natural Processing Fundamentals

Introduces whole-cherry drying logic and its flavour implications. Contrasts natural processing with washed to highlight key risk and reward differences.

Lesson 3 • Comparing Method Outcomes

Uses sensory and analytical data to compare washed, natural, and honey results. Builds decision-making skills for selecting a method based on agricultural market and climate.

Lesson 1 • Moisture Measurement and Targets

Trains use of capacitance and resistance moisture meters and calibration routines. Establishes the 10–12% target range and consequences of deviation.

Lesson 2 • Physics of Coffee Drying

Explains evaporation, vapour pressure, and the falling-rate drying period. Provides the physical model that underpins all drying protocol decisions.

Lesson 3 • Environmental Monitoring During Drying

Covers temperature, humidity, and wind logging during drying cycles. Enables operators to adjust protocols in real time based on environmental data.

Lesson 4 • Mechanical Drying Systems

Introduces drum dryers, guardiola dryers, and fluidised-bed systems. Evaluates energy cost, throughput, and quality trade-offs versus sun drying.

Lesson 1 • Colour Sorting and Defect Removal

Introduces optical sorters and hand-sorting protocols for defect elimination. Connects defect counts to green coffee grading standards.

Lesson 2 • Hulling Equipment and Settings

Covers disc, rubber-roll, and abrasive hullers and their adjustment parameters. Prevents bean breakage and parchment residue through correct machine setup.

Lesson 3 • Bagging, Weighing, and Lot Traceability

Covers bag types, net weight tolerances, and lot-coding systems. Ensures every bag leaving the mill carries accurate identity and traceability data.

Lesson 4 • Grading by Size and Density

Explains screen sizing, gravity table operation, and their combined use. Produces uniform lots that meet screen-size specifications for export markets.

Lesson 1 • Grading Systems and Export Standards

Compares major international grading frameworks by defect count and screen size. Prepares students to classify and document lots for export compliance.

Lesson 2 • Defect Identification and Classification

Covers primary and secondary defects, their causes, and their cup impact. Enables accurate grading against international green coffee standards.

Lesson 3 • Physical Green Coffee Analysis

Trains sampling, screen analysis, and moisture measurement on green lots. Provides the objective data foundation for quality classification.

Lesson 1 • Inventory Rotation and Lot Management

Applies first-in, first-out principles and lot-age tracking to warehouse operations. Minimises aged-coffee risk and supports accurate stock reporting.

Lesson 2 • Green Coffee Deterioration Mechanisms

Explains oxidation, moisture migration, and off-gassing in stored green coffee. Establishes the scientific basis for all storage protocol decisions.

Lesson 3 • Warehouse Environment Control

Covers temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation targets for green storage. Prevents quality loss caused by environmental fluctuation during holding.

Lesson 4 • Shipping and Container Preparation

Covers container inspection, desiccant use, and loading patterns for export. Protects green coffee quality during ocean and overland transit.

Lesson 1 • Data Collection and Statistical Process Control

Introduces control charts, run charts, and process capability metrics for processing data. Enables early detection of process drift before defects occur.

Lesson 2 • Standard Operating Procedures Development

Guides creation of clear, measurable SOPs for each processing stage. Ensures consistent execution across shifts and operators.

Lesson 3 • Internal Audit and Continuous Improvement

Designs internal audit checklists and improvement cycles for processing facilities. Closes the quality loop by linking audit findings to actionable changes.

Lesson 4 • Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action

Applies fishbone diagrams and five-why analysis to processing defects. Builds a structured problem-solving culture within the processing team.