ORIGIN OF COFFEE

Coffee comes in different species, but most of the drink made comes from the bean (seed) of Arabica coffee or Robusta coffee. Coffee in Arabic is "Qahwah," which is equivalent to the attributes of wine.

Besides, the process of making wine, especially the do-it-yourself type, is pretty simple. However, making fruit wine is time-consuming, and with homemade fruit wines, you can make exotic and exciting flavors that suit dinner parties.

Coffee drink in the early days was made from the coffee tree and prepared:

• As a fermented decoction from the pulp of the beans and
• From the bean

When coffee berries ripen to a bright deep red color, they are picked. Inside the fruit is the coffee bean clothed with the pulp (a parchment membrane).

The process requires precise steps as explained below and the equipment to achieve the final product (wine) can be gotten from the United Kingdom or Australia.

1. PULPING

This is the removal of the skin and the pulp, which should be done immediately after harvesting in a couple of hours. This is to ensure all of the unripe and overripe berries are removed before pulping begins. This can be achieved via squeezing each berry by hand or tamping the berries with a plank of wood inside a bucket until the seeds are removed from the skin. The bucket is afterward filled with water, and the skins and seeds stirred while the skins are poured away before settling occurs. A good coffee bean will sink in water.

2. FERMENTATION

This involves the breaking down of the insoluble mucilage that surrounds the parchment layer. Ensure the use of a plastic bucket to avoid the effect of iron on the quality. The fermentation process can be completed in about 24 hours, depending on the temperature of the surrounding at the time. You can confirm if fermentation has finished by washing some of the beans gently and if they come out clean and gritty, it has been adequately fermented. The beans can then be washed and drained until clear water is obtained. Remove all floating beans during washing.

3. DRYING

The coffee beans are then dried before the parchment can be removed. The method of drying is sun drying or with the use of a food dehydrator. This gets the parchment wholly dried to pale straw color and with so much brittleness. Ensure adequate drying, no matter what method of drying you have used.

4. HULLING

This is the removal of the parchment just before roasting takes place. You can place the beans in a blender bit by bit to break the beans and then blend at low speed for about 30 seconds. You can then blow away the lighter parchment with a hairdryer like a piece of equipment. It is advised to retain the thin membrane, silver skin that remains in the green bean before roasting.

5. ROASTING

The green beans can then be roasted to the typical aroma. In roasting, a lot of changes happen to the beans, such as moisture loss, the caramelization of sugars and changes in color and size. Roasting can be done in large baking dishes in the oven while the beans are spread thinly and frequently stirred, so it does not get burnt and to ensure an even roast. Everybody has their preferences and the extent to which you roast the beans will largely depend on the type of flavor you desire. You can then remove from the oven and cool with a fan immediately; the beans will continue to cook because of their self-heat.

6. GRINDING, STORING, AND BREWING

You can then grind the cooled coffee beans based on the brewing extraction type you intend to use. You can reduce flavor loss by packaging the already ground coffee in airtight containers and storing them in the refrigerator. Also, using freshly ground beans can help get a top-quality brew. Over brewing destroys the flavor and it should be taken into consideration that the coffee should not be allowed to stand after brewing. Brew the coffee for an average of 4 minutes before drinking. With percolators, there is a chance of over brewing the coffee.