Learning the coffee conversion at Kenya Coffee school : It takes approximately 1.25 kilograms of washed parchment to make one kilogram of green coffee beans. This is based on a standard conversion factor where parchment coffee yields about 80% of its weight as green coffee after hulling and sorting.
The conversion ratio can vary slightly depending on factors like:
- Coffee Variety: Different varieties of coffee beans have slightly different physical properties and sizes.
- Moisture Content: The specified conversion assumes the parchment is dried to a standard moisture level of around 11-12% before milling.
- Processing and Equipment Efficiency: The dry milling process results in a small percentage of weight loss due to the removal of the husk (parchment skin) and any defective beans.
To determine the exact ratio for a specific batch, producers are often advised to track actual intake records and milling statements. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) uses a standard conversion factor of 0.8 to convert net weight of parchment coffee to its green bean equivalent.
ICC 102-10 – International Coffee Organization |
27 Mar 2011 — Forms of coffee means the following: (a) green coffee means all coffee in the naked bean form before roasting; (b) dried coffee cherry means the drie…
It typically takes between 5 to 6 kilograms of fresh coffee cherries to produce 1 kilogram of green coffee beans. This is sometimes referred to as the “golden rule” in the industry for estimating yield.
The exact ratio can vary based on several factors:
- Coffee Variety: Different types of coffee (Arabica vs. Robusta) and specific cultivars have different yields.
- Growing Conditions: Factors like altitude, climate, and soil conditions impact fruit density and size.
- Ripeness: The stage of ripeness when picked affects the final weight after drying.
- Processing Method: Although you specified natural processing (drying the whole cherry), even within this method, efficiency and specific techniques can cause variations.
On average, fresh coffee cherries contain about 16-20% green coffee by weight. Therefore, for every 100 kg of fresh cherry, you can expect to get 16-20 kg of clean green coffee beans.