Semi-washed

Semi-washed

Semi-washed coffee, or wet-hulled, sits between washed and natural processing, creating bold, full-bodied cups with lower acidity. Popular in Indonesia, this method removes the parchment while the beans are still wet, speeding up drying in humid conditions. The result is a coffee with a rich, earthy profile, often with a heavy mouthfeel and less pronounced sweetness than fully washed coffees.

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Your guide to Semi-washed

  • What is semi-washed coffee?

    Semi-washed coffee, also known as wet-hulled or Giling Basah in Indonesia, is a unique processing method that falls between washed and natural techniques. It is widely used in Indonesia, where the climate makes traditional drying methods challenging.
    The process begins similarly to washed coffee—cherries are washed, floated to remove defects, pulped to remove the outer skin, and then fermented overnight. However, instead of drying fully in parchment, the beans are only dried for a few hours until they reach 40–50% moisture content. At this stage, the parchment is removed while the beans are still soft and swollen, exposing them to the elements for the remainder of the drying process.
    This method produces coffees with a heavy body and lower acidity but often at the expense of sweetness and aroma, which are more pronounced in fully washed coffees.

  • What is the difference between honey processing and semi-washed processing?

    The key difference is when the parchment layer is removed. In honey processing, the bean remains inside its parchment throughout drying, allowing some of the fruit’s sugars to interact with the bean. This enhances sweetness and complexity. In contrast, semi-washed coffee is hulled before it fully dries, exposing the beans much earlier in the process. As a result, semi-washed coffees develop a different flavour profile, often emphasising body and earthy characteristics rather than fruit-forward sweetness.

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Do you offer samples or trial batches before committing to larger orders?

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