Do you know! how to decaffeinate coffee by different ways?

Coffee

Coffee is such type of drink which is prepared from roasted coffee beans. When the coffee beans turn from green to bright red color, it indicates its ripeness. These beans are picked, processed and dried after ripeness.

These coffee beans are roasted on various degrees, depending on the desired flavors. These beans are ground and brew with boiling water to produce the beverage known as coffee. We know that coffee is bitter, acidic, and dark. Coffee is one of the most popular and demanding drink in the world.

It is to be prepared by different ways (e.g. French press, café late, espresso, caffeine or conned coffee). Coffee is always serve as hot but chilled or iced coffee is also common. Sugar, milk, and cream are often used to lessen the bitter taste of coffee. Coffee contains the stimulating content due to caffeine.

Caffeine

It is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea and cacao plants. It stimulates the brain and central nervous system. It helps us to stay alert and prevent us from tiredness. Some times when we take high amount of caffeine, it increases the heart beat rate and blood pressure. This may create danger for those people who are suffering from heart diseases.

We are familiar from the fact that caffeine is occurring in coffee by nature. So many methods are used for decaffeination of coffee, because it is an unnatural process in coffee to overcome the caffeine amount.

We know that this process goes against the natural order of things. But favorers those people who are coffee lover heart patients. Because there are about 10% coffee lovers who want to enjoy the cup of coffee without the stimulating effects of caffeine.

According to CAVEAT EMPTOR:

In the process of “Decaffeinated” it does not mean that it is 100% caffeine free. According to USDA decaf coffee needs only to be 97% caffeine free. Means 12 oz. Cup of decaffeinated coffee packed with 180mg of caffeine. After decaffeination it still contains 5.4mg of caffeine.

What is decaffeination process in common?

Before we take a look on the specific decaffeination process, we have to share some information about decaffeination process. Such steps are done commonly in every process.

1. Decaffeination is always done in the unroasted (green) state.

2. The next step is to separate the caffeine from the beans which is a challenging step. Here the tough challenge is to separate only the caffeine from the green coffee beans, while leaving all the other content in its original form.

3. This is not an easy step because coffee beans contain about 1,000 important components, which make the great taste and aroma of the wonderful complex elixir.

4. Water is an important component of decaffeination process. We know that caffeine is water-soluble substance, thus water is used in all forms of decaffeination.

5. But here the problem is; water itself is not the only solution for decaffeination because it is not a selective solvent. Thus, water removes some other soluble substances like protein and sugar with caffeine.

6. Some decaffeinating agents are used in the decaffeination process (such as activated charcoal, CO2, methylene chloride or ethyl acetate). These agents help us to speed up the process of decaffeination. Such agents control the “washed-out” properties of water, which create great effects on the taste of decaf coffee.

The “Roselius” decaffeination process.

Ludwig Roselius in 1903 invented the process of decaffeination. He had done successfully the first commercial decaffeination process in 1903 and patented in 1906. The motivation for the decaffeinated coffee is due to by his father. Therefore he had done this process due to the Excessive drinking of coffee, which poisoned his father.

He uses brine solution (i.e., water, saturated with salt) involved steaming coffee beans in decaffeination process. Then he uses the benzene (the organic chemical compound) as a solvent for extracting the caffeine.

We know that benzene is known as human carcinogen (the factors that can cause cancer). But this process is no longer used due to this fact. Decaffeination is done for those coffee lovers which suffer from certain diseases i.e. heart problems. Thus here are some other main methods which are used today for decaffeination process.

The four famous decaffeination methods are:

Let’s group the four main processes into two categories; this is done for keeping it organized nicely and each category contains two methods.

SOLVENT-BASED PROCESSES

NON-SOLVENT BASED PROCESSES

Direct-solvent Process

Indirect-Solvent Process

Carbon Dioxide Process

Swiss Water Process

We divided the four methods into two main steps i.e. solvent based process and non solvent based process. In the solvent based process caffeine is removed from the beans with the help of some solvent, such as ethyl acetate or methylene chloride. This is further divided into “direct” method verses “indirect” method.

In the indirect method caffeine is removed when the caffeine-laden water is transfer to the separate tank and then it is treated with a solvent: but in this case the solvent never touches the beans directly. While in direct method, caffeine is removed directly by soaking the materials in the solvents. Here the solvent is directly applied to the beans.

The following solvent used in decaffeination process.

We already mention the decaffeination agents. Methylene chloride and ethyl acetate are the solvents which are used in the process of decaffeination. These solvent are used either directly or indirectly for the selective removal of caffeine in the coffee beans.

Ethyl acetate:

Ethyl acetate is more natural because it exists in ripening fruits such as apples and blackberries. Ethyl acetate (CH₃CO₂C₂H₅) is more safer and natural then methyl chloride because it exists in minute quantity in nature in some fruits. You have often seen the decaffeinated coffee beans with a label such as “naturally” decaffeinated.

This is because ethyl acetate is known as a natural solvent. It occurs in nature in fruits and also prepared commercially from ethyl alcohol and acetic acid. It is also prepared from some other natural ingredients and petroleum derivatives. Thus 70% of the coffee is decaffeinated with the help of using these solvent.

Methylene chloride:

Methylene chloride or MC (CH2Cl2) used as a solvent in the process of decaffeination. The food and drugs administration allow the use of Methylene chloride in decaffeination process. The FDA regulation allow the use of MC up to ten parts per million while, all the coffee industries uses it up to one part per million.

This quantity is very low “as to be essentially non-existent “so the use of Methylene chloride is safer for human health. As we know that some traces of this solvent are remain in the decaffeinated beans but it seems that Methylene chloride does not survive in the roasting process. Because it is highly volatile and become vaporized at 104 degrees.

Furthermore coffee is roasted at 400 degrees F for at least 15 minutes. And we know that the brewing temperature is about 200 degrees F. From this result it seems that methylene chloride would be end up in your cup of coffee.

1. The Direct–Solvent Based decaffeination Process

In this process the beans are steamed for 30 minutes in order to open the pores of the beans for decaffeination. The coffee beans are then receptive to the solvent for 10 hours to remove the caffeine. These beans are repeatedly rinsed with either Methylene chloride or ethyl acetate.

It is drained away and steamed again to remove the residual solvent in the beans. Mostly ethyl acetate is used in this method which is referred as a “The Ethyl Acetate Method” Or “The Natural Decaffeination Method”.

2) The Indirect–Solvent Based decaffeination Process

In this method the coffee beans are soaked for several hours, in nearly boiling water to extract the caffeine, oils and other flavor elements from the coffee beans. This water is separate from the beans and then transferred to other tank.

The beans are then washed with a solvent for 10 hours either with ethyl acetate or methyl chloride. The molecule of caffeine selectively bond with the molecules of solvent, thus the resulting mixture is heated to evaporate the caffeine and solvent.

In the last step the coffee beans are reintroduce to the mixture for reabsorbing the coffee oils and flavor elements for maintaining the taste of beans. This is very famous in Europe, especially in Germany, often referred as a “The European Method,” “Euro Prep.” or “Methylene Chloride Method,”

3) The CO2 decaffeination process

It is the most recent method using CO2 as solvent in decaffeination process. It is also known as liquid Carbon Dioxide or Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Method. This method was developed by Kurt Zosel, a scientist in the Max Plank Institute; he uses liquid CO2 in place of other chemical solvents.

This solvent acts selectively on the caffeine in the coffee beans nothing else, i.e. it releases the alkaloid. In this process, the water soaked coffee beans are placed in an extraction vessel (stainless steel container).

Now this container is sealed and liquid CO₂ is forced at 1,000 pounds per square inch on coffee beans to extract the caffeine. Here the CO₂ acts as a solvent to draw the caffeine from the beans. Here CO₂ leave the larger-molecule flavor components of the beans behind.

Now this caffeine laden CO₂ is transferred to the absorption chamber. In this chamber the pressure is released and the liquid CO₂ turns back to its gaseous state, leaving the caffeine behind. For reuse purpose, CO₂ gas is pumped back to a pressurized container.

4) The Swiss Water decaffeination Process (SWDP)

History

The Swiss water process is also known as Dihydro-oxide Process or Activated Charcoal Decaffeination process. This process is chemical free decaffeination process. It was pioneered in 1933 Switzerland. This viable method of decaffeination was developed commercially by Coffex S.A. in 1980.

This decaffeination process was finally introduced in 1988 as a “Swiss water decaffeination method”. At that time this facility was based near Canada, British Colombia and Vancouver. Here the important point is that, Swiss Water Company’s decaffeination is the only facility in the world which is certified organically.

It is organically certified from Aurora Certified Organic and OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association). It is also additionally certified by the Kosher Overseas Association.

Explanation

This method is different from all other methods of decaffeination process. This method is only use for decaffeination of organic coffee. In this method caffeine does not extracted from the beans directly or indirectly by using chemical solvent. It only depends on the two concepts for decaffeination coffee beans i.e. osmosis and solubility.

Swiss Water Process using environment-friendly ways for decaffeination of coffee to ensure compliance to 99.9% caffeine-free. In order to dissolve the caffeine, the beans are soaked in very hot water. Now the water is drawn off and then passed through the activated charcoal filter to absorbed caffeine.

This filter is sized only to capture large caffeine molecules and allowing all small molecules to pass through them (oil and flavor molecules). We take the beans which contain no flavor and no caffeine in one container. The flavor charged and caffeine free water which is extracted from green coffee beans are taken in another container.

This is the magical step which occurs in this process. The caffeine free beans are introduced to the flavor rich water to dissolve in them. In this process only caffeine is removed and all other flavor ingredients are remain in the beans.

This process results the decaffeination process without the massive loss of flavor. Decaffeinating coffee by this method is always known as “SWISS WATER” Decaf.

Why making decaf coffee is so difficult?

Because there are two problems which are very difficult to overcome in the process of decaffeination.

1- We were already aware from the fact that the decaffeination process damages some flavor component in the coffee beans. It tends to damage the sensory character of roasted coffee beans in this process. This problem sometimes changes the flavor of the coffee which is difficult to overcome.

2- We know that decaffeinated coffee beans are very difficult to roast. These unroasted coffee beans start turning brown in color rather than green, this make it difficult for the roaster when applying heat to them during roasting. Because they respond the heat inconsistently and exaggeratedly when it is applied on them.

The decaf coffee beans contain less moisture content, so they roast faster than un-decaffeinated beans. That’s why the decaffeination process of coffee is difficult. But all these process which we define is used for making the best decaf coffee for the coffee lover.

Bottom line

These four processes are the top most decaffeination process which is healthy and safer. We are trying to aware the people through these articles, that they enjoy the coffee now without caffeine.

Let’s hear it in the comments! That what is your favorite decaf? Or is there any other process or roaster for making best decaf coffee? If you people found that this article is good, valuable and informational then go ahead and share it on your social networks.

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