How Folgers Half-Caff Coffee Is Made

Decaffeination

Half-Caff coffee production begins with decaffeinating the coffee beans. The raw coffee beans are decaffeinated before roasting by soaking them in a chemical compound called methylene chloride. The methylene chloride absorbs the caffeine that is naturally produced by the coffee beans. The beans are usually soaked for eight to 10 hours in the mixture and then heavily washed to remove any residue. It is important to note that the decaffeination process does not remove all of the caffeine from coffee beans. A study conducted by the University of Florida found that decaffeinated coffee still contained about 10 percent of the caffeine found in regular coffee.

Roasting

Because of the physiological changes that occur in the decaffeinated coffee beans, they roast at a much faster rate than regular coffee beans. For this reason, the decaffeinated coffee beans must be roasted in a separate chamber from the regular coffee beans. They are usually roasted at lower temperatures for shorter periods of time. Decaf coffee beans are much more susceptible to damage during the roasting process.

Combination

After the decaffeinated beans have finished the roasting process, they are equally combined with regular coffee beans to complete the grinding process. The beans are usually ground together to enhance the consistency and flavor of the entire bean batch. The decaffeinated beans are measured by weight before being combined with the other coffee beans to ensure consistency in the final product. After being ground together, the beans are checked for quality and packaged for delivery.

References

• Goliath
• Science Daily
• Coffee Detective