How to Germinate Green Coffee Beans

Ungerminated green coffee bean

Many coffee drinkers feel that fresh-roasted coffee beans have a superior flavor to processed coffee beans. Making fresh and natural coffee requires growing your own coffee beans or purchasing fresh beans for germination. Germinating coffee beans is not difficult, but it is time-consuming. Coffee beans take an average of two to three months to germinate, with a chance of germination for up to six months.

Things You'll Need

• Container
• Sand or Burlap Sacks

Instructions

1. Soak the green coffee beans in water for 24 hours to pre-germinate them and speed up the germination process.

2. Fill the container you are using for germination with sand, or place two burlap sacks in the container. Make sure the container has holes in the bottom to allow the excess water to drain.

3. Add the green coffee beans to the sand. Make sure the beans are not visible. If using a burlap sack, place the coffee beans between each sack. Water the seeds twice per day and allow the container to drain.

4. Wait two to three months for the beans to germinate. Maintain daily watering of the beans. It is unlikely that all of your beans will germinate; 50 percent germination should be expected.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have a coffee plant or whole coffee cherries, you can purchase green coffee beans from many health food stores.

References

• Coffee Reasearch
• Ohio State University