Name a common defect found in coffee beans.

Quakers are a recognized defect in coffee beans that play a significant role in the overall quality of the coffee. They are beans that did not mature properly during the growing process, leading to their underdevelopment. This underdevelopment means that when these beans are roasted, they do not achieve the desirable flavors and aromas expected from fully ripened coffee beans. Instead, they can impart off-flavors and negatively affect the final cup quality, making them a significant concern for coffee producers and roasters alike.

Quakers are particularly problematic because they can easily be mixed with good-quality beans during harvesting and processing, making it crucial for quality control measures to be in place. Identification and removal of Quakers during sorting can help ensure that only the best beans make it into the final product.

In contrast, while overripe cherries, burnt beans, and unwashed beans can all have negative impacts on the quality of coffee, they do not specifically refer to a defect that arises directly from the internal characteristics of the beans themselves after processing like Quakers do. Thus, understanding the role of Quakers is key in the coffee quality assessment process.