Processing

We carry out constant research and development on all stages of the processing to finesse the techniques we use and get the best quality and range of flavour out of our beans. Cherries are hand-picked and hand-sorted at source by farmers to remove any under or overripe cherries. The select cherry harvest is then delivered to one of our washing sites, where farmers are paid an above average rate for their product, with a higher price paid for better quality cherry.

The harvested cherry is pulped within 8 hours of collection to remove the fruit and skin from the beans. All of our washing sites are equipped with Agaard discpulpers for the depulping process. The pulped coffee (parchment) is then typically fermented for 24-48 hours, depending on altitude, with higher sites requiring more time due to lower temperatures, before it is washed in long soaking tanks. All of our sites have 12-14 tanks except for Korcha, which has a large soaking capacity with 25 tanks. During the washing process the coffee is graded by density, the denser the bean the higher the quality, and separated into lots. Another round of soaking follows, in clean water, usually for 6-12 hours, before the parchment is transferred to raised platforms to be dried in the sun. The beans are then dried for 9-14 days, depending on weather conditions and thickness of layers. The parchment is kept in shade during the hottest hours of the day and overnight.

The coffee cherries are first soaked in water, during which any unsuitable cherries – diseased, damaged etc – will float to the surface and can be skimmed off and discarded. They are then transferred to the drying beds where any defectives are removed by hand. The cherries are dried in the sun in layers that begin at around 3cm thickness increasing after a few days to 6-10cm. Frequent movement, coupled with resting in shade during the hours of brightest sunlight and to protect from humidity at night, ensures uniform drying. Drying naturals can take up to 20 days.