Time between Harvest and Processing

How much time is too much time between harvesting and processing? This, like most questions in coffee have the same answer: it depends!  On what?  It depends on temperature, shade, type of sac, ect...  


I will give you one example of how this works.


 This harvest we made a major step toward ensuring quality.  We separated each lot and cupped them.  I was not at the wet mill for a few days and lot #11 got left too long in the fruit before de-pulping.  You can tell this by looking at the parchment.  I will be stained reddish from the red fruit, rather than being the normal white/straw color.

Lot 11 is on top and has a noticeable red color.

 Cupping table set up with the three samples.

Lot # 11 on the right with reddish color.

So when we cupped lot #11 it had a overpowering fruity taste.  So we tried to decide to leave it in with the rest of the coffee at the dry mill or sell it separately.  We didn't want it to taint the entire export lot.


So we decided to try an experiment.   We had 3 samples:

1.  sample of lot 11 by itself.  
2. sample from all other lots except lot #11.  
3. sample of  lot 11 mixed with the other lots in proportion to the mix that would be in the export lot.

So what did we find?

1. Sample 2 was better than sample 1
2. Sample 3 was better than sample 2

So, the sample with no fruity was better than the very fruity lot 11.  But when lot 11 was mixed with all the other lots it provided a very nice high light that was not over powering.


So we decided to include lot 11.  And what was a mistake at the beginning helped the overall export lot in the end.

How selection leads to Quality

As a Roaster and Coffee Shop manager it has been a great experience to work on a coffee farm for a season.  I have learned so much about what goes into a great cup of coffee.  The farming is extremely important, as one of my friends say " before you harvest you are adding quality, after harvest you can only preserve what is there"


This post is about the preserving the quality that is there.  Hopefully soon I will write about farming or "adding quality to the bean".


Step 1
Select only the ripe cherries from the trees when you harvest.  This is easier said than done.  In fact it can be terribly difficult to get the worker harvesting the cherries to change.  This year we offered them 30% more to only harvest ripe cherries.  Also, I would check each persons bags personally at then end of the day and praise the ones that did the best.  One of the things that works the best is to have workers taste a fully ripe cherry and then a almost ripe.  When they personally test the difference the light goes on.  This proved to be the big turning point.


Step 2
Hand sort each bag of coffee that is harvested.  Each person has to sort out the green and half green cherries.

All of the unripe cherries are sun dried as natural processed coffee.  This will allow them to ripen in the sun longer.


Step 3
The ripe cherries are put in a tank of water and the floaters are processed separately as seconds.


Step 4
Any cherries that make it through the de-pulper with the pulp on, go to the seconds.


Step 5
The canal:  After fermenting, the coffee is washed.  The washing takes place in a canal where the dense beens are separated from the less dense.  The less dense go to the seconds pile.
(See picture in the previous post)


Then on to the dry mill will they will be sorted for size, density, color.  Through this process only the best beans make it to cup..... well that is if you buy good coffee!

Full washed....semi-washed... pulped natrual...Natural

This week we cupped 4 samples all from Finca Mama Carmen 100% Bourbon , one each of:

• full washed
• pulped natural
• Natural
• 90% washed

This is what we noted.

The full washed was the most balanced.  

Good acidity, Amazing flavor, full body, flavor of raisins, very nice.

Then pulped natural (de-pulped and straight to the patio) had great acidity but lacked balance.  The body was lacking.  ( I have to admit I was expecting the most from this coffee and was disappointed)

We see this a lot where body and acidity seem to be on a balance beam.  When one goes up the other can go down.

The Natural was more balanced similar acidity and body, great balance, the main difference was that  the flavor profile was more berry than raisins we found in the full washed.

The winner the 90% washed.  Great acidity, perfect balance, full body. We pulped, fermented in the tanks as normal but didn't wash the honey off of the parchment as much as normal,  just a quick wash and to the patio.  The only problem with that is you don't get as many seconds out in the classifying channel.  The great part and I have been able to hear of similar results from other farmers.

Classifying canal

Caution and disclaimer:  Every coffee is different and another coffee might be better with different processing.  We plan to make the same experiment next year and see if we can confirm these results.

Coffee Processing--To wash or not to wash???

Usually when we talk about washed and unwashed coffee it is from different area's.  So when you compare them you are comparing more than just the effects of processing.  So for example if you compare a washed Central American with an unwashed Ethiopian  you are comparing region as much as you are comparing processing.


Recently I have been cupping many Guatemalan coffee's (last saturday 51 samples).  A lot of time we are comparing coffee from the same farm with different processing.  In general this is what we find.


The longer the coffee is in the fruit, the sweeter, fruitier and lower acidity.
The quicker it is depulped and washed the better the acidity but you trade off some sweetness and complexity.


Now with that said, there is probably the same actually acidity in the natural processed coffee's but with the additional sweetness you don't taste it in the cup.  Remember sweet overpowers very easily.


So do you wash or not wash.  Here in Guatemala acidity is king.  All coffee's are rated heavily on acidity and many other important factors are seemingly forgotten.  So Guatemalans are big on washing and depulping quickly.  But there is some very nice complexity and character in the cup that come come with natural processing or even just letting the coffee have more time in to ripen in the fruit.  So I'm for some balance,  I love acidity, but I also want some sweetness and complex fruited notes.

The cupping master Jose Angel Alvarado wins #2 cupping in Guatemala

he has been cupping over 30 years.

I'm thankful to have him as my teacher!

Information is a good thing

The rapid increase in information and the availability of information  has changed the way that coffee is traded (in some parts of the world).  Years ago coyote's would by coffee from farmers a a fraction of the going price.  Then the wet processors would buy it from the coyotes and make a fortune before exporting.  This is still the case in some countries.  However, it is not uncommon to go to a small remote farm in Guatemala these days and the farmer be able to tell you what coffee is trading for on the Coffee C in New York.  The farmers have cell phones and the prices are listed in the local news papers.


So I'm amazed now with how much of the price of export coffee is going to the farmer.  For instance with today's information and competition.  Coyotes may only make 10Q per bag.  And a wet mill may not make any more.  With the farmer getting 280Q.  With the work and risk of the Coyotes and the wet mill they are actually providing a great service at that price.

Coffee quick rule of thumb

5-5gallon buckets of Maduro (fruit=1 lata
5.8 lata's = 1quintal in pergameno
4.5-5 quintals of Maduro (fruit)= 1quintal of pergamino (parchment)
Current prices 
212Q/lata
260-300Q 1 quintal of Maduro
1300-1350Q 1 quintal of Pergamino
$2.40 dollars a pound in the port ready for export

Small Farm in San Cristobol-Alto Verapaz--Guatemala

Two days ago, a friend tells me he want to take me to a very special place.  He says that if he ever owned  a coffee farm he would want it to be in this valley.  He says it one of the most beautiful places in all of Guatemala.

After seeing it, I agree with him!

The river in front of the farm with the processing facility in the back

The history of coffee processing on this farm was amazing everything was ran by water power.

And old depulper that was operated by water pressure

The water turbine motor

The little farm is for sale.  I pray I can buy it.