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.

cupping coffee