Ethiopia Guji Kercha Natural Yeast Fermentation

Concept Coffee Roasters Ethiopia Guji Kercha Natural Process with Yeast

SCA: 88 pts.

Delicious! Intense flavor. A personal recommendation from Coffee Mates;)).

Origin:

Guji is one of the zones in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. The name Guji comes from the Guji tribe, part of the Oromo people. This zone borders Borena to the south, the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region to the west, the Ganale Dorya River to the north, which separates it from Bale, and the Somali Region to the east.

The highest point in this zone is Mount Dara Tiniro. Towns and larger settlements include Negele, which is the administrative center of the region.

The Guji zone was established in September 2002, when the highland woredas of the Borena zone were separated and merged into a new administrative unit.

Processing:

This "wine" type process is so named because it employs techniques borrowed from the wine industry, although similar methods are also found in many other products resulting from controlled fermentation.

In short: coffee cherries ferment in airtight, oxygen-free stainless steel tanks, with very careful temperature monitoring.

Initially, the cherries are carefully sorted to ensure only the ripest fruits are processed. They are then placed in a stainless steel fermentation tank equipped with a special water-filled fermentation valve. As fermentation begins, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is released, which gradually accumulates in the tank. When the internal pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, CO₂ escapes through the water in the valve as individual bubbles.

The valve prevents air from entering the tank, allowing for extended fermentation while minimizing the risk of coffee spoilage and undesirable fermentation notes. Fermentation time depends on temperature readings inside the tank, but typically lasts 4–5 days.

After fermentation, the cherries are traditionally dried — on raised African beds for 15–18 days. Once the appropriate moisture level is reached, the coffee enters a resting period, then is transported to a central dry mill in Addis Ababa, where it undergoes further processing: hulling, grading, sorting, and hand-picking, before being shipped, e.g., through Djibouti.

Packaging:

250g of whole bean coffee in an elegant jar