The process begins with the selective, manual harvesting of fully ripe cherries, ensuring that only the highest quality coffee is obtained. The cherries are then cleaned and disinfected with treated water to remove any impurities and potential contaminants.
The next step is density separation, using flotation to separate low-density or defective cherries from the heavier, highest quality ones. The selected cherries are then pasteurized in hot water at 90°C for 60 seconds — this is the longest protocol in this process — which promotes the release of sugars essential for fermentation.
The next step is dry depulping using a modified depulper, which removes all the mucilage. The obtained mucilage is then used in the fermentation process. The coffee undergoes 7-day fermentation in its own sugars, using a ratio of 1:4 pre-fermented yeast to coffee juice, which increases the complexity of the flavor profile while preserving the terroir character.
Finally, the beans are sun-dried for 15 days, until they reach the optimal moisture level suitable for long-term storage and maintaining the highest quality of coffee.
