Harvesting & Wet Milling: Learn the process of choosing cherries

Have you ever wondered how your morning cup of coffee goes from a cherry on a tree to the aromatic beans in your grinder? Let's dive into the fascinating process of harvesting and wet milling coffee beans.

Harvesting the Coffee Cherry

The journey of a coffee bean begins with the careful hand-picking of ripe coffee cherries. Skilled pickers select only the reddest and ripest cherries to ensure the highest quality beans. This meticulous process is crucial to the flavor profile of the final product. After meticulous hand-picking, the cherries undergo a thorough sorting process to ensure only the best quality beans are selected.

Once harvested the cherries are checked in for weighing and the wet processing begins.

Wet Milling to Remove the Cherry

Once the cherries are harvested, they undergo wet milling to remove the outer layers. The cherries are pulped to separate the beans from the fruit.  The cherries, carefully hand-picked at the peak of ripeness, are subjected to a meticulous wet milling process to delicately remove their outer layers, revealing the precious beans within.

Floating away the defects

As part of the washing process, the full developed coffee seed sinks while the defective seeds, cherry are literally floated away through water channels. This waste product is reused to create compost and fertilizers and the water is sent to be treated on-site. This step is essential for eliminating defects and ensuring a clean, uniform batch of coffee beans. To ensure the highest quality coffee beans, our process carefully separates the full developed seeds from the defective ones, by floating them away through water channels.

Fermentation to Remove Mucilage

After wet milling, the beans are transported into basins so that the seeds can be fermented overnight to break down the mucilage that surrounds them. This fermentation process is crucial for removing any remaining fruit residue and imparting unique flavors to the beans. It's a delicate balance that requires precise timing and monitoring.

Packing for Transportation to the Dry Mill

Once the beans have been fermented and washed, they are packed for transportation to the dry mill. This stage is critical for maintaining the quality of the beans during transit. The slightly drier environment at the dry mill helps reduce the risk of mold and ensures that the beans arrive in optimal condition.

Next time you savor your favorite cup of coffee, take a moment to appreciate the intricate process that transforms humble cherries into the rich, complex beans that fuel your day.