Coffee Part Two:

Fermentation Contd: When I finally found that the coffee beans where not slippery anymore, that meant the fermentation process was over. So I proceeded to wash them with a colander several times until the water was running clear.
Drying: Coffee beans must be dried before the parchment can be removed and beans roasted. The simplest method of drying is sun drying. I have to avoid very intense sunlight when the coffee is wet as the beans may split.

I'm using home made drying racks with a fine material to allow for the flow of air. Now I have to stir three times a day, to prevent mold formation. Drying in this way can take from 5 to 30 days. So, lets pray it doesn't take that long!

Parchment removal: The parchment on the coffee bean will dry to a pale straw color, and be brittle to touch. I will have to test the dryness of the beans by removing the parchment by hand off several coffee beans; if dry the bean inside should be greyish blue in color, hard, likely to break when bitten between the teeth, and not soft and chewy. If soft, I have to continue the drying process. Inadequate drying, that is, greater than 12% moisture, will cause mouldiness and stale aroma during storage.

So I'll keep you posted!