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!

I had a wonderful time this weekend in Justin's farm in Utuado. And it inspired me to start a new gourmand adventure...pick some coffee cherries and experiment to see if in a few weeks I could sip some completely homemade coffee.

I've checked on the internet and found that it won't be an easy task, but with some patience it could be really rewarding. I've learned soooo much already, and here I share the process (which will take a couple of weeks) with you.

Picking: Around the world coffee laborers receive a payment per basket between US$2.00 to $10 with the overwhelming majority of them receiving payment at the lower end. An experienced coffee picker can collect up to 6-7 baskets a day. Troy, Gabi, Phil, Justin and I got paid way better, with a great tour through the green breathtaking mountains, and also the hope of someday maybe tasting our own homemade coffee.
Only gourmet coffee growers tell their workers to be really "picky" on the color of the cherries, leaving behind green and brown. We picked our coffee only when it was bright deep red, with great discernment to make sure we would produce the best possible cup.

Pulping: Then, today I sat outside and used a piece of wood to tamp the cherries in a cooler until most of the seeds were forced out from the skin.


Then, I added some water and stirred the skins and seeds. I took out any coffee beans that were floating. (In the coffee industry they know these beans as "floaters" or "immature" beans). Then for a looooooong while. I removed by hand any remaining skins or un-pulped coffee cherries.


Fermentation:Fermentation by natural enzymes breaks down the insoluble mucilage around the parchment layer, that is, the slippery layer you can feel with your fingers.

I placed the coffee beans in a plastic bucket to avoid the effects iron has on quality and added water to the beans. Fermentation may be complete in 18 to 48 hours. To check whether the fermentation phase is complete, I will gently wash a handful of the beans. If they come clean and feel gritty (not slippery), then fermentation would be complete.

As the process keeps going, I'll keep posting. Next I'll have drying, parchment removal, roasting, grinding and FINALLY brewing! :)