• What happens to the coffee after harvesting

Card #4 of 5


You’ve seen the photos of ripe, red coffee cherries on the trees. But what happens after the pickers finish their day? Do the cherries just go straight into a bag and onto a ship? Not quite. In the world of specialty coffee, the journey from the branch to the shipping container is where the bean’s soul is truly defined.

The Art of the Process

Once the cherries reach the wet mill, the farmer must decide how to unlock their flavor. There isn't just one way. There are many, each creating a completely different profile:

  • Washed (Clean & Crisp): The fruit flesh is removed immediately with water before the beans are dried. This highlights the "structural integrity" of the bean itself, resulting in a bright, clean, and acidic cup.
  • Natural (Sweet & Funky): The cherries are dried whole, with the fruit still on the bean. This allows the sugars to ferment and soak into the seed, creating heavy sweetness and intense notes of dried berries or tropical fruits.

The Experimental Frontier

Beyond these, specialty coffee is a playground for innovation. From honey processing (leaving some fruit mucilage on) to anaerobic fermentation (fermenting in oxygen-free tanks), farmers are constantly experimenting to push the boundaries of what coffee can taste like.

The Moment of Truth: The Q-Grader

Before any of these beans are loaded onto a ship, they must pass the ultimate test. This is where the Q(uality)-Grader, the sommeliers of the coffee world, come in. They test the coffee and score it based on strict international standards.

Only when a lot officially scores 80 points or higher, it is designated as Specialty Coffee and the farmer is paid more for it.

QUIZ

What is the average yield a specialty coffee farmer gets from an area the size of a soccer field? A) 100kg-200kg B) 200kg-400kg C) 400kg-800kg D) 800kg-1600kg

  • C) 400kg-800kg - For comparison, a commodity farmer gets a yield of around 1000kg-1400kg. The harvesting methods commonly used are "strip picking" (where everything is stripped from the branch at once, regardless of whether it is ripe or unripe) or mechanical harvesting.

What role does altitude play in coffee cultivation? A) None B) The higher, the better C) The lower, the better D) It’s best at 1,000 meters

  • B) The higher, the better - The cherries ripen more slowly, resulting in higher density and more complex acids. Lower temperatures at higher altitudes slow down the plant's metabolism, causing it to accumulate more sugar and acids.

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