Coffee is a highly demanded crop across the world and its quality is determined by the the method of processing. The wash/wet process is designed to remove coffee from coffee seeds quickly and thoroughly after coffee split for clean drying.
This is an efficient way to prepare seed for export in climates that have cool overnight temperatures.
Processing mode
Coffee is seen ripe when coffee seeds are dark red, bright red, purple or yellow. This is selectively picked by hands and taken to receiving point where it is weighed, rinsed and first sorted before doping. Furthermore, whole fruit is put in machine which squeezes it out of tough cherry light skin. This happens 8-12 hours after harvest and later on, the seeds are covered with mucilage which is removed through, washing process. After, the sticky seeds are transferred to a fermentation tank where it is collected in pile at the bottom of the tank.
Drying and fermentation
The sticky seeds are kept dry i an open fermentation style and later left for fermentation in a tank for overnight.To continue with, as fermentation takes place in every post harvesting process, in washed processing, producer moderates time and temperature as well as velocity to fermentation process. As fermentation removes mucilage from fruit for easy washing, producer makes sure mucilage is fermented enough by inspecting a sample using his hands to test for stickness.
He also fills tank with fresh water to submerge coffee which is then agitated with long wooden tool to remove mucilage leaving coffee clean and ready for drying. The process is repeated by draining out murky water and refilling with purified, treated and fresh water.
Moisture measuring
Once seeds are clean from mucilage, they are taken to drying patios to remove remaining coffee husks and defected beans. Coffee is then taken to drying surface and spread out on wooden patios and on plastic cover. Drying environment is designed to control airflow and temperature. Seeds are spread using rake and rotated several times through out the drying process to ensure evenly drying. This is done until seed is about 11% moisture content.
Finally dried coffee is transferred to a storage unit ready for export.
