How are Raw Coffee Beans Treated?

Treatment for your beans

Raw coffee beans are not coffee-worthy. Ok, let’s rephrase that: with raw coffee beans, there’s not much you can do if you want your steaming cup of caffeine punch. That’s right, these beans are not cup-ready right off the tree. So today, you’re going to learn how raw beans are treated to make the perfect brews that everybody loves. Stay tuned!

Raw Coffee Beans: the Harvesting

This is by far, one of the most interesting steps in the coffee treatment. The coffee bushes tend to be in fresh areas, and they’re monitored continuously by the producers to ensure the best product possible. They verify that each tree is healthy and that the would-be beans would be ready in a determined period of time. Once they check the viability of the beans (they should be ripe for harvesting) they’re collected and off they go, to the next step in the line.

When does this happen? In harvesting season, depending on the country.

Pulping: the Dirty Cleanup

The quality of coffee depends on the beans, as you surely know. But this step is fundamental for the would-be beans to be perfect in flavor. Pulping requires the beans to be cleaned, the skin and fruit pulp to be removed, with careful consideration to avoid over-ripe, green or damaged beans. Why removing them? These affect the quality of the overall result and can delay or completely damage the flavor development of the beans.

When does this happen? First 24 hours after harvesting.

Fermentation: developing chemicals

As you surely know, most flavors of coffee come from chemical reactions. These don’t happen by chance. Fermentation allows the chemicals in coffee to develop and create a profile that’s flattering for the beans. This happens because when you de-pulp the beans, there’s a fine but important layer left behind: the mucilage. Once fermented, they’re washed and set off to the next point in the line.

When does this happen? 18 to 24 hours after pulping.

Drying: Letting Flavors Sit in

Once washed, they need to be dried. This process allows the beans to “breathe” and complete their chemical exchange before other important phases. The drying process removes all the moist that can compromise the roasting process, while simultaneously allowing coffee to develop their rich flavor. They can be sun-dried, or machine-dried, both ways ensure that the process is completed within an established timeframe. The process is done over specialized structures, that allow the right airflow to avoid any potential fungi to set on the beans, damaging the process.

When does this happen? One to several days, depending on the drying method.

Roasting: Developing the Chemicals Through Heat

This is the last part of the raw coffee beans processing. The roasting process is complex and delicate, as it can transform a perfect bean into a charred mess. Experts know how much time to leave the beans in the machine to allow the flavors to develop through the Maillard reaction, creating a full profile with the body and perfect taste. The roasting will depend of course, in the product you want to get, that’s why it’s important to do it with professional roasters.

When does this happen? Right before grinding, or packing up.

Want to get perfect beans for your business? Then it’s time to work with us as at That Coffee Roasters. We make sure to treat the raw beans to perfection, creating ideal blends time and time again, to fit the needs of our customers. With family experience and profound love for what we do, we make sure that every bean tells a story, your story.

Want to know more? Contact us to know how we can provide you with quality service, each time.

Add caCoffee beans need to go through several steps to get to you!

 

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

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The Top 5 Best Countries to Grow Coffee

Where do coffee farmers do better?

Picking the best coffee producing countries is no easy task. As we’ve discussed before, coffee beans are highly susceptible to the climate conditions and soils in which they grow. For example, most of the great quality coffee come from lands that are close to the Equator, because of the warm temperature. Coffee also has very specific harvest seasons and depending on the country where it’s produced, different characteristics and flavors will flourish in your cup.

So yes, it’s also a matter of taste and preferences, but when it comes to defining which countries produce the best coffee, we need to consider quality, profiles, how much they produce per year, among other factors. There is no official list, but considering what we know from each region and how much they’ve grown over the last years, you should definitely keep your eyes open for coffees that come from these places.

Kenya

Kenya has definitely made itself a place among the world coffee industry and producers. It produces around 750,000 bags per year, and they’re known for their high-quality and acidity. Coffees from Kenya have a unique profile, they’re sweet and bright, leaving a lingering tingle on your lips. This is in part because its primary coffee production regions are on deep, fertile and acidic volcanic soils, found in highlands between 1,400 to 2,000 meters above sea level.

However, despite being famous for its high-quality coffee, Kenya hasn’t been able to recover from the decline in the commodity prices during the 80s. Kenyan producers have to fund coffee research, and there’s still much work to be done to increase the effectiveness of cooperatives.

Honduras

Honduras is an example of how coffee can help a country’s economy grow exponentially over the decades. In the last 25 years, coffee production has become a story of hard work and success for Honduras. In 2011 it became Central America’s most prominent coffee producer, and in 2012 it ranked seventh in the world and was the second-biggest exporter of high-quality Arabica beans on the planet, competing ably with heavyweights such as Colombia and Brazil. Quite impressive for a country that has historically struggled with poverty and violence. It has fairly earned a place on our list.

There are now around 110,000 coffee producers registered in the country, 92 percent of which are classified as small producers. So when it comes to artisanal coffee, Honduran single-origins are very popular among the specialty coffee lovers. Honduras produces around 4.2 million bags of coffee per year, and their coffee is known for their hazelnut and red currant flavors.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is pretty much a bastion of progress and environmental policies in Central America; it’s also home to some great specialty coffee. Costa Rica produces around 1.4 million bags of coffee per year and its beans are known to have a medium body and sharp acidity, enough to balance flavors like honey or toasted nut, so the coffee is never too sweet or too dull.

In Costa Rica, small estates and cooperatives have been developing relationships with coffee buyers for years, which allows them to work together to focus on quality, increased production, and environmental sustainability. Over the last years, Costa Rica has transformed itself from a volume producer of average quality coffee to a significant producer of high-market specialty coffee. Worth a try, huh?

Colombia

As many people know, one of the greatest things about Colombian coffee is its diversity. The country’s different micro-weathers allow coffee production to be unique and nuanced all across the land. Here you can find both low and high acidity coffees, as well as fruity and nutty notes. Colombia was also responsible of producing 11 million bags of coffee in 2013, and due to its close location to the Equator, many regions experience two harvest seasons, giving us the opportunity to have fresh Colombian coffee all year round.

Colombia has also been ranking high regarding sustainable production, and many small-scale producers are thriving in Colombian coffee culture. Craft, handiwork and great climate conditions explain the extraordinary flavors of Colombian coffee.

Ethiopia

This list wouldn’t be complete without the birthplace of our favorite beverage. Ethiopia has the perfect climate and biological conditions for coffee. Wherein other countries, coffee is “produced,” in Ethiopia coffee naturally grows. Ethiopian coffee tends to be bold and full-bodied, although flavors differ according to how the bean is processed.

Ethiopian beans come both natural (where the fruit covering the grain is dried before being removed) and washed. Ethiopia produces around 6.6 million bags of coffee a year, making it one of the world’s greatest coffee producers. Because of being a natural plantation to these lands, it rarely incites climate or disease-born chaos. Coffee still grows wild all over Ethiopia, and there are thousands of undiscovered varietals, it’s a real coffee paradise.

Have you tried cups of coffee from any of these countries? Which one is your favorite? Tell us what you think! At That Coffee Roasters, you can find coffee roasts and products coming from all these countries. Contact us and start living an authentic coffee experience!

Sources: Solidaridad Network, Thrillist, The Daily Meal, Telegraph, Huffington Post, Time, Agriknowledge, Business Daily Africa.

Have you ever thought about having your own coffee farm?

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Why You Should Be Supporting Sustainable Coffee Production

Coffee's demand is growing every year.

Every day, more than 1.2 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide. Coffee's demand is rising every year, which is why we sometimes wonder: how are we capable of producing so much coffee? Our beloved little coffee beans are actually the world’s second most traded commodity, only losing to oil. Many third world countries and rural societies rely on coffee as one of the most important branches of their economies, but just how sustainable are those models over time? How do they impact the environment and the lives of farmers?  We’re never going to regret being coffee lovers, but we do think about the possible impact of such a huge mass-production industry has. Is sustainable coffee production possible?

What’s the price for our love?

As the need for more supplies rises and coffee farmers are excluded from the industry’s profit potential, the drive for an increased output grows as well. Third world coffee farmers, who only receive 10% of a product's retail price, want to produce as much coffee as they can in as little time as it’s possible, using methods that are less environmentally friendly.

Traditionally, coffee has always been grown under a shaded canopy of trees, providing a habitat for animals and insects, preventing soil erosion and eliminating the need for fertilizers. However, and thanks to the rising demand, new growing methods, such as “sun cultivation” crops, have appeared. In order for coffee cherries to be cultivated massively, the forested canopy is removed and millions of acres of forest are cleared. Therefore, a disturbing damage to biodiversity ensues. In fact, according to World Wide Fund, 37 of the 50 countries with the highest deforestation rates are also coffee producers.

Coffee sustainability: a challenge

The definition of sustainability varies from one industry to the other. In the coffee world, sustainable production means coffee grown in a manner that takes into consideration the environment and the people who live there. Ideally, sustainable coffee farmers would use renewable resources every time they can and give back to the land everything they take from it. It also means reducing pollution, caring for the needs of workers, and minimizing water consumption.

Things like these can be achieved by naturally filtering the water used for fertilization through the earth and then using it for coffee irrigation. Farmers can also give back some natural nutrients to the land by spreading organic fertilizers under coffee trees. They can engage and return to practices such as shade growing, biodiversification, and coffee husks usage as fuel rather than cutting eucalyptus trees. Decent working conditions, wages, and medical care for farmers and workers are also needed to guarantee models that can last in time, and that will grant opportunities for next generations.

However, it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Sustainability in coffee production comes with a rise in production costs that, many times, multinationals and farmers are not willing to accept. Even when companies are willing to introduce environmentally friendly methods, agronomists don’t often see more substantial financial returns. That's why they prefer to keep harmful coffee growing methods that allow them to make a better profit. In any case, sustainable models are also only affordable if coffee prices don’t fall, so new favorable market solutions need to be created so that sustainability isn’t at the mercy of market’s volatility.

Education programs, trust, and more funds are all needed to convince farmers of using sustainable methods, and companies of respecting workers’ human rights, wages, and working conditions. If you want to do something about it, stay informed and keep educating other people. Support brands that bet for coffee sustainability and make sure that, in the meantime, they also worry about farmers and workers. Support legislation and international treats that understand the importance of sustainability. If we want to live in a world where coffee continues to be a beverage we can all enjoy without destroying the lands that give it to us, we must act!

Sustainable production is especially important in developing countries.

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters