Out of the Rain 

As we pull up to the processing area, the workers are hurriedly raking the beans that were neatly drying on the patio into piles to be covered until the storm passes. Some coffee pickers are also finishing their day by bringing in their bags of cherry to be weighed and paid out. 

Processing

All freshly picked coffee cherries are processed and then dried. Coffee cherries are processed in one of three ways– natural, semi-washed/honey, or washed.  

Natural coffees are dried whole, with the fruit intact, which yields a bigger bodied coffee with ripe fruit notes. At El Platanillo, we see several natural coffees drying on the raised beds where Processing Supervisor,  Manuel “Mesho” Lopez, diligently charts humidity and temperature four times daily, ensuring consistency and quality throughout the process.

Washed coffees are pulped and lightly fermented to help the fruit separate from the bean. These coffees are then washed and dried before the fruit is completely removed to produce washed coffees.

Drying

At El Platanillo, the coffees are either patio dried in the sun (raked and turned on a precise schedule in a rotating, wood-fired oven) or on raised mesh screens under a protective awning. Beans can also be dried using a combination of these methods. Once dry, the beans are much more shelf-stable and ready to begin their journey to our roastery and the end consumer. 

It is now time for us to continue our journey as the cloud cover is picking up. The helicopter pilot skillfully navigates solely using his experience, on-board instruments and radio guidance. We fly through a curtain of clouds, gaining altitude to avoid the hidden volcanoes. That evening, back in Guatemala City, we gather with the Coto family to reconnect over an exceptional meal.

Dry Mill

The next morning, I get to tour my first dry mill. This is where coffees are sorted for quality, packed for export, and sampled and assigned tasting notes. I’m amazed by the sheer size of the warehouse-style building. I’m told it’s quite empty at the moment since it is the very beginning of the harvest season; I still see sacks upon sacks of coffee lining the walls of the facility. Each bag has all of the critical specs clearly silkscreened on the label. A flip though the various screens gives me a good overview of the diversity of green coffee beans all flowing under one roof. 

Sorting

The initial quality control begins with vibrating sorting tables which shake irregularities into a red bag. The beans then go onto a conveyor belt, where an optical sorter further separates out any color, shape, or size irregularities. Finally, Sam does a visual check to make sure no stragglers sneak through, and alerts operators if any of the equipment is in need of calibration. 

Have you ever noticed, despite being a natural product, how uniform our roasted El Platanillo, Las Flores coffee beans are? This is the magic that makes that happen. I scoop out a handful of those beans that didn’t make the cut. What happens to these? They are still good to consume, Sam explains, but the differences in size and ripeness when picked will mean a more muddled flavor. These will be sold as commodity coffee. 

Cupping

Our final stop is the tasting lab, where we meet up with Sam’s wife, Angela, who is setting up for a cupping. Angela comes from a family of El Salvadorian coffee producers; Angela and Sam met while at a coffee event in the US. I know from my conversation with her the night before over dinner that she has an exquisitely honed palate.

Angela and Sam have made the selections for our blind cupping today. We try six coffees, comparing their dry and wet aromas, tastes, and mouth feel and personally score each before comparing notes. This activity is a fun way for the Cotos to show off their coffees and for me to practice the art and science of cupping. A typical day at the office for the couple could involve tasting dozens of coffees like this to ascribe tasting notes and a score from 0 to 100 to each. These help to pair roasters with the flavor profile they are looking for and to set the price. Only coffee which scores over 80 by a certified Quality Grader, or “Q Grader," is considered specialty coffee. The entire shelf along the back wall of the cupping lab is lined with air tight containers with a sample of every lot they have processed over the last few months. This acts as an archive, so that once beans are exported, they can still refer back to the exact lot to verify its origin.

Well-caffeinated, we say our goodbyes and drive towards Antigua Guatemala to checkout the local cuisine and artesian market before catching our flight home. 

 

Keri Gould is the Head of Education and Social Program Development for Afficionado Coffee Roasters.