Post on 25-Jun-2015
description
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
A recent news release regarding coffee production in Honduras refers
to the need to dry coffee beans to stop fermentation.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
Coffee, whether regular of healthy organic coffee, needs to ripen
to the right degree and no more.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
Remember that the coffee that we drink comes from the seed of the
coffee berry and not the fruit.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
An integral part of processing coffee is to remove the fruit down to the
coffee seed.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
This is often done by immersing the coffee in water for sixteen to thirty-six
hours.
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At that point the fruit has loosened and can be washed away.
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The ripening or breakdown or fermentation of the fruit makes this
possible.
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However, the seed also ferments and this process needs to be stopped
before it results in unwanted changes in coffee flavor.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
So, processors dry coffee beans to stop fermentation.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
The problem mentioned in the article about Honduras is that they have ramped up coffee production in that country and have run out of space in existing facilities to dry coffee beans to stop fermentation.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
The article mentions that one processor rented a soccer stadium, spread plastic sheets and dried his coffee where the
local “futbol” team usually played.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
Drying machines can be used as well as air drying in the sun.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
The problem for coffee processors in a country like Honduras is cost.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
Honduras is relatively competitive in the Arabica coffee market, behind Brazil and
Colombia and in a tie with Mexico.
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Land prices are cheap as is labor in the countryside.
During the dry season the cheapest way to dry coffee beans to stop fermentation is to spread them out in thin layers in the hot tropical sun.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
When the rainy season starts processors need to use machines, typically natural gas, diesel, or electric driven and there
goes the cost advantage.
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To dry coffee beans to stop fermentation the beans are dried to eleven to twelve percent moisture
content.
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If coffee is soaked too long (past 36 hours) or drying is not started promptly
individual coffee beans develop an offensive aroma and are referred to as
stinkers.
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In fact the entire batch will eventually go bad if not dried.
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Bad coffee can be sold at very low prices in the country of origin but there go any profits the processor may have dreamed
of getting for his organic whole bean coffee.
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Perception is important in the coffee business.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
If an exporter sends out an occasional bad batch of coffee his reputation
suffers.
He does not get orders the next year.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
This problem works back up the supply chain to growers.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
If the processor does not adequately dry coffee beans to stop fermentation the
work of the small organic coffee farmer goes to waste.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
Organic coffee certification is not any good if buyers get a bad bag of coffee.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
The small grower needs to pay for Bio Latina organic coffee certification but the money goes to waste if processing is not
up to par.
By www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org
In the end the processors in a growing market like Honduras need to buy $70,000 coffee driers and absorb the cost of fuel to dry coffee beans to stop fermentation and
maintain coffee quality.
For more useful information about organic coffee please visit
www.BuyOrganicCoffee.org.