All picking is done by hand to ensure only the ripest berries are picked. This occurs in rounds, usually biweekly, starting in late September or October and lasting until December or January, depending upon elevation and other factors. Coffee is collected in 100 lb. burlap bags and must be pulped the same day.

During picking, green beans make their way into the baskets.  We take the extra effort to sort through our harvest and take them out as they add a bitter taste to the coffee.

The red cherry is run through a machine designed to crush it just enough to separate the beans from the fruity pulp.  Running water is needed to lubricate the split beans and prevent crushing and/or chipping.

The resulting mixture of husked beans and water is left to ferment slightly overnight to help remove the mucilage.  At this stage, it is very odiferous and anything but appealing! 

The next day the beans are drained and dumped onto a shaker table to be washed.  Shaking the beans during the washing process serves to both wash off the stickiness and begin to remove the excess water.    Beans are collected at the end of the table.

The beans are spread out on wooden decks to dry in the hot, bright tropical sunshine.  It may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to dry completely, depending on the humidity.  Each bean is still encased in a tough, thin skin called parchment.  The dried parchment, now off white in color, is stored in burlap bags. 

After 2-3 weeks drying on the deck, we take the parchment to a local roaster to be roasted