How Coffee Is Processed

Coffee grows exclusively in tropical and subtropical regions. The current coffee belt around the earth reaches approximately 70 producing countries and is enclosed within 23 degrees latitude north and 25 degrees latitude south. The ideal conditions for the growth of coffee plants are between 17 and 23 degrees centigrade, with plenty of rain and a fertile soil.

Kinds of Coffee

More than 60 different kinds of coffee exist in the world; the most important types are the Arabica and Robusta.

The Arabica type is a delicious aromatic coffee, with less caffeine than the Robusta, which has a stronger and rougher flavor.

The different kinds of coffee can be distinguished from each other by their place of origin (highlands or lowlands), taste and smell.

The highlands coffee has a particularly nice flavor and is grown in plantations located between 600 and 1800 meters above sea level. In general the higher the land the better the coffee. However this is not always the case because even plantations located on lower lands can also have an excellent quality. Through the taste of the coffee it is possible to feel and recognize the professionalism of the person who roasted it. The roaster can influence the quality of the product through the coffee grains selected, and the roasting process.

Coffee Plants

The coffee plant cultivation, as well as its care and harvest, are all part of a hard intensive work process. It all begins with the sowing. The coffee bushes are cultivated from seeds, which only germinate within eight weeks of being sowed. These seeds are sowed in special soil beds with a depth of one or two centimeters.

After five to eight weeks, small plants start appearing on the surface. As soon as the first leaves are visible, and sometimes even before that, the small plants are transplanted in polyethylene bags with special planting soil (they are known as polypods). Often they are also transplanted to planters with fertile soil. Next the plants are distributed in shady beds leaving a space of 8 to 10 inches apart from each other.

After six months go by, the small coffee plants reach a height of 12 to 20 inches and that’s when they have to be transplanted to their final destination, the plantation, where they are placed 3 to 10 feet apart. The plants normally grow under the protection of the “guamos”, shade trees which protect the young plants from the scorching sunlight.

In their natural state coffee bushes can grow to be 33 feet tall, but at plantations they generally grow to between 3 and 5 feet. The newest bush species start bearing fruit when the plant reaches three to four years old, and they continue to produce optimum crops for approximately ten more years. The coffee plant looks especially beautiful when its branches are all covered with small white flowers that resemble jasmine.

The Processing Cycle

Wet processing In Central America, the coffee beans are typically washed first. This method, which is relatively costly, encourages quality coffee. The collected fruits are first transported through a water canal to soak and clean them.

In the second phase of the wet process, the coffee beans are thrown into large water containers so they may ferment. The fermentation process eliminates not only the impurities, but also the viscous layer that wraps the grains and doesn’t dissolve with water. This part of the process, which lasts from one to two days, is very important. The long fermentation process is what gives coffee its great aroma and its special taste.

Washing Once the fermentation process is over, the beans are washed again. Around the beans there is still the folded skin that resembles a parchment, and that’s why this coffee is also called parchment coffee or "café pergamino".

Drying The washed parchment coffee gets spread over terraces or drying tables so it will dry under the sun. The beans are turned many times a day so they dry evenly.

Classification Then the beans go through a conveyer belt, where very specialized personnel separate the perfect beans from the visually flawed beans, for instance the ones that are pierced or have a different color.

After undergoing the additional processes of drying, peeling, shelling, cleaning and quality control, the coffee is ready for roasting, packaging, shipping...and drinking!

You can tour our coffee finca and view this process first-hand. Click here to learn more about our Copan Coffee Tour.

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