The Sewda Natural Coffee Processing Wet Mill is located in the region of Oromia, Guji Ethiopia. It serves around 600 smallholder farmers in the area, who deliver their ripe cherry to the processing mill. This Anaerobic Natural Process coffee is processed in a very specific and strict protocol. The first step is to float the coffee to remove any low density, underripe, or damaged coffee cherries. Once the coffee has been floated they cover the cherries in boiling water in a process called "Bourbon Blanching". After one minute under the boiling water, the water is drained and the cherries are transferred to airtight containers to ferment for 6 days until the pH drops to 4.0. Throughout the 6 days, the fermentation tanks remain submerged in water to maintain a constant temperature of 59°F (15°C) - 64°F (18°FC) as well as rotated to get a homogenous fermentation. Once the fermentation is complete the coffee is quick-dried under the sun for one day till the moisture content reaches 35%, and then dried for 30 days under a shade net on raised beds till the moisture content decreases to 12%. While drying the cherries are picked up at night and covered to avoid condensation and moisture reabsorption. Once dried the coffee is collected and stores in a warehouse for resting for 4 weeks.
For more information about coffee production in Ethiopia, visit our Ethiopia. page.
