RIGOBERTO - Colombie - fermentation oxydative

• Region: Salando Blanco, Huila
• Country: Colombia
• Altitude: 1800 m
• Process: Oxidative fermentation
• Variety: Pacamara
• Producer: Rigoberto Cuellar
• SCA score: 87

About the producer

Rigoberto Cuéllar, 33, comes from a coffee-growing family in Salado Blanco, Huila, Colombia. He learned the trade from his father at a very young age, until his father was murdered when Rigo was 27. The tragedy plunged him into a deep depression, but he eventually took over the family farm, deciding to honor his father by continuing his work with determination. Little by little, he restored the farm, replanted coffee, and diversified the crops (cassava, arracacha, bananas…). Supported by his wife and children, he finds the motivation to move forward in his family. He also adopts environmentally friendly farming practices: organic fertilization, composting, agroecology, and biodiversity conservation.

About the process

STEP 1. The cherries are hand-picked and brought to the washing station at 5 p.m. STEP 2. The cherries are left to oxidize in a hopper for 36 to 40 hours. STEP 3. The cherries are washed and then depulped. STEP 4. The beans are left to oxidize for another 24 to 36 hours in open concrete tanks. The optimal pH of the mucilage during this process is between 3.7 and 4.1, with the average temperature in the tank ranging from 12 °C to 34 °C. STEP 5. The beans are washed. STEP 6. The beans are dried in drying greenhouses for 15 to 20 days, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 55 °C. The coffee is stirred 3 times a day to ensure even drying.