In the last blog articles, we have looked at the new coffee projects and organic farming and the tasks involved in growing and processing coffee. The focus in the last issue was mainly on the work directly on the plantations , i.e. on growing coffee. In today's article, we are going a bit further and looking at production, or more precisely, directly at the coffee producer, also known as the coffee producer.
This is mainly about the preparation of green coffee and the general processing from the coffee cherry to the green coffee bean , which then finds its way to various roasters, including our own. In this blog article you will find out exactly which steps are taken and how much work is behind the refined flavors. Elias Fischbacher from the Wildkaffee Rösterei wishes you lots of fun discovering.
Coffee producer - what exactly does he do?
The various work steps of the coffee producer begin when the red cherries have been harvested from the bushes . This brings us to the general main task of the coffee producer. It is the processing of the fruit, the coffee cherry, into the raw coffee bean, also known as green coffee. However, this work step involves much more than separating the pulp from the kernel , the coffee bean. The process is generally known as processing raw coffee. Processing is the process in which the pulp is separated from the kernel. And there are numerous different variations of this process. But the most interesting thing is how the processing can specifically influence the taste in your cup profile. The process has been played with a lot in recent years, so that special nuances dominate in the different coffees . I'll explain to you later how this works exactly.
Coffee Producer - The difference between farmer & producer
When you think of the coffee producer, you immediately think of the connection to the coffee farmer . However, both have very different areas of responsibility and, above all, jobs . While the farmer mainly takes care of the cultivation, fertilizers and general care of the plantation, the work steps of the coffee producer only begin after the harvest.
He takes care of the processing mentioned above , peeling the cherries and the numerous sorting processes that the beans have to go through before export. The main workplace of a coffee producer is in the processing station , which is often located not far from the plantations. The focus at these stations is on further processing, subsequent packaging and storage as well as the final step - export.
Coffee producer - More about green coffee processing
The farms often have their own processing stations, such as Ismael Andrade's, which we introduced to you in the last article . He takes care of all the steps from cultivation to export . However, not all small farms can connect a processing station to their plantation. There are many small plantations , especially in emerging countries, whose farmers have little or no experience with new processing methods.
Coffee projects such as our own Coffee School Project or Community Coffee Rwanda are here to help. In these projects, farmers are trained in the various processing methods and a central processing station is also installed. This means that the processing of green coffee and export are centrally controlled, which significantly reduces the burden on farmers. The training helps farmers to build up further coffee knowledge. This creates sustainable development from which all farmers in the selected region benefit equally.
The background tasks of a coffee producer
Of course, it is not just the processing of green coffee that a coffee producer lists as his task. The many background tasks in particular fill a coffee producer's day. We must particularly highlight the experiments. Exactly! A coffee producer must of course follow consumer trends and find new methods of processing green coffee. In particular, the fermentation of the beans plays and has played a major role in recent years.
This is how crazy, fruity accents are added to the cup profile and this is a trend that is currently extremely popular with specialty coffee fans. In times of climate change, the term "organic farming" comes into play again and again. This does not stop at organic farming either. The remains of the processing are often processed into microorganisms , which in turn can be used for fertilization and also in processing. In this way, the raw materials are reused sustainably and another building block of organic farming is created.
Coffee producer - What types of processing are there?
Admittedly, the list of different ways of processing green coffee is very long. This is partly because coffee producers are constantly playing around with the methods and making small changes to bring out different nuances and notes. However, there is of course a "list" of classic processing methods that also serve as the basis for the coffee producers' experiments. In our blog article " Different processing methods - what are the differences ?" we have already introduced you to some classics, but also some slightly crazier versions.
What does processing mean?
In general, a distinction is made between wet and dry processing . The aim of the coffee producer is always to remove the components of the cherries, i.e. pulp, fruit skin, fruit mucilage, parchment skin and, if possible, the silver skin as well as most of the water from and out of the bean .
The classic processing methods at a glance
Wet processing
During wet processing, the cherries are cleaned in water tanks, pre-sorted and then sent through a pulper (a device that removes the pulp). The remaining mucous membrane is then dissolved via fermentation and made washable. The process takes between 12 and 48 hours, depending on the application method - here we would end up with the various experiments again. The beans are then dried on so-called African Beds.
The dry processing
During dry processing, the cherries are dried for so long that the cherry pit can be removed without leaving any residue. This usually takes between 3 and 5 weeks.
The middle way - semi-dry processing
A middle way is the semi-dry processing. It is a mixture of wet and dry processing and works without any fermentation. The pulp is separated from the cherry as well as possible and then dried.
Our Coffee Producer from the Coffee School Project - Rodolfo Ruffati
Let's come back to our Coffee School Project in El Salvador . Logically, we also need a coffee producer who is involved in the processing and cultivation of coffee according to the standards of organic farming and, above all, knows the local conditions. Rodolfo Ruffati comes from El Salvador and therefore knows the local conditions like no other. Rodolfo is a 5th generation coffee farmer and now also a coffee producer and he has been working strictly according to the principles of organic farming for over 10 years.
This led to an early connection with Leonhard Wild and the Wild Coffee Roastery. Today, Rodolfo is fully responsible for the Coffee School project and supports the local community. His main goal is to train future farmers and coffee producers so that coffee cultivation in El Salvador slowly but surely experiences a significant upturn.
The tasks of the coffee producer in brief!
The coffee producer follows on from the work of the coffee farmer. He is primarily responsible for processing the coffee and preparing it for export . However, numerous background tasks, such as experimenting with microorganisms , which are used in both fertilization and processing, also fall within the scope of the coffee producer. The principles of organic farming also apply to the coffee producer. The focus is on the reuse of the individual raw materials .
The coffee producer does not work directly on the farm, but at a processing station, which is often located near the plantations. Smaller farms in emerging countries are supported by coffee projects such as the Coffee School Project through central processing stations. This is intended to help smaller plantations and their farmers develop further so that they can handle the coffee product independently in the future. In our own project, the farmers are supported by Rodolfo Ruffati, who comes from El Salvador and is already the 5th generation of successful organic farming.
