All cherries are hand-picked when perfectly ripe, and then sorted by hand before being inspected by Roberto at the wet mill. On the same day that they were picked, the fully ripe cherries were washed thoroughly in the receiving tanks, and additional water was passed over them to remove any traces of dirt. They were then left in this tank overnight. The next day the cherries were taken through the washing channels to ensure there were no floaters, and then transferred directly to the African beds inside the greenhouse where they were turned every thirty minutes initially, and then as the beans dried out this was increased to every fifteen minutes to ensure uniform drying. Drying took around twenty-one days to reach the desired moisture level. The coffee was dried on raised beds in a greenhouse for 21 days.
With a coffee background of almost 50 years, Roberto is a walking coffee encyclopaedia - he simply knows everything about the cultivation and preparation of coffee. Due to his experience, his closeness to nature and his love for his homeland, Roberto has been a pioneer in the sustainable cultivation of coffee in harmony with nature for decades. Three years ago, he founded a small family business together with his wife Doris and their five children. Directly behind his home, he now prepares his own coffees in his own micromill with a water-saving Ecopulper. All processes are measured, and efficiently organized, leaving nothing open to chance. Just behind their processing facility they have a small cupping space and beautifully organized sample cabinet. All of the lots are processed on raised beds, focussing purely on honey and natural lots. The metal tables and shadow nets provide the cover needed during the hottest period of the day. To create perfection in humidity, they use mechanical dryers to lower the last percentages of humidity to the correct level for export.
