KB Colombia Los Nogales Whole Bean

8.8oz / 250g Whole Bean
Notes: Papaya, Cocoa Beans, Tropical, Peachy, Pineapple, Floral
Region: Pitalito, Huila
Producer: Angie Hernandez, Los Nogales
Varietal: Caturra
Process: Washed Thermal Shock
Elevation: 1870 - 2000 m
 
From KB:
 
"Oscar Fernando Hernández, an industrial engineer and former naval petty officer, is the youngest of Ricaurte Hernández's sons and is currently at the helm of the family business.
 
Angie Hernández, the youngest of the family, is 24 years old and an industrial engineer. From a young age, she was tasked with studying the world of microbiology, searching for fermentation techniques that would produce a cup of excellent coffee. Her office is a laboratory in the mountains of the canton of Brussels, and her experimental space is the coffee plantations her father cultivated for her.
 
After a whole process, the coffee arrives at the tasting laboratory where Anibal Diaz Plazas is in charge of the sensory evaluation of all the research on the fermentation processes. Along with Oscar, they are in charge of analyzing the final result to draw conclusions seeking to improve the quality of the coffee.
 
PROCESS
1.GOOD PICKING OF RIPE FRUITS: IN THIS STEP, IT IS ENSURED THAT ONLY THE RIPE FRUITS ARE PICKED. THIS IS CRUCIAL TO OBTAIN HIGH QUALITY COFFEE BEANS, SINCE THE RIPE FRUITS HAVE THE OPTIMAL FLAVOUR AND AROMA.
● 2. CLEANING AND DISINFECTION WITH TREATED WATER: THE HARVESTED COFFEE BEANS UNDERGO THOROUGH CLEANING AND DISINFECTION USING TREATED WATER. THIS HELPS ELIMINATE IMPURITIES AND UNWANTED MICROORGANISMS.
● 3. SELECTION BY DENSITY WITH WATER: THE COFFEE BEANS ARE IMMERSED IN WATER AND A SELECTION BY DENSITY IS CARRIED OUT. GRAINS WITH HIGHER DENSITY TEND TO SINK, WHILE GRAINS WITH
LOWER DENSITY FLOAT. THIS HELPS SEPARATE QUALITY BEANS FROM DEFECTIVE ONES.
● 4. THERMAL SHOCK: SELECTED BEANS ARE SUBJECTED TO THERMAL SHOCK WITH 80 DEGREE CELSIUS WATER FOR 1 minute, FOLLOWED BY RAPID COOLING WITH COLD WATER FOR 3 MINUTES. THIS PROCESS BREAKS DOWN THE SUGARS AND PASTEURISED THE BEANS, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE FINAL FLAVOUR OF THE COFFEE.
● 5. PULPING AND ADDING SUGARS: THE COFFEE BEANS ARE PULPED, AND SUGARS OBTAINED BY PRESSING THE SHELLS OF THE SAME BEANS ARE ADDED. THIS CAN IMPROVE THE FLAVOUR PROFILE AND GIVE THE COFFEE CERTAIN SWEET NOTES.
● 6. FERMENTATION: COFFEE BEANS UNDERGO A FERMENTATION PROCESS THAT LASTS 120 HOURS. DURING THIS TIME, THE SUGARS BREAK DOWN, WHICH INFLUENCES THE FLAVOUR AND ACIDITY OF THE COFFEE. THE ADDITION OF PREFERMENTS, SIMILAR TO SOURDOUGH IN BREAD, IS ALSO MENTIONED, WHICH CAN PROVIDE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS TO THE COFFEE.
● 7. SUN DRYING: FINALLY, THE FERMENTED COFFEE BEANS ARE DRIED IN THE SUN FOR 15 DAYS. THIS STEP IS ESSENTIAL TO REDUCE THE MOISTURE OF THE BEANS TO A LEVEL SUITABLE FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE AND TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE FLAVOUR OF THE COFFEE."