This fully washed coffee comes from several washing stations along the lake Kivu. In Rwanda, over the years quality had improved and almost all the coffee is now processed as fully washed. Most of the washing stations are privatized and the exporters are buying the red ripe cherries from each farmer. Maintaining the quality is essential to avoid inconsistencies in quality.
Processing Techniques:
The farmers usually pick the cherries in the morning to then deliver them to the washing station in the afternoon. Upon delivery, each farmer needs to sort the cherries to ensure only the red ripe are being delivered. After pulping and fermenting for 9 to 12 hours, the coffee is washed and graded by gravity, before it is being hand sorted again. This is done to ensure the quality of the coffee. The parchment is then being dried on
raised beds between 10 and 21 days. Once dry, the coffee is milled and then handpicked.
