NORUEGA

Here's what Falcon Speciality the importers of this coffee have to say about it.

Shade Management:

The farms are part of the considered coffee forest, maintained under regulated shade with native species, ingas, and forest species. These species contribute constant organic matter to the soil, incorporate nitrogen through the ingas, release oxygen into the environment, and capture carbon dioxide (CO2), reducing the carbon footprint. These species create a unique microclimate that fosters interaction between the surrounding flora and fauna. They act as a temperature and soil moisture regulator, enhancing natural and ecological water harvesting during the rainy season and reducing runoff and soil erosion. In summer, they reduce soil and plant temperatures by up to 25%. Additionally, they have species that provide wind protection for the coffee crop, acting as windbreak barriers on all farms to safeguard and protect the plants.

Social and Environmental Responsibility

To meet their activities and address labour shortages, Fincas Los Naranjos has implemented alternatives to incentivise their agricultural staff:

- Job Stability: They strive to provide their staff with a safe and stable workplace, offering employment during both the rainy and harvest seasons.

- Increased Farm Wages: Daily wages have been increased by 10% to ensure adequate staffing.

- Free Transport: Free transport is provided in farms with restricted access, during both winter work and harvest.

- No Logging or Hunting Policies: Strict no-logging and no-hunting policies are enforced within the farms.

- No Herbicide Use: A strict no-herbicide policy is maintained.

- Integrated Pest and Disease Management: Sampling and constant supervision are utilised.

- Use of Less Harmful Agricultural Inputs: All inputs used are green-labelled.

The Truck Arrival and Weighing Process

The truck arrives from the farm and enters the weighing station, which has a capacity of 50,000 pounds. Here, the weight is taken against the farm shipment to initiate the yield process.

Step One: The driver provides their details and deliveries to the reception person. The weight is taken once everyone has disembarked from the transport.

Step Two: The reception personnel take a sample from each sack to analyse the maturity level.

Step Three: The truck leaves the scale and takes the coffee to be deposited in the reception piles. At this stage, a person is responsible for receiving the coffee and identifying it by farm and variety.

Step Four: The truck returns to the scale, and the weight is taken again to calculate the tare weight, thereby determining the net weight of the coffee.

Step Five: Once all these details are gathered, the net weight of the coffee and its maturity level are registered in the system.

Maturity Level Analysis and Classification

When the truck arrives at the facility, a sample from each sack, sent from the farm, is taken to analyse the maturity level. This helps in deciding how to process the coffee. Different categories are encountered, weighing a 500-gram sample and separating it into optimal beans, pink beans, green beans, overripe beans, and immature beans. The percentages for each category are then calculated, leading to the classification:

--Defining the Process

The process is defined once the maturity classification and the variety to be processed are determined. This is done to ensure that the process has a good result in cupping, taking advantage of all the characteristics of the variety and the process. It is also defined according to customer requests.

To perform an anaerobic process, a grape classification in category "A" with a Brix above 18 degrees is needed.

Double Fermentation

Step One: The process starts with flotation, to remove empty grains and overripe beans that could accelerate during the fermentation process and produce alcoholic and phenolic flavours.

Step Two: The best quality cherries are collected in polypropylene sacks and then weighed. The coffee is deposited in fermentation tanks, with each tank containing 400 pounds of cherries.

Step Three: After 24 hours in the fermentation tanks, a sample of the coffee must is taken to measure pH and Brix degrees. After the first 24 hours, the pH is 5.20 degrees, and the Brix drops to 3 degrees.

Step Four: After 48 hours in the fermentation tanks, another sample of the coffee must is taken to measure pH and Brix degrees. After 48 hours, the pH is 4.65 degrees, and the Brix increases to 13 degrees. Following this, the coffee is removed from the tanks, pulped, and returned to the fermentation process in the honey state.

Step Five: After 48 hours in the fermentation tanks in the honey state, another sample of the coffee must is taken to measure pH and Brix degrees. The pH drops to 3.94 degrees, and the Brix increases to 19 degrees. When these degrees are reached, the coffee is removed from the tanks.

Pre-Drying and Final Drying

Step One: The coffee is transported from the fermentation area to the pre-drying area (patios). The purpose of taking it directly to the patios is to reduce the excess water content and stop fermentation immediately. In this stage, the coffee can remain for 3-5 days depending on the amount of sunlight during the day.

Step Two: The pre-dried coffee is collected in polypropylene sacks, weighed, and then placed on African beds for the best drying treatment. It is taken directly to the lower level to rest after receiving direct heat for 3-5 days. At this level, it remains for 10-15 days while its moisture content drops to 20%.

Step Three: The coffee is moved from the lower level to the upper level. The African beds drying system consists of two levels. When the coffee reaches the second level, the drying process begins. The coffee is ready to be collected from the beds and taken to the warehouse when it reaches a moisture content of 10%.

Final Steps and Quality Preservation

When the coffee reaches a moisture content of 10%, it is collected in polypropylene sacks with GrainPro bags inside to preserve quality and prevent moisture reabsorption, avoiding possible damage to the cup quality.

The following day, a sample from each sack, weighing 300 grams, is taken to analyse quality. The coffee is then stacked by farm, variety, and process. The quality classification is done, the sacks are sealed, and they are stored on wooden pallets covered with henequen sacks, using moisture extractors to ensure good storage and avoid damage to the cup quality.

• Despatched next working day
• We use recyclable & CO2 neutral packaging
• Roasted fresh every working day
• Free next day shipping when you spend over £35
• Free two day shipping when you spend over £25