Colombia Yellow Bourbon

These Yellow Bourbon cherries are picked at peak ripeness and placed in unsealed tanks to ferment anaerobically for 96 hours as a first step in the fermentation process. After this, the cherries are depulped and placed into fresh tanks and soaked in a mix of spring water and liquid starter culture. This starter culture is created by first soaking coffee cherries in clean spring water for 4 days. The resulting liquid is then drained from the tank and held in barrels to condition for several days (in a shaded area with cooler ambient temperature) to develop a strong culture of wild bacteria. Once conditioned, this liquid starter is used several times with fresh water being added in with each use and stored in barrels between uses. This cultured fermentation step is carried out on the depulped, unwashed parchment for 72 hours after which the tanks are drained (and the liquid saved for the next batch). The parchment is then moved to clean tanks and washed under clean spring water to remove the mucilage before being transferred to covered raised beds to dry for up to 25 days.