first coffee harvest in Chikkamagaluru, asking ripe picking and dry versus washed method
When and how to pick coffee cherries and what is the difference in processing?
HHarish Gowda9mo ago · 358 views
7 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓9mo ago
Pick coffee when cherries are fully ripe and deep red, ideally selective picking of only ripe ones, since green or overripe cherries lower cup quality and price. In the dry or natural method the whole cherry is sun dried on a clean floor for a couple of weeks until the bean rattles, giving cherry coffee. In the washed or parchment method ripe cherries are pulped the same day, fermented to remove the mucilage, washed, and then dried to parchment, which usually fetches a higher price for arabica. Washed needs water and quick handling, dry needs good drying weather. Robusta is often dry processed, arabica often washed. Confirm the method your buyer or curing works prefers and quality norms with the Coffee Board or your KVK.
SSuresh8mo ago
Picking only the red ripe cherries is more labour but the curing works pays better for clean ripe lots. When I let pickers strip green and red together my rate dropped. Selective picking pays back.
NNaveen Gowda8mo ago
If you go washed, pulp the same day you pick, do not let the cherries sit overnight. The fresh pulped parchment came out clean for me, while held cherries fermented wrongly and the cup suffered. Quick handling is key for washed.
PPrakash Hegde8mo ago
Dry processing needs good drying weather, so I keep the cherry coffee for the dry months and spread it thin on a clean floor, turning it. In a wet spell the natural drying goes mouldy. Match the method to your weather and water supply.
LLokesh Gowda8mo ago
Spread it on a clean drying floor or tarpaulin, not bare mud, the dust and grit cut my grade at the curing works. A raised drying patio or clean sheet and regular turning kept the lot even. The buyer eyes the cleanliness as much as the bean.
MManjunath Shetty7mo ago
Robusta I just dry process as cherry, arabica I do washed if I have the water, the rate difference on arabica parchment was worth the extra work. Match the method to the type too, not only the weather. The Coffee Board man explained which suits my estate.
RRavi Gowda7mo ago
Get the drying right through to where the bean rattles before you store, half dried cherry went musty in the bag for me. Whether washed or dry, the final dryness decides if it keeps. I lost a corner of a lot once to under drying.