COFFEETECHNOGUIDE IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND PRODUCTION OF

Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world. Hence, it is most highly traded commodity next to oil.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), coffee is the most common beverage and is listed as one of the major high value crops in the region. This makes it to be among the top five priority commodities being supported by the Department of Agriculture (DA). Also, coffee is the region’s model commodity under the One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) program of the Department of Trade and Industry-CAR.

However, coffee’s production is not yet sufficient to satisfy the demand of many consumers at present because of the limited supply in the region. It is also observed that, generally, the quality of coffee being produced in the country does not pass international standards due to poor cultural practices from land preparation to post-harvesting, lack of irrigation, non-fertilization, and non-pruning of coffee trees, among others. It is hoped that with the appropriate technologies and services in support to coffee production, it will provide additional livelihoods among the farmers particularly in the rural highlands.

This techno-guide on coffee production promotes the various post-harvesting tips and techniques to guide the coffee farmers in the better harvesting and post-harvest handling of their coffee produce. These post-harvest methods include dry method, wet method and coffee grading.

COFFEE: A HIGH VALUE CROP

Flowering to harvesting:

• Arabica coffee: 8-9 months from flowering• Robusta, Liberica, Excelsa: 7-9 months from flowering

IMPORTANT: Harvesting is done by hand-picking (priming) and pick the ripe berries only. Avoid the inclusion of stalks (peduncles) which lowers coffee bean quality. Avoid over-ripening of berries to prevent double fermentation.

Correct harvesting is important in producing good quality final coffee product. But harvesting coffee is not just about picking coffee berries to be processed later. The right way of harvesting and the right time of harvesting is of critical importance.

COFFEE: A HIGH VALUE CROP

A. Quality Standards in Harvesting

1. COFFEE BERRIES- also referred to as cherries. These are usually red or yellow fruit that contains two seeds surrounded by a soft layer of mucilage and a thin skin called parchment.

2. PARCHMENT COFFEE- dried but unhulled coffee beans.

3. GREEN COFFEE BEANS- commercial term referring to the dried seeds of the coffee plants wherein the external envelopes (exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp) were already removed.

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

1Harvest only coffee berries that are at the right level of ripeness. For best

quality coffee beans, harvest only ripe coffee berries which are plum and either red or yellow, depending on variety. Matured berries usually get cracked during the pulping process because they do not have enough mucilage (shiny substance that covers the beans). The mucilage makes the coffee beans slippery during the pulping process preventing it to crack. Over ripe berries have dark and wrinkled appearance.

PRINCIPLES OF HARVESTING

2Determine the proper time to harvest. The berries of

coffee mature from 7-14 months after flowering depending on the species and locations, although some varieties mature earlier.

3Follow proper procedure of harvesting. It is best to handpick berries one by one rather than stripping all the berries in a twig. Strip picking

or stripping is done by “stripping” all the beans off the branches. Typically, only Robusta coffee is trip picked.

Selective picking which is hand picking involves making numerous passes over coffee trees, selecting only the ripe berries, then returning

to the tree several times over a few weeks to pick remaining berries as they ripen. This is usally done for Arabica coffee because the berries do not mature all at the same time.

PRINCIPLES OF HARVESTING4Harvesting containers should not be in direct

contact with the ground. (Ex. baskets with raised bottom.) Better yet, harvesting containers should be elevated. Never use bags that have contained fertilizer or other chemicals.

5Harvested coffee berries should be immediately processed within eight (8) hours after harvesting. Do not mix with

previously fermented berries. Any fermented part of the berry from the previous day will contaminate the newly harvested berries and will result in deterioration of the entire batch of processed berries. Carefully wash and sort berries before starting the processing to remove twigs, leaves or other foreign matters.

In general, harvesting is done by any of the two(2) basic systems such as stripping where berries harvested are predominantly ripe, and selective picking (hand picking) where only ripe berries are harvested. Of the two systems, selective picking of ripe berries is highly recommended.

This method, also known as the traditional method, is the oldest

and simplest process that requires appropriate machinery. The method involves the harvesting of ripe coffee

berries followed by the immediate drying of berries.

Drying is done for Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica varieties. Ripe coffee

berries must be dried immediately after harvesting. Do not mix red, over-ripe or under-ripe berries as unripe berries could downgrade the quality of coffee.

DRY METHOD

B. Post-harvest Processing Methods

1Drying. Spread out the harvested coffee berries

to dry in the sunlight and turn them over three to four times a day through raking to prevent mildew and discoloration. Do this for seven to 14 days until the moisture content has become 11% - 12%.

2 Check the berries. The berries should be dried

well until hard and brittle where other shell of the berries turns brown and the beans rattle around inside.

STEPS:

Dry processing is considered good and economical because sun drying produces

recommended beans of good taste and color.

Drying is followed by dehulling, sorting of coffee green beans, roasting, grinding, packaging anf

marketing.

REMEMBER! • Drying should remove moisture

from the coffee green bean in a slow continuous process until the bean is at 11-12% moisture.

• Over-dried berries are easily damaged and may result in a bland flavor in the final cup.

Wet method is strictly done for the Arabica

coffee variety. However, this method is now being promoted for other coffee

varieties. Only ripe varieties are recommended to

be processed using this method. This method involves depulping,

fermentation, washing, sun-drying and dehulling of the coffee berries to get the

green beans.

1 Depulping. Remove the coffee pulp immediately after harvesting the

coffee berries to avoid fermentation. Fermentation in coffee refers to the microbial reaction of yeasts and bacteria breaking down the sugars in mucilage.

2 Fermentation. Soak the depulped coffee (parchment coffee) for 12-24

hours in pails of clean water to remove mucilage (slimy substance) which affects bean quality. Do not cover the container of the soaked parchment coffee to allow aeration or entry of air or oxygen. Use food grade containers. The coffee feels rough to the touch after fermentation.

3 Washing. Remove floaters before washing the fermented parchment

coffee with clean water.

4 Drying. Dry the washed parchment coffee immediately under the sun or

dry it with a mechanical dryer until 11-12% moisture content is attained.

NOTE: After drying, the parchment coffee may already be stored until they are readied for market. Attaining of correct moisture content during drying is helpful to properly prepare the coffee for storage.

WET METHOD

STEPS:

1 Dehulling. Remove the coffee hull and silver skin to get the green coffee beans. Make sure that the

11-12% moisture content of the dried parchment coffee is attained before dehulling.

2 Sorting of green coffee beans. Remove broken beans, small beans, discolored bean (other than

bluish-green), triangular bean and other foreign objects.

3 Roasting. This is immediately done to the dried coffee green beans if used for consumption.

Roasting may follow the traditional way or with the use of coffee roasting machine. Coffee roast depends on the consumer preference (light, medium or dark roast).

4 Blending. Done to roasted coffee beans before grinding. Blending depends on the coffee

processor to be used.NOTE: Coffee could be packed already for marketing after roasting or blending.

5 Grinding. Done after roasting or blending the roasted coffee beans. The size of ground coffee

depends on type of the coffee brewing method.

6Packaging. Roasted Coffee Products should be immediately packaged in appropriate packaging

materials.

7Brewing. It is the art or technique of preparing the coffee for drinking.

Coarse grindMedium grind

Fine grind

1

76

5.a3

2

5.b 5.c

Additional steps done for both dry and wet methods:

*Packaging may already take place after the green coffee beans were properly sorted. This is done especially that some consumers or buyers tend to do the roasting of coffee beans themselves.

(Green coffee classification system)

Grading of green coffee beans shall be based on the percentage of defects contained in a 300 gram-sample.

GradeSPECIES

(Total Defects of 300-g sample % by mass, max.)

Arabica Robusta Liberica Excelsa

1 7 (21g) 8 (24g) 10 (30g) 10 (30g)

2 15 (45g) 15 (45g) 15 (45g) 15 (45g)

3 20 (60g) 17 (51g) 25 (75g) 25 (75g)

*Defects may include pea bean, discolored bean other than bluish-green, shriveled/sunken/wrinkled bean, pest/disease infected bean, dried hull/pulp, stones and other foreign objects mixed with the sample.

COFFEE GRADE CLASSIFICATION

Source: PNS/BAFPS 01:2012

Sample of coffee bean defects

Type of DefectGrade, %

1 2 3 4

Black beans 4 6 9 15

Infested beans 4 5 7 8

Broken beans 3 5 7 10

Immature beans 2 3 5 8

Husk beans 1 1.5 2 3

Husks fragments 1 1.5 2 3

Fermented / sour beans

1 1.5 2 3

Foreign matter 1 1 1 2

Admixture 0.5 0.5 1 2

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GREEN COFFEE BEANS• Moisture content of green coffee beans shall be 9.0% and not to exceed 12%• Free from musty, moldy, other foreign odor and taste• Fairly uniform in size and not more than 10% shall pass through sieve no.13

round with apertures having nominal diameter of 5mm• Must be of homogenous species• Free from insects and other foreign materials

Source: PNS/BAFPS 01:2012

Once parchment has been dried, it can be stored while the grower/processor decides when it will be sold or dehulled. Be careful, however, because mold can grow on stored coffee if it has not been dried sufficiently before storage or if the stored coffee absorbs moisture from the atmosphere due to humid conditions.

This can lead to moldy or musty flavors. Storage areas must be kept isolated from strong smelling liquid such as petrol or diesel, or agricultural fertilizers and chemicals, as stored coffee can take on these odors that will continue up to the final cup.

Moreover, there is an increasing attention to the problem of Ocratoxin (OTA) contamination in coffee and its public health implications. OTA is one of the several naturally occuring toxins, which, are produced by molds. Roasting does not completely eliminate this.

Parchment coffee or dried berries are stored using jute bags which may be covered with polyethylene covers, or in special silos. Jute bags are preferred for coffee storage because they allow transmission of water vapor.

To minimize spoilage, properly stored parchment coffee should be evenly stacked in a well-ventilated area that remains at less than 65% relative humidity, otherwise, it will create mold problems if higher than 65%.

If storing the coffee is not carefully managed, parchment or green bean stored in uncovered jute sacks in a moist climate, will absorb moisture and go moldy.

Storing of Dry Parchments

Process step Factors reducing quality Potential problem

Harvesting cherry Harvest green cherry Green or grassy flavorHarvest over-ripe cherry Fermented or fruity flavorPick fallen old cherries from the ground

Fermented or fruity flavors. Mold contamination producing moldy or musty flavors

Hold fresh cherry for long periods before pulping

Fermented or fruity flavors

Pulping cherry Poor quality pulping equipment or poorly adjusted equipment

Nipped beans causing stinker beans

Fermentation Over-fermentation Fermented, fruity, sour or onion flavor

Poor hygiene in fermentation tanks leaving a small number of extremely over fermented beans

Stinker beans producing foul rotted or sour flavors

Washing Poor washing leaving mucilage on parchment

Mold growth producing moldy or musty flavors

The following table shows a summary of the full-wash and semi-wash processes and the potential problems for coffee that affects their quality (www.fao.org):

Here are some storage management practices in coffee:

1. Bags should be piled on pallets or similar structure to prevent re-wetting from the floor and to permit better air circulation.2. Pile away bags from walls to avoid re-wetting by condensation.3. Storage area must be well-ventilated.4. Put away hazardous or odorous materials from the vicinity of the storage areas.

Drying parchment Contaminated by drying on the ground or dirty drying surfaces

Earthy flavors. Mold contamination producing moldy or musty flavors

Stored partially dry for long periods or rewet during drying

Mold growth producing moldy or musty flavors

Machine drying too fast, too hot, or uneven Poor, mottled or faded color, dull or bland flavor

Poor, mottled or faded color, dull or bland flavor

Coffee is over-dried Poor, faded bean color. Damages easily during hulling

Storing dried parchment

Stored dried parchment too wet Mold growth producing moldy or musty flavors

Stored near fuels or chemicals Contaminated with foul odorsHulling dry parchment

Incorrect huller setting Bean damage

Coffee too dry Bean damageStoring hulled green bean

Storing too wet Mold growth producing and moldy or musty flavors

Stored near fuels or chemicals

Contaminate with foul odors

Stored in jute bags made on machinery lubricated by petroleum oils

Contaminated with baggy or oily taints

Stored in hot humid condition for long periods

Mold growth producing moldy or musty flavors. Surface oxidation of beans causing woody flavors. Faded bean color

Transport Rewetting of coffee due to leaky tarpaulins or containers

Mold growth producing moldy or musty flavors

Stored near fuels or, chemicals Contaminated with foul odors during storage

REFERENCES:BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES PRODUCT STANDARDS. (2012). Philippines National Standards for Green Coffee Beans Specifications (PNS/BAFPS 01:2012).

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-SECOND CORDILLERA HIGHLAND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROJECT. (2013). Quality Enhancement of Coffee Production from Seed to Cup Module.

INTERNATIONAL COFFEE ORGANIZATION.(nd). Good Hygiene Pratices along the coffee chain. Retrieved on October 30, 2018 from www.ico.org.

MUTUA, J. (2000). Post harvest handling and processing of coffee in African countries. Retrieved on October 30, 2018 from www.fao.org.

MACANES V.L. (June 2017). Quality Production of Coffee from Seed to Cup (Powerpoint Presentaion). Retrieved on October 30, 2018.

*This technoguide has undergone technical review by Ms. Joan D. Bacbac, Agricultural Center Chief III & Regional Coordinator (High Value Crops

Development Program ) and Mr. Landes B. Teofilo, Senior Science Research Specialist (Research Division) of the Department of Agriculture-RFO-CAR

COFFEETECHNOGUIDE

IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND PRODUCTION OF

Department of AgricultureRegional Field Office-Cordillera Administrative Region

Scaling Up of the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project (CHARMP2 Scale-up)

BPI Compound, Guisad Rd., Baguio City(074) 444-7991/ 444-8329

Printed and Published by: DA-CHARMP2 Scale-up, 2019