What does post harvest mean?
Post-harvest refers to the various stages and processes that occur after coffee cherries have been harvested from the trees. These operations are critical in determining the quality of the final coffee product. Post-harvest activities include pulping the cherries to remove the outer skin and mucilage, fermenting the beans to remove any remaining fruit residue, washing the beans to remove any remaining mucilage, and drying the beans to an appropriate moisture level.
Once dried, the beans are hulled to remove the parchment layer and sorted based on quality. This can involve hand sorting or mechanical sorting. The sorted beans are then graded based on factors such as size, shape, colour, and defects. Coffee is then stored in appropriate conditions to maintain its quality until it is ready to be roasted. The final stage of post-harvest is cupping, where the coffee is tasted and evaluated for quality. The post-harvest process can have a significant impact on the flavour profile of the coffee, and proper attention must be given to each step to ensure the highest quality coffee is produced.