1·Collection

The team collecting the Hacienda's batches collects manually only the ripe fruit, called cherries, which remain on the tree.

The baskets are reviewed verifying that these are filled only with ripe fruit, since the mixture of greens with ripe fruit alter wrongly the quality of the coffee.

2·Measurement

At the end of each day the baskets with cherries are taken to measure the amount collected.

To ensure the quality and, therefore, the taste of our coffee, before being pulped, the cherry goes through a manual sorting process which separates the green from the ripe fruits, which do not continue in the process. To emphasize this need for separation at harvest time, the Hacienda gives awards and incentives to those who collect only ripe fruit.

3·Pulping

After being classified, the cherries are discharged into the hopper that leads to the peelers, which, through some disks, peel the fruit, leaving the grain in its kernel, with its mucilage (gelatinous substance) around.

For maximum environmental benefit pulp is not transported to the pit with water but with the mucilage, which is subsequently withdrawn. In addition, to avoid contamination of the environment the pit is properly covered and closed.

4·Demucilaging

This is a mechanical method to remove the mucilage. It works by scrubbing and rubbing the pulped grain with some nets or rotating rods. The process of taking the mucilage off reduces contamination of water sources by replacing the system in which the grain should remain around 24 hours in water tanks.

5·Drying

The beans are transported to the dryer of three levels. There they start the process of drying by means of a cisco burner(dry coffee husks). The temperature during the drying is never above 50° C, since otherwise the grain would crystallize.

Café San Alberto is exclusively dried under the sun and wind in elbas, in order to optimally preserve the grain qualities. The elbas are located on the roof of the house, which opens or closes depending on the weather conditions. Before turning to the drying, Café San Alberto goes through its third selection process.

6·Packaging

After staying in the dryer for more than ten hours, the grain moisture is monitored to ensure that the final product has obtained the allowed moisture, which should range between ten and twelve percent. The parchment coffee is one that looks like an almond covered with a golden shell.