At Long Miles, although we uphold a pioneering spirit, we relish tried and true techniques and processes that we have worked hard to master. We are so excited with the results of the reduced Oxygen Fermentation process we undertook on a number of day lots from Gitwe Hill last season.
To create these lots, cherries from Gitwe hill were de-pulped and the mucilage-coated parchment was placed into plastic Afri-tanks. These tanks are seen commonly in Burundi, often used to store potable water. The tanks were then sealed, for between 36 and 72 hours, creating a reduced-oxygen environment.
After this reduced-oxygen fermentation, the parchment coffee follows the same route as other washed coffee: the coffee is washed in grading channels to remove the (now slack) mucilage, graded for density, and then dried on raised beds.
We first produced this type of coffee in 2020 and are now in our third year. We have been calculated in pushing these types of fermentation as we always strive to create lots that are unquestionably clean and clearly expressive of Burundi terroir.
That said, even though the lots we have produced so far seem to have minimal impact from processing, we certainly note slightly increased fruit complexity in both the aroma and the cup.
As big-picture thinkers, we see opportunity and the potential to continually evolve through innovative processes that can add value. This is vital, not only for the coffee industry, but for our future-focussed business where we envision an industry that always seeks to innovate and renew for the benefit of all stakeholders.
If you want to know more about our processes, please get in touch.