
Colombia: The first green coffee milling machine powered by solar energy
in 2018 this solar plant was inaugurated, making Racafé a pioneer in the export of coffee produced with renewables energies.
In Colombia there is coffee production all year round; there is a main season and a less abundant one, but the quality of the product does not change.
From the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the department of Nariño, Colombia is privileged to have an extensive and biodiverse mountain range. Thanks to this characteristic, the coffee plant, native to Ethiopia and whose qualities develop much better at an altitude of more than 1,200 meters, has adapted perfectly to the national territory. However, beyond a successful experiment, the fame of Colombian coffee is also due to the traditional techniques and methods developed by coffee growers and traders. What is the process that Racafé coffee goes through before reaching the tables of the world? Here is a brief summary.
The first thing you should know is that in Colombia there is coffee production all year round; there is a main season and a less abundant one, but the quality of the product does not change. The coffee growers are in charge of harvesting the cherry coffee once it is ripe and at the perfect point, all this process will be done 100% manually. The next step is to remove the pulp, skin and mucilage from the coffee bean with the help of a machine. After this process, a layer of cellulose called "parchment" will remain on the bean and will give the coffee its name at this point: parchment coffee.
The coffee is then subjected to a fermentation process that seeks to promote the transformation of sugars into simpler substances. In Colombia the fermentation process can last up to 20 hours depending on the environmental conditions and the altitude at which the process is being carried out. Once fermented, the coffee will be washed to remove the remains of fermented mucilage as well as dirt, stones or leaves. In this step the most important thing is to use clean and totally potable water that guarantees the innocuousness and quality of our coffee. Naturally, after being washed, the coffee beans reach a level of humidity of up to 56% that must be reduced to 10-12% for its commercialization. For this purpose a sun drying process is carried out, which besides being economical is more sustainable and safe. After this step we will obtain dry parchment coffee that will be the one that Racafé will buy from Colombian coffee growers.
Finally, in our threshing machines we will remove the husk from the coffee bean and classify it mechanically and electronically, thus selecting the best green coffee in the world. This coffee will be evaluated, tested and packaged to be exported to any place in the world and will be ready to be roasted and tasted by millions of people. We guarantee that, indeed, the quality of our coffee is superior because we work hand in hand with Colombian coffee growers throughout the entire production chain to develop together a product that is not only delicious, but also sustainable and respectful of the communities that are dedicated to its production.
If you are interested in becoming a buyer or seller, contact us.