Gitesi #188 – Rwanda

Processed at Gitesi Washing Station, owned by Aime Gahizi, a partner we’ve been working with for years.

Farms that deliver cherry to Gitesi are generally small, family owned operations. Each family cares for their plants and picks the cherries themselves. Usually, they also grow crops for their own consumption, and some farmers have more land.

Harvest & Post-Harvest:

Even though most of our selections come from cherries picked between May and July, Rwanda’s harvest can run from March until August. This isn’t always consistent, as it can shift depending on the weather and the altitude the coffee grows on.

The season’s climate in this region is generally quite cool, and can therefore control the fermentation process. A Penagos 800 Eco Pulper removes the skin of cherries, the pulp and 70% of the mucilage. The coffee is then dry fermented for 10-12 hours, graded and washed in channels. It is separated into two grades based on density, before being soaked in tanks of clean water for 16 hours.

The parchment is initially taken to pre-drying tables underneath the shade. At this stage, while the parchment is still wet, a lot of hand sorting is conducted as it is easier to detect potential defects. The parchment is then dried on African drying beds for up to 15 days. It is covered with a shade net during the hottest hours of the day, throughout the night, and anytime it rains.